Asia Vacation: Day 9 & 10 / A to Z Challenge

C is for Catharsis.

Days 9 and 10 were my last in Vietnam. As I write this, it's like I'm going through a process of catharsis and saying good-bye to this small sliver of my life that meant so much to me. It just goes to show that time for me isn't measured in days, but in moments. These ten days stuck out more than the past year; not because it's recent, but because I know it'll be top priority in my memory bank.

On Day 9, my aunt and uncle hosted a dinner for us with tons of food, and the main course being bon bo hue. If you haven't had this dish yet, it's a must try! One thing I'll miss is the outdoor eating in Vietnam. It's so casual pulling up tables and chairs on the sidewalk and sharing a meal with neighbors and family. There's such a sense of community there that is lacking in the U.S. I love the noise of conversations in the air and smiles all around. The love and affection that one has for their kin; it's such a wonderful thing.

After dinner we took a stroll to the beach. Oh how I miss those beaches. It was nice to look for shells and chase sand crabs. I can still smell the damp salty air of the evening.

Our last day, Day 10, was very bittersweet. Our flight wasn't until late evening so the day went on like an impending knife over our heads. Our smiles now had a hint of sadness, our laughter less audible, and our eyes more moist. Time seemed to count down with every repressed shudder, as I tried not to think of it as good-bye.

After packing and checking out of the hotel, we had lunch at my grandpa's before heading to the market to buy last minute things. When we returned, my sisters, Michael, and I took my grandpa out for coffee.

My grandpa is the sweetest and gentlest man I know. It's cruel of fate to only give us days together, a blimp in our whole lives really, but I knew it was a necessary sacrifice of my mother's to bring us to the U.S. Yet it still hurts to know that he would only know me as I was during these two visits  and I, him. When he brought up the idea that he may not be alive the next time we visited, it brought me to tears.

The whole extended family would change just as it had in these past six years. It's truly a lesson that one must live and cherish in the moment, because you never know if you'll ever get it again.

When we returned to my grandpa's house. Everyone was there to send us off. We had one last dinner, and then we were off to the airport. A few hours later, we were greeted by Seoul's bitter morning wind.

Asia Vacation: Day 7 & 8 / A to Z Challenge

B is for Bầu cua tôm cá. It's a Vietnamese gambling game played on the new year. For Michael it was his first time playing, but he quickly got into the groove of things and started looking like a local, barefoot and all.

Days 7 and 8 were pretty slow paced compared to the beginning of our trip. Again we visited my grandpa on my dad's side before playing Bầu cua tôm cá. The next day we went to the beach and then over to my Aunt's house for lunch. After that, my cousin and I went into the city for street food, and boba. It might be really disgusting to you, but the snails were awesome!

They were smaller than the snail's I ate in Paris or the US, and instead of being cooked in butter, this was cooked in lots of spice!

The rest of the day was leisurely spent. We took a walk along the river, had some ice cream, then hit the local bar for drinks. I won't go into detail, but I will say a lot of memories were made :)

Asia Vacation: Day 5 & 6 / A to Z / IWSG

A is for 'Asia.'

I've realized that I've fallen quite behind on my vacation posts! So I'll try to wrap them up by combing the days and transitioning them into April's A to Z blogging challenge and today's IWSG post!

After the holiday, I had some stomach troubles. Of course, that's to be expected considering I ate/tried everything. Nonetheless, I rallied, despite my cramping and spasms. Our first stop was the Marble Mountains. However, my mother is quite superstitious so when she heard that dating couples her family knew had broken up after going into the mountain, she wouldn't let Michael or I go. So we waited outside at a café with my mom, aunt, and sister, while the rest of the family went to explore.

When they returned, we all filed into the van and made our way to the Ancient town of Hoi An. This little tourist town was super crowded, but we walked around taking it all in. At the temple, we all went in to get our fortunes. My own was relatively good, saying that this upcoming year would be a good one for me and that I would get what I want, as long as I'm not too selfish about it. Ha, okay, I guess I'll take it!

 

The next day my stomach recovered, so Michael, my two sisters, and I ventured out to the beach. After all the touristy stuff going on, it was nice to just chill out for an afternoon and soak up the sun.

When evening hit, our extended family took us out to a New Year's carnival. It was very crowded, and I'm not one for crowds, but it was enjoyable for my extended family so their smiles made it all worth it. It was kind of strange though, it seemed like one song was playing on the speakers on repeat the whole night, but I liked walking and looking at the lanterns.

To end the night we went to a café. Instead of a night cap or coffee I opted for some fries. When it came out, my sister's and I devoured it. My uncle laughed. "You guys really like this kind of stuff in the US? It's so easy to make at home. You just cut it up and fry it."

Michael found his sentiment hilarious and looking back I now do too. Just thinking about the authentic Vietnamese food I had there makes me pine for it even more. I'd trade a lifetime supply of fries to have another authentic meal again!

I guess for IWSG, my main concern is not remembering my trip clearly enough. Yeah I kept a travel journal and I'm doing these blog posts, but it's never quite the same. It relates to writing in the sense that I wonder if the story in my head is being properly translated on the page.

Thoughts?

Asia Vacation: Day 4

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Happy New Year!

February the 19th marked my 4th day in Vietnam! And better yet it was the holiday. The new year is like the biggest holiday in the culture. It's equivalent to the American Thanksgiving. All about family, food, celebration, and hope for the year to come. I was beyond excited since it was my first time ever celebrating in the homeland with the extended family.

My sisters and I all woke up and got dressed in traditional Vietnamese dresses and met the rest of the family at my grandpa's house. My mother had rented a van for the day to take us to the temple, the village where she grew up, and then onto Hue.

The main temple in Da Nang sits alongside the water facing the city. With the temple and neck bending monuments, it's a very beautiful and serene place to be--but not on the holiday. It was buzzing with people. We quickly went around saying prayers before going crazy with photos.

After that it was off to my mom's home village Vinh Hien. We had gone there too during my first trip, but going again, with fresh eyes it really struck a chord within me. This little town is based off one little dirt road with little houses pressed against each other. There are no streetlamps, no gutters. Just yellow sand and dirt, with the exception of green rice paddies in the distance.

We passed by my mother's old house, the school she had gone too, and houses where she remembered her friends. It was a very different upbringing than the opportunity she had given us in the states. As a sign of respect, my mother paid visits to relatives and friends, and those that had passed by going to their gravesites.

It was hard not to imagine my mom as a young girl just like the little kids I had seen the day before. Odds stacked against her. Living in conditions we hadn't. No power, no electricity, no creature comforts. It makes me respect her even more.

Our final and last stop was Hue to see the imperial palace. It was huge. Bigger than I remembered my first time around. Here there were a lot of tourists from many different places as well as locals. The city was bustling with people.

 

 

Michael and I walked side by side holding hands and it was the first time that we got more than the occasional glances. People were staring and it made me uncomfortable. It wasn't like it was rude stares or anything, more like curiosity. I could only imagine what they thought: mail order bride. Ha! I brushed it off and made the most of it. When we got back to the Van, I knocked out, and before I knew it we were back in Da Nang at my grandpa's house for dinner.

[[photo credit: all amazing and clear photos were taken by Michael. All the fuzzy ones were from yours truly on my iphone :P]]

Asia Vacation 2015: Day 3

Onto Day 3. Wednesday, February 11th, was an interesting one. We were off to another ceremony (there are a lot of those around the holiday!), but this time we were visiting my grandfather on my father's side. I'm not sure what I expected, having been there before, but it was eye opening.

The first time we went over in 2009, it was just my grandfather, his son (my uncle) and daughter (my aunt). This time around, there were these little kids there! Not related to me whatsoever, they took to my sisters and I quickly. Or perhaps it was our cameras they took to since they just loved taking pictures.

Either way, we were enamored by them. But it only took some time and eavesdropping on the conversation from the adults to pick out the unfortunate upbringing of these little bundles of happiness.

There was this six-year-old girl, bright as the sun with such an enigmatic smile. It's hard to think that she had an abusive father. She and her mother left him, but those type of memories are something you can't ever run away from.

Then there was this little guy. Only three, he was quiet, shy, and polite, but loved to hold hands. And yet his father didn't want him. Rather he left him and his mother and took up a new wife and child. Replacing them like broken dishes.

Even my own aunt, had a disabled full grown son. He couldn't walk. Couldn't speak. Spending his days at home. He would never see the rest of his country. He would never see any other part of the world. He wouldn't even get to see a movie in a theater.

It's difficult after learning their stories not to notice the difficult cards life had dealt them. Tiny, skinny, with scabby feet, they didn't come from a wealthy family, but a hardworking one. And yet, a hardworking one may not be able to provide them with the opportunities to build a better future.

It's definitely something that hits close to home. As a child with a single immigrant parent, I knew it wasn't an easy task to make ends meet. Yet in a country of opportunity, there's always the chance to rise above. But in a country devastated by war, with the majority of families low income, the odds for them are stacked even higher.

These are things we already know, but not something we encounter on a everyday basis. So when you come across kids like these, you can't help but feel for them. You want to help, but sometimes help can only go so far.

It's encounters like these that really humble a person. I found myself that night counting my lucky stars that I was blessed with a loving family and a courageous mother who conquered land and sea to a place where we could grow to our full potential. Though we were not rich, we were rich in love, and memories.

That night at my grandpa's house on my mom's side, I took comfort that though I wasn't fortunate to see our extended family on a daily basis, I would take these few days to heart. It's in the limited time you have with people and even the day-to-day menial things that really are the best. Like roasting clams on the sidewalk and eating skewered shrimp. The small snippets in time where you are completely yourself and bare, enjoying the moment.

Asia Vacation 2015: Day 2

The 2009 Da Nang was quiet, small, and neighborhoody to 18 year-old me. The 2015 Da Nang, however, is bustling with growing towers, touristy resorts, and wait a minute... an amusement park? Oh my, how much the city has grown over the years!

The amusement park isn't technically in the city, but about a 25 minute drive up the mountains. Upon arrival it seemed small, but let me tell you, it was huge! So huge we didn't even see the whole thing that day.

After buying tickets in town, we drove up to this resort where a cable car was stationed that would take us up to Ba Na Hills. The cable car ride was long, and I'm glad it was because there was so many beautiful sights to see and take in despite the overcast!

When we got to the first landing we immediately went to the temples. With the cloudy fog it was like stepping into some sort of huge film set. Really neat views that kind of made it all surreal. Over and over, I kept thinking in my head, am I really in Vietnam?

After the temples, we headed to the large gardens and I was struck by how much it reminded me of my time in Paris. Paris was where I was used to seeing such gardens, not here! But I guess I shouldn't be surprised since there's already so much influence from the French colonization.

After the gardens we took a another short cable car up higher in the mountains to the amusement park. You could not miss the European influence here!

After walking around and checking out the place, we ducked in doors and rode rides and played our hearts out! If you're ever in the area, I recommend making this a stop. You could just walk for hours and hours here. Even farther up the mountain there were more sites to see, but we were uber tired and called it a day. We headed back to my grandpa's for dinner then to our hotel and called it a night.

Asia Vacation 2015: Day 1

My Asia trip came and went! I still can't believe it's over. I'm still suffering from vacation hangover.

[[To recap, this was a family vacation to visit my relatives in Da Nang, Vietnam for ten days. Afterwards, my two sisters, Michael, and I spent 4 days in Seoul, South Korea instead of dealing with the originally planned 12-hour layover.]]

For our first day in Da Nang, my grandfather (on my mom's side) hosted a ceremony (an offering to the ancestors), which really turns out to be a huge feast for those alive. With everyone all in one place, it was a good place to start reconnecting with family I hadn't seen since our first trip in 2009. If you didn't know, my mom is the oldest out of nine kids! Only 2 out of the 9 kids are in the U.S., so you can bet the family gathering was a big one!

Going into it, I was really nervous. With so many people, it was daunting trying to remember everyone's name. Not to mention, I also brought Michael with me. What would they think of me dating a white American instead of a Vietnamese American? Of course my mom approves, but how often did my relatives in Vietnam interact with foreigners? Then of course, I was so embarrassed about my language skills. Vietnamese is a difficult language for me to speak considering I grew up in the U.S., where I hardly ever interact with people in Vietnamese.

One thing I should have known, was how welcoming my big family was and all the worrying was for naught. They greeted us with open arms, and though it was difficult for Michael and I to fluently communicate, I realized genuine communication comes from within: whether it's the look in someone's eyes, a smile on the lips, or the position of one's body.

And did I mention the food was amazing? I mean check out that spread!

After the big feast, a few of us went to the beach. Soft sand, blue waters, and the sun. Just as I remembered it. One thing I didn't remember? How salty the water was! Good thing I only like to walk in water and not swim.

To end the night, we had a big celebration for my sister's 28th birthday!