Vietnam

ne word. CHAOS.

 

I like to think I'm comfortable around chaos, but this is hard to handle. You can't walk 0.3 feet without someone trying to sell you fake Ray Bans or yelling "Hey! Where you go!"

 

And when I say 0.3 feet, I mean 0.3 feet. "Kawm, gom ern" is "no thanks" in Vietnamese and I've said it about 5-google times. I'm learning to walk fast, make no eye contact, and look at least slightly peeved, like I'm late for something. People who live in Manhattan are starting to make sense to me now.

 

Riding on a scooter is shocking at first but fun since you're on back while someone else is responsible for driving it. There's thousands of them all driving within two centimeters of each other. Turn signals? Ha. Even common-sense moves like making a right turn from the right lane rather than the middle lane -- that doesn't happen. Maybe because lanes don't exist.

 

Have I, as a pedestrian, gotten hit by a scooter yet? Yes.

 

I spent $6 today and got some chicken Pho, a Saigon beer, apple iced tea, fake Ray Bans, 3 bottles of water and a ride across town.

 

I don't have malaria or Dengue fever yet, at least that I'm aware of.