Day 2 - Food, Shopping, and the Scooter Rides

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... :)

Day 1 - Jetlag

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam at about 10:30am yesterday and we were greeted with an entourage of family members. There were numerous places for us to stay but my mom and I had already agreed to stay in my uncle's condo located in District 4, which is surrounded by stores and food joints. We got to the condo, unloaded our bags and went out to lunch. What did we eat? Well... PHO of course! The staple Vietnamese dish of rice noodles in beef broth, garnished with about what seemed like a pound of herbs.

For those of you who eat Pho in Canada, note the difference in the amount of herbs we were greeted with at the table:

We were a group of seven but the restaurant didn't have a table big enough for all of us so we split up - the five women sat together and the two men sat together at another table. It is not uncommon for you to be seated with other people and the concept of having your own personal space isn't something that the Vietnamese pay too much attention to. We were seated with another couple who were already occupying the table and they didn't seem to mind that they were joined by five loud, laughing ladies.

After lunch, we went to one of my aunt's house (my mother's cousin). I was impressed with the layout of the homes in Vietnam - built to promote an open feeling towards the outside. A common house would have a front veranda, which can also be used as a front porch, a parking lot, a garden, or even a storefront. Walking through the veranda, you get to the front room of the house, what we typically call the living room. It's where you greet your guests and watch television. Behind the living room are stairs that lead to the second floor and beyond the stairs is the room and then a kitchen. If you're well off or financially comfortable, you may have two of these units and combine them into one.

We weren't able to stay long because I was practically falling asleep in my chair. I hadn't slept on the plane so I was exhausted. My mother, on the other hand, was still reeling with excitement, having been reunited with her "sisters" after so long. At one point, I was tugging along both suitcases, a backpack and her neck pillow only to find that she had already gotten into the taxi with my aunt, catching up on gossip from the past 28 years! Seeing her so excited has made me humble...all of these years, she left her home to travel to Canada with her family and the life she left behind was so incredibly happy. She was surrounded by her sisters and their children...she had a whole other family before she married into my father's.

We left my aunt's house and came back to the condo, only to pass out at 4:30pm. My relatives told us to get some rest because tomorrow would be a full day - they warned that they would come knocking early. I slept until about midnight and woke up to my mother staring at me...she had been awake since 10pm. She was waiting for me to wake up to tell me that she had gone to the bathroom and didn't realize that the bathroom floor was still wet from our showers and her pant legs were soaked and therefore, she couldn't fall back asleep. We ended up talking until about 4am and then went back to sleep for two hours before waking up again from hunger pains. haha. We joked about how being in Vietnam would make us skinny because we're not eating much and we're walking around all over town.

The first few days are blending into one another.... on to Day 2!

Arrived in Hong Kong...

We have landed in Hong Kong and it was about 5am when we got off the plane. My mother and I are stretching our legs after a VERY long 15 hour flight from Toronto. We flew with Cathay Pacific and would you believe, they served us congee for breakfast!! Gotta love the Asian airlines. I don't know why I'm surprised - we were served curry on the plane in India. :)

I watched three movies - Unknown, Blue Valentine and Just Go With it. Action, drama and comedy....and still had about 8 hours left. Let me just tell you - do NOT watch Blue Valentine in front of your mother.. it gets awkward. I am almost 30 and I still fast forward the love scenes when I'm around my mother. Gosh. I also watched a whole season of Sex and the City and by the time I fast forwarded all the sexy parts, there was only really 15 minutes for each episode.

When we got to our gate, there was no one here...it felt like we had the entire airport to ourselves. Of course, my mother decided to take the opportunity to yell out a few expletives in Vietnamese just for fun and we both howled like hyenas (I know I'm in good company). We have a three and a half hour layover in Hong Kong and my mother is lounging across two airport chairs right now (Yes, she fits across only two chairs) and isn't wearing any shoes. Funny part is, the guy sitting behind us is doing the same thing! Something tells me we are no longer in North America when this is somewhat acceptable.

We are getting very excited. While walking over to our gate, we talked about the food that we want to eat in Vietnam. We cannot wait to see if things are truly better here than in Canada.

Keeping you all posted...

Airport People-Watching: Pearson International (YYZ)

We are here at Gate 35 at Pearson International, waiting until 1:40am for our first flight to Hong Kong. My mother and I are sharing some family gossip (as usual) and I've managed to find a free charging port for my laptop. Much to my surprise, there is FREE internet! Wow... Pearson has really progressed. :)

I am doing the usual right now and watching some funny people around the airport. Right in front of me, a girl is crying as she talks on the phone. Looks like boyfriend trouble...I am sympathizing but giggling at the same time..oh, I remember the days! She is speaking Chinese and I wish I could understand... reminds me of this fight on YouTube (this one comes with translations!)

I can't believe how full this flight is.. the entire Gate is full of Asian people. The boarding attendants are having such a hard time pronouncing all of the names! My mother is listening very carefully in hopes of finding some Vietnamese people - I think she might be looking for friends in case I desert her!

As always, I have prepared myself for the flight with my staple purchases: M&Ms and Water.

One more hour until the flight takes off. I am stuck with the middle seat so that my mother can have the aisle seat. I am praying very hard that she doesn't snore out loud because she looks exhausted!! lol

Getting excited...here we go!

All My Bags are Packed, I'm Ready to Go

It is 12:35am right now and in about 24 hours, I'll be on a plane with my mother on our way to Hong Kong for the first layover. I'm exhausted but finally all packed. We have to be at the airport tomorrow at 10pm so this is officially my last sleep at home for the next three weeks (my poor hubby just reminded me). He helped me pack all of my electronics - including two cameras, a laptop and all the necessary cables to make sure everything is charged and transferable.

It is the first time in a month that I have finally felt excited about the trip. My father called a few family members in Vietnam tonight to let them know that we are coming. They have our flight information and are ready to hand off the keys to us at the airport to my uncle's condo in Vietnam (Yay for family connections!). I also got confirmation for our tour today, which will leave on the 22nd of June and go for about 10 days. I'm most excited about visiting Sapa, which I'm told looks amazing (see right pic)! We are going to be staying at a homestead in Sapa for one night before heading back to Hanoi.

As always, I like to make a list of things I'd like to do and hopefully I'll be able to achieve some of those things by the time we come back to Canada. Here goes:

• Ride on the back of a motorcycle through the crazy streets of Vietnam
• Get some glamour shots taken (the glamour shots in Vietnam are AMAZING - it's an all day affair where you get your makeup done and they take these great fashion photos of you)
• Buy myself and my mother an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress)
• Shop and bargain for something in the Vietnamese markets
• Eat traditional Vietnamese street food! (perhaps something I've never tried before)
• Witness a wedding
• Hear an old story about my family that I've never heard before
• See my father's childhood house
• See my mother's childhood house

I think that's a pretty good list for now. I'll probably be blogging at some point during the 20 hour flight to Vietnam...well, most likely since I haven't been able to find a good book to read through yet.

I called my mother earlier this afternoon and she said she hasn't been able to sleep in two days from a combination of nerves and excitement. We are both working tomorrow so that should make the day go by much faster.

Vietnam, here we come!

Favourite Viet Dishes: Bánh xèo

Last year I came upon a blog that featured some WONDERFUL Vietnamese recipes and I've been obsessed with trying some of these out ever since. I hit a bit of a blip in the road when my father moved in with us and took over my kitchen - he is a chef, after all and I'm not complaining! He cooks both Chinese and Vietnamese dishes but there are just certain things he can't make as well as my Vietnamese grandmother (shh! don't tell him that).

I'm going to start a new post topic called "Favourite Viet Dishes" and I'll share a few of my favourite dishes. Some of these you will be able to find in a Vietnamese restaurant and some, you'll just have to hope to be lucky enough to have a Vietnamese friend to invite you over for dinner. If you're REALLY lucky, this Vietnamese friend may have a grandmother who lives nearby and can make the traditional fish sauce (nước mắm).

Favourite Viet Dishes: Bánh Xèo

* This image was taken from http://noinieu.blogspot.com. I do not own it.

I don't even know how to describe this dish. Everyone makes it a little differently but it's like a pancake with shrimp and pork, green onions, sprouts and lotus seed inside. You can eat it alone with fish sauce or you use it as a stuffing in lettuce wraps and dip it in fish sauce. It's delicious and in fact, even though it's past midnight, my mouth is watering at just the thought of it.

Four more days

It's been a bit difficult updating my blog in the recent week due to my grandmother's funeral but I haven't forgotten about my upcoming trip. In fact, it's been on my mind a lot because I've been searching through old photos of my grandmother and wanting more than ever, to know the place where our family history started. I want to see the house that my grandfather keeps talking about - the place where my grandmother watched over and raised her children. It's become more important to me in the past few weeks and taken on a whole other meaning.

What I'm feeling right now is a little bittersweet because I am embarking on an adventure with my mother but I feel sad that it's in the midst of such a sad occasion. We had the funeral today and my eyes are sore from crying and not being able to sleep in my mother's cold basement (kudos to my brother who slept down there for five years before finally moving out to his beautiful condo!). It was truly a beautiful ceremony and being surrounded by family made it very personal. More than 100 people came to honor my grandmother and the entire visitation center was filled with flower arrangements sent from all over.

This entire experience has been very overwhelming for everyone. On Friday, we went to the Buddhist pagoda (temple) that my family chose to pray for my grandmother as her body lays unburied and her spirit still free. It's a new pagoda in North York, still starting out and undergoing construction. When we arrived, we lit incense to honor my grandmother and to ask the other spirits to take care of her while her body is being prepared. Then, the women cooked and prepared a feast of champions in the tiny kitchen (about 10 different vegetarian dishes to feed 40 people, paired with some take out dishes that my family brought in) and the men went to help with the construction of the main room of the pagoda (the buddhist monks are building the temple solely with the help of volunteers and no contractors).

We were there for about four hours and it did not feel like that at all. Afterwards, we all sat together and ate dinner - about 35 people or so. After dinner, the head monk said a few words to my family and the only part that I could understand was this: He said that he was very glad we were all here in this humble abode of his, and that under this roof, we are all equals. It doesn't matter what our status or religion, we are all working together and he was grateful.

Growing up as a Buddhist and then converting to Catholicism made me a very confused teenager. Today, however, I see it as a blessing to be able to experience two wonderful religions and being able to honour both. My mother and I plan on visiting a few pagodas in Vietnam and I think they will be very beautiful. I've been looking at pictures online of some of the famous pagodas such as the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue, which is near the Imperial City. I know that the places in Vietnam are not as old as India or even Italy, but they will be beautiful no less. Let's hope for some good weather...

Thanks for reading everyone...and for your kind words this past week.

*hugs*