Today was my second night at the Engish Cafe/Club. My friend and I was actually on time this time, and we even had a good group of people instead of sitting my ourselves because we were late like last time.
How the meeting operates is that people are divided by groups, and each is set to discuss a sub-topic of a bigger topic for the night. Then all the groups would hear what the other talk about and furtherly discuss the topic with each other. It's a way to get everyone talking and learning to use category specific vocabulary.
Tonight's topic was "Co-habbiting without a marriage liscence and Marriage." What I got out of what young people like me are saying is that, they prefer to marry a person before living together because the Vietnamese society values the virginal status of the bride and if there will be a lot of pressure on the couple if they are just living together and not married.
I was a bit shocked to hear these idea because I had expected a more modernized answer, but I wasn't that shocked because after seeing that my friends here are still heavily attached to their family and all the social traditions. I guess that means that I will never brings honor to my family as a blushing bride. Oh well.
Anyway, there was a older American there as a facilator to one of the English speaking group. He stood out a lot because of his age, around middle age, and his attitude, he wasn't that friendly. As the discussion went around, he was very outspoken and opinionated about what the other young speakers have said regarding marriage. His tone was a bit condesending and patronizing commenting on how he has been to about 8 weddings in Vietnam and they all pretty sucked because everyone rushed in and out, and how he doesn't understand why there are so many bridal and wedding studios in the city or why everyone invites people they don't know to weddings and pretty much concluded that Vietnamese marriage is often about money and not love or enjoyment of the couple's reunion.
He is so lucky that the majority of the people in the room didn't have enough English vocabulary to give him a rebutal or just didn't understand completely what he was saying. Honestly, who the hell is this guy coming in here criticizing a country with thousands of years' ceremony and tradition? And if he hates it so much, why didn't he stop at wedding number 4 or number 5 and went to all 8 only to bitch about it now? Being the only non-white person who speaks and understands English fluently, I had to explain to him the flaws in his statements, that we don't just invite anyone, and those who are invited can not refused because lots of thoughts are put into the invitation, and wedding in Vietnam has seen better traditional days but it's not just a business like he thinks now. But he didn't even bother to turn around to look at me as I spoke to him and continued to refuse to see my point by saying that all he knows is that American wedding are way more fun and more sincere.
Wow... really? 250 years old America has better traditions and values than more than 3000 years of Vietnamese traditions. Like I said, he is lucky that no one else in the room knew enough English to tear him a new one, and that the discussion was ended before I finished speaking my piece.
I am told that he is the husband of Helping Hand Saigon's founder, and often expressed his negative attitude toward Vietnamese traditions during English Club time. Then why the fuck are you still here man? Get the fuck out of this place if you hate it so much, because now you're just annoying people with your pessimistic and shallow insutls about their culture. What you know is only the size of my pinky toe's nail and is nothing worth mentioning so don't just assume my entire culture is base on your wikipedia knowledge. Seriously, you are making yourself look bad, and just because no one is saying anything, doesn't mean they're not thinking about how shiteous you are for looking down on their culture. And what makes you think you are better than us to even look down on us, being white and ignorant?
I spent some part of my life making fun of people like you for a good laugh, but to really run into one of you, you should be really glad that there were barriers that kept me from whiping out my dick and slapping you silly.
Honestly, to come to a foreign country and to have stayed here for obviously a long time, he should at least learn to appreciate its good and bad sides as oppose to compare it to your homeland that is a melting pots of cultures. I think he thought that he could talk shit since there was also no one who could call him bullshit on making American culture seems way better than it really is.
Good news is, I made some more local friends and we're going places so more pictures soon.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
3rd grade girl called me fat.. twice
... sorry I don't have a more clever title. I'm sure you're tired of hearing me complaining about how many people calling me fat here. I'm just as tired of being called fat by pretty much anyone, old or young, children or adult. So much that I don't really feel like leaving the house to explore the place I am at because people just stare at me way too much and say things that end up ruining my days before I even do anything to them. I've been inside "hidding" for a few days now.
Anywho, I've done quite a bit of moving around since the last time I posted. Two days in the city suburb with some more relatives and now I am in Saigon. However, not much has been going on in the past few days that are blog worthy beside how traffic gets more and more ridiculous and dangerous as I head into the city and all the places from my childhood seems much smaller than I remember.
I finally get to sleep in today and its because my aunt and uncle has some business to do in the morning. So it's almost eleven and I'm awake. In local times it's pretty late but I'm awake only because there is a black out and the fan is off so it's too hot to sleep anymore. Even though I do nothing, people still wake me up at 6 or 7 am and tried to make me eat breakfast while all I want to do is sleep.
As I've said, I haven't really done much exploring but I did contact Helping Hand Saigon, a local NGO that I will be/am joining for some for volunteer project. Their works include visiting orphanages as well as other groups and homes for the under-privilege. It's not at all hard to find under-priviledge people here in Vietnam, but to find organizations that are able to help them, in my opinion, is still pretty rare.
Before the trip, I spent a few months researching on NGOs in Vietnam and didn't find very much, so I was very glad to find Helping Hand Saigon. Anyway, upon contacting them, they invited me to their bi-weekly English club event, where local university and young professional get together to practice their English along with any foreigners who wish to help them.
Learning English in Vietnam is pretty much a priority for young people here. Higher English level could potentially get them better jobs and pays, and they all could use the money. I am told, almost consensusly, that the English learning method here does not really promote great speaking ability. So students are only able to read and write well, but hearing and speaking abilities are minimal. Students don't often get to practice what they learn, and not everyone could afford to study abroad in English speaking country, so all the money and effort they spent in learning English could potentially gone to waste. Which is why the English club is so helpful to English learning students, where they could practice their speaking skills with native or fluent English speakers who help them build up vocabulary and grammar.
Anyway, so I was there, and met some very nice people. One was a Belgium girl who is doing an internship with HHS. She is my age and is working on her Masters. In general, I was just happy to be able to speak English with people who can understand me.
Meeting this girl is sort of pulling me out of the daze I have been in for the past 2 weeks. Beside going into hiding for being to fat, I have only been with family, and I guess you could say I am getting quite comfortable under their wings, so I am not venturing out on my own. She made me realized how much easier I have it than her. She is here by herself, doesn't speak the language, get stared at way more than I do and still manage to do some looking around by herself eating the local food. Maybe I shouldn't be too discouraged at everyone from a 3rd grader to old ass grieving lady calling me fat at every turn and just grow a pairs and wander around town on my own.
Being sad about being fat should only be temporary. Right?
Anywho, I've done quite a bit of moving around since the last time I posted. Two days in the city suburb with some more relatives and now I am in Saigon. However, not much has been going on in the past few days that are blog worthy beside how traffic gets more and more ridiculous and dangerous as I head into the city and all the places from my childhood seems much smaller than I remember.
I finally get to sleep in today and its because my aunt and uncle has some business to do in the morning. So it's almost eleven and I'm awake. In local times it's pretty late but I'm awake only because there is a black out and the fan is off so it's too hot to sleep anymore. Even though I do nothing, people still wake me up at 6 or 7 am and tried to make me eat breakfast while all I want to do is sleep.
As I've said, I haven't really done much exploring but I did contact Helping Hand Saigon, a local NGO that I will be/am joining for some for volunteer project. Their works include visiting orphanages as well as other groups and homes for the under-privilege. It's not at all hard to find under-priviledge people here in Vietnam, but to find organizations that are able to help them, in my opinion, is still pretty rare.
Before the trip, I spent a few months researching on NGOs in Vietnam and didn't find very much, so I was very glad to find Helping Hand Saigon. Anyway, upon contacting them, they invited me to their bi-weekly English club event, where local university and young professional get together to practice their English along with any foreigners who wish to help them.
Learning English in Vietnam is pretty much a priority for young people here. Higher English level could potentially get them better jobs and pays, and they all could use the money. I am told, almost consensusly, that the English learning method here does not really promote great speaking ability. So students are only able to read and write well, but hearing and speaking abilities are minimal. Students don't often get to practice what they learn, and not everyone could afford to study abroad in English speaking country, so all the money and effort they spent in learning English could potentially gone to waste. Which is why the English club is so helpful to English learning students, where they could practice their speaking skills with native or fluent English speakers who help them build up vocabulary and grammar.
Anyway, so I was there, and met some very nice people. One was a Belgium girl who is doing an internship with HHS. She is my age and is working on her Masters. In general, I was just happy to be able to speak English with people who can understand me.
Meeting this girl is sort of pulling me out of the daze I have been in for the past 2 weeks. Beside going into hiding for being to fat, I have only been with family, and I guess you could say I am getting quite comfortable under their wings, so I am not venturing out on my own. She made me realized how much easier I have it than her. She is here by herself, doesn't speak the language, get stared at way more than I do and still manage to do some looking around by herself eating the local food. Maybe I shouldn't be too discouraged at everyone from a 3rd grader to old ass grieving lady calling me fat at every turn and just grow a pairs and wander around town on my own.
Being sad about being fat should only be temporary. Right?
Friday, March 25, 2011
"look at that backpacker showing his dick, does he think Vietnamese don't have dicks so he's showing off?" (or my trip to Nha Trang, Vietnam)
The quote above was heard from my bus driver as we drove by a backpacker taking a piss on the side of the road. I thought it was hilarious, but after a week of being here, I don't know why he would be upset when everyone does it, men and women. Stopping by the side of the road to relieve yourself apparently is the norm here. I have seen several guys traveling in groups taking a piss together some spaces apart, and definitely have seen some old ladies squating not even in bushes with their butt cracks hanging out. I was too polite to pull out my camera and take a pic, but now that I think about it, maybe I should have.
Anyway, hello my loyal reader, you know who you are :)
It's about to be 10pm right now, and the entire house of my relatives are asleep. Early to bed, early to rise I suppose, it is the country side after all. Now that they're all asleep and not trying to feed me food, I finally have time to update this blog. Getting to this city was about the furthest up north of this country I have been. I have only heard about this place as a popular vacation spot, I finally got to see it for myself.
Nha Trang, Vietnam faces the ocean just like Rio, Brazil or Brighton, England, and if you keep going down on one certain street, you will hit the ocean. There are plenty of night clubs and bars around the beach front for a lively night. I actually did very little tourist things while in Nha Trang, and instead got to experience what locals my age would do, which I can tell you is a quite more relaxing and less expensive than what tourists in Nha Trang would experience.
It was a 6 hours bus ride from where I was before to the center of Nha Trang. As I've mentioned before, the distance actually isn't that long, it's only because there is only one main high way for all the vehicles so the entire drive is trafficked.
The main method of long distance transportation between places beside motorbike is by bus. Back when I was a kid, there was only one type of bus, a regular sized bus slightly smaller than the public school bus in the states, and it would stack on a bunch of people and go. They were all the same in term of size and service. What I learned is that, today, there are several types of buses being offered in various sizes. Big one, regular one, van-size one, and they all come with AC, some with sleeper beds and blankets and music for your entertainment.
First day:
For my trip out to Nha Trang, I got to try the sleeper bus for the experience since I figure I could use a laying down for a 6 hours drive, and since I have never been on a sleeper bus before and only heard about such thing from Harry Potter. The bus itself is the size of a big public bus or tour bus in the states, it has complete AC and a pull 2 mini TV screens. Instead of seats, there are 20 bunk beds, so 40 single bed total with blankets. Once you get on, you have to take off your shoes to walk down the isles to your bed. Each bed has a seat belt, but no one uses it except for me. Vietnam isn't much of a seat belt culture, and I think that's how they tell foreigners from locals is that foreigners would use the seat belt. It was kinda cool except it was cramped, and I got really naseous sitting on the top bunk since it swayed a lot due to the driver doing lots of swirlving.
Anyway, hello my loyal reader, you know who you are :)
It's about to be 10pm right now, and the entire house of my relatives are asleep. Early to bed, early to rise I suppose, it is the country side after all. Now that they're all asleep and not trying to feed me food, I finally have time to update this blog. Getting to this city was about the furthest up north of this country I have been. I have only heard about this place as a popular vacation spot, I finally got to see it for myself.
Nha Trang, Vietnam faces the ocean just like Rio, Brazil or Brighton, England, and if you keep going down on one certain street, you will hit the ocean. There are plenty of night clubs and bars around the beach front for a lively night. I actually did very little tourist things while in Nha Trang, and instead got to experience what locals my age would do, which I can tell you is a quite more relaxing and less expensive than what tourists in Nha Trang would experience.
It was a 6 hours bus ride from where I was before to the center of Nha Trang. As I've mentioned before, the distance actually isn't that long, it's only because there is only one main high way for all the vehicles so the entire drive is trafficked.
The main method of long distance transportation between places beside motorbike is by bus. Back when I was a kid, there was only one type of bus, a regular sized bus slightly smaller than the public school bus in the states, and it would stack on a bunch of people and go. They were all the same in term of size and service. What I learned is that, today, there are several types of buses being offered in various sizes. Big one, regular one, van-size one, and they all come with AC, some with sleeper beds and blankets and music for your entertainment.
First day:
For my trip out to Nha Trang, I got to try the sleeper bus for the experience since I figure I could use a laying down for a 6 hours drive, and since I have never been on a sleeper bus before and only heard about such thing from Harry Potter. The bus itself is the size of a big public bus or tour bus in the states, it has complete AC and a pull 2 mini TV screens. Instead of seats, there are 20 bunk beds, so 40 single bed total with blankets. Once you get on, you have to take off your shoes to walk down the isles to your bed. Each bed has a seat belt, but no one uses it except for me. Vietnam isn't much of a seat belt culture, and I think that's how they tell foreigners from locals is that foreigners would use the seat belt. It was kinda cool except it was cramped, and I got really naseous sitting on the top bunk since it swayed a lot due to the driver doing lots of swirlving.
It's sort of like camping in a moving cabin
Us stopping at a train track and me inside with a seat belt. That's pretty much how parking is around here.
Second day:
My cousin took me around to show me the city, and to Diamond Bay or know to locals as Song Lo (or Lo River). Diamond Bay, I think is the name for tourist. This area is the place where the Miss Universe 2008 was held, and I can only imagine how glamouros it was since the place screams extreme resort/spa/vacation glamor. It was pretty quiet while I was there though since right now is off season for tourists though I did spot some vacationers with sunburned face roaming around the streets later on.
We're so close to the divider, there is only one lane, she didn't even use two hands at some point and everyone were really fast, of course I had to take pictures and not hold on tight
Showy things to attract tourists
I seriously don't know any locals who goes driving
Anyway, I'm tired now, will add more later.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Trouble in paradise. I could use a drink right now
Alright, I know I'm supposed to talk about Nha Trang, one of the very popular tourist spots around here, but my mind is too occupied on how to retain my self confidence for the rest of the trip.
I mentioned this in my last post, but I seriously feel like a massive cow walking around town next to these skinny local girls. People that I know and even random strangers/shop keepers make comments about how chubby I am. I honestly do not think I am that much bigger than everyone here, but apparently I am . I'm afraid that this experience is going to give me an eating complex later on. I do not feel comfortable in my own skin here, and all the self confidence I have about myself are starting to diminish. I have been wearing sport bras instead of real bras to appear less thick. Shit is not looking good. I do not want to continue to feel this way. Everytime I take a bite of food, I feel are looking at me as thinking "Of course she would be eating like that, she is fat after all."
I don't think I can last too long being like this. Granted that these comments have been subtle most of the time, but hearing "you're so chubby" and "are you not eating because you're afraid of getting fat?" are starting to get to me. Fuck man, I am not eating because I am FULL or just not hungry. Stop trying to feed me then look at me while I am eating like it's a fucking freak show.
I find myself wondering if I had stay in Vietnam and not gone to the U.S 11 years ago, would I turn out looking just like all these locals or would I have grown differently. Life really has a funny way of messing with your head sometime.
Maybe I shouldn't be too sensitive about these comments since this is ruining my mood. If people think I'm fat, that's fine, but I'd rather not hear about it. I like to be happy, and I like to not think about sad shit, and all this is ruining my mood. I haven't felt this self conscious/fat and ugly in years. It's not doing me good.
Knowing that I am from America doesn't help thing a bit. Now people are assuming that just because I am fat and from America, it means that I am rich because rich people are fat and have lots of money and therefore they should mine me for all my worth.
No bitches, once again, I am PO', which is why I am traveling in a country whose currency is lower than the U.S not higher. I am not here to steal your men, eat all your food or stretch out your clothes. I just want to revisit what's left of my childhood so I can move on with my life. Just let me be. Damn.
And while I'm at it, what does a girl have to do to get some toilet paper around here? Damn. I understand that there is a European practice of washing yourself with water and toilet with European still wash faucet that are attached to it, but I would still like to wipe myself dry. Enough is enough. I gotta head to the store.
And maybe while I'm at the store, could someone point me to the anti-mosquitoes section? Because all these bites are getting out of control. I am not a fucking piece of meat. Sure I might look like a cow, but I ain't to high quality rare steak regardless of how delicious smelling I might be. Stop sucking up all my blood, adding more "maybe they'll suck out your fat too" jokes to my life. I don't need no more of that shit.
The following pics are not for the faint of heart. Other places are not too public friendly
I mentioned this in my last post, but I seriously feel like a massive cow walking around town next to these skinny local girls. People that I know and even random strangers/shop keepers make comments about how chubby I am. I honestly do not think I am that much bigger than everyone here, but apparently I am . I'm afraid that this experience is going to give me an eating complex later on. I do not feel comfortable in my own skin here, and all the self confidence I have about myself are starting to diminish. I have been wearing sport bras instead of real bras to appear less thick. Shit is not looking good. I do not want to continue to feel this way. Everytime I take a bite of food, I feel are looking at me as thinking "Of course she would be eating like that, she is fat after all."
I don't think I can last too long being like this. Granted that these comments have been subtle most of the time, but hearing "you're so chubby" and "are you not eating because you're afraid of getting fat?" are starting to get to me. Fuck man, I am not eating because I am FULL or just not hungry. Stop trying to feed me then look at me while I am eating like it's a fucking freak show.
I find myself wondering if I had stay in Vietnam and not gone to the U.S 11 years ago, would I turn out looking just like all these locals or would I have grown differently. Life really has a funny way of messing with your head sometime.
Maybe I shouldn't be too sensitive about these comments since this is ruining my mood. If people think I'm fat, that's fine, but I'd rather not hear about it. I like to be happy, and I like to not think about sad shit, and all this is ruining my mood. I haven't felt this self conscious/fat and ugly in years. It's not doing me good.
Knowing that I am from America doesn't help thing a bit. Now people are assuming that just because I am fat and from America, it means that I am rich because rich people are fat and have lots of money and therefore they should mine me for all my worth.
No bitches, once again, I am PO', which is why I am traveling in a country whose currency is lower than the U.S not higher. I am not here to steal your men, eat all your food or stretch out your clothes. I just want to revisit what's left of my childhood so I can move on with my life. Just let me be. Damn.
And while I'm at it, what does a girl have to do to get some toilet paper around here? Damn. I understand that there is a European practice of washing yourself with water and toilet with European still wash faucet that are attached to it, but I would still like to wipe myself dry. Enough is enough. I gotta head to the store.
And maybe while I'm at the store, could someone point me to the anti-mosquitoes section? Because all these bites are getting out of control. I am not a fucking piece of meat. Sure I might look like a cow, but I ain't to high quality rare steak regardless of how delicious smelling I might be. Stop sucking up all my blood, adding more "maybe they'll suck out your fat too" jokes to my life. I don't need no more of that shit.
The following pics are not for the faint of heart. Other places are not too public friendly
I make a fine meal.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"eat, eat, fish doesn't make you fat, don't worry" or "why do your jeans have holes in them, did you fall and tear your clothes?"
I've lost track of time completely. I'm not sure what day it is right now. I think it's Monday over here. Losing a whole Wednesday due to the time zone change really threw me off lol. And the whole 15 hours differences and my not having a watch isn't helping. And I don't have a phone yet so everything is off.
I've been here for about 4 days now, and beside living on the dangerous side of riding in the back of a motorbike almost every day, I haven't done much except for getting fed a lot, being stared at by people/locals, being mosquitoes' favorite meals, and being awake way too much during the hours that the sun is still out.
It is almost 9 am right now. I have been up since 8 am. It sounds terrible, I'm sure, considering that it's Spring Break right now in the states. I mean, who gets up at 8 am by choice?
Well, people here get up at like 5 or 6 am. The streets and the shops are alive around that time, markets are open around the same time too, especially in the country, which is where I am. My aunties and uncles get up around 5 or 6ish. After my first night, I got up at 7 am-ish and really didn't believe that my body could do that voluntary. Sleeping until 8 or later is considered too late, and 10 am is considered noon-time for lunch and then people take a (mandatory) nap around 11am or 12pm after their lunch meal until 3-4pm then eat some more and resume their work until dinner time. The sun sets late but fast here, and I feel that after the sun sets people go to sleep right away because it would be around 10pm and houses would have their doors closed and light turned off.
So now there is sort of an assumption that Americans sleep a lot... well, you would too if life doesn't end until 1-2am and you don't go to bed until 3-4 am, and you don't get the privilege of napping for 2-3 hours in the middle of the day.
Honestly, I don't particularly remember how life was like when I was a kid so I can't compare, but it also could be that it's the country side. Maybe when I get to the city it'll be better.
Enough complaining about the sun, let's address the more important topic that everyone is dying to know, "how is the food?"
Pretty fuckin' awesome, guys.
I'm eating so much fishes, and delicious noodle soup, I can not complain. It helps that the country side area I am staying at is near the coastal front/a beach town, so every seafood I eat is pretty fresh. I am anticipating a hook up with some scrumptious blue crabs soon. I'll tell you about it, and maybe even post pictures of our rendez-vous. I haven't had many chances of taking pictures of my food because (a.) It looks just as silly as someone else doing it (b.) My locals relatives don't get it and make fun of me. But I do have a few pics for you to see, so don't worry my loyal reader(s?)
I have had street food more than thrice already, and my stomach has been fine so far, granted that most of these street food have been togo-ed home. Okay, I lied, the second day my stomach wasn't too happy, but Pepto Bismo is my friend. These little pink pills have my back, so I'm not so worried.
On top of street food, my relatives and everyone around have been really putting in an effort to feed me under the ASSumption that I must really love to eat because I am not chubby for no reason. I am being fed stuff that they think I would like/stuff that they think I should try which is all fine and dandy but sometime it hurts because I can only eat so much. Plus I am still not used to the hot weather, and being too full on food is even more uncomfortable while sweating. But if I turn them down, saying I am full or not wanting to eat more, they think it's because I am afraid to be fat even though I seriously just ate a ton of food 15 minutes before! So they would try to persuade me to eat by telling me that "fish won't get me fat" or "sour fruits don't make people fat" and therefore I should eat more of them.
In the Vietnamese culture, people do a lot of assuming and analyzing as making answering for what is out of the ordinary or what they don't understand. The same method in which superstitious belief or even religions are created. Thus is the same approach my relatives take when it comes to me. It's goes unmentioned if I am agreeable to their suggestions, but if I state otherwise, lots of "explanation" as of why comes up, and in term of food, all assumptions point to either I-love-it-therefore/because-I-am-fat or I-hate-it-because-I-am-fat/afraid-0f-getting-fat. I try laughing it off, but after a few days, it's getting harder and harder to find it funny.
Anywho, here's some food I've eaten. They don't look too fancy, but they sure are delish!
I get stared at a lot. I think they know I am not from around here. Compare to local girls, I am not any taller, but definitely wider and protrude in more places. When going shopping, people don't believe that I am a size S despite the store selling American brands with American size. I kept being handed M or L and they think the only reason why I fit in smaller size is because the style/cut is loose and baggy.
It also doesn't help that people here are not as conservative as travel websites make them out to be. I was worried that I would stand out too much dressing too open and "American" so all I brough with me are loose and baggy clothes, but girls wear tight, short and flashy stuff here plenty. I have only been wear sport bras because to be even more conservative, but all is for naught because everyone is getting pretty modernized and like to show their goods just as much as anyone else in the world. I only get more stares because I am not doing what they are doing. Young people stare because they notice that I am not wearing the same trend as they are, and old people stare because they just don't get trend in general. I visited my great-aunty wearing a pair of ripped jeans, and she kept asking me how did I tear my jeans, and why don't I throw away clothes that are ripped and buy new ones LOL.
In addition, the culture values and appreciates pale skin, due to the past few months of me hiding from the sun, I've been quite pale so I come off a chubby and pale girl from America, a image displaying the sign of wealth and prosperity, even though we all know it's quite the opposite as I am, sadly, a broke ass fool. So please stop staring, people because as much as I love the attention, I am shy and get stage fright and would rather you talk to me instead.
Even mosquitoes think my blood has something else to offer more than the locals. People joke that it's because my blood smells sweater, and I have more meat to offer (more fat jokes). Ever since my arrival in Nha Trang, a famous seaside city for tourists, I have been pretty much a feast for these miniature draculas. I did bring some anti-mosquitoes repellent, but because I wasn't bitten at all for the first 2-3 days, I got a little cocky and didn't bring it with me to this city. Well fuck, that was a bad decision if I ever made one. In one sitting, I killed 3 mosquitoes, but they kept coming, and thank lord baby Jesus for Cortizone, the magical itch medicine, otherwise, I think I might have to hurt someone to feel better.
I've been here for about 4 days now, and beside living on the dangerous side of riding in the back of a motorbike almost every day, I haven't done much except for getting fed a lot, being stared at by people/locals, being mosquitoes' favorite meals, and being awake way too much during the hours that the sun is still out.
It is almost 9 am right now. I have been up since 8 am. It sounds terrible, I'm sure, considering that it's Spring Break right now in the states. I mean, who gets up at 8 am by choice?
Well, people here get up at like 5 or 6 am. The streets and the shops are alive around that time, markets are open around the same time too, especially in the country, which is where I am. My aunties and uncles get up around 5 or 6ish. After my first night, I got up at 7 am-ish and really didn't believe that my body could do that voluntary. Sleeping until 8 or later is considered too late, and 10 am is considered noon-time for lunch and then people take a (mandatory) nap around 11am or 12pm after their lunch meal until 3-4pm then eat some more and resume their work until dinner time. The sun sets late but fast here, and I feel that after the sun sets people go to sleep right away because it would be around 10pm and houses would have their doors closed and light turned off.
So now there is sort of an assumption that Americans sleep a lot... well, you would too if life doesn't end until 1-2am and you don't go to bed until 3-4 am, and you don't get the privilege of napping for 2-3 hours in the middle of the day.
Honestly, I don't particularly remember how life was like when I was a kid so I can't compare, but it also could be that it's the country side. Maybe when I get to the city it'll be better.
Enough complaining about the sun, let's address the more important topic that everyone is dying to know, "how is the food?"
Pretty fuckin' awesome, guys.
I'm eating so much fishes, and delicious noodle soup, I can not complain. It helps that the country side area I am staying at is near the coastal front/a beach town, so every seafood I eat is pretty fresh. I am anticipating a hook up with some scrumptious blue crabs soon. I'll tell you about it, and maybe even post pictures of our rendez-vous. I haven't had many chances of taking pictures of my food because (a.) It looks just as silly as someone else doing it (b.) My locals relatives don't get it and make fun of me. But I do have a few pics for you to see, so don't worry my loyal reader(s?)
I have had street food more than thrice already, and my stomach has been fine so far, granted that most of these street food have been togo-ed home. Okay, I lied, the second day my stomach wasn't too happy, but Pepto Bismo is my friend. These little pink pills have my back, so I'm not so worried.
On top of street food, my relatives and everyone around have been really putting in an effort to feed me under the ASSumption that I must really love to eat because I am not chubby for no reason. I am being fed stuff that they think I would like/stuff that they think I should try which is all fine and dandy but sometime it hurts because I can only eat so much. Plus I am still not used to the hot weather, and being too full on food is even more uncomfortable while sweating. But if I turn them down, saying I am full or not wanting to eat more, they think it's because I am afraid to be fat even though I seriously just ate a ton of food 15 minutes before! So they would try to persuade me to eat by telling me that "fish won't get me fat" or "sour fruits don't make people fat" and therefore I should eat more of them.
In the Vietnamese culture, people do a lot of assuming and analyzing as making answering for what is out of the ordinary or what they don't understand. The same method in which superstitious belief or even religions are created. Thus is the same approach my relatives take when it comes to me. It's goes unmentioned if I am agreeable to their suggestions, but if I state otherwise, lots of "explanation" as of why comes up, and in term of food, all assumptions point to either I-love-it-therefore/because-I-am-fat or I-hate-it-because-I-am-fat/afraid-0f-getting-fat. I try laughing it off, but after a few days, it's getting harder and harder to find it funny.
Anywho, here's some food I've eaten. They don't look too fancy, but they sure are delish!
Quãng-style noodles, can be made with pork, chicken, beef or shrimps, or combination of all
Crab and corn soup. Simple and scrumptious
I get stared at a lot. I think they know I am not from around here. Compare to local girls, I am not any taller, but definitely wider and protrude in more places. When going shopping, people don't believe that I am a size S despite the store selling American brands with American size. I kept being handed M or L and they think the only reason why I fit in smaller size is because the style/cut is loose and baggy.
It also doesn't help that people here are not as conservative as travel websites make them out to be. I was worried that I would stand out too much dressing too open and "American" so all I brough with me are loose and baggy clothes, but girls wear tight, short and flashy stuff here plenty. I have only been wear sport bras because to be even more conservative, but all is for naught because everyone is getting pretty modernized and like to show their goods just as much as anyone else in the world. I only get more stares because I am not doing what they are doing. Young people stare because they notice that I am not wearing the same trend as they are, and old people stare because they just don't get trend in general. I visited my great-aunty wearing a pair of ripped jeans, and she kept asking me how did I tear my jeans, and why don't I throw away clothes that are ripped and buy new ones LOL.
In addition, the culture values and appreciates pale skin, due to the past few months of me hiding from the sun, I've been quite pale so I come off a chubby and pale girl from America, a image displaying the sign of wealth and prosperity, even though we all know it's quite the opposite as I am, sadly, a broke ass fool. So please stop staring, people because as much as I love the attention, I am shy and get stage fright and would rather you talk to me instead.
Even mosquitoes think my blood has something else to offer more than the locals. People joke that it's because my blood smells sweater, and I have more meat to offer (more fat jokes). Ever since my arrival in Nha Trang, a famous seaside city for tourists, I have been pretty much a feast for these miniature draculas. I did bring some anti-mosquitoes repellent, but because I wasn't bitten at all for the first 2-3 days, I got a little cocky and didn't bring it with me to this city. Well fuck, that was a bad decision if I ever made one. In one sitting, I killed 3 mosquitoes, but they kept coming, and thank lord baby Jesus for Cortizone, the magical itch medicine, otherwise, I think I might have to hurt someone to feel better.
Can't always drink my blood and get away with it, bitch
Spot the bites. Go
Next post will be about Nha Trang, a tourist destination, wait for it... :)
Friday, March 18, 2011
lines are for suckers
I've only been here for 2 days but it feels much longer. I'm getting accustomed real fast to good ol' Vietnam. I think part of it is due to the my aunties and uncles being so chill. I had fun spending time with them talking smack and laughing at how my family in the states are so worrisome/ridiculous all the time. It's a huge relief on my part to be around family who are actually relaxed and semi-supportive. No one has called me fat yet, not to my face anyway, though everyone has commented on how they thought I would be taller "like an American" and didn't expect me to be so dark/light. I had a good time laughing at those things. My feelings aren't hurt (so far) and I'm glad.
Where should I start describing this place? So much has changed over the past 10 years, I find myself reminiscing the good ol' time and amazed at the setting that replaced it. Ahhh so much to say. Alright, I'll try to go in a chronological order.
Last few things about Beijing:
The few last hours in Beijing went my fast. I spent of the time skyping with my ex-Summit ladies while people watching/movie- watching/being one of the few female among the mass of Chinese male flyers. I discovered another noodle shop in the airport on my way to my gate and just had to try it. I mean, the slogan of the shop was "A Good Bowl of Noodles" so how can I resist? I had the noodles with pickled veggies and bean curds. It wasn't bad but wasn't also impressing or anything, except that it was surprisingly spicy. I am usually not shy about spicy food, but for an average eater, this might cause some hurting, and it didn't even look spicy or dangerous! I didn't fall asleep at the shop after I ate this time haha. 
On my way back to the gate from the noodle shop, I ran into a group of Vietnamese tourists visiting Beijing waiting for the as mine. How did I find out about these folks these last minutes? The group of auties and uncles set up camp at the gate and gambled to kill time. Of course I had to take a picture, so I sneaked one. They were hardcore. Gambling blood runs deep in us Viets, I'm finally seeing it now.
After a very long and bright day because the airport pretty much composed of glass, the sun finally went away. Look at that glowing ball of fire. How ridiculous is that? So much fire and brightness. Who likes these kind of things??
It got cold pretty fast after the sun went away, a shuttle came to take us to the airplane. It was a small domestic one, so we had to get out and walk up to it. One again, the concept of standing in line is a strange one in this scenario. A few smarter folks (present company included) decided that it was best to just be the last to get on and avoid being push around. I went through some additional custom before the last flight, as I am rushing to get my shit together to get to my flight, a worker said something to me in Mandarin. I gave him another "uhh...ummm" and in English he said, "don't worry." For some reason, I imagined him to break out a "relax, don't do it" song/dance number. That would totally make China memorable for me.
The motherland at last:
It was about 2 am when I finally set foot in Vietnam, and I was the only one who needed to get my land visa. I had a post a while back about the visa semi-worrying about it, but the entire process was painless and anti-climatic, thought the Vietnamese airport people took up 2 whole pages in my passport, and that's just for entrance! The Chinese airport people also took over a whole page. I have a feeling that I might need more pages add in after this trip. This is when I finally really appreciate being bi-lingual, as from experience in China, people who work at airport do speak English, but minimal, and since I am Asian, they would assume that I speak their native language.
My uncles picked me up from the airport and we drove through the sleeping city of Saigon. We went through streets I don't particularly recognize because I probably never went by there, but the first feeling I had was how shrunken everything seem. It's amazing how one's perspective of the world changes over time without the self realizing it. It is only because I haven't these sceneries in so many years that I can see how different the world is in a child's eyes vs. an adult. Globalization also plays a part of this I am sure, more people are trying to make a living and set up shops crowding the city streets. More non-two wheelers are now roaming the streets and the number of motorbikers seem to multiplied five times or more over this past decade.
The drivers here are crazy, not in a lunatic way, but in a super skilled way, little motorbikes co-existing along big trucks and cars weaving their ways in and out of traffic smoothly without a care in the world. These people can ride in the opposite flow of traffic if they feel like it. Cars are free go to the opposite lanes to pass each other, at certain time of the night, traffic lights in the city only shows flashing yellow so drivers don't have to wait or stop. There are no stop signs at any intersections so drivers would honk (or my uncle did) as they drive by. All these are in the city, in the country, the etiquettes are even more relaxed. I think it's safe to say that Asians drivers here aren't bad, they just know what to do to get where they need to go to, it's only when they use the same tricks in lawful America that shits don't go down so well lol.
Vietnam only has one high way connecting the North and South, its name is High Way 1 (haha). So travelers making the move between any regions go through it everyday, so imagine the traffic that it endures every day. It calls a highway, but actually is more like a really long street. Lots of people and houses live along side so close to the street especially during parts going through a certain city or town, and so even though the distance between places aren't that far, it takes a much longer time to get there. We drove for about 3-4 hours to get to the country from the city but the actually drive without traffic I think could probably be about 1 to 2 hours.
Anywho, I am definitely not a person of few words. More to come!
Where should I start describing this place? So much has changed over the past 10 years, I find myself reminiscing the good ol' time and amazed at the setting that replaced it. Ahhh so much to say. Alright, I'll try to go in a chronological order.
Last few things about Beijing:
The few last hours in Beijing went my fast. I spent of the time skyping with my ex-Summit ladies while people watching/movie- watching/being one of the few female among the mass of Chinese male flyers. I discovered another noodle shop in the airport on my way to my gate and just had to try it. I mean, the slogan of the shop was "A Good Bowl of Noodles" so how can I resist? I had the noodles with pickled veggies and bean curds. It wasn't bad but wasn't also impressing or anything, except that it was surprisingly spicy. I am usually not shy about spicy food, but for an average eater, this might cause some hurting, and it didn't even look spicy or dangerous! I didn't fall asleep at the shop after I ate this time haha. 
On my way back to the gate from the noodle shop, I ran into a group of Vietnamese tourists visiting Beijing waiting for the as mine. How did I find out about these folks these last minutes? The group of auties and uncles set up camp at the gate and gambled to kill time. Of course I had to take a picture, so I sneaked one. They were hardcore. Gambling blood runs deep in us Viets, I'm finally seeing it now.
After a very long and bright day because the airport pretty much composed of glass, the sun finally went away. Look at that glowing ball of fire. How ridiculous is that? So much fire and brightness. Who likes these kind of things??It got cold pretty fast after the sun went away, a shuttle came to take us to the airplane. It was a small domestic one, so we had to get out and walk up to it. One again, the concept of standing in line is a strange one in this scenario. A few smarter folks (present company included) decided that it was best to just be the last to get on and avoid being push around. I went through some additional custom before the last flight, as I am rushing to get my shit together to get to my flight, a worker said something to me in Mandarin. I gave him another "uhh...ummm" and in English he said, "don't worry." For some reason, I imagined him to break out a "relax, don't do it" song/dance number. That would totally make China memorable for me.
The motherland at last:
It was about 2 am when I finally set foot in Vietnam, and I was the only one who needed to get my land visa. I had a post a while back about the visa semi-worrying about it, but the entire process was painless and anti-climatic, thought the Vietnamese airport people took up 2 whole pages in my passport, and that's just for entrance! The Chinese airport people also took over a whole page. I have a feeling that I might need more pages add in after this trip. This is when I finally really appreciate being bi-lingual, as from experience in China, people who work at airport do speak English, but minimal, and since I am Asian, they would assume that I speak their native language.
My uncles picked me up from the airport and we drove through the sleeping city of Saigon. We went through streets I don't particularly recognize because I probably never went by there, but the first feeling I had was how shrunken everything seem. It's amazing how one's perspective of the world changes over time without the self realizing it. It is only because I haven't these sceneries in so many years that I can see how different the world is in a child's eyes vs. an adult. Globalization also plays a part of this I am sure, more people are trying to make a living and set up shops crowding the city streets. More non-two wheelers are now roaming the streets and the number of motorbikers seem to multiplied five times or more over this past decade.
The drivers here are crazy, not in a lunatic way, but in a super skilled way, little motorbikes co-existing along big trucks and cars weaving their ways in and out of traffic smoothly without a care in the world. These people can ride in the opposite flow of traffic if they feel like it. Cars are free go to the opposite lanes to pass each other, at certain time of the night, traffic lights in the city only shows flashing yellow so drivers don't have to wait or stop. There are no stop signs at any intersections so drivers would honk (or my uncle did) as they drive by. All these are in the city, in the country, the etiquettes are even more relaxed. I think it's safe to say that Asians drivers here aren't bad, they just know what to do to get where they need to go to, it's only when they use the same tricks in lawful America that shits don't go down so well lol.
Vietnam only has one high way connecting the North and South, its name is High Way 1 (haha). So travelers making the move between any regions go through it everyday, so imagine the traffic that it endures every day. It calls a highway, but actually is more like a really long street. Lots of people and houses live along side so close to the street especially during parts going through a certain city or town, and so even though the distance between places aren't that far, it takes a much longer time to get there. We drove for about 3-4 hours to get to the country from the city but the actually drive without traffic I think could probably be about 1 to 2 hours.
Anywho, I am definitely not a person of few words. More to come!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
hello from the future!
First, man made fire, then he made the internet.
And I have it!
Here is my blog from my 15 hours at the Bejing airport. I had internet then but can only log on to gmail and skype. Read on friends.
...I'm in China. Beijing Airport to be exact, waiting for my connecting flight to Vietnam... in 13 hours. Haha, the price I pay for getting a dirt cheap ticket. It's okay though, I am sort of enjoying this, if only I can charge my laptop here, I will be all set, but I think the voltage is different, and I don't want to risk blowing up anything.
It is currently 8:10 am Wednesday in China right now, and 5:10pm Tuesday back in the U.S, so greeting from the FUTURE! Here are a few things that have been going down so far, in catergories haha
The Sun:
On Monday morning, I had to go back to SD for a varicella booster, and oh man L.A traffics sucks major balls. Seriously, 7am and it's bumper to bumper, who else knew about this?? Every 20 minutues I'm in a different city and it's traffic there. It took me more than 3 hrs to get to SD, and missed my appointment but luckily they let me do it when I came in anyway. The sun made this entire day worse because it was ridiculous, if this is the only benefit of day light saving, I am so not into it. One extra hour of day light every day, are you kidding me? Why would I enjoy the heat, the burning sensation, the increased chance of getting a funny tan light on my body, all with one hour of less sleep?? UGH. Only until at night that I felt better after it's gone. I wish everyday was a gloomy day.
The varicella booster:
Okay, needle shots of things are usually never that enjoyable, unless you're a druggie and you're running after a high, but this shot SUCKED. Holy shit, no wonder babies cry ridiculously when they take their shot. The injection felt fine going in, but when the medicine enters the body it fucking hurt. Everyone told me that the Gardisil injection burns as it enters the body, but I didn't think it was that bad when I got it. With this one, I seriously needed a minute to sit and breathe out the pain, and the injection site still hurts until now. Fuckkkk chicken pox, 12 years later and you're still out to get me.
Flying:
Getting to my flight was no difficulty, it was packed of all Asian aunties and uncles heading to their mother land, and a random group of super tall (potentially) basketball players. Just because they're tall and travel in a pack doesn't always mean they're a bball team, right? Haha. The flight was 11 something hours and I had the middle seat. Thank goodness I'm relatively small or it could have been bad. On my left was a Chinese lady who kept speaking Mandarin to me, and on my right was a white man from Texas who talked to me about beer and how much rice wine can Asian handle (a lot apparently). I pretty much sleep the entire time, except for when the food came by. I wish they still give us peanuts on airplanes, I want those little bags of salty/sweet deliciousness godddamnit. My stomach didn't feel well at all after eating the airplane food, but I was so hungry. There were no in-flight entertainment, and even if there were, I couldn't see anything because of where I sat. Someone else who is taller probably could though.
Beijing Aiport:
Arriving at Beijing was painless until I went to stand in line at the "international departure" line to continue to my next flight, and upon random inspection, got send to a different line, in which I was given a visa stamp and sent to a different terminal, all within 5 words spoken to me by the two officials. I tried to talk to them more, but just got a gesture of "go this way" lol. It didn't help that everyone spoke chinese to me, and I had to reply with "Uhhh...ummm... I don't... Do you speak English?" and then they all look at me with this "disapprove/disappointed/disdain" look afterward. So sad lol
I hopped on little train frail thing to get to the terminal they wanted me to go. The only thing there were baggage claims, exit and domestic flights. I tried to get my checked bag, but back in the states when I checked my stuff in, they already told me that my bag will be transfer directly to my final destination, so my bag wasn't there. Oh god, I hope my shit get to Vietnam with me and not stuck here in Beijing at the end of tomorrow. So I wandered around the baggage claim area for a bit more, looking around and after trying to ask 3 different workers there, who spoked to me a total of 12 words, telling me that I had to leave the area, then re-check in upstairs.
So I did. And stood in line for "international flights" again, and got send back to "domestic flights" again. So apparently if you are flying within the same land continent it's domestic? Did anyone else know that? So I sort of lined up and get myself there. I say sort of lined up because the concept of lining up for something isn't widely accepted and embraced in Asia. People just kind of huddled together and then move as a mass. As I am standing at an infomation booth talking, a lady walked up real close to me, and started talking to the agent at the same time, and another lady did the same... and I had no knowledge of chinese to interupt them so in the end, I ended up waiting for them before asking my quetions. They probably think I'm just being respectful to elders. Hah.
Because my flight isn't leaving until late afternoon/early evening, I don't even have a gate for it yet, but I can't leave the airport (though they did give me a visa, but I don't know how it works/don't want to risk it) so I went through securities anyway and now just wandering around between gates, using the airport's free internet, that won't let me do anything beside skype and email. I tried to buy some food using my American dollars, after a bit of consideration, they accepted it, but not after requesting that I gave them a new 20 dollar bill instead of one that looked a bit dirty. Now I have a bunch of Yuan. $1 is 6.6 Yuan, it's actually not bad considering airport purchases are generally pretty expensive, and all I've been doing up beside writing this entry was walking up and down checking out the entire terminal buying food. There is a ramen shop here, and a KFC, the only American restaurant I've seen so far beside Starbucks. Of course I had to try the ramen, and then fell asleep immediately after eating on the same table hahahaha........ and the waitresses just left me alone. LOL. Proabably because they didn't know enough english to wake me up and kick me out.
Chinese People:
I think I'm pretty much the most casual dressing person in this entire airport. Everyone is so dressed up and I don't know why. Where are they going? All these proper looking middle age men and fancy casual women. The few of them anyway, I have seen way too many men here today. Where are the ladies at? China should definitely reconsider their "We love sons/men" policy because the lacking of women in this country is definitely being noticed. Plus, women are better looking anyway, if it was me, I'd rather be in a country full of beautiful women (i.e: Brazil) than in one full of men.
All the airport employee, beside dressing the same, kinda look the same too lol, some females have the same hair decoration to hold their hair. I wonder if it's a part of their uniform. All the young ladies are pale and slim and all the older aunties almost have the same hair cut. I'm dark and not slim, so I guess I stand out. Maybe that's why people kept staring at me when I walk by them.
Update:
So it's 5pm right now, and my flight is at 7:10pm, but I finally know my gate, C53. Oh the magic number, all day today I've been trekking up and down wondering what it would be, where would I be leave from and now I finally know it. And I finally figured out why the flight is classified as domestic when it's flying to another country, it's because there is a stop in between to Shenzhen (where is that?). Anyway, I'm following signs that point me to C53, and it leads me to two flight of stairs and into a dungeon like place... I think I have to take a bus or something to get to the aircraft, which means it's a small one. Well, good thing I will have ailse seat. Oh and the awesome part is, there is a sign that list the flights that especially going to the route I am going, and somehow after walking by it twice today, I missed it. The dungeon is empty right now, if I knew about it earlier, I would have so come down early and sneak in a nap.
And I have it!
Here is my blog from my 15 hours at the Bejing airport. I had internet then but can only log on to gmail and skype. Read on friends.
...I'm in China. Beijing Airport to be exact, waiting for my connecting flight to Vietnam... in 13 hours. Haha, the price I pay for getting a dirt cheap ticket. It's okay though, I am sort of enjoying this, if only I can charge my laptop here, I will be all set, but I think the voltage is different, and I don't want to risk blowing up anything.
It is currently 8:10 am Wednesday in China right now, and 5:10pm Tuesday back in the U.S, so greeting from the FUTURE! Here are a few things that have been going down so far, in catergories haha
The Sun:
On Monday morning, I had to go back to SD for a varicella booster, and oh man L.A traffics sucks major balls. Seriously, 7am and it's bumper to bumper, who else knew about this?? Every 20 minutues I'm in a different city and it's traffic there. It took me more than 3 hrs to get to SD, and missed my appointment but luckily they let me do it when I came in anyway. The sun made this entire day worse because it was ridiculous, if this is the only benefit of day light saving, I am so not into it. One extra hour of day light every day, are you kidding me? Why would I enjoy the heat, the burning sensation, the increased chance of getting a funny tan light on my body, all with one hour of less sleep?? UGH. Only until at night that I felt better after it's gone. I wish everyday was a gloomy day.
The varicella booster:
Okay, needle shots of things are usually never that enjoyable, unless you're a druggie and you're running after a high, but this shot SUCKED. Holy shit, no wonder babies cry ridiculously when they take their shot. The injection felt fine going in, but when the medicine enters the body it fucking hurt. Everyone told me that the Gardisil injection burns as it enters the body, but I didn't think it was that bad when I got it. With this one, I seriously needed a minute to sit and breathe out the pain, and the injection site still hurts until now. Fuckkkk chicken pox, 12 years later and you're still out to get me.
Flying:
Getting to my flight was no difficulty, it was packed of all Asian aunties and uncles heading to their mother land, and a random group of super tall (potentially) basketball players. Just because they're tall and travel in a pack doesn't always mean they're a bball team, right? Haha. The flight was 11 something hours and I had the middle seat. Thank goodness I'm relatively small or it could have been bad. On my left was a Chinese lady who kept speaking Mandarin to me, and on my right was a white man from Texas who talked to me about beer and how much rice wine can Asian handle (a lot apparently). I pretty much sleep the entire time, except for when the food came by. I wish they still give us peanuts on airplanes, I want those little bags of salty/sweet deliciousness godddamnit. My stomach didn't feel well at all after eating the airplane food, but I was so hungry. There were no in-flight entertainment, and even if there were, I couldn't see anything because of where I sat. Someone else who is taller probably could though.
Beijing Aiport:
Arriving at Beijing was painless until I went to stand in line at the "international departure" line to continue to my next flight, and upon random inspection, got send to a different line, in which I was given a visa stamp and sent to a different terminal, all within 5 words spoken to me by the two officials. I tried to talk to them more, but just got a gesture of "go this way" lol. It didn't help that everyone spoke chinese to me, and I had to reply with "Uhhh...ummm... I don't... Do you speak English?" and then they all look at me with this "disapprove/disappointed/disdain" look afterward. So sad lol
I hopped on little train frail thing to get to the terminal they wanted me to go. The only thing there were baggage claims, exit and domestic flights. I tried to get my checked bag, but back in the states when I checked my stuff in, they already told me that my bag will be transfer directly to my final destination, so my bag wasn't there. Oh god, I hope my shit get to Vietnam with me and not stuck here in Beijing at the end of tomorrow. So I wandered around the baggage claim area for a bit more, looking around and after trying to ask 3 different workers there, who spoked to me a total of 12 words, telling me that I had to leave the area, then re-check in upstairs.
So I did. And stood in line for "international flights" again, and got send back to "domestic flights" again. So apparently if you are flying within the same land continent it's domestic? Did anyone else know that? So I sort of lined up and get myself there. I say sort of lined up because the concept of lining up for something isn't widely accepted and embraced in Asia. People just kind of huddled together and then move as a mass. As I am standing at an infomation booth talking, a lady walked up real close to me, and started talking to the agent at the same time, and another lady did the same... and I had no knowledge of chinese to interupt them so in the end, I ended up waiting for them before asking my quetions. They probably think I'm just being respectful to elders. Hah.
Because my flight isn't leaving until late afternoon/early evening, I don't even have a gate for it yet, but I can't leave the airport (though they did give me a visa, but I don't know how it works/don't want to risk it) so I went through securities anyway and now just wandering around between gates, using the airport's free internet, that won't let me do anything beside skype and email. I tried to buy some food using my American dollars, after a bit of consideration, they accepted it, but not after requesting that I gave them a new 20 dollar bill instead of one that looked a bit dirty. Now I have a bunch of Yuan. $1 is 6.6 Yuan, it's actually not bad considering airport purchases are generally pretty expensive, and all I've been doing up beside writing this entry was walking up and down checking out the entire terminal buying food. There is a ramen shop here, and a KFC, the only American restaurant I've seen so far beside Starbucks. Of course I had to try the ramen, and then fell asleep immediately after eating on the same table hahahaha........ and the waitresses just left me alone. LOL. Proabably because they didn't know enough english to wake me up and kick me out.
Chinese People:
I think I'm pretty much the most casual dressing person in this entire airport. Everyone is so dressed up and I don't know why. Where are they going? All these proper looking middle age men and fancy casual women. The few of them anyway, I have seen way too many men here today. Where are the ladies at? China should definitely reconsider their "We love sons/men" policy because the lacking of women in this country is definitely being noticed. Plus, women are better looking anyway, if it was me, I'd rather be in a country full of beautiful women (i.e: Brazil) than in one full of men.
All the airport employee, beside dressing the same, kinda look the same too lol, some females have the same hair decoration to hold their hair. I wonder if it's a part of their uniform. All the young ladies are pale and slim and all the older aunties almost have the same hair cut. I'm dark and not slim, so I guess I stand out. Maybe that's why people kept staring at me when I walk by them.
Update:
So it's 5pm right now, and my flight is at 7:10pm, but I finally know my gate, C53. Oh the magic number, all day today I've been trekking up and down wondering what it would be, where would I be leave from and now I finally know it. And I finally figured out why the flight is classified as domestic when it's flying to another country, it's because there is a stop in between to Shenzhen (where is that?). Anyway, I'm following signs that point me to C53, and it leads me to two flight of stairs and into a dungeon like place... I think I have to take a bus or something to get to the aircraft, which means it's a small one. Well, good thing I will have ailse seat. Oh and the awesome part is, there is a sign that list the flights that especially going to the route I am going, and somehow after walking by it twice today, I missed it. The dungeon is empty right now, if I knew about it earlier, I would have so come down early and sneak in a nap.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
feels like a root canal
Seeing my family is like taking a trip to the dentist. I don't want to do it, but I have to do it. It's a mandatory obligation (redundant, I know) and I can't get out of it. I slightly look forward to it hoping that this experience will be better than the last, and I am wrong every time. I immediately regret my decision and tell myself that no matter, I won't make the same mistake again next time, but who am I kidding, I will make the same mistake next time, and that is to show up. The only different is that at least at the dentist, I can ask for anesthesia and seeing my family is ten times the raw pain and no drugs.
Yes, I am in Los Angeles. Maybe it's me, maybe not, but something about the city today completely pissed me off. The second I entered Los Angeles territory, my mood went sour. Why is there always traffic in LA no matter what hours I am driving. Between 3-6pm on a week day, yes, I understand rush hour, but on a weekend? or 2am on a week night? Where the fuck are these people going? And why can't they fucking carpool? Why are the lanes so small? And if there are that many cars travel up and down the same freeway every day, why aren't there more lanes?
Traffic usually doesn't bother me that much, I like just chilling in my car anyway, but I was straight up angry for a good 45 minutes today driving through the UCLA area. As opposed to SD drivers who are bad, would randomly drive slow on a fast lane and don't like to signal while changing lanes, LA drivers are just straight up obnoxious and think they own the fucking street. New flash, you don't, the fucking pedestrians do, them and their bikes, and skate boards, not you in your souped up whatever car.
On top of that, I noticed that LA water makes me pruny. I went in for a quick shower, and came out almost a raisin, except lighter in color. What the hell do you put in your water? God forbid I decided to take a bath, I can't even fathom the thought, ugh.
I miss San Diego already.
Since finding out about the tsunami, I have been kind of worried that my flight would be canceled, or that my family would hear about it, and not want me to go. Since the beginning, they haven't been too thrilled about my trip to Vietnam. Actually, they haven't been too thrilled about any trips I have been on. They love America and would rather me stay put. I understand their sentiment, but I can't spend my entire life doing what they want me to do, thus the reason I am going on this trip by myself. This decision, I realized, benefits no one, including me, and I'm the one who's going on the trip.
Anyway, I am extremely stressed out about this trip, more so than any other trips I have been on to. I'm not sure how to explain it. From a tourist point of view, I am so ready and shouldn't worry because it is a place where I know the language and have certain connections with people that aren't at all shady. From a Vietnamese returnee point of view, it's kind of a nightmare. My family are feeding me these horror stories of Vietnamese-American or "viet-kieu" experiencing exploits from the people they know, and they're kinda getting to me.
A very good friend of mine told me about a study in Newsweek which shows that people who aren't given too much options often make the best choices. Though I don't know how legit that study is, as we all know pop psychology isn't always too reliable, I am choosing to believe it and just going to dive head in on this matter hoping for the best. Since there is a dark side and a light side to everything, and right now I am trying very hard to keep myself on the light side. It's not an easy task because we all know I am naturally a pessimist, and being around my family accentuates it ten folds.
Yes, I am in Los Angeles. Maybe it's me, maybe not, but something about the city today completely pissed me off. The second I entered Los Angeles territory, my mood went sour. Why is there always traffic in LA no matter what hours I am driving. Between 3-6pm on a week day, yes, I understand rush hour, but on a weekend? or 2am on a week night? Where the fuck are these people going? And why can't they fucking carpool? Why are the lanes so small? And if there are that many cars travel up and down the same freeway every day, why aren't there more lanes?
Traffic usually doesn't bother me that much, I like just chilling in my car anyway, but I was straight up angry for a good 45 minutes today driving through the UCLA area. As opposed to SD drivers who are bad, would randomly drive slow on a fast lane and don't like to signal while changing lanes, LA drivers are just straight up obnoxious and think they own the fucking street. New flash, you don't, the fucking pedestrians do, them and their bikes, and skate boards, not you in your souped up whatever car.
On top of that, I noticed that LA water makes me pruny. I went in for a quick shower, and came out almost a raisin, except lighter in color. What the hell do you put in your water? God forbid I decided to take a bath, I can't even fathom the thought, ugh.
I miss San Diego already.
Since finding out about the tsunami, I have been kind of worried that my flight would be canceled, or that my family would hear about it, and not want me to go. Since the beginning, they haven't been too thrilled about my trip to Vietnam. Actually, they haven't been too thrilled about any trips I have been on. They love America and would rather me stay put. I understand their sentiment, but I can't spend my entire life doing what they want me to do, thus the reason I am going on this trip by myself. This decision, I realized, benefits no one, including me, and I'm the one who's going on the trip.
Anyway, I am extremely stressed out about this trip, more so than any other trips I have been on to. I'm not sure how to explain it. From a tourist point of view, I am so ready and shouldn't worry because it is a place where I know the language and have certain connections with people that aren't at all shady. From a Vietnamese returnee point of view, it's kind of a nightmare. My family are feeding me these horror stories of Vietnamese-American or "viet-kieu" experiencing exploits from the people they know, and they're kinda getting to me.
A very good friend of mine told me about a study in Newsweek which shows that people who aren't given too much options often make the best choices. Though I don't know how legit that study is, as we all know pop psychology isn't always too reliable, I am choosing to believe it and just going to dive head in on this matter hoping for the best. Since there is a dark side and a light side to everything, and right now I am trying very hard to keep myself on the light side. It's not an easy task because we all know I am naturally a pessimist, and being around my family accentuates it ten folds.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
i love water
The problem with drinking your feelings away is that it never works, especially for your friend who's going to have to take you home at the end of the night. And you wake up the next morning wishing that you have a water faucet right next to your bed so you don't have to walk all the way to the kitchen for a glass only to crawl back half an hour later for the same thing.
Eating your feelings away, on the other hand, I don't see any problem with it. Sure I will gain massive pounds and risk looking like humpty dumpty and my ankles may or may not be able to hold all my weights then and I will have to sit on a wheel chair to go places, but all are risks that I am willing to consider. At least then, I still have a somewhat control of my inhibitions and avoid events in which I tell people that I will jizz on their faces with my twelve inches dick.
Just a thought. More to come.
Eating your feelings away, on the other hand, I don't see any problem with it. Sure I will gain massive pounds and risk looking like humpty dumpty and my ankles may or may not be able to hold all my weights then and I will have to sit on a wheel chair to go places, but all are risks that I am willing to consider. At least then, I still have a somewhat control of my inhibitions and avoid events in which I tell people that I will jizz on their faces with my twelve inches dick.
Just a thought. More to come.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
bumps in the road
One of the requirement for the Peace Corps is the varicella, or chicken pox, vaccine. You need the vaccine if you didn't have it, and if you had it, you need a titer to prove that you have had it. Sounds simple enough, right?
I believe that chicken pox could keep the oven mitts industry in business as much as cupcake makers and brownie bakers. I mean, what else could keep children and adults alike from scratching themselves silly every time there is an out beak beside those massive mittens? I was 6 when I had it. I don't remember much about it except for a single bump on my face which was itchier than the rest . I still have the scar from that bump to prove it, so now I just need a titer and my journey of never ending blood tests will be over.
Or so I thought.
My titer result came back negative, and just like every other lab tests result I have been getting this few weeks. So naturally I assumed negative mean it was a good thing, as opposed to positive, like my TB skin test. Right?
Or so I thought... again.
The varicella test is one of the test in which negative actually means I that have to to something about it. It indicates that my body's immunity to chicken pox is weak, and I might have a chance of getting the chicken pox again if I'm exposed to it, and if I do, it'll be twice as painful.
Give me a freakin' break. Nothing that happened to me while I was in the motherland is helping me out. First the TB vaccine, now the chicken pox. And positive and negative... now those tests are just playing with my feelings! Oh well, one more needle injection. Exactly one week until I leave for Vietnam, this is the last thing I need to do... I hope. And I can now cross having a lung X-ray off my list of things to do.
Happy International Women's Day!
I believe that chicken pox could keep the oven mitts industry in business as much as cupcake makers and brownie bakers. I mean, what else could keep children and adults alike from scratching themselves silly every time there is an out beak beside those massive mittens? I was 6 when I had it. I don't remember much about it except for a single bump on my face which was itchier than the rest . I still have the scar from that bump to prove it, so now I just need a titer and my journey of never ending blood tests will be over.
Or so I thought.
My titer result came back negative, and just like every other lab tests result I have been getting this few weeks. So naturally I assumed negative mean it was a good thing, as opposed to positive, like my TB skin test. Right?
Or so I thought... again.
The varicella test is one of the test in which negative actually means I that have to to something about it. It indicates that my body's immunity to chicken pox is weak, and I might have a chance of getting the chicken pox again if I'm exposed to it, and if I do, it'll be twice as painful.
Give me a freakin' break. Nothing that happened to me while I was in the motherland is helping me out. First the TB vaccine, now the chicken pox. And positive and negative... now those tests are just playing with my feelings! Oh well, one more needle injection. Exactly one week until I leave for Vietnam, this is the last thing I need to do... I hope. And I can now cross having a lung X-ray off my list of things to do.
Happy International Women's Day!
Friday, March 4, 2011
11 days!
It was my last day at the sandwich shop today, and I couldn't be any more glad. At first, I was feeling bad about the fact that I submitted my two weeks only after 2 months working there, but then something happened that really erased all feeling of guilt. Out of all of my jobs, this one has been the most bi-polar. For all my time there, I never quiet figured out the rhythm to the place, especially the people, and because of this, I don't regret leaving. I mean, I never meant to stay there for long term anyway, but there are a few of my old jobs that I would look back with a fondness, this place is definitely not it.
Anyway, during lunch at the shop today, I saw a dark skin, exotic, tramp-stamped
Asian chick with an old white man who could be her grandfather, or a very old uncle. She called her "daddy" and "baby" and clinged to his arm while he paid for everything. Then he introduced her to his group of equally old/middle-aged white men. After they left, the group gossiped over how much game he has and how they wouldn't mind getting her number if it didn't work out with him. I know it ain't love because she skanked out to the max. Gold digger, sugar daddy and midlife crisis alerts all in the same half an hour.
On another the news, I have so much SHITZ to do for the next fews day before moving out, I can not believe it. Originally I was going to take this past week to do all of them, but I had to come in to the sandwich shop because they weren't able to find someone yet so now I'm running out of time. Must. Get. Time. Machine.
Anyway, during lunch at the shop today, I saw a dark skin, exotic, tramp-stamped
Asian chick with an old white man who could be her grandfather, or a very old uncle. She called her "daddy" and "baby" and clinged to his arm while he paid for everything. Then he introduced her to his group of equally old/middle-aged white men. After they left, the group gossiped over how much game he has and how they wouldn't mind getting her number if it didn't work out with him. I know it ain't love because she skanked out to the max. Gold digger, sugar daddy and midlife crisis alerts all in the same half an hour.On another the news, I have so much SHITZ to do for the next fews day before moving out, I can not believe it. Originally I was going to take this past week to do all of them, but I had to come in to the sandwich shop because they weren't able to find someone yet so now I'm running out of time. Must. Get. Time. Machine.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
13 more days until Vietnam.
I have a little less than two weeks to really get my Peace Corps health stuff together before Vietnanm. Only a few more lab results to get back and I am ready to send this sucker on its way.
Last Friday, I had three little viles of blood taken out of me, peed in a cup and got a TB test, all in a good day's work. I don't really like needles, so all this was even extra special, sitting there watching my blood squirting like ketchup into little tubes. Yum. I also forgot how much fun a TB test could be, the nurse stuck this needle into the layer just below my skin and injected this solution that gave me a creepy little boil like a weird sci-fi movie. The boil goes away in a few minutes, but the injection site remain red for the next 72 hours, and if the boil doesn't completely go away and stays a lumpy size, it means that I have TB. The last time I had a TB test was when I first came to the state, and the injection site had a 10mm swell so it was ruled positive. So needless to day I was really nervous this time, and when I came in, it took four different nurses to determine whether or not mine was a positive. And it was.
I seriously felt like the world was about to come crashing down, I mean, a POSITIVE test?1?! There are only a few times in our lives that the word "positive" could make a person feel like they're falling down to the pit of hell, like a positive HIV test result, or a positive pregnancy test (I'm speaking objectively, of course) or in my case, a positive TB test. I thought my barely blooming relationship with the Peace Corps was going to be over, and I was so confused too. I KNOW that I don't have TB nor have I ever did because if I did, I for sure wasn't gonna be allowed to be in the US, or be in a public school. I just didn't make any sense. So I panicked, and rambled to the nurse secretly hoping that they would change their minds and marked that my test was negative instead.
They did no such thing, except calmly explained to me that everyone who is a FOB and was born in Vietnam like me test positive for TB no matter what, and just because I tested positive doesn't mean I have active TB in my lungs. And the reason why people who are born in Vietnam all tested positive for PB is because of the "fob shot" that we get when we were babies. What's a "fob shot"? I totally forgot what exactly what the nurse said, but all my immigrants homies know what I'm talking about, we even have the scars to prove it. This scar is what distinguishes us against "real" Americans since it's the evidence that we were born somewhere else outside the U.S of A. I guess I'll just have to accept that you can take the girl out of the motherland, but you can't take the motherland out of the girl.
So, anyway, as result, I have to take an x-ray of my lungs due to my positive TB test to really determine that I'm healthy. One more test to lag my paper work process, but at least after tomorrow, I'll will be done with medical testing for the most part, though there are still 4 wisdom teeth that need removal, but that's another day.
Last Friday, I had three little viles of blood taken out of me, peed in a cup and got a TB test, all in a good day's work. I don't really like needles, so all this was even extra special, sitting there watching my blood squirting like ketchup into little tubes. Yum. I also forgot how much fun a TB test could be, the nurse stuck this needle into the layer just below my skin and injected this solution that gave me a creepy little boil like a weird sci-fi movie. The boil goes away in a few minutes, but the injection site remain red for the next 72 hours, and if the boil doesn't completely go away and stays a lumpy size, it means that I have TB. The last time I had a TB test was when I first came to the state, and the injection site had a 10mm swell so it was ruled positive. So needless to day I was really nervous this time, and when I came in, it took four different nurses to determine whether or not mine was a positive. And it was.
I seriously felt like the world was about to come crashing down, I mean, a POSITIVE test?1?! There are only a few times in our lives that the word "positive" could make a person feel like they're falling down to the pit of hell, like a positive HIV test result, or a positive pregnancy test (I'm speaking objectively, of course) or in my case, a positive TB test. I thought my barely blooming relationship with the Peace Corps was going to be over, and I was so confused too. I KNOW that I don't have TB nor have I ever did because if I did, I for sure wasn't gonna be allowed to be in the US, or be in a public school. I just didn't make any sense. So I panicked, and rambled to the nurse secretly hoping that they would change their minds and marked that my test was negative instead.
They did no such thing, except calmly explained to me that everyone who is a FOB and was born in Vietnam like me test positive for TB no matter what, and just because I tested positive doesn't mean I have active TB in my lungs. And the reason why people who are born in Vietnam all tested positive for PB is because of the "fob shot" that we get when we were babies. What's a "fob shot"? I totally forgot what exactly what the nurse said, but all my immigrants homies know what I'm talking about, we even have the scars to prove it. This scar is what distinguishes us against "real" Americans since it's the evidence that we were born somewhere else outside the U.S of A. I guess I'll just have to accept that you can take the girl out of the motherland, but you can't take the motherland out of the girl.
So, anyway, as result, I have to take an x-ray of my lungs due to my positive TB test to really determine that I'm healthy. One more test to lag my paper work process, but at least after tomorrow, I'll will be done with medical testing for the most part, though there are still 4 wisdom teeth that need removal, but that's another day.
My left arm suffered a little bit that day. Under the big(ger) wad of cotton is the creepy boil making its mark on my epidermis.
I really have to admit that kind of semi-dropped the ball on this last Peace Corps app leg after completing all the other parts so promptly. After such a long delay, I can only hope that the Peace Corps hasn't already forgot about me and decided that they don't really need to send a little Asian girl to Africa after all. That would just straight up sucks. Last week, I had a dream that my invitation for the Peace Corps came, and that seriously was the happiest dream I have ever had. I really want to go to the Peace Corps. Shit, I don't even need to be in Africa, I'll go anywhere as long as they let me.
In the meanwhile, I'm still trying to move out of San Diego before Vietnam, and it's going at a turtle pace. All my stuff are already in boxes from the last move, but I still somehow manage not to have my shit together. Let's hope this weekend will be productive for me. Le sigh.
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