Good soup

Yesterday was wonderful and tiring and hilarious. Here are a few snippets from the day:

I went for a walk down a street I haven’t been down yet and saw a tailor. I went inside just to look around. As usual, my presence caused great commotion—I don’t know why I keep thinking that I can go unnoticed. The English-speaking son was fetched and he told me that no foreigner had ever been in their shop before. They wanted me to sit and look through many magazines to tell them "what my style is". Later they pushed me into an area, guarded by a thin sheet and told me to put on a green shirt that they had in stock (maybe the only thing there that would fit me?). I obliged and they told me that it was “good for me.” They showed me a fabric with which they wanted to make me a new shirt. I put my hand behind the fabric and explained that it was not good because it was “see-through.” The son looked struck with embarrassment and he whispered to his mother. There was talking and more whispering in the office and finally the embarrassed son told me, “It is ok. You must wear underwear or it will be very bad.”

There is a coffee shop almost across the street from our apartments, where a woman with a sad beautiful smile serves coffee, tea and other drinks. Twice I have gestured for her to sit down and she has been more than happy to sit and try to communicate. One day last week I planned my lessons at one of her tables and she came over and wrote in my notebook. Together we worked through it and I deciphered an invitation to her house on Sunday night to speak English with her daughter and nieces (I actually didn’t know that was the reason until I showed up). On Monday night I came to the same shop to have milk with a new friend. After a couple of hours I turned to leave, saying goodbye to the girl and to the woman. The woman smiled her sad beautiful smile as I walked past her and she reached out and slapped me on the arm! I quickly wondered what I must have done to deserve that, and she smiled broadly and said in slow, labored English, “You are beautiful.” I thanked her and left.

I bought some duck soup for dinner and was anxious to try it. I decided that I also needed some dessert, so I walked down the street to the pastry stand on the corner. I’m sure it’s a family that owns this and there is a little boy who brings the food and pastries out to the motorbike drivers. He’s so cute and I like to talk to him because I can ask him the names of all the pastries and he seems so proud to be able to help me. Today I picked a small coconut bun and asked the price. I pulled out a 2,000vnd note and it ripped completely in half! Laughter ERUPTED from everyone in the vicinity, probably at my shocked face. I know from experience that it’s hard to get rid of a bill with a rip in it, much less torn in half. The little boy giggled uncontrollably, and didn’t stop when I pulled out another bill with exaggerated care and slowness. Even as I left, they all smiled and laughed in my direction. They better be glad that I like to entertain, otherwise I would have been very distraught.

On my walk home, I showed the torn bill to a woman who I wave at everyday, hoping for a laugh. She pulled out some glue and took the bill from my hands. It disintegrated at her touch and she handed it back to me with a sorrowful look and a wave of her hand, and I imagined her saying, “There’s no hope for this one poor child. Let it go.”

I walked back in the gate of our apartment, waving at the security guards and taxi workers, pleased at the day, hungry and tired. I hadn’t eaten in over seven hours, a rarity for me. The security guards waved me over and a girl there asked me if I had free time. I have GOT to learn how to say, “no!” I was just so curious to find out what they wanted, and after a quick phone call, they motioned for me to walk and as I did, I was met by a woman. She apparently is an english teacher and heard that there were foreigners in our apartment complex and has been wanting to meet us so she can practice her English!

Another hour and a half later, I was reheating my soup on the stove to sit down and watch soccer on tv. I'm learning more about the concept of time here and the importance of relationships. And the soup was worth the wait.