The Soul of Vietnam

“Aweena…Aweena…Aweena.”  That was the word the tiny elderly Vietnamese woman was calling out as she pushed her cart through the neighborhood streets of the Ho Chi Minh.  I’m not sure what she was selling but it appeared to be some kind of fruit.  Her singsong cry echoed off the building creating a beautiful melody.  It was Vietnam as can be and something I experience by total accident as I wandered lost trying to get back to the ship for lunch yesterday.

Our day yesterday was filled with experiencing the culture of Vietnam.  As I wandered the streets and browsed the crowded aisles of the Ben Thanh market, Kelly went on a visit to a Buddhist orphanage and played with the children.  She got to play with them for about two hours and I’m sure it made their day.  My morning trip to the market was a mixed bag.  I picked up a sport watch for $6 since my other watch has been on the fritz.  I had a delicious lunch of Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls and as I left the café, I realized my watch had quit working.  It didn’t even make it two hours.  I hustled back to the market to find the vendor and he fortunately exchanged the broken watch for a new one.  Maybe I’ll get two days out of this one.

Shopping in Vietnam and haggling over prices it really part of the cultural experience here.  I have always affectionately referred to Vietnam as “The World’s Largest Dollar Store.”  Since 2006 prices have increased a bit but it’s still really cheap.  There are knockoff backpacks, purses and t-shirts on every corner.  The only drawback is finding an "American size".  My sandal shopping would go like this:  I’d ask if they had size 13.  They would then look at me, look down at my feet and then proceed to laugh and shoo me away.   I’ll just have to stick with buying t-shirts for now, which I am a XXL in here. 

After meeting back at the ship for lunch and escaping the heat for a bit, Kelly and I went with a big group of SASers to a performance at the opera house about the culture of Vietnam.  It was a live performance that included dance, singing, acrobatics and traditional Vietnamese music.  I was fascinated by the theremin player as well as the flautist who held some notes for so long I have no idea how he was breathing.  The cast was made up of a lot of young people and it was good to see the heritage being passed along to the younger generation.  It was a wonderful performance that really encapsulated the soul of Vietnam.