The room mates are great and friendly and the house is in a really good location. There is a supermarket about 50 metres away, numerous tiny local restaurants and bars in the street, the river is just in front of the supermarket too.
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| River |
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| Locals Eating Street Food at Night |
It is far enough away from the heavily tourist oriented areas of district one but also close enough if one wanted to go out at night.
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| Watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind |
I have been having more food adventures. Since I don't speak or read a word of Vietnamese, it has all come down to just walking into places or just approaching street vendors and making do with pointing and body language. The first night here, I walked to a small street vendor near the supermarket, looked around at what another couple were eating, pointed at that and nodded.
I was brought out a plate of lettuce, mint, basil and some other unknown green things and then soon after a plate of 6 strange tart looking things. Some had a prawn in the middle, some had squid and the others I have no idea. So apparently you wrap the tarts up in lettuce leaves with the herbs and dip them in strange sauces served in beer mugs with spoons. The prawns having their shells on was a surprise but also a welcome addition of texture.
Not bad!
The next day, I decided that I had to find somewhere selling Pho. Being the national dish, one would think this would be an easy task. I walked into a number of different places which had the word pho written on their signage. I received mostly blank stares from toothless old ladies, despite my best efforts. I walked along the river for a while looking at stores, until (I kid you not) I decided to give up and turn around. I was right in front of a Pho shop at this time and I didn't even realise.
I pointed at the massive vat of the stuff simmering away but the young man serving people seemed daunted by interacting with me. Then I hear "WAT U WAN?" from behind me.
A Vietnamese man, standing about 4 feet tall, was at the shop. I said "Pho"
He springs to action and makes sure I get what I am looking for by talking to the shop owner. Turns out he speaks English very well and has been living in the United States for 24 years working as an ATM technician.
A similar thing happened to me when I eating in a small place near my old hotel when the owner came to me speaking fluent English and had been living in the United States for 19 years working for the Department of Defence. Random.
My Pho arrives and it is very good. Not the best I've had, but still good. Mission accomplished.
The next day, I grow hungry and decide I need more food adventures. This time I cross the river and find a largish shop that was recommended by Ryan (at least I think it was the one). Upon entering, 3 young girls who work there and one guy all call out "HELLOOOO!" "HOW ARE YOUU" "WAT U NAM?"
"Michael" ... "Like Michael Jackson"
"OOOOHHHHH!"
You had to be there, it was hilarious. The three girls just stare at me smiling, even when I look back at them, they don't look away. Never experienced that before!
I am given a menu, entirely in Vietnamese. I glance over the pictures and start pointing. Trying to find out if a certain dish is chicken, I tuck my hands under my sides, flap my arms, bob my head back and forth and say "BOOK BOOK BOOK?"
The laughter this caused was so funny that even I lost it and cracked up. I am eventually served the chicken I asked for and it was soooo good. I sneak a photo of the girls while I am eating.
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| The Three Chicken Chicks |
I am finding that my initial apprehension in trying to interact with locals is dwindling. Good times.
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