We got up earlier than usual because Phuoc had meetings to prepare. He works in taxation law so people are always wanting to find ways of avoiding paying taxes. We rode around on the motorbike looking for somewhere different for breakfast; Tuan Anh followed on foot. The place we wanted to visit had everything from the inside, piled outside, as they were renovating. As usual, we ended up at the same place and I had the usual fried egg and baguette. From there we went for a coffee to one of the places that is frequented by men only and only for coffee. In Cambodia the men sit in rows, watching programmes on a number of televisions but in HCM we just sat in small chairs on the sidewalk. I said my fond farewells to the men and did my packing and the laundry, thus completing my maid service.
While waiting for Tam to pick me up I was thinking about the things I'll miss about my time in the apartment. This morning, on my walk, I saw the men with their fighting cocks and this time they were painting their legs red, presumably for a fight. I wonder if it's like painting red the hospital decks of wooden sailing ships? I'll miss the fishermen; they don't have umbrellas and boxes of tackle like people do in the west; instead they have a rod and a bag with bait - usually small live fish. I'll miss the brown dog and his friend; one is tied to the railings while the owner's shopping in the market. That dog barks a lot but his mate just likes on the ground and she looks very peaceful. I'll miss the different elderly people who come out for exercise - they are either in wheelchairs or have had strokes and are trying to walk, holding onto the railings. They usually have younger family members with them. Every day a man would go by in a motorised three-wheeler with a homemade roof; he covered his bike with plastic flowers and he had long, grey hair and wore a trilby. I was told he sold lottery tickets. Before 7am every morning the ladies would gather for dance exercise but today, with it being International Women's Day they stayed after their exercise, put a tarp on the floor and had a breakfast party; I noticed they'd allowed one token man to be there. Grandparents come in handy in Asia as they take care of the children while their parents are working. Some of them gathered every morning, parking the plastic strollers and allowing the youngsters to run around while they had their breakfast. A few men would come out in the morning and sit on the benches wearing their pyjamas. While we were looking for a breakfast place we kept seeing a man selling guava from his bicycle; he'd smile at Phuoc but he didn't get a sale but finally Phuoc relented and bought some. Every day I saw small boats with what looked like a dog kennel on each one. I asked friends what they were for but no one had any idea - the boats just seemed to float back and forth. One day, as I was walking along, I saw a jet of water coming from the river railings into the river - as I got closer I realised it was a man having a pee. From then on, I saw it quite often. If you're a motorbike taxi man I suppose one has to do what one has to do as you haven't an office and you can't go home. I enjoyed my time in HCM City but I could never live there. One of the big obstacles is the number of motorbikes - on a working day they number five million and up. I've been trying to think of how to describe the sight to people who can't see what I'm seeing. So here goes!
Imagine a crowd of people coming out of a narrow entrance to a football stadium. Then, instead of legs, put each person on two wheels - don't change the spacing. Then add a few dozen who thought the game started at 8pm rather than ending at that time. For me, it also meant carrying the rider's backpack and shopping bags. Add to that all the brrm, brrm of the rider's as they keep revving up. Then there's the heat from the engines and the smell. There's nothing better than coming out of a crowd like that and being able to race forward. This scene happens at every traffic light and every rush hour.
Why do modern cafes have to have all their coffee making machinery on the counter next to the dining tables? Tam took me to a place where the meal was excellent but the noise was horrendous. I usually go for a cup of tea but this time I had an avocado shake; I understand it's a new craze in the West whereas here it's just another vegetable. Tam's applying to move to Canada; she's thinking of Halifax as her experience is with shipping. I'm glad she came to the airport as it's a confusing place.
I was wearing sandals and no socks so I was surprised when I was yelled at, "Shoes off!" In Hanoi last year we'd had to remove our shoes, belt, watch and glasses so shoes and belt in HCM wasn't that bad. The flight is from HCM to Doha and it mainly picks up people in Phnom Penh. I think there were only about 40 people on the flight and I sat next to a young man from Pakistan - I saw it on his passport! I helped him and also the stewardess but he never said thank you; maybe it's a cultural thing.
A number of flights had arrived when I got to PP and I was happy they didn't have visas; I had mine so I was able to sail through customs. Outside I was pestered by men wanting to take me into town. I prefer to use the "app" because I don't have to bargain. I did find a rickshaw but it took me about 15 minutes for him to understand where I wanted to go. Most people don't know streets here; they know buildings etc that they recognize.
On the way home, Chan phoned to invite me to a sky bar later in the evening. With being away for a week my home was dirty - not with mucky stuff but with dust. I was going away for the weekend but I couldn't resist washing the floor - the water was black with the fine dust.
In the evening, Chan picked me up and took me to the Essence Hotel, which looked quite posh. We used an elevator that went up the outside of the building. I was expecting the usual bar with trendy music and fancy lighting but it turned out to be more of a family restaurant with a large pool. People ate and then jumped into the water. It was a rowdy place as most of the clients were young children. There was a birthday party and another celebration where a man gave a lady a huge bouquet of flowers. We had pizza, chicken and friend rice with seafood.
Our alley was locked when I got home so I had to walk quietly so that I didn't disturb Friday, my neighbours' dog.
