Saigon Revisit

Its been a while again since i got the mood to blog. That's because i am just too bored and tired of watching The Big Bang Theory. Yeah, that's the sitcom i have been watching every time i am in HCMC. I am at Season 4 Episode 3 at the moment.

Just to blog some experience here in HCMC. Every year, for some work related schedule i will be here for about 2 months. Travelling has since bores me, getting here on mondays and leaving on fridays for two months continiously is not fun anymore.

Furthermore, everyone who have been here knows that the traffics is a mess. Not to offend any of my vietnamese friends, but really, its just too packed on the road. The travelling time is then pro-long by the speed limits which is 50km/h. If i am lucky i can hit 60km/h on some other highways. Not that i am driving, the agent here hired drivers to drives me and my colleagues around.

Drivers are very obedience to the traffic law here. So, no matter how my colleagues requested them to drive faster, it is being ignored. Imagine this, everyday, travelled distance is about 50 to 60 km and we have to spend at least 4 hours in the car. Thats boring and the car is not comfy at all. But it is still better than the indonesia car that we travelled in when i was there. No complaint.

I tried to blend in with the culture here but it is just not as easy as i thought it would be. The language barrier is at the ultimate level, at least to me. Ordering a cup of coffee on the street requires some hand signals. And i am getting used of being cut at the throat for a cup of coffee which locals can get it for 10000 VND while i am getting it for 15000 VND or sometimes 20000 VND. Its ok though cos the coffee here is nice!

"There are so many things happening by the road side everyday, so many things to observe" thats what i told my colleague last year when i first came here. Now? i think i seen it all... i mean nearby my hotel. I am staying at District 1. The main district i guess... what i have seen so far are...

1. Ladies carrying a child asking for money with a sad face.
For this, i was drinking the weeks before and this lady came to me, not the first time but most of the time and she asked me for money. Maybe i was on the high side and i handed over 2000 VND... and to my surprise, she looked at me with a mean and angry and mad expression and didn't take the money i handed to her and then just left. Then waitress saw the event and told me that i should not have given the money to her, its like drugs to her, she will be encouraged to continue asking money around. And when i told my friend the next day, she just laughed. She said, if i wanna give, not 2000 VND which doesn't have significant value. But hey, back in my country, beggars just take what is given. :)

2. The man on the bicycle with a home made hand bell made by coke bottle caps loitering in the middle of the nite.
This is actually a prostitute hustler. They will approach you and straight to the point... "You want girls? boom boom? happy massage? cheap cheap, 18 years old, nice boobs, you want i bring to your hotel, look, no good no pay"... WOW! Still i don't get why the word boom boom is used here.

3. Children selling lottery tickets.
They are very persistent and will follow you quite a distance to just sell one ticket. It cost 10000 VND for a chance. Well, i bought some and guess what? i didn't hit the jackpot. LOL

4. The Shampoo Girls.
There are few saloon nearby my hotel. It looked like  a saloon but i guess it is just a covered place for getting special treatments. Why? Cos, they dress is sexy dresses, revealing their curves, their boobs and short enough to see their underwear.. My locals engineers told me that customer can negotiate for boom boom in this kinda saloon.

and many more which i am now getting lazy to type and the Star Movies is playing Scream 4. So i gonna stop here and continue next time...

cheers!