Hello, hello

Thursday morning started with a semi-illicit trip to Trang's parents' house for bánh xèo. It seems that Trang has gotten tired of asking permission to do everything, and several higher-ups were in cahoots with this breach of protocol. Trang's husband came along to take Elliot on his motorcycle so that Elliot would not have to suffer the emasculation of sitting behind a woman. We arrived shortly before nine. By now the events feel routine, though no less enjoyable. We sat with Trang's dad for a while, chatting and drinking tea. He and his wife are the consummate team of hosts; he entertains in the front while she does all the cooking in the back.

Soon food was being brought out, and it was time to feast our senses. At first Elliot struggled with the requisite wrapping and rolling bánh xèo in lettuce and herbs, but everyone chipped in tips in between kind laughter, and he got the hang of it by the end. Trang's mom asked us how long we had been married. When we said we weren't, she emphatically asked us why not. Between courses we were serenaded by a husband-wife rendition of the Vietnamese translation of O Holy Night, which Trang's mom and dad had been rehearsing in preparation for our visit. The daughters joined in on the chorus. Next up were oranges, watermelon, and coconut juice. Elliot received a coffee because I had already told Trang about his dispreference for coconut and his affinity towards coffee. Nevertheless, Elliot was a good sport and tried some coconut juice, and to his surprise found that it was more tolerable -- perhaps even enjoyable -- than he previously thought. 

Singing over remnants of the meal

De rigueur group photo

As always, time to leave came all too soon, but we couldn't leave quite as soon as people wanted to. I went to my purse and discovered that the impish but adorable grandson had stowed some of his toys in there. After giving them back I went to put my shoes on. But I only had one shoe. My first thought went to the little grandson, but it was decided that it was the dogs' fault. It was funny at first, but when it began to look like I'd be leaving with borrowed shoes it got a little less cute. Luckily, Trang's mom found my shoe under some shrubbery right as I was resignedly mounting a motorbike to head back home. Hooray!

Where's my shoe?

In the afternoon we took the bus to the city center to do some eating and exploring. Elliot's appetite made it easy for us to try pretty much everything that needed trying while we were in that part of town. We kicked the eating tour off with bánh ướt at the place Trang took me on my first day in Ben Tre. Next Elliot tried a bánh mì, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. Later he had a street snack of fried fish balls, fried quail eggs, and fried okra. He also enjoyed nước mía, sugarcane juice, when I gave up on the quest to find him peanut soymilk. In between all of this eating, we made a lap of the city center market, walked to the lake, went to the supermarket (which is more like a mall that contains a supermarket), and walked through several parks. We got the fried snacks outside of an elementary school that had just let out, and the swarms of children were just a few among the day's worth of people who chirped their hellos at Elliot everywhere we went. We sat to eat the snacks by the lake, and a family on a motorbike parked next to us so the father could chat with us in English. He asked me how many children I had and, when I said none, he informed me that next year I'd have one. It's not every day that you get married off and become a future parent by the words of strangers.

First stop: bánh ướt. Note the height of the table.

Fried goodies

Sugar cane juicer

Cutesy picture at the park

At the second park we waited for a while because we were going to meet Trang nearby for dinner. We watched people power walking laps at dusk, saw a little girl practicing tricks on her bike, and saw local couples canoodling in the shadows. Naturally, Elliot got another dose of hellos.

Second park

We passed through the night market on the way to meet Trang for bò lá lốt. When she arrived I discovered that when we go there we also eat nem nướng and bò đun. Bò lá lốt is the grilled leaf-wrapped beef, nem nướng is kind of like grilled meatballs made of pork (but in the north it is grilled spring rolls), and bò đun is grilled beef wrapped around a small piece of fat for added moisture. As I've mentioned before, you eat them by wrapping them in rice paper, accompanied by herbs, fruits (starfruit, cucumber, green banana, pineapple) and vermicelli. By the end of the meal, Elliot was a pro at wrapping his food.

Look at that tidy roll!

Several dried fish salesmen usually roam this area, and when we finished our main course Trang decided that we should try some. I've had it before (actually also on my first day in Ben Tre) and it's never my favorite but it's not bad and it's definitely worth trying. It's kind of like strongly fishy jerky with a spicy tamarind sauce. Though other kinds of fish and squid are sold, I learned last night that the one we have is made of (sting?) ray. We spent over an hour enjoying the meal and each other's company. I think it is good for Trang's English when I am around another native speaker. The mixed company keeps me from slowing down my English too much, and brings to mind idioms and turns of phrase that I wouldn't normally think of when I'm not around a native speaker.

To see a hilariously unexpected e-gift I received from a co-worker today, click here.