The Jewrican Traveler

To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I expected once I arrived in Vietnam. The flight didn’t kill me, which was good (thank you Valium), but I think the hot, humid air just might do the trick. Our first cab ride proved to be an interesting experience as after driving for about five minutes, our cab driver pulls over, gets out and joins several other men around a television.

He finally gets back in, drives about five more minutes and gets out again. I asked the English teacher that picked us up from the airport what the hell he was doing and why he was leaving us in the car like this. Turns out there was a huge soccer game between Vietnam and Malaysia and that’s why dozens of people were crowded around television sets in the store fronts.

After about another 10 minutes, he heads back to the car, but instead of jumping in and driving us to our destination, he walks to the street to flag down another cab for us to get in. I’m sad to say that in the end, Vietnam ended losing that game (womp womp).

As we proceeded to the hotel, it was hard not to notice the amount of cars and motorbikes that crowded the streets. Getting out of the cab to just cross the street was scary since dozens of motorbikes are racing towards you. Back in America, we would just wait for the cars to pass before walking. In Vietnam, there’s a certain way of crossing the street when you’re not at a stoplight: You’re suppose to walk at a slow, consistent pace, all while making eye contact. The drivers can react better to how they go around you. It doesn’t matter, I plan on using innocent children and my housemate as a human shield.

The next day, after taking a four-hour car ride south from Saigon, my fellow American English teacher and I finally arrived to our new home for the next six months in Can Tho. Once we settled in, my housemate and I decided to tour the neighborhood to find something to eat (another crazy experience). As soon as we left campus and walked down the street, it was hard not to notice everyone (and I literally do mean everyone) starring at us. I understand that maybe they’re not used to seeing foreigners in that area, but it was really intense.

Finding a place to eat wasn’t as easy as I wish it was either. I had no idea what the food signs said and it didn’t help that the only meat I ate was chicken and seafood. I only knew how to say ‘rice’ and when I saw it on a sign, we decided to check that place out. A smiley, little thing came over to us, which I knew right away was our waitress.

I told her I wanted rice (in Vietnamese) and chicken (in English, since at that time I had no idea how to say it in Vietnamese). Everyone around us started laughing. My housemate decided to chime in and started clucking like a chicken to see if that would help her understand what I wanted to eat. Everyone laughing at us again. After some frustration, she walked away and ended up bringing me rice and pork. I picked up the chopsticks to put the pork to the side and start eating. Everyone started smirking because know how to use them.

I couldn’t wait to get back to our house and put this embarrassing moment behind me. First thing the next day, I found out how to say ‘chicken’.

Anyways, here are some pictures of the new pad:

Exterior

The Foyer / Parking Garage

Living Room

Dining Room / Office

Bedroom