This morning Trang and I were supposed to meet for bò kho, and we did, but we did so much more than that. Bò kho is rather like a beef stew, served with rice noodles but also mini-baguettes. It was, unsurprisingly, good. Ms. Trang, however, felt that it was too salty, and started discussing it with the cook. I felt like I had fallen into some language alternate reality. I probably understood one word in each sentence, but context and that one word were enough for me to know exactly what was going on. It didn't feel like an accomplishment; it felt more like a fluke, but it still felt good.
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| Bò kho |
As I said, I thought we'd be going straight back after breakfast, but Trang invited me to go get our hair washed. But before that we needed to go to the market because several weeks ago I expressed an interest in getting clothes made by a tailor, and she had decided that today was the day for us to get fabric. So many choices, but eventually I did choose. Next was the hair washing, but not. On the way we saw a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk with some cages strapped to it. The cages were full of hamsters. Trang's son has always begged her for a pet, but she is not a fan of dogs or cats, so she had never acquiesced. Today, there must have been something in the air, because after much discussing with the seller, cuddling with the hamsters, and hemming and hawing and she decided to buy one. And because he insisted that a single hamster would be lonely, she bought two. Next, in my opinion, comes the best part. How did we transport our newly purchased hamsters? The same way everything from iced coffee to fabric is transported, in a plastic shopping bag. Except that, as I mentioned before, we weren't going home just yet.
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| Who could resist? |
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| Safe and sound in a plastic bag on my lap on a motorcycle |
When we arrived at the hair place, they told us we'd have to wait about 30 minutes, so we decided to get a drink in the meantime. Luckily, Trang had also stopped for a to-go snack on the way to the salon. So, I was treated to an intriguing and refreshing tamarind and peanut beverage, accompanied by thin crackers sandwiching a combination of shredded coconut and some kind of sugar cane derivative.
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| Me dà: tamarind with ice |
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| Unnamed snack, apparently usually only for children |
After our always-relaxing hair washing, the morning of pampering finally drew to a close, and we went home. Her son decided that I should name the hamsters, so now he is the proud owner of Blackfoot and Patches.
In the evening I invited Ms. Trang over for home-cooked pasta with tomato sauce. Being the insecure cook that I am, I'm not sure if she liked it. While I was cooking, what may or may not have been a giant flying earwig awkwardly fluttered and flopped around. I find it amusing (?) that my most recent bug identification confirmation Google searches have involved the word 'giant.' I was unsatisfied with the outcome of my cooking, but if nothing else we always enjoy each other's company.
One bonus to Trang's visit is that one of my biggest headaches might soon be fixed. Ever since I arrived, a drain in the floor has belched water, soap suds, silt, and general muck all over my bathroom floor. At first it was a minor thing so I didn't say anything, but it has only gotten worse. In the last few weeks, so much water has been coming out that it floods my room as well. After several complaints the plumber cleared some pipes outside of trash, which has cut down on the undefined grime and vegetable bits coating my floors, but it hasn't stopped the water. However, when Trang came over and saw the puddly state of things, she decided that it was unacceptable, and will talk to the rector herself tomorrow. (This is a big deal because usually issues must be passed up through the professional hierarchy grapevine.) I know that when Trang decides things, those things happen, so I'm hoping that I'll have dry floors again soon.
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