Scenes From Saigon

I still cannot get over the humidity of Saigon. When I first stepped off the plane, my sweat glands unleashed the flood gates, and a tsunami of perspiration came crashing through my pores. I should have listened to my friend Dan when he told me that it would be hot in Vietnam. A few days before my trip, he and I went to Old Navy to stock up on travel clothes, and he asked me why I was picking out long sleeved shirts. I responded that someone had said that it is spring time in Vietnam and that the temperature would be in the 70's. I figured that wouldn't be hot enough to warrant an Old Navy bag full of t-shirts. Well, I was wrong. Vietnam is indeed in the 70's, but in Celsius and not Fahrenheit!!! In any case, it is a little cooler today.

My mom and I decided to check out Ben Thanh Market, a huge marketplace in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City today. We weren't looking for anything particular, we just wanted to check the place out. My cousins Trum Anh and Trang met us at our hotel and took us on a little mini tour of District 1. It's really nice having locals show you around. We had breakfast at a little hole in the wall where my meal cost a whopping $2. I ordered a bowl of bún thịt nướng (grilled pork over vermicelli) and a plate of gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese spring rolls). I really am a sucker for these two dishes. The four of us walked around the city. My mom noted that so much has changed in 33 years that she really couldn't remember all the intricate details of Saigon, but there definitely little things here and there that jogged her memory. Below are some scenes from Saigon.

After a full day out on the town, we scootered back to Di Minh's place for dinner. Once again, the stories of yesteryear surfaced. Everyone was still so enamored by my mom, and all they wanted to do was ask more and more questions. My cousins just couldn't get enough of my mom. You see, there is a reason why there is so much love and respect for her: my mom practically raised Di Minh's kids before escaping Vietnam in 1975. Di Minh was so poor that my mom took her kids in. We all sat around the dining table listening to my mom's stories, laughing and having a good time. My mom is pretty good with impromptu, and she rarely misses a beat. However, my cousin Dai caught her completely off guard when he revealed that every year during Christmas time, all of them would wait by the mail box for my mom's package. He said that their family had very little, so when Di Yen would send presents, everybody would be so happy. Those little gifts made the difference in their hard lives. I always knew that my mom would send money to Di Minh every year, but I had no idea that she sent trinkets to every single one of my cousins. After Dai shared this, my mom completely fumbled. She had to take a deep breath, pause, and gather her thoughts. A few seconds later, she resumed her story telling.

The cab ride back to the hotel was very quiet. I know there were a lot of things running through my mom's head. She just sat in the back seat motionless and expressionless. I asked her if everything was ok and she said that she was just a little tired. I took that response at face value.