Greetings from Saigon
Mar. 27th, 2002 10:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katestineI think the heat is sapping my energy or something - I have no desire to post tonight. But is that stopping me? noooo... ('course, it might have something to do with the cute Boy I'm chatting with. Naah.)
I'm finally in Saigon. So far, it feels wonderful - I've missed citylife and really, even though I've been in most of Vietnam's major cities, this is the first one that felt cosmopolitan. I know that's not why I'm here, but I miss little things. There are no McDonald's in all of Vietnam. I found my first American food brand today - Baskin Robbins. They don't even have Starbucks! My sister had words with me when I hunted all over Danang for a hamburger (I didn't actually buy one).
It looks like I packed enough film - I've used all my slow film, but I should have enough fast stuff to keep me from buying any more. I _should_ be sleeping - we have to get up wicked early tomorrow to go see the Caodaists, a kind of fusion religion combining Christianity, Buddhism, and a bit of some other religion (I forget at this hour), with saints such as Victor Hugo and Joan of Arc. Anyhow, their sense of architecture is totally whacked (neo-Baroque), so it should be interesting.
All the stores closed tonight before I could ditch the 'rents, so I have failed to a) buy the excellent native garb I wanted and b) obtain pwesents for all the people I intended to get pwesents for. Grrr. There were at least two people whose birthdays I missed. And then there's the whole issue of the fact that everything I've seen here that I would buy as a pwesent was women's clothing. Or tablecloths and home furnishings. Oh well... next trip...
This weekend, we're heading to Vung Tau, a beach resort near Saigon, with my long-lost cousin. Vung Tau is kinda the Hamptons for Saigon yuppies. I haven't seen my cousin Beatrice in years, although she was my idol when I was in first grade.
Ok, I've run out of things to babble about, so I'm going to log out and head back to the hotel.
Five days 'til I get back to the US!!!
I'm finally in Saigon. So far, it feels wonderful - I've missed citylife and really, even though I've been in most of Vietnam's major cities, this is the first one that felt cosmopolitan. I know that's not why I'm here, but I miss little things. There are no McDonald's in all of Vietnam. I found my first American food brand today - Baskin Robbins. They don't even have Starbucks! My sister had words with me when I hunted all over Danang for a hamburger (I didn't actually buy one).
It looks like I packed enough film - I've used all my slow film, but I should have enough fast stuff to keep me from buying any more. I _should_ be sleeping - we have to get up wicked early tomorrow to go see the Caodaists, a kind of fusion religion combining Christianity, Buddhism, and a bit of some other religion (I forget at this hour), with saints such as Victor Hugo and Joan of Arc. Anyhow, their sense of architecture is totally whacked (neo-Baroque), so it should be interesting.
All the stores closed tonight before I could ditch the 'rents, so I have failed to a) buy the excellent native garb I wanted and b) obtain pwesents for all the people I intended to get pwesents for. Grrr. There were at least two people whose birthdays I missed. And then there's the whole issue of the fact that everything I've seen here that I would buy as a pwesent was women's clothing. Or tablecloths and home furnishings. Oh well... next trip...
This weekend, we're heading to Vung Tau, a beach resort near Saigon, with my long-lost cousin. Vung Tau is kinda the Hamptons for Saigon yuppies. I haven't seen my cousin Beatrice in years, although she was my idol when I was in first grade.
Ok, I've run out of things to babble about, so I'm going to log out and head back to the hotel.
Five days 'til I get back to the US!!!
