My suitcases are packed (with random useless shit I didn't know I owned until 30 minutes ago), my room is in trash bags, and there are just a few slimy (possibly expired) slices of American cheese and a bottle of mayonnaise left in my fridge. I leave Saigon tomorrow morning, to go to the beach and visit some aunts and uncles for a few days, and will start my flight back to the U.S. on Sunday.
I'm so sad! I really thought that six months was going to be an incredibly long time time, but it was not enough time to do anything! I never went to the zoo, or the roller skating-rink (both about a 5-minute walk from where I live). Never ate dog meat (how did Tracy Nguyen, who made fun of me for wanting to try it, eat it before I did?). Didn't go to any museums. I still haven't met 25% of my family here.
In the past 24 hours I have especially been torn by the fact that everything will be ten times more expensive back home, but both my suitcases are exactly at the maximum weight limit. Juan will tell me over the phone how he found a lunch special for less than $5, and I secretly cringe while saying, "Oh, that's a good deal." I know its going to be traumatizing for the first few days.
I realize I never actually wrote about anything specific or descriptive at all about my experience here. Sorry. Thanks for reading anyway! It was fun.
Itinerary: My flight takes three days and four legs to get home to Boston. You wouldn't believe it except that its true - I bought the cheapest flight possible that wasn't United Airlines.
I leave here Sunday 7:45PM Vietnam time and arrive in Boston Tuesday August 17th 8AM EST, miserable and suicidal.
Aug 17 - 23: Bedford,MA for few days to visit my family - will probably drag my sister to the cape.
Aug 23 - 26: NYC to visit Hannah
Aug 26 - 29: Iowa City! to visit my boyfriend
Aug 29: Fucking Claremont
see you soon?
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Getting Some Ink Done
First which kind you want, we have 5.000VNĐ, 10.000VNĐ , 20.000VNĐ , or 40.000 VNĐ?
(...40.000 VNĐ)
And there you have a tattoo, Vũng Tàu style. I'm told the tattoo should last 3 weeks to a month.
It lasts for 3 days, and I think only because I didn't soap myself there in the shower.
(...40.000 VNĐ)
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| After some stenciling with concentrated hydrogen peroxide.... |
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| The guy you see behind me got this 1980's stripper-looking lady with black hair on his chest, and then after asked the tattoo guy to give her red hair. Unfortunately, he did not know that NOT included in the price of your 50 cent tattoo is the ability to change black tattoos to somehow have colors. Lucky for me... |
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| My tattoo artist is able to do some professional powder shading, with the help of a permanent marker. |
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| Isn't it cute? Only after I saw this picture did I realize it was upside down. |
And there you have a tattoo, Vũng Tàu style. I'm told the tattoo should last 3 weeks to a month.
It lasts for 3 days, and I think only because I didn't soap myself there in the shower.
Monday, 2 August 2010
Crossing the Street, Part II
Today I was crossing the street at Ben Thanh Market (Chợ Bến Thành), which is probably the most famous intersection in HCMC, because the traffic here so ridiculous, it’s stupid. 6 main roads converge onto one large traffic circle (one of which connects to the highway), and there are no lights, no rules. This is the kind of place where in the U.S. you would say, “So..I’m gonna drive 40 miles away from where we're going, just so we can avoid driving through there, hope you don’t mind?”
So, I hesitated a bit as I reached the intersection. I like to wait and build up my confidence before I cross. But then I noticed that this splotchy, short and super round, dorky-looking 60-year-old white dude, was running, RUNNING, across the street from the other side. At first I was confused because I was like, shouldn’t you be in Middle Earth? Why are you Vietnam? Then I remembered I should be crossing the street, so I started, one step at a time. The hobbit ran past me and yelled “JUST RUN! THEY’LL AVOID YOU!”
I screamed back at him, “Shut UP!” and stopped just short of a bus hitting me.
What I meant to say, was, I did not fly 9000 miles away from the U.S. just to have old white people keep telling me what to do. I’m in Vietnam, can I not get away from you? Shut the fuck up. The cars are dodging you because you look like you’re fucking insane, running across the street with your dumb safari hat and your veiny gelatinous pink skin. Unlike you, I don’t have magical hobbit powers. I -- get hit by motorbikes.
So, I hesitated a bit as I reached the intersection. I like to wait and build up my confidence before I cross. But then I noticed that this splotchy, short and super round, dorky-looking 60-year-old white dude, was running, RUNNING, across the street from the other side. At first I was confused because I was like, shouldn’t you be in Middle Earth? Why are you Vietnam? Then I remembered I should be crossing the street, so I started, one step at a time. The hobbit ran past me and yelled “JUST RUN! THEY’LL AVOID YOU!”
I screamed back at him, “Shut UP!” and stopped just short of a bus hitting me.
What I meant to say, was, I did not fly 9000 miles away from the U.S. just to have old white people keep telling me what to do. I’m in Vietnam, can I not get away from you? Shut the fuck up. The cars are dodging you because you look like you’re fucking insane, running across the street with your dumb safari hat and your veiny gelatinous pink skin. Unlike you, I don’t have magical hobbit powers. I -- get hit by motorbikes.
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