First Impression

Vietnam.
I'm well, I'm eating well, and everything is somewhat as expected. Di 10's house is beautiful and large, though her taste in art varies from beautiful to tacky. My room is a loft area with a living room, and cherry wood floors and a window facing the front yard. The moon shines directly through it late at night. The river runs behind the house, and the cross breezes are wonderful. Di 10 had an air conditioner installed for me the day I arrived. Whenever she wants anything - curtains, furniture, mirrors - she calls for custom orders. My coffee is made for me every morning. Espresso.

There are many things that are odd and most notably, the money. I traded my aunt a $20 USD for $280,000 today. It costs about 70 cents to have shoes repaired, and a bowl of noodle soup costs about 70cents as well. The employees at my aunt's restaurants work 28 days a month, 8 hours a day and are paid $50 USD a month. It is a much sought after job, because it is relatively high pay. There is a lack of respect for privacy. No one has any sense of personal space (they are very pushy people). Everyone talks very very loud (it must be in the genes), and we eat all day long.

The first day I arrived, mom gave me 2 bucks to tuck into my passport when going through customs (I told her not to try this at home). It helps reduce questioning, and then they let you through. When we picked up our baggage, all we had to do was explain that Di 9 (aunt 9) is Mme. A (My uncle A is a famous doctor) and we were let through. Also, to get through to my aunt's house, there is a toll booth - you have to pay 10,000 dollars to get through with a ticket (equal to about 70 cents) and then on your way out, they give you 5,000 back. If you just give them 2000 or so, they'll let you through, and pocket the cash so you don't get anything back on the way out again.

My second day here, we had to set up an altar to commemorate my great-grandmother's death and pray for her in her afterlife. The whole family came over, and we had a very large banquet. My aunt 9, who is a palm reader (my great uncle was famous for his sixth sense and used to read the President's palm) made a deal with me that if I teach her English, she'll teach me how to read palms. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Everyone makes fun of my Vietnamese, though they then contradict and tell me it's very good (especially for someone who left VN at 18 months). They also tell me that I look really young (I've heard anywhere between 10 and 20) and that I've got nice eyebrows. Funny people.

So the other interesting thing is that here in Vietnam, everyone looks alike!!! I'm not kidding. And the weirdest thing is that I look like them too! But I keep forgetting that I do. But as soon as I open my mouth, they know I'm a foreigner. The other weird thing is that in my family, my siblings and I used to use Vietnamese to talk about people in front of us. I can't do that here, because it's not a secret language over here. It stinks.

I think I might have a job teaching English at the university nearby. I met one of my aunt's business friends today at her ice cream shop and she happens to be friends with the director of the University so I'm going to hand her my resume. So far so good. Good food, good company, and maybe a job.

It's super hot here, but at night, we get a good breeze and it's nice and cool. It's not as bad as New York was in the summer of '99. I'm loving it so far, and think I might stay a while. We will travel to the north and central highlands after the wedding on the 18th. My new aunt (my uncle's bride) is ordering a traditional vietnamese ao dai to be made for me. Must be off now.
Ciao tutti.
hani