Bien Hoa.....Saturday and Sunday and FUCKING Phap DRAMA ...... I DUMP him

 0:45

Try to sleep without feeling too sad.....

1:30

the first thing I notice is the EMPTY bed next to me..... then I get SAD....not about me, but about him ...because he will be one of those husbands who will constantly be bitched at by his wife.....and he doesn't know how to resist.

sleep

6:00

coffee, wine

The Viets walk up and down the street in this smog for exercise..... one woman in fancy white jogging clothes walks circles through the hotel front yard..... and then she even dares look up to me and give me her most seductive smile.....YUK....

6:30

The woman is still walking circles in the yard..

6:45

time for a nap

7:00

I want some sushi for breakfast.....of course I spill the soy sauce again...not much left.... I head down to the breakfast area with a cup and ask for 'xi dau'.... there usually is an easy solution ;-)

8:00

Eda doesn't answer the phone

Chantal doesn't answer the phone

Nothing from Joanna

Eda texts

We talk.... she is COLD in her basement....

doze to wear off the alcohol

9:45

Start walking to LotteMart.....Filthy air....so much traffic....

LotteMart is a NIGHTMARE..... the Viets have discovered consumerism....and like everything they do, they go overboard....

10:45

I talk to Joanna

12:05

I start fuming again and my eyes turn red

12:47

There he is....

Fun....I get my protein...not in the mouth this time...then he turns weird again

17:00

I go to pick up sushi

17:15

When I come back, he has his clothes on..... "Phap ve"   Tai sao?  "Bo me Phap".... I just shrug my shoulders ....  this is not going to work .....

20:15

I'm fuming at Phap already.....then I try to book my flight from Saigon to Phnom Penh....and the transaction is declined..... I have to call Canada to make sure it's not the stupid Canadian Credit card again..... on hold forever..... but the guy says that there is no flag on my account.....it never ends....

20:45

Nothing from Phap.....fucking IDIOT.....

21:00

"I am tired of waiting for you"

21:15

"this is the last time I'm alone in a hotel room waiting for you. I should have learned in Tuy Hoa"

FUCK THIS SHIT !

I manage to pay for the SGN-PNH ticket.....it wasn't my Credit Card after all......

21:30

He will NEVER learn.... even though he is happy with me, he is too afraid of his parents.....time to let go.....

21:45

I send "NO respect" and I block him...

nap

I wake up again at 22:30 and unblock him again and delete most of the earlier posts

sleep

4:00

my head is spinning ..... I get drunk....and pass out at 6:00

7:15ish.... I wake up because the bed is moving .... in the next 4 hours I get off twice, he doesn't, we sleep more, holding hands all the time, and we don't speak...but the sex is amazing, but even during the sex I can't help thinking "This is Good Bye sex"....... until at 11:15 he says "Phap ve".

BIZARRE ..... maybe that was the last time I saw him.... and by now I'm not even sure what I would do with him if I could have him.....travel would be the only option, because domestic life with him would be hell.....

11:20

Time to do my Duolingo...

Am I going insane......then it occurs to me.....I worry about what other people will do to me instead of concentrating what I will do....  but it's hard to get older, living alone, and the world getting more complicated every day .....

12:15

Looking for hotels in Phnom Penh, trying to estimate how long to stay there.... I don't think I'll be back in Bien Hoa in two weeks..... gut feeling says things are NOT improving..... the hugging and kissing and loving part is.....but the enough-time and communication thing is driving me INSANE.

nap

13:30

shower shave

14:00

might as well go and deal with it .....

I take a Grab motorbike that is sitting at the corner..... not sure whether he wanted 2k or 20k but he gets 20k

As expected the mall is a zoo of teenagers in the newest fashions....but at least there is no lineup at the cashier....I buy the LAST 4 bottles of Dalat Classic and walk home

14:45

The internet keeps fucking up.....and then Netflix asks for a password..... and the old one no longer works..... OH WHAT THE FUCK

I email Denise to get the new one.....

13:15

oh screw it.....I order Netflix.... 260k /month... let's hope it doesn't fuck up my credit card !

watch some Netflix

nap

18:08

OK....here we go again....he's late....and maybe he won't show up again.....sick of it....

18:30

there is the message I knew was coming ..... "sorry. my life is complicated. I can't come to the hotel this evening"

I reply in three long THREE long messages...... "yeah, my life is complicated too. but I always make time for you because you are #1.... I obviously am not #1, so I will not try to meet you again... have a lucky life".

He is the ONE.....but he is still Mr. Anderson and I don't have the time to wait for NEO to show up.....and he needs a shot across the bow (fuck me for still having hope)...... I didn't block him this time but I need some time away from him.

19:30

tears in my eyes.... but I can't go on like this..... no matter how cuddly he is..... but I don't know how to deal with it...... 

good thing I'm meeting Toan on Tuesday.... someone who actually TALKS......

19:45

another message "I love you and I hope you don't understand how much you HURT me"

20:00

enough is enough....two days in a row "I will come back later"....and then he doesn't..... no more bullshit !

a final message to him "Han is very angry and sad.  Maybe Maybe I will contact you in one month" and then I BLOCK him on Zalo.

He is lucky...... George got a one year suspension .... and YES, I will miss him SO MUCH...but stupid kids need to learn...ideally quickly....

22:00

I block his phone number as well.....he still has my email but he won't remember his Gmail password....

ah well.....

another message "You not coming back yesterday and today was not that important...but you NOT telling the truth yesterday and today really upset me"...... SO THERE....that's what's important !

try to pass out

Phnom Penh ... No Pong Li .. Harmony ... Big Hands.... Hideout.... Vin Gris .... Gym.. Harmony Hell....

 4:30

shit....TOO early..... the usual waves of Angst ......Phap, skin cancer, PR card, etc etc

a glass of wine soothes the panic

nap

6:30

I'm a bit tipsy by 7:00, so I go upstairs for hotel breakfast ....

It's packed.....and the Westerners are behaving like pigs .... (what do you expect?)

A couple loaded their plates with everything, leaves half the food on the plates, (no stacking of plates obviously) and then moves to the window with their coffee cups.....and leaves them there too .... I feel so sorry for the Khmer employees.....such disrespect from those FAT stupid RICH white assholes....

8:00

should I try Eda again?

I do .....bad mistake....she has lost it..... asks me whether Phap is in Cambodia with me ....has she been listening to anything I've been saying for the last 6 months ?!??

That leaves me a little depressed .....

9:45

Head out through the amazing wet market to the Smile store...... 2 more bottles of Rose ... and some cookies ;-)

10:45

nap ...sleep off the buzz

11:30

sink laundry and shower.....

12:15

The Harmony receptionist remembers my first name again when I buy the gym ticket.....

12:18

No Pong Li in sight....

2 women servers....but none of them brings me a menu ....and I'm CRAVING a chicken Caesar ......

13:00

a 2nd gym round..... and I ask the waitresses.... it's Pong Li's day off ......whew....

13:30

a 3rd gym round

Toan asks for a gift from Cambodia..... oh fuck off ....

There is this unbelievably FAT COW floating in the swimming pool....taking up the swimming lane .... what is WRONG with people....

Who cares... I go for a swim (not a FLOAT).....

13:45

Walk back to my hotel.....another TukTuk driver asks me whether I need a ride (I think he knows me by now) I point at the Ohana stairs and ask "how much?"   he motions as if he wants to carry me and says 1 Dollar....we both laugh happily ;-)

pressure relief

a nice message from Phap .... he likes to be hugged by me..... soon ;-)

16:00

Walk to the store again .... I give a dollar to an OLD man who is too shy too beg..... 2 minutes later, I see a maybe 40 year old guy who got both his hands blown off..... all he has left are two stumps..... no, I don't give him any money but I curse the injustice of existence.....especially after I see all those FANCY cars parked in front of the two hotels..... and I realize I should have taken a cheaper hotel room and given the $100 difference to him..... wouldn't have made a big difference to me, after all .....  SHIT..... I STILL have SO MUCH to learn .....

16:45

18:00

The rooftop.....the Salad Nicoise is actually really good.....

20:00

exhausted.....need to sleep....

sleep

5:00

A nasty Grandma dream.....  reoccurring themes..... she bitches at everything....and leaves me to deal with the problems....

5:30

might as well get up.....

6:30

HORNY and pressure relief

nap

7:30

8:15

breakfast (a small one)

depressed doze and drink ....

9:15

Eda doesn't answer the phone ....

10:00

2 hours until check-out....

I finally do my crunches..... 

10:15

The Hong Hai receptionist finally accepted the Zalo friend request .... 2 weeks too late, but better late than never.

Harmony emails.....they will try to accommodate my early check-in request....

12:00

I KNEW that checking in would be a pain..... even though all the suites were empty..... at least the receptionist clandestinely offers me a 13:00 check in ...... up to the 11th floor..... order wine and Chicken Caesar 

a bit of Gym...and right away the receptionist asks me for my gym coupon..... annoying...

Boring Chicken Caesar..... not as good as the Salad Nicoise across the street..... might have to have that later......

12:50

And there is Pong Li with his smiling eyes..... this time he only asks whether he can remove the empty plate.....

13:00

The receptionist did not lie..... I get my room key 707 ..... comfy....much more so than Ohana.....but was it worth the money ?

14:15

Joanna video calls in a swim suit from a beach in the Phlips...... 

14:40

Buy wine & cookies & jam....

15:00

comfy room, indeed ...... too easy to be too lazy here ....

15:15

nap

16:00

let's do the bank machine.....

take out US$600 ....easier than in VietNam !

16:20

WHAT THE FUCK?!?

This is the time when the monks start chanting..... the same as the church bells in SaiGon... and I have NEVER EVER been able to figure out WHY it is 4:20 am and 4:20 pm.......  

I call Bobby..... doesn't sound like he will leave my money with Lisa tomorrow....

17:00

Another quick burst of activity in the gym upstairs.

After buying masks and hand disinfectant I walk over to Little Hanoi Restaurant......it doesn't exist..... Google Maps is WRONG again.... I'm used to that by now.....

On the way back I decide to check out The Hideaway....... I find The address....I ask the people in the Mexican restaurant on the ground floor......oh....different place....take the elevator to floor 3 and enter through door 310.....WHAT?.....anyhoo, I take the elevator to floor 3....and I kid you not.... the small space outside the elevator is surrounded by 6 doors with numbers on them....none of them ajar but one has a symbol on it....I pull and I see stairs leading up.....this must be the one....

two restaurant floors and no customers.... I wouldn't be here, if I hadn't spotted this place from the roof of Ohana !

I head to the second floor.....AMAZING view..... Caesar salad & G&T...... shaved cheese instead of mozzarella..... freshly cooked TENDER chicken.... a 30-something waiter that keeps hovering close by.... too bad no one can find this place.....

short naps..... comfy bed.... sweating on the pillows again.....wtf?!?

sleep

6:15

New waves of Angst (about Canada) makes me get up...... it is WINDY outside .... not ideal for my already old watery eyes ... 

6:45

I get an email from Booking.com .... Harmony reported me a No-Show .....WTF !?!???

8:15

Let's check out the breakfast on the 12th floor...... it's NOT a buffet .... I get a cup of LOUSY drip coffee and an American breakfast with 1 (ONE) slice of toast for $8.80...... NEVER again !

9:00

I tell the poor reception girl to fix the no-show affair..... I should have been nicer.....but then maybe they will learn not to do it again to someone else....

9:30

call Eda....

nap

11:15

OK.....time to go shopping.....

12:00

Already noon..... I just got back with 2 bottles of Sauv Blanc, a carton of smokes, etc etc.....

screw it..... time to head to the gym.....

Chicken Caesar.....

12:50

And there is Pong Li.....looking cuter every single time......

13:30

2 gym rounds....one swim....tipsy....time to go....even though Pong Li asks me whether I want another wine......oh no....I'd be making comments about his hands again.....but maybe I should ;-)

nap

14:45

time to go to Smile store #3 to buy more Rose.....  On the way I discover Smile store #4 .....no Rose....

and Karma strikes again...... on the way to Smile #3, I see a store....'Big C'.....wine bottles inside....Cinsault Grenache.....that same desert reddish colour..... and this one says on the label 'Vin Gris du Maroc'..... I fucking knew it...... I had this stuff before.....years ago in Morocco....and I loved it..... I thought that I'd never have it again unless I return to Morocco...... now I find it in friggin Cambodia ...LOL..

I buy 3 bottles...... they are ONLY $5 per bottle

I try them at home....divine..... I call Julian to tell him the story.....he loves it....

nap

17:30

oh....might as well....I walk back to the store to buy the remaining 3 bottles ;-)

19:00

Let's have another Salad Nicoise..... not as good this time.....it's missing Tuna..... but for $9.80 for a big salad and a glass of wine.... no complaints

20:00

Back in my room.... a bit down because nothing from Phap.....

nap

20:30

Joanna is flipping out at her sister because of the vaping.....

sleep

5:00

a little more Angst (Canada) makes me get up...... half a bottle of Vin Gris fixes it .....

nap

8:00

FUCKING Canadians.....  BC Hydro sent an email stating that they'll replace a power pole in front of my house..... and they say that the power will be out from Feb 22 to Feb 6....... IMBECILES...

8:10

call Eda.....  she's mumbling again and I can barely hear her.....frustrating....

10:00

tipsy and tired

11:15

time to get my ass in motion.....

teeth, crunches, ....I submit a 'customer request' on the BC Hydro web page......response time 7 to 8 business days ..... laughable ......

12:30

Showered and dressed I enter the 11th floor.....

Pad Thai.....not very good..... I'm losing confidence in their food here !

13:30

I've sent $300 to Jessica .... as thank you and also I need someone to check the mail in the coming weeks/months

I'm tired and worn out.....but starting to plan the tax season.... and the red envelope to J was the first step of that..... I need someone to look at the mail..... and right now Eda is too busy for that :-(

swim

14:15

time to go..... Pong Li is busy sweeping....

15:00

nap

16:00

The phone rings..... Do you want your room made up?  I get snippy.... No....that's why I have a sign on my door that says Do NOT disturb..... Do you want new towels? ....If I wanted new towels I would take the sign away.....

I go downstairs to pick up my Viet visa printout....... THEY tell me that this hotel has a RULE that the room has to be cleaned every 2 days....... I appease my favourite receptionist by telling her that I will take fresh towels today.....

I come back up and there are THREE people looking into my room....the young 'middle management' woman actually tells me my bed does not look good....

I get my garbage emptied and new towels..... and I will NEVER EVER stay here again ;-)

Joanna in the Philippines can't even believe it when I tell her.....

17:00

18:45

I feel like I could use some FOOD..... How about Velkommen Guest House..... I order a G&T and a chicken burger..... I get a can of Tonic Water and a beef burger..... ah well....it's been a while since I had red meat....maybe about time again...... I make sure to chew well.....

19:15

The fuckers CANCELLED my booking at Harmony..... I was SO looking forward to leaving a REVIEW....but now I can't..... ah well....

19:30

I pay my bill...... a good cheese burger with fries AND a Bombay Sapphire G&T....$9.50 ....can NOT complain !

Nothing from Phap or The Monkey ....

Sleep with neck pain again.....probably because of Gym....

sleep

5:30

coffee makes the neck pain go away.....

more naps

8:30

Holy shit.....I must have needed sleep !

Another one of those Phap messages..."Soon meet again. I'm looking forward to meeting you again."

better than nothing but WTF?!?

nap nap nap

12:00

WTF?

Joanna calls.....issues with her sister....

shower

12:30

up on the 11th floor....

mini gym

chicken caesar 

13:00

there is Pong again....

13:15

I ask Pong Li if he wants to give me his email address.... and ask him for another glass of wine.....still have to do gym and swim.....  by now I have learned..... life passes by the timid.....

mini gym...

I am tired.....and my eyes are really watery old today..... wtf....welcome to old age.....

13:30

swim

pay the bill..... talk to Pong a tiny bit....he works until 11 pm...

Smile Store.....an extra bottle of wine.....cookies, chicken cold cut, yogurt, cookies...

17:00

talk to Julian for an hour (FUN)

18:45

Drunk and full..... talk to The Monkey for a bit

19:00

NOT hungry enough to go out and eat.....

I think I'll just pass out in my room today....

21:00

pass out drunk

On the road again ...NO ICE.....Ferry ....End of Iwona .....Taxi .....Monkey Madness

 6:00 on Kho Rong

still groggy

6:30

NO BROKEN PIPES ....Jessica went to check ....what a RELIEF !

7:00

Iwona is her usual self....on her phone.... everyone else can wait for her..... I am SO sick of her over-privileged behavior ....

8:00

she said 8am for breakfast....and is L8 AGAIN.....SO SO sick of it.....

8:15 

she is there...already with all her luggage, which she leaves at reception

I leave to finish packing and from my porch see that she keeps running back between the breakfast area and her room (which already has been cleaned) .... DUH

We get into another little huff while waiting for the ferry..... My mistake apparently was saying "No" when she issued a false statement..... "I have to protect my boundaries", she says..... I feel sorry for her but I can not help her ....and I tell her honestly "We two can not travel together" ...she doesn't even seem to understand that there are people who get along SWIMMINGLY without all that bullshit..... 

9:45

I tell Viji "maybe in 4 weeks" .... I get on the ferry first and Iwona almost last..... the ferry goes to the other pier first...... Iwona didn't take her bag to her seat and goes to the front to make sure they don't unload it with all the other bags .....OOPS...they DID.....BIG DRAMA ...."My Bag, they LOST my bag!!" .... next stop is Koh Touch Pier..... again she runs to the front, shows pictures of the bag to everyone...... then the ferry leaves......we have to go back to the pier where we started (Thanks Ivona!) .... I don't know how the Khmer did it ...but one of the receptionists brings her bag .....THIS TIME she finally takes it to her seat.....and then moves seats.....far away from me..... would have saved a lot of DRAMA and TIME if she had carried that bag to her seat the first time...... But princesses don't carry their bags :-(

The ride is BUMPY....sometimes the boat crests a big wave and is in free-fall before it hits the next one ... no one pukes ....I keep staring at the horizon....

When the boat is finally in calm harbor waters, I noticed that the taxi guy called twice already... I call him back right away and apologize for not sending a message from Koh Rong..... but my word is my bond....so I always forget the fact that this is not always the case with other people....

I touch Iwona on the shoulder and say "have a safe ride" ....'you too' she manages to stutter back.... I don't think I will be communicating with her anymore....there is no point.... she annoys me....and she is NOT learning from my wisdom....

The taxi guy is standing behind the gate with a sign...... hands me over to his 'brother' and an almost brand new Lexus SUV...... and off we go on the nice new Chinese highway ....I sleep lots

14:30

The usual Phnom Penh traffic....Finally, we reach the hotel .... the 'brother' thinks $100 is generous.... by now I don't care....I'm just happy to get out of a car !

Ugly room, no kettle, glasses, nothing..... and that construction site that I have watched so often from Ohana ....is RIGHT NEXT to me.... the construction guys can walk onto my terrace !

16:15

I go shopping for booze, food & cigs at Smile and ask the owner for a glass and cutlery....

17:30

I call The Monkey and he tells me the most unbelievable story.......  Ba Nam told Lisa that I should be charged only 1 trieu/month instead of 1.5 trieu or otherwise she would cut their electricity..... WHAT THE FUCK?!!!!!!!!!   Ba Nam is my friend?!??? .....the Monkey just says "We are Vietnamese.....we are different....it's about RESPECT....... 

SHITE....While I have understood that right away (that is the reason why I LOVE this country).... Lisa and especially Tina will NEVER understand any of it.... SO SAD....

nap

20:00

awake again..... pain because nothing from Phap....he better NOT pull one of his weekend stunts again...

20:45

Tipsy and TIRED

nap

21:45

Phapie replied......"today I am happy but I'm always thinking about Han".......ooooooooohhhhh  I miss him so much !

happy sleep.....

Somewhere NEW.... LOTS of Love in Bien Hoa .... ICE worries ...... return to Saigon....

 6:00 ....where am I? .....

dark rings under my eyes.....

my laptop doesn't start... WTF?

I'm re-planning my day.....the computer: repair the old one AND buy a new one..??....

7:00

Talk to Eda....we're both cranky.....I because of the laptop.....she because she has to wrap Xmas gifts.....

7:30

another try .....and the stupid machine boots up this time ..... I think that fucking update switched the button assignment around...... FUCK MS

9:00  From Franz

9:30 Karma 

My hotel is 400 meters from a Coopmart......has a Medical Centre right next to it....and there is a computer repair shop just behind the Coopmart...... NOT bad ;-)

9:45

Talking to Chantal helps calm my fears about the NV house pipes freezing...

10:15

time to get my act together.....

pack & shower

11:00

One last trip to the bank machine.....another 5 trieu..... and a miserable ham and cheese sandwich and some yummy peach yogurt for Dong Nai....

11:30

Almost time to go..... somewhere new......it's been a long time.... an adventure !

12:00

Meeting the Grab driver on the main road.....someone shouts Koenig from behind.....it's LONG....small world !

vids...

I sleep on the rear seat bench ....I wake up.... check our location....1 minute away from the hotel..... Dong Nai is UGLY.....reminds me of An Nhon.... roads and shops and dust and dirt .....

13:15

The receptionist asks me 1 or 2 people.... I say maybe 2.....she starts the rant about a marriage certificate being necessary if a white and a yellow person stay in one room.... ONE person, I say..... 

Dong Nai Hotel.....the first room is large but has no balcony (well it does but I would have to climb through the window to get it).....the second room has a balcony but is small.....none look even remotely like the room I booked...... I'm not even complaining anymore.... there is no point.....

Now I understand why Phap said  " Bien Hoa khong dep"

14:00

I message Phap where I am... I can hear a train passing not far away ... what to do next? maybe nap?

15:00

back from Coopmart......I bought the last bottle of white Dalat wine....but managed to score a bottle of the bubbly .....plus Good baguette and cheese and ham and grapes.....  it is fucking HOT out there......

nap

16:00

messages from Ivona and Joanna....

18:`15

I call The Monkey..... let's keep it short...just in case Phap calls..

18:25

Yup...Phap called....he's outside the hotel.....

happy Happy HAPPY

we both can NOT believe that we just met YESTERDAY..... WTF?!!!

20:55 

He's going home..... :-(

22:00

sleep

5:30

kind of wobbly...... maybe because of drinking bubbly

8:00

breakfast.. nice buffet...I try to keep it small.....

8:30

Call Eda.....she is kind of blah....keeps mentioning the ice....NOT what I want to hear .....

10:00

Call Andrea..... OMFG....it's her birthday and she will file for divorce tomorrow.....

11:00

to Coopmart..... 3 bottles of wine and a fresh baguette

11:30

book hotels and flights...... the weather forecast for early January in VH looks UGLY.... -10C at the house in NV......holy SHIT..... I left in June and I forgot about winter.......

nap

19 degrees in VH

I order my Viet Evisa for January 4......the webpage says "payment failed"....but the payment showed up on my RBC credit card........ it's starting to get ridiculous ....

I just realized that my penthouse suite at Velkommen is on the 6th floor.....and no elevator..... good for me ;-)

14:15

Let's go for that walk to the Park...... Google Maps says it's CLOSED....but Google Maps is WRONG....

It's a fucking MIG 21..... I built plastic models of this as a 7 year old.....and an American Huey chopper.... Apocalypse Forever..... I hate weapons .....but this brings back MEMORIES.....

15:30

Laundry is done, calisthenics are done.... time for a nap 

17:00

Shave and shower...... he should be here within an hour (happy thoughts)

17:30

the door is unlocked and I have a nap....

sleep

18:45

NO PHAP

I message him....where is my love.....I will come soon

19:30

Not soon enough.....I start thinking about Phuong.....

19:45

He is here.......almost 2 hours late because he went to get a haircut... why not get one tomorrow when I'm not waiting for him.... he says that he wants to be pretty for me.....

20:30

I drop my phone off a 3rd floor balcony onto the street below..... OMFG..... it doesn't have a scratch.... THANK YOU Karma !

holding hands, hugs, kisses, naked stuff...he gets off, I don't ...again... napping all intertwined.... and the lovely snoring.....

22:00

He leaves and I feel empty and alone..... 

22:30

Talk to The Monkey for half an hour..... some BS about electricity cables along the Ba Nam road.....5 trieu every month just to have the cable?...... and why didn't Lisa tell me about this?!!

0:15

try to sleep

sleep

6:15

OUCH.... both my shoulders and the fact that I'm waking up ALONE again....

Marion wrote....

7:00 swollen eyes and tired....and almost out of wine....

7:30

breakfast

8:00

Ask for late check-out (NOT 10:00 !)....and buy more wine at Coopmart....

8:45

Call Eda.....

10:00

call Hans

10:15

communicate with Mr. Bikini.... who wanted to visit me but unfortunately relayed that message through the Monkey

nap...shower...

12:50

I check out.....the receptionist does not have the Grab App..... she calls me a private taxi

13:55

I wake up on Le Loi..... 2 minutes away from Home Away....WTF?

I want to pay and he's talking to someone on the phone....540k....I give him 600k and he is HAPPY.....what's that saying?   "Make someone smile today".

15:30

I have a box of wine and incense.....

16:15

Lisa doesn't answer her phone.....again..... it was SO nice without her during the Covid years....

I drop off laundry and the new backpack to be washed

5 trieu from the bank machine....

17:45

I'm watching SNOWDEN again..... brilliant movie.....my room door opens and people walk in.....Long gave them the wrong key !.....KHONG chuyen nghiep !!!!

Walk over to Sushi.......food

Lisa calls back....

22:30

I miss him SO MUCH.....

Saigon.... Chuc mung sinh nhat Han & Phap ..NASTY NU.... Phap cancels ... Bun Cha 145 ... exhausted by the DRAMA

In Saigon..... it's my BIRTHDAY

5:30

too early..... but if I stay in bed I'll just get horny....and I'm saving it for later ;-)

6:30

A Zalo message from Joanna ....for the new year lots of love and friendship...... OMG, she is SO SWEET ...

of course NOTHING from anyone else .... either they forgot or the time difference is too much of a cerebral challenge....

7:15

Time to do sink laundry.... too many smelly clothes and not enough clean ones....

7:30

reading the news......OMFG it's going to be BAD......Saigon factories are laying of 1000s ALREADY because the West no longer consumes......

7:45

I call Eda......  she's FRUSTRATED at work..... and forgot my birthday (I don't remind her) .... no worries

8:00

A text from Lisa......she REMEMBERED my birthday !

8:15

3rd load of sink laundry..... I have to do things productive instead of just drinking....

nap

10:30 OMG.....and HUNGRY

time to hit a CircleK....the other direction now....

3 bottles of wine, and phone money ...Some Grandma can't wait and is trying to push herself in while I'm not done yet.... I wave my hand.....she gives me the evil staring eye out of her maskless face..... I stare back and hiss 'bat lich su'...... I'm glad when I'm back in my hotel room.....that street has no trees and is busy as hell....NO fun...

Of course, I forgot coffee again :-(

11:15

Wash the pants and shirt I just wore..... the stuff I washed this morning is already dry on the balcony ;-)

12:00

Worn out....drunk? ....or just worn out by traveling?

It occurs to me.....the three birthday wishes I got came from the people I least expected it from  ....Tam Phu Diem, Joanna, Lisa.....

12:30

shave shower....

13:00

exhausted....and it starts to rain.....so much for going to buy coffee now....

14:00

Denise finally remembered my birthday......

Direct sun on my balcony.... it is unbearably HOT....

14:30

I've applied for my next Cambodian visa....

I email Iwona.... she's not answering my phone calls....but I do want to do some planning for my time in Cambodia....

15:00

Sluggishness hits me again.....I send a message to Phap....I'm in Room 502 and will leave the door open starting at 18:00

"I will come soon. I miss my love"

That gives me energy..... go buy some coffee & a carton of smokes....at first I actually thought about taking a taxi to the market to buy flowers..... stupid.....the air outside is much nicer than the air in the apartment or the heat on the balcony.....

16:15

I should stop drinking....the egg sandwich came out already again..... less and less time until I meet my lover..... I can't believe it was only 2 weeks ago.....it seems so much longer.....

another set of laundry.....

17:30

try to have a nap to bridge the waiting time.....

20:20

He calls from the reception

PURE BLISS  "I so happy", he keeps saying

we sleep with our hands entwined...

and at MIDNIGHT ....it is HIS birthday !

15:45

he leaves

18:00

I walk to Sushi Sun.....  AND....

18:01

I get 3 emails from The Wife.....

Are you happy sleeping with someone else's husband?    

She still doesn't get it

"Thanks to you and Phap my son has become a bastard" (and she even sends a picture) 

She manages to completely ruin my good and relaxed mood...... I feel sorry for Phap..... there are people who manage to suck the positive energy out of you in a single email.  And because I do LOVE him, her emails will just have the effect opposite of what she intends to achieve .......

19:45

I feel talking better after talking to the Monkey...... and he had to vent about the 10 hours texting every day for the last 10 days with Thailing.....and now she wants him to write an essay .....

CRAZY women.....

some stupid message exchanges with Bobby and some nice ones with Joanna ...

21:00

try to sleep

21:30

Messages from Phap

He is NOT coming tomorrow.....bla bla bla

I try video calling him 4 times.... no answer

I send him a message:

"I am number 4 now? That is not enough! Your wife sent me emails. She is mean. But you are not brave enough. I wish you a most happy marriage."

22:00

Good thing the Monkey answers the phone..... someone who understands me.....

0:00

I had to drink myself to sleep to be able to pass out !

6:30

waking up HUNG OVER

my first thought.. "oh, the fucking bastard"

6:45

I call Eda....she tries to be supportive....but she doesn't understand....and she has to run off to a concert.

7:15

MISERABLE....

trying to sleep

8:25

The phone rings.....he is in Tuy Hoa......OMFG, he spent the night in a bus...... we will meet in Tuy Hoa in 2 weeks....as usual, I overreacted.....but now my life feels OK again.....

9:15

Another email from The wife..... She still thinks Phap is with me in SaiGon..... 

He also knows how terrible it is to bring tears to others to pity him

The Phap who accepted to abandon his children to come to him must be very happy now 😎

Being the nice guy that I am....I reply to her......

He is not with me. He is in Tuy Hoa. Please don't contact me anymore.

9:45

what next?

The BITCH replies

"One for love, the other for money, in the end, you two bastards hurt two innocent people

He's the same age as my dad so I used to respect him. I didn't even bother to say it but you guys are getting more and more outrageous"

I DO write back:  'em gái là bất lịch sự

she still replies......"with someone like you, who sleeps with other people's husbands, I don't have to be polite".

That settles it..... no wonder he always leaves her....she is white (yellow?) TRASH..... I don't bother to reply...... but she's not in my Spam folder yet.... I want to keep those messages for another day

10:00

I talk to Chantal...... a second opinion often helps..... and Nu Nguyen is now in my Spam folder......there simply is no point....she is too young and ignant and NASTY to understand.

11:00

Bun Cha 145.   The owner is still not there.... the Bun Cha is the same....but now it lacks in comparison to the newly discovered and especially compared to the one in Tuy Hoa....  Plus it is expensive 95k for Bun cha with Rem Cua....compared to 30k in Tuy Hoa !

nap

14:00

groggy

15:30

The Monkey called back.... we chat for a while.....

17:30

Sushi..... at Sushi Haru..... not bad but never again....

veg out

22:00

missing Phap horribly......I'll try to pass out....

...... Tuy Hoa ..... Phap DRAMA & love .....Sala luxury

 0:05 ....Awake.... just after midnight ....

it's ugly outside.....and it looks like there is a lake in front of my house ....

An email..... my 6:50 am flight on Saturday the 22nd was changed to 16:50 ....that will not do.....

0:30

I've called GotoGate (of course they have to be in Canada) and requested a cancellation and refund for that changed flight...

4:00

A knock on the door ...... 9 1/2 is back

No kissing this time...even though I brushed my teeth

he comes huge loads !

I doze off while he watches the same routine: music, soccer, kickboxing, bonsai ....

5:00

He's off, asking for money for breakfast, 90 is not enough apparently, I give him 500 (that's only CAD25) and say "ve di, qua dat tien "......but then he has to justify his homo experiences as earning income....

Whatever... I need to get some more sleep before today's trip to Tuy Hoa

nap

6:20

smile on my face ;-)

high tide means dirty beach

7:15

Talk to Eda for a long time..... her life is so much more complicated than mine....

8:00

Talk to Andrea for a long time...

deer in her garden

.. she agrees..... as we get older, priorities have to change ..... she even approves of the fisherman ;-)

9:00

What now ? .....

putter putter putter

nap again

10:45

It is still UGLY outside.....

I try to call My .... but no answer

11:00

My calls back.....  I'll take the taxi at 14:00.... no point in torturing myself by riding through the rain for 2 hours on a scooter....

12:00

I've booked my ticket to Phnom Penh with IwoFly..... seems to work.....

12:30

No wine at the Blue Umbrella Store....but I buy 500k in phone minutes.....

12:45

Candy drops by for cheese and ham ;-)

12:50

A Zalo message from Thanh VH... "Helo"..... 

I make a drinking date with him for October 25.

hihihi.....I'm going to have a Harem ;-)

13:45

Time to get my act together and get going !

15:45

Tuy Hoa: Poor My had to drive for almost 2 hours to get us here because the road is so bad......he refuses extra pay.... but he gets a free lunch..... unfortunately the Bun Cha place was closed again.....so it has to be Pizza Bob....

16:15

I'm set up in my room while I'm typing this.....

16:45

I want to go to the store.....but I am SO TIRED..... even though I slept in the car......

nap

18:15

more Phap messages.....he will be here tomorrow afternoon....

18:30

Store.....grapes, spoons, yogurt.....

Watch Sissi on Netflix

20:30

SO TIRED .....

but I keep drinking and watching Sissi ;-)

22:00

Time to hit the bed....

5:00

still TIRED..and it's cold in the room....and I have to wait maybe all day ?.... dark thoughts are coming back .....

6:00

The new Viet visa is still processing.....slow this time....

6:30

I better have another nap before I get too drunk .... my phone bings...... pictures of the mail from Eda....I forgot about her.....

doze

8:00

I finally feel well rested....

5 year GIC rates are at 4.70% .....holy shit....

Shave, shower.....and I'm starting to get ANGRY again 

9:50

I call Eda......WHY should I NOT dump him?

She's trying to talk me down.....

10:00

A Zalo message to Phap...... Afternoon is WHAT TIME?

Bun Cha  ;-)

12:15

I call Eda again.....because I am FURIOUS......

13:15

The only reason he doesn't get a nasty mail is because he hasn't used Zalo since yesterday..... probably left his phone in Sai Gon......

nap

14:30

I walk to the beach......

I DO send another message:  Phap sap tat Han (Phap is about to lose Han) ....and yes, I am a Drama Queen

15:00

I'm sweating from the sun

15:45

And I go crazy.....I book the panorama suite at Sala for 2 nights..... I'm going to leave here..... let Phap be freaked for a change.....

16:00

Drunk and checking out and moving to Sala Grand .....

the Welcome Tea

the view from the balcony of the corner suite

I haven't even unpacked my laptop yet.....when the phone rings.... it's a WORRIED looking Phap in front of the Hong Hai wood paneling..... "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?"

One look at that puppy face and I tell him where I am.... he walks over (15 mins)....and everything is fine again....

Room service brings a complimentary bottle of wine? 

 really?

we talk on the balcony....he says "I sorry"....I'm just HAPPY to see him.... his parents didn't give him a motorbike....it took him an hour to take the bus from his village to here.....barely 25km away....

18:30

Pizza Bob with Phap..... I'm sad I didn't bring my phone... the fountains are executing the most beautifully choreographed dances while there is classical music playing .....and the people are enjoying their city..... what a contrast to Canada ...

6:00  techtelmechtel.....as usual he doesn't get off .... morning is not his time

7:45

OMG, I slept a lot... and OMG, does he look SEXY sleeping 

emails from EDA.....OMFG she cleaned Grandma's bathroom and the bedroom and organized the rooms ....

WHAT TF is it with people who want TWO sinks.....can't brush your teeth over ONE sink ???

10:00

We sit on the balcony looking at the ocean, when the maid sticks her head onto the balcony ... I exclaim "khong don dep !"... and she leaves

I figure out how to turn on the red light outside the front door.....it's a switch above the thermostat....I set the light to do not disturb....

10:00

Bun Cha with Phap

holding hands, nuzzling, pecking..... with another session (he likes that one ;-) (and while we cuddle in post-climactic bliss, the phone rings...it's the maid again wanting to clean the room)...

But after a while it gets boring.... he doesn't want to do anything.... he's happy just holding hands and watching TV..... maybe I'm too high-strung for that ?

15:00

He leaves....not without asking for 5 trieu to pay off some remaining debt.... disappointment....  but hey... that's what I paid for my luxury room

15:30

A taxi trip to Coop.mart..... Maybe the driver REALLY doesn't know where coop.mart is but when I get out my cell phone, keep looking left, and say "Nguoi Tay biet coop.mart o dau" he quickly says Xin Loi and starts driving in the right direction.... and at coop.mart he charges less than the meter says and waits for free.....they do that here....because they wait all day ... it doesn't occur to them that they could charge for that....

16:30

I can't decide on my room in Phnom Penh.... Ohana for US$ 117 or Luxury for $236 ?  My world has shifted.....those $236 are for 3 nights..... In Vancouver I wouldn't get a room for one night for that money.

I finally have time to take pictures.....

17:00

OK....I'm taking the Penthouse .... (in retrospect: St00pid ;-)

18:30

Vietjet online check in says "this reservation code does not exist or has not been paid yet"..... OH FUCK....I find the confirmation email that I paid .....

18:45

I head down to the lobby....  Despite the advertising on the room key card, there is NO shuttle bus to the airport..... IDIOTS....

19:10

I head out for walk, with my phone, in the hope of catching the fountain magic I witnessed yesterday.... but it's not happening tonight..

.. maybe because it is a school night ?

21:30    I can't sleep .... too many things happening..... OMFG.... I am truly LIVING my life ....