Mom + Vietnam: Ben Tre 2

Tuesday

The day started with stew: bò kho for breakfast. It wasn't bad, but it probably isn't something I'll have again. My mom and I planned to go to the city center later on, but by the time I got done doing the things I needed to do, it was noon. Noon, in case you were wondering, is not a good time to go anywhere. Everyone is napping, and everyone is asleep. I decreed that our trip downtown would have to wait a few hours, and my mom reluctantly accepted. At around 2pm citywide naptime was over and we went to the bus stop with gray clouds rolling in. We crept under a nearby shop's umbrella to wait for the bus and wait out the storm that would follow the early trickle of drops. As the drizzle turned to downpour and the rain took on a sharply diagonal angle, the kindly shopkeeper (featured in Day 62 on the photo blog) urged us under her roof. The rain fell even harder and, even several feet away from the edge of cover, we couldn't stay dry. We were handed cooked bananas, which turned out to be cooked green bananas and tasted like boiled potatoes. We spent at least forty minutes waiting out the rain, maybe 100 yards from my room but unable to go anywhere. At long last, the rain began to subside, and lo and behold the bus (which is supposed to come every ten minutes) emerged, climbing the arc of the bridge. I do not question whether the strength of the rain and the timing of the bus were related. We were on our way.

On the bus. Oh, and that's not Yoda hanging from the mirror.

The school provided me with a bus pas that I haven't yet used as much as I should. Usually, when I do use it, it is met with consternation. I should explain, it's not just a standard issue card or something like that; it's a laminated document with my picture and lots of Vietnamese words. Most of the time the bus attendant reads through the whole thing, consults with the bus driver, and begrudgingly accepts the fact that I don't have to pay (and, I suspect, overcharges my companion to compensate). This time, though, the bus attendant glanced at it and charged neither me nor my mom. We thought the rain had cleared, but in fact we had just beaten it to the south side of town, and as soon as we got off the bus the ominous pre-storm drizzle began. We ran for cover in the market and did some window shopping while we waited out the storm, yet again. By the time the rain headed out for good, we were hungry. I took Mom to the bánh ướt place Trang took me to when I first arrived in Ben Tre. Like many of my food experiences these last few days, that meal exceeded my memory of its deliciousness. It was good.

Last time I took the bus, I had to wait an hour for the bus back, and even then it wasn't even a bus going back, they just consented to take me to the college. This time, Mom and I waited less than five minutes. Back on campus, it was time for the teacher's English club. It started as question time for Mom, and somehow transitioned into a vocab lesson for both me and my students, and vocabulary lesson is just code for pictionary.

Wednesday
We went on the river tour today, the same one I did on my birthday weekend, though this one ended up including more. This was probably the one thing I had been most looking forward to about the two weeks of my mom's visit. Just like last time, the taxi driver tried to take us to the wrong place, and I still don't fully understand why. When I called to reserve the tour my request for an English speaker eventually led to the same tour guide I had last time. I guess they don't get many Ben Tre 'locals' requesting an English speaker, because he asked if I was the person who had come back in September. He had been such a great guide I hoped/assumed he would be our guide again. However, we had a different guide this time around. At first I was a little disappointed, but he ended up being awesome in his own right.

I actually spent the whole boat ride sitting right about here

The tour was quite captivating

After making our way down the Mekong, we entered a meandering canal that eventually led us to an apiary. There, bees feed on the nectar from longan trees and make a particularly sweet and flavorful honey, which is used to prepare honey tea. Honey tea is actually tea, honey, and kumquat juice. My mom and I savored the whole experience (Morena sought refuge from the bees that buzzed around, wanting their honey back), and got to try pollen mixed into the tea and royal jelly mixed with honey. At the tea place, there was also a big ole python. They let me get cozy with it, but the python sounded more aggravated than snuggly. Is it a sign that I have been around snakes too much when I can infer when one is aggravated?

This snake was big, heavy, and kind of angry.

We walked for a while amongst the greenery and our multi-talented guide entertained us with tricks and games. He showed us how to shoot palm leaves at each other, make tiny vuvuzuelas out of a piece of banana leaf, pop a young leaf to make a loud noise, and cut young leaves that stick to your skin. He was quite the entertainer. We rode a horse-drawn cart to our next destination of fresh fruits and traditional music. There was another, smaller, python there.

Time to set up a betting pool on how many me+snake
photo shoots I can amass while in Vietnam.

I even convinced my mom and Morena, neither of whom is a fan of snakes, to hold the snake. After the music and more tricks from our tour guide (juggling, flipping spoons into cups, disappearing fruits) we got into a canoe to go back to the main fork of the Mekong. Last time, this was essentially the end of the tour. This time, we went on to visit a coconut candy factory. I must say, the word factory is used pretty loosely. It was an open-air, roofed space with a few machines (one of each) and two women lackadaisically chopping and packing the hardened candy. We were told that this candy was 70% coconut milk, 15% sugar, and 15% malt, whereas many other factories make their candy using only about 30% coconut milk and way more sugar.

Hard workers at the coconut candy factory

Our next stop was Phoenix Island, also known as the island of the coconut monk, also known as a tourist trap. You can feed crocodiles, visit a sort of temple that looks like it belongs on a mini-golf course, and eat. We opted to try the elephant ear fish, native to the area. You can eat every part of it except for the spines. A deft waitress pried the deep fried meat off of it and spring rolled it for us, then tore it apart for us to crunch our way through the fins and tail and everything else that was left. It was good.

Feeeeeed meeee

Either mini-golf or giant pinball

Our fish post-spring rolling, pre-dismantling

Thursday

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." - Unknown

Today was a Vietnam love/hate day. After I taught class, Mom and I went to the supermarket to buy me a pillow that is softer than a bag of bricks. While we were there, I also took the opportunity to buy a jar of tomato sauce that my mom found. Now that I also have a suitcase-imported parmesan cheese I think my pasta nights will be even better. Across the street from the supermarket is a park with a massive statue of a woman. A few days ago Ms. Trang told us that it is a tribute to the 'long-haired soldiers.' Apparently, Ben Tre is famous for a historic contingent of female soldiers.

After that, we were going to catch the bus back to campus. Now, the last time I tried to catch a bus from outside of the supermarket, I watched one zoom by without stopping, waited a good half-hour for another, and eventually gave up and tried again at another bus stop. So, I wasn't all too sure that my plan to catch the bus here would work. (Part of the reason that I don't take the bus very often is that I have not had much success figuring out how to get back after I get to my destination.) My mom suggested that I ask someone whether the bus would be the right one, but my automatic reaction was to say 'I don't know how.' After a while, though, I realized that I did know how. I worked up the courage (and the appetite) to ask a nearby woman selling spring rolls about it. Not only did I ask her, she understood me, AND the clincher: I understood her answer, which was that the bus wouldn't go to the college but it would take us to the roundabout. I gave myself a gold star for the day.

In the evening we had a farewell dinner for my mom. We got to savor bò lá lốt (misspelled lốp at the place on my street, but not the place we went) at the best place in town (featured on Day 78). Mom loved it, and said she now understood why my favorite dish changes every time I eat. For me, it was even better than I remembered.

Now it's time to explain the quote. My stay in Vietnam has recently hit a pretty big snag. Many of my fellow ETAs had trouble getting their visas before coming, and have had to deal with a series of headaches throughout their stays. I was thankful to have easily gotten a year-long multiple entry visa. But perhaps I counted my chickens before they were hatched. A few days ago I realized that I may or may not have been in this country illegally for four months. Even though my visa gave me permission to be here through June of 2012, the official who stamped my passport decided that I only deserved to be here until August 10, 2011 -- less than two weeks after my date of entry -- and it seems that this stamp carries more weight than the visa. Who, what why how? Somehow, despite the innumerable times my passport and visa have been checked by airport personnel, hotel owners, and college administrators, no one had noticed until now. I guess I'm thankful that it was noticed by a hotel receptionist in Ben Tre and not somewhere where I would have been left stranded and shelterless. But for now I'm frustrated. My passport was taken to HCMC to get things sorted out and, even though I was told that I'd have it back this afternoon, this evening I was told I won't have it back until the 8th. I'm supposed to go to the Fulbright mid-year conference on the 9th. The times I feel most overwhelmed by Vietnam are the times when I am powerless to confront the obstacles before me. There is nothing I can do about this. As is often the case here, I don't even really fully know what's going on. So pray, cross your fingers, wish on 11:11. Help me overcome my obstacles, because I know this isn't a dead end.

Mom + Vietnam: Hanoi

Friday
Due to our overzealously early departure from Ben Tre, our delayed flight out of HCMC, and the hour-long drive in from the airport, we had quite a long day of traveling. By the time we finally made it in, it was almost dark and we were hungry. We headed towards the lake and found a cơm bình dân (rice etc.) place along the way. This is something that doesn't really exist, or at least not in the same way, in the south, so I was excited for my mom to try it. It was a popular place and had quite the variety of et ceteras, but because of the prime location by the lake, the prices were rather steep.

From there, we swung by a few souvenir shops on our way to the rooftop café that I frequented when I lived in Hanoi. In our enjoyment of the view, we forgot to actually walk down to the lake's edge, and only admired it from afar.

View from the top

On the way back we walked through the night market, and I stumbled into the easiest bargain ever. I spotted a pair of turquoise heels that happened to be in my size. As I tried them on, it occurred to me that I should ask how much they cost. The conversation went something like this:
- How much?
- 300.
- Whoa! Too much.
- 200.
- Enh.
- 150.
How could I say no to that? I only wondered if I should have actually tried and gotten the price even lower. Somewhere in the middle of that he also asked me if I was from/lived in southern Vietnam. Sounds like I've got an accent.

Saturday
After a slow breakfast Mom and I went to the Hanoi Fine Arts Museum. I never got to see it while I was here in August, so it was part of the unfinished business I hoped to get to on this trip. It was the first museum I've been to in Vietnam that really felt like a museum - not poorly lit, overheated, or water-stained. The art was arranged chronologically, starting with works from about 3000 years ago. Some of those ancient works were Đông Sơn bronze drums, whose decorations I recognized as still-popular motifs whose origin I had previously wondered about. In addition to learning about Vietnam's rich art history, I expanded my vocabulary thanks to the Vietnamese/French/English labels for all of the works of art. The next two floors showed the influence of French Impressionism, silk paintings, modern experimental lacquer paintings, and works representing and responding to the country's history of conflict. It was a lot to take in, in a good way. We spent two hours there and it would have been nice to have maybe one more, but we had to cut our visit short to prepare for Thanksgiving with the Ambassador.

Me, my mom, and eleven other ETAs headed to 'The Residence' as indicated on our invitations. We arrived, and after being stared at by someone behind the gate, we were told that there was no one there. It seemed we had gone to the wrong place. I told my mom she was in the midst of a very Vietnam experience. Eventually we made it to the right place, and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres on the rooftop, looking out over the city. Once we were done mingling, we were summoned inside to heap our gold-rimmed US china plates with long-awaited Thanksgiving fare. I ended up sitting at the Ambassador's table, next to him, in fact.

State Department china

The whole group

By the time the homemade apple pie was gone, several hours of easy conversation had passed, and it was time to say thanks and good night.

We ETAs proceeded to a concert hosted by the American Club, featuring Dengue Fever, a band I discovered and fell in love with back when they performed at Scripps a few years ago. We ended up getting in for free thanks to our Embassy connections, and it was a blast.

My view of the stage

The stage's view of me (lower left)

Sunday
Mom decided that she couldn't come all the way to Vietnam, then come all the way to Hanoi, and then not make it to Ha Long Bay, now 'provisionally named' one of the New Seven Wonders of  Nature. We started with an exquisite multi-course meal, made all the more exquisite by the fact at our table three shared a meal meant for four.

Next, we buckled on our life-vests and spent some time kayaking in the bay. Last time I came to Ha Long, the area we kayaked was so crowded with fellow tourists it almost felt like bumper cars. This time, my mom and I were the only ones who kayaked, and we had the inlet all to ourselves. It was a different inlet than last time, and there were tunnels under the karsts for us to paddle through. Unfortunately, the safest place for my camera was back on the big boat, so no pictures of our adventures. After that had our cave visit.

We only had time for a day trip, so all too soon we had to head back to dry land. Because it was a day trip, we spent almost eight hours on a bus, round trip, for five hours on the bay. Even though I was not 100% convinced at first, it was totally worth it, even bearing in mind that I'd already been there. When I was last there it was still summer and the landscape was clear and blue and green; now it was winter and gray and misty. You couldn't see as far, so it was hard to perceive the magnitude of the bay, but it took on a whole new personality.

Photo credit: Mom

We didn't get back to Hanoi until eight pm, but the day was far from over. I was determined that my mom see and experience as much of Hanoi as our limited time allowed. First order of business was dinner and, once again, we set out for the lake. Once upon a time, back when I was living in Hanoi, I happened upon a corner food stand that looked interesting, but we were headed somewhere or we had already eaten and we did not stop there. I had no idea where it was, and I never got to eat there. However, the route I charted towards the lake ended up taking us to that very same corner, and I got to check off Hanoi unfinished business number two. I discovered that the name of the dish is mý vằn thắn, and it is a noodle soup with dumplings, hard boiled egg, meat, liver, stuffed crunchy things, and a few other mystery ingredients for good measure. It was, as always, delicious.

How many ingredients can you spot?

When time came to pay, I asked, in Vietnamese, how much. She didn't seem to hear me so, in Vietnamese, I called her attention and asked again. As you can kind of see in the picture above, it was a tiny place and four of us patrons were sitting practically shoulder to shoulder to enjoy the corner's delights. Anyway, the cook fumbled around in her cash receptacle to pull out the amount of money I needed to give her. Our fellow patrons started exclaiming, repeating the words that I'd said, and from context clues it was pretty clear that they were indignant on my behalf. My Vietnamese inquiries should have indicated to her that she could have just told me how much instead of going to the trouble of demonstrating. With that little feather in my cap, we continued on towards the lake.

They have added many colorful lights since I was living there, so the lake at night was a new sight even for me. We took a leisurely stroll around it, taking a detour for young rice ice cream.

Bridge to the pagoda on the island in the lake

Pagoda guardian by night

The ice cream was from a place that's been around for over 50 years. It was something I really wanted my mom to try (and, honestly, just really wanted to have again), but I was worried that it would be closed. Fortunately, it was still bustling by the time we arrived, and my cravings were fulfilled. It was even better than I remembered, and a sweet conclusion to our bustling weekend in Hanoi.

Also, 100th post!

Mom + Vietnam: Corner of Heaven

Happy thanksgiving!

Originally, my mom and I were going to go on a river tour today. However, at the monthly schedule meeting, Trang decided that we should spend the morning at her parents' house and feast on her mother's bánh xèo. I had been there when I first arrived in Ben Tre, back when my camera wasn't working. A few days ago my mom asked me where was my favorite place in Vietnam, and it was the first thing that came to mind. So, I was more than happy with this change of plans.  

On the way there

We were a five-motorcycle caravan of women, and our first stop was an orchid farm just around the corner from the house. Trang had forgotten about its existence, though it is owned by her favorite cousin. Upon arrival I discovered that my battery was on its last legs, but thankfully it still had enough juice to get me through the whole morning, albeit with slightly more judicious camera use than usual.

A pot of one of these now brightens up my bathroom

I had a Georgia O'Keeffe moment

Naturally, I went looking for spiders, and delighted in my success.

Just around the bend was the muddy unpaved path to her parents' house. We were greeted by a big-screen viewing of my karaoke contest performance.

Cooking was already underway when we arrived, but my mom got to try her hand at making a bánh xèo. Oil, pork, and shrimp went into the wok first. Then the rice flour and coconut milk mixture, then the filling of soy sprouts and cassava. When the thin thin thin 'pancake' (literal translation of bánh) was ready, it was time to fold it over and slide it onto a plate.

This was just the first few of many plates that made their way to the table

 To eat it, we tore off pieces of piping hot bánh xèo, wrapped it in lettuces and herbs, and then dipped it in fish sauce. I remembered that it was incredible, and today's reality did not fail to meet my memory's expectations. My mom dubbed it her favorite Vietnamese dish. We concluded the meal with coconut water and pomelos.

Lastly, my mom convinced Trang's dad to serenade us. He started singing Cuando, Cuando, Cuando, and gradually everyone joined in, even if it was just for the chorus. Then, altogether too early, it was time to go. But I was thankful: thankful for my mom, thankful for the family I was welcomed into, thankful for the company and friendship of my fellow English teachers, thankful for a memorable thanksgiving, thankful for this slice of life that I have been blessed with. Our goodbye was received with a request to come back soon, and that's a request I will be only too happy to fulfill.

The whole group and a great house

We spent the afternoon resting off our big lunch, which, by the way, started around 9am. Later, Trang came by to say goodbye, since she'll be at a conference until after Mom leaves. In the evening, Mom and I paid a visit to Anh Thư, aka Pajama Mamma. She is a spoonful of sugar in my Vietnam experience thus far, and someone for whom I am also very thankful. We had a nice, long, surprisingly fluid chat; and Mom ended up with some new pajamas. Then, we tried to go to bed early before our weekend trip to Hanoi.

But not without meeting a (relatively small) visitor first.

Mom + Vietnam: Ben Tre 1

Monday
When we got to campus we were in for a surprise. I asked if I could have the key to the guest house so my mom could put her things away.

- Please tell your mother to come here.
- Can we have the key first so she can put her things away.
- Please ask your mother to come here. I would like to invite her for a beverage.
- Can we have the key first? That way she doesn't have to lug her suitcase all over.
- Does her suitcase have wheels?
- Yes.
- Please ask your mother to come here.

Clearly, this conversation was going nowhere. Eventually I found out that there had been a change of plans. The (ever-enigmatic and general) 'authorities' had decreed that the guest house was not suitable for for my mother, a most important and honorable guest. The school would be putting her in a hotel, and this was not up for negotiation. I've gotten pretty good at rolling with the punches here, but this was more than frustrating. I had no choice and no say.

After a lovely lunch with Trang and other people from the college, it was time for my mom to meet the Rector. First, though, we were greeted by a welcoming committee of one:

It was the first time I have seen a snake here. We were on the second floor, and I wondered whether it had gone up the stairs or come down from the third floor. When we left campus to go the the hotel, someone was carrying another, bigger snake that had already been killed. I think my mom was slightly relieved to not be staying in what had suddenly become snake-central.

So now I'm staying at a hotel with my mom, feeling a little like a tourist in my own home. It's not as horribly inconvenient as I originally thought, but it's at least a 20 minute walk from campus, which isn't the most convenient when you have our kind of weather.

Tuesday
We were invited to attend the closing ceremony of a collaborative project with the Vam Ho Bird Ground. You may or may not recall, this is the project that generates most of my translation headaches. So, I was kind of excited to see the site that until now had remained vague and abstract. We set out bright and early and two hours later we had arrived. And then we were told that we were too late to see the grounds, that there would be no birds. We sat through speeches and more speeches. Those of us who did not speak received folders containing translations of some of the speeches. For one brief shining moment I thought I would finally see evidence of the value of my work, especially since I translated about 10 speeches. But alas, the speeches I translated were not present, and the translations that were present had clearly not been proofed. One of the speeches was made by a Singaporean environmentalist who lampooned littering (and eating meat) and congratulated the project for its conservation efforts, and ironically handed out goodies in plastic bags.

Lunch was the usual feast, and after that we managed to convince the powers that be to let us visit the bird grounds, even if there would be no birds. We drove a short ways, pulled over on an unremarkable stretch of the road, and plunged into the undergrowth.

One of a few pictures that isn't just a mass of green

Intrepid explorers, those who were undaunted by high heels or mosquitoes

Wednesday
Today was The Day: the day of my mom's presentation, the day I teach all afternoon, the day English club fills my night. Mom's long-prepared presentation went well, and was, naturally, followed by a big celebratory lunch.

Presenter, translator, and the attendees that stayed until the end

In the afternoon I taught and while doing so was filmed by a local TV crew. I have no idea why they chose today in particular. My students got the opportunity to chat with/ask my mom whatever they wanted, and the questions ended up being more or less the same ones they asked me when I first arrived. As they talked to her I felt like the parent of many toddlers. Parents can understand their children's gobbledygook perfectly, while to outsiders it is just that: gobbledygook. My mom could understand them most of the time, but there were times when she completely misinterpreted what to me was quite clear.

I admit it: altogether too often, I wish I had a personal
photographer who could photograph me being teacherly.
Today, I had one. Thanks, Mom.

Me, Ms. Thu, and the K8 (3rd year) English students

For dinner I took my mom for our first walk down 'my street' (we have been shuttled around by motorcycle, taxi, and campus car) and we bought delicious fried goodness.

English club tonight was a shocking success. Part of the grand plan has been that different teachers would collaborate with me to prepare club meetings, or at least attend, so that they can observe my teaching methods and the kinds of fun learning activities that I use. However, most of the time that doesn't happen at all. This week, much to my surprise, my collaborator prepared a reading and a set of discussion questions for today. Ms. Trang had asked me to do this on my own in the past, but I had been skeptical of students' abilities to do something like this, given that some of them stare at me blankly when I ask a question like 'what will you do this weekend?' In attendance tonight were also some high school students who are tutored by the teacher who helped organize tonight. He had prepared what I thought to be a fairly complex text about happiness, and several not-simply-worded discussion questions. To my continued surprise, the students seemed to have very little trouble with something that I would have considered to be over many of their heads. I've gotten used to having to pry everything out of most of my students, who tend to give the simplest answer possible, but to my continued continued surprise, the answers students provided were remarkably thorough and well-reasoned. Tonight's success has motivated me to prepare similarly for future club meetings. I think it will be more fruitful for the students, and hopefully just as fun as things we have done in the past. Moreover, it was a good reminder of something that I make an effort to stay conscious of (though I don't always succeed): to not judge people's intellect by their articulateness in their non-native language.