Last Week in Vietnam

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on August 24th, and took a 2 day trip out to the Mekong Delta the following day. The Mekong is the heart of agriculture in Vietnam, so I saw everything from rice paddies to banana trees. It also produces lots of coconut, and is famous for it's coconut candy. I got to see how it's made and try some fresh, which was delicous! I also got to see how rice paper and rice noodles are made. All in all the trip was good, but it was a lot of time spent on a boat and in a bus. I met a few really nice people though. One girl was from Montreal - one of the few Canadians I've met on my travels.

I arrived back in HCMC on the evening of the 26th, and stayed with a family in HCMC until I left Vietnam on August 29th. How did I meet this family? Well I met a girl in Hanoi through couchsurfing, named Loannie, and she knew this girl, An, through a network that is similar to couchsurfing called Hospitality Club. She'd contacted An through Hospitality Club to let her know that I would be coming to HCMC, and gave An my cell number. An sent me a text asking me if I'd like to stay with her and her family for the rest of my time in HCMC and I happily accepted her offer.

An picked me up on her motorbike, and her mom, father's cousin, and little sister came along too (but on a separate motorbike of course). The ride to her house was about 20 minutes, and on the way it started pouring rain. So by the time I arrived at their house both me and my backpack were soaked!

An's house is very different from most of the Vietnamese houses I've seen. Instead of being tall and narrow, it was just tall and big! It is more western styled, and a bit of a Vietnamese mansion. At 56 years old, her father is a retired architect that still does a bit of work on the side - he built their house in 1990. An (16 years old) lives in the house with her mother (42), father, sister Bon (9), and father's cousin.

Upon arriving at their house An and her sister led me to my room, which was equipped with a nice double bed and an air conditioner - a luxury for me. After I'd settled in I took my photo album downstairs and showed her family picutres of my country and family. It's always a great conversation piece. They also fed me oddles of food, such as a sweet bean soup, apple, and something called Moon Cake.

An informed me that the next day was a day to celebrate and honor their dead ancestors, so her mom would be making a trip to the local market in the morning to purchase food for a big lunch. Her mom invited me to come along and help prepare the lunch meal.

Helping out with the festivites the next day was lots of fun, and I got to meet more of An's extended family. They were all interested in me and my travels, and for most of the day An served as my translator. An's older sister, Thu (24), came home for the day as well, and I had a nice time getting to know her as she spoke fluent english. An, Thu, Bon, and one of their cousins helped me out all day with my Vietnamese speaking and pronunciation. An's parents also requested that I address them as Mom and Dad in Vietnamese, and they gave me the Vietnamese name of Nhan, and adressed me as their daughter. Needless to say they were very welcoming, and made me feel very much at home in their home.

Besides doing some touristy things such as visit the War Remnants Museum and going shopping, the rest of my time with An and her family was just spent getting to know them and learning more about the Vietnamese way of life. Each evening was spent getting my butt kicked in ping pong by Me (vietnamese for mother) and Bo (Vietnamese for father). We also went out the one evening to a Vietnamese buffet, and I tried some new foods such as pigs ear and deer intestine - yum! Bon was an sbsolute sweetheart, and had an overflowing, bubbly personality. My first evening in their home she was quite shy, but by the next evening she was speaking more english, holding my hand all the time, and teaching me new Vietnamese words. Their whole family is really loving and affectionate, and it really shows through Bon's personality.

Both of An's parents were extremely kind to me and told me that both me and my family are more than welcome in their home anytime. I'd told them my interest in coming back to Vietnam to teach english, and her father told me to contact him and he would find a job for me. My last evening with them Me cooked me a big going away supper, which was delicous! We had something called Hot Pot, which is meat cooked in a broth - like a healthier version of fondue. They also gave me gifts, and then dressed me up in Bo's Vietnamese war uniform and took pictures of me in it.

Although An is 16, she could easily pass for a 20-year old. She is very wise and mature for her age, and has really strong family values. She taught me lots about Vietnamese culture and way of life, and she became a really good friend. I feel very fortuante to have had the opportunity to stay with An and her family, and it's amazing how close I became with all of them in such a short amount of time.

An drove me to the airport on the morning of the 29th, and my flight to Bangkok arrived at noon. From the airport I went to the northern bus station where I caught a 10 hour bus to Chang Mai. I arrived in Chang Mai around 1:30 am, and plan to stay here for 3 days before making my over to Laos. Besides checking out some sights and markets I plan on taking a cooking class.

That's all for now. Hope you've enjoyed the update and I'll write again soon!