I'm exhausted. The hacking cough doesn't help much.
I head to Song Cau at 9 am. The Funds HAVE ARRIVED ! They are sitting in a US$ account and the seller just opened a US$ account at the same branch yesterday. So I write down the amount of Dollars to transfer to his account and get a head-shake as a response. Moving Dollars from one account to another account at the same branch is NOT possible, LOL.
I got this far and I'm not going to give up now. 2 hours later, I ride to town again. This time on the back of the scooter of the seller. I am going to withdraw the amount that I was going to transfer in CASH in Vietnamese Dong. Considering that 1 USD converts to 22000 VND, you can imagine why I wonder whether my backpack is large enough to hold that amount of cash. It is ;-)
Tanh is Binh's nephew. Only 10 days ago he returned from Germany, where he spent ONE YEAR as an o-pair type child-care-taker-nanny. He speaks German but NO English. I probably don't have to mention that he is ADORABLE.
I ask him what he thinks about Germany and whether he is happy to be back in Vietnam. Is he EVER happy to be back home. Family, climate, etc. Nothing unexpected there. But he floors me when he adds something: He had many friends over there, but they didn't have much time for him because they were always busy studying and working. OMG, that sounds SO familiar to my life in Vancouver. And I know that I seem to be so much busier in Vancouver. Western Society is a Lifetime-Eating Monster, LOL.
I thought Binh was joking when she said that Quang would bring his wife AND his kids to the contract signing. But apparently it's a family affair in these parts. So we all sign a sale-and-down-payment contract in triplicate.
Then it's time to hand over the contents of my backpack ;-)
I need a second to reflect on that....
This is IT. THIS is the first step to emigrate to a different society the second time in my life. At the very least it's now certain that I will spend A LOT MORE time in Vietnam after this. I have to BUILD a HOUSE after all, LOL.
This is IT. My ticket out of a society that I have grown to detest and despise. My ticket to a life where I smile all day long every day. One episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations dealt with his wish to live in Vietnam permanently. But it was too complicated for him. But I'm going to do it. I'm going to live in paradise ;-)
Stop at Life's a Beach. Maybe Steve wasn't kidding when he said that I'd be CUT OFF if I'm no longer a staying guest. Everyone but Bao seems to be much colder today. But then Steve is acting strangely and maybe that is reflecting on the staff. Or maybe it's ME who is WEIRD after what happened today ?
I can detect no signs of odd behaviour caused by a WEIRD guest at the Kiwi Connection, where I stop to renew the scooter for one day. Same old, Same old.
NOT QUITE: I order a Crepe with chocolate sauce and what I get is a crepe with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. At first I am appalled but then realize that it's divine LOL.
The Mini House Hotel in Quy Nhon. Last time I was here the owner told me that he drinks his 'Medicinal wine" with his guests. He wasn't kidding !
I am finishing my bottle of Ruou Vang Thrang AND a few shots of his 45% 'medicinal' wine before I even get my room keys at 9 pm. At some point he vanishes to get some food that OF Course is shared. Pork wrapped in Guava leaves with raw garlic all to be dipped into his wife's home-made chili sauce. I would pay an arm and a leg to get this explosion of flavours anywhere in the Western World.
Then he tells me that the secret ingredient has been soaking in his 'medicinal' wine for TWO YEARS. To kill the TOXINS. I ask him what the SECRET ingredient is but since it is SECRET, he won't divulge it. But given that it took TWO YEARS to kill the TOXINS I probably drank snake or scorpion booze tonight, LOL.
These last two hours perfectly exemplify why I LOVE this country. Once you have experienced living like THIS, you can NEVER go back !
There are actual INDIVIUALS living in this country, NOT just Lulu-lemon-wearing Prozac-popping CLONES of a favourite celebrity.
People here LIVE their own lives, instead of IMITATING those of others!
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