We woke up this morning at about 6:00am from utter starvation. Exhausted and jetlagged, we managed to get dressed and heading outside to the local bakery called "Tous les jours." It's a french bakery chain that serves fresh baked goods everyday. My mother and I bought about 10 different pastries and two Vietnamese coffees and it came out to about 200K dong ($10CAD). Needless to say, we devoured the pastries and then wished that we had bought more.
Afterwards, we decided to take a walk to find the local supermarket. For a good 15 minutes, I had to encourage my mother to not be to afraid of crossing the street. In Vietnam, the driving is nuts - but much like in India, there is a method to this madness. The majority of people drive scooters (which they call (Xe Honda - direct translation is Honda Vehicle). I think the average for each household is about three of these scooters. There aren't many lights or street signs to follow - only in highly populated areas but it's basically a free for all and they use the "honking system."
We managed to find the supermarket (sieu thi) and bought some instant noodles for those late nights when we get hungry and some beef jerky. LOL. I will never be able to escape these instant noodles! The supermarket isn't much different than the asian supermarkets in Toronto and most of the frozen goods are the same. There is an abundance of fruit and herbs here, though - if you saw how many watermelons people sell on the street, you'd be amazed. I'll try to get a picture.
When we got back from the supermarket, my cousins/aunt were waiting at the condo to take us shopping at Saigon Square Market! As tired and hot as I was, I wanted to go to the market to see what kind of deals I could find. The best part was: We were going to take the scooters! My mother was hilarious...she was hesitant at first but as soon as we turned the corner, she yelled out, "I love this! I never want to take the car again!" Here's what she looked like:
Mom and Aunt Chien
The Market: Let me just say - I have never seen a place with so many 'name-brand' clothes for so little. Of course, the clothes are imitations are the real thing because Vietnam has an abundance of expert tailors who can basically mimic ANY designer outfit for a fraction of the cost. I found the cutest maxi dress and when I asked how much it was, the girl immediately gave me the highest price possible - 800K dong (which is about $38CAD). My cousins immediately protested and said "There is no way we're going to pay that much when we know we can get the real thing at the actual Banana Republic store for the same price!" They hurriedly pushed me away from the booth and whispered in my ear: "Don't worry - if you like it, we will come back tomorrow and get it for you for half the price. They gave you the highest price because you look like a tourist!" LOL In all honestly, I would have bought it for 800K!
We shopped until we got hungry and then headed to another relative's house where they had a storefront veranda. My mother announced that she wanted to try something local - no more restaurants. I was a little nervous at first because we literally walked down the street and there was a lady who's veranda was a little restaurant. We sat down and ordered 6 bowls of "Bún Mắm" which is essentially a salty fish soup that has a delicious flavor I cannot even describe.
Again, there were so many vegetables and herbs to put in the soup that only added to the flavor. Although it was scorching hot outside and we were eating hot soup, what came next was definitely unexpected. My mother ordered six glasses of sugarcane juice from a nearby vendor...I watched as she put each sugarcane through a grinder for just a little bit of juice. It took her 10 minutes but what came out was one of the most delicious and refreshing drinks I have ever tasted. If you ever make it to Vietnam, this is a MUST-try. Everyone at the table barely finished their one glass and I was already on my second.
The best part about this experience is being able to experience Vietnam with the locals. We are going on our tour in a few days and although I know we will see many different parts of Vietnam, I find the time with my relatives is invaluable. I am getting to know aunts, uncles and cousins that I never knew existed - there is a kinship there that we recognized as soon as they greeted us at the airport. Everyone has been so wonderfully welcoming and generous. I am humbled knowing that my relatives may not have much but they opened up their doors and pockets for my mother an I without hesitation.
After lunch and a little rest, we went to my Aunt Chien's home and relaxed for a bit before heading out for our dinner plans. They decided that they would take us to the newer part of Ho Chi Minh city where many foreign investors have come to build new condos and new buildings. An area in District 7 called "Phú Mỹ Hưng." I was amazed...cities of condos, theatres, malls, etc. all being built. I felt like I was in uptown Toronto with all the fancy storefronts and highrise condos. When we drove through, my cousin said, "If you'll notice, there aren't many scooters here because everyone drives cars in this area." There were all sorts of foreign cars, almost every other car was a Mercedes! This was definitely different from the Saigon Square Market that I had been taken to in the morning...and yet, I found myself feeling yearning to go back to the little restaurant veranda with the delicious soup!
My relatives all live close to each other and the sisters help each other raise the children together. It is not uncommon for someone to have a mother here and also call her aunt "ma." I felt happy for my cousins to be able to have such close ties to one another, having grown up in each other's homes.
Today, we are heading to Thu Duc, where my parents are originally from....I'm going to get to see my grandfather's house...I'm told it was the largest on the street when we lived there almost 30 years ago but has since been through tough days. It is now the oldest one on the street...but I wonder if I'll recognize it when I see it... :)
