Because of a Boy Named Romeo

Psychology tells me that when I travel to another country, I hit three no-shit stages

1. Excitement
2. Homesickness
3. Wanting to Stay Forever

My excitement lasted for two weeks, by my third, I had become numb to the new lifestyle that I had created for myself. I began to miss my family and friends and realizing what "home" was... and reconsidering if I really did have "feet that love to walk." I really wanted to be home and take a warm shower and hang out with the boys... Vietnam's charm was dying out and I was glad that it was going to be over in three weeks. But now I'm at stage three: wanting to stay forever because of a boy named Romeo.

My other Aunt invited me to go swimming with her this morning at 6am to teach her family how to swim. I figured that I was already up by then because of the early morning traffic outside my house and voices of strangers drinking coffee beneath me.

I spent an hour casually teaching my family how to swim, but they were all hydrophobic and blind... so yes, it was a challange. "Go swim in the big pool Pho!"
"No, it's okay.. I like being around you guys." At that point I noticed a group of boys enter the pool. Of course, the one white guy stood out like a sore thumb. "Actually, Yeah, I'm going to swim some laps in the big pool."

I ditched my family and did some laps to show off. I waited for the white boy to stop next to me. "Where are you from?" I was tactless.

"Noi Tieng Viet Duoc" (I can speak Vietnamese) Sexy.
"haha... I can't!"
"Oh.. I'm from Phap"
"France?"
"Yeah" I was hoping my American charm would help me... but his trilingual ability had me trippin' boo.

God he was hot. His English had a bit of French in it. His dirty blonde hair shimmered against the early morning sun. His body had no fat and he swam laps non stop until I stopped next to him. He was 25. Moved to Vietnam to study the language for a year and has been there for 3 years working in outsourcing.

"Not returning anytime huh?"
"Nope!" He was very vehement about staying in Vietnam. I eased dropped as he talked to his coworkers (the group of boys), he was definitely fluent in Vietnamese. *drool

Every Tuesday and Thursday him and his coworkers come out to swim before work. He mainly speaks Vietnamese in his office.

"Whats your name?"
"Romeo and yours?" *faints a little*
"Christopher... we'll, I'll let you swim." And I left. I guess, I was trying to play hard to get, but I probably came off as bored. But no worries... I will be back on Thursday morning.

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At that point, I hit stage 3. Not because he was hot, though that did help, but rather because he was inspiring. He's been in Vietnam for 3 years! And he was only 25. He had no plans to return to France... because essentially Vietnam had more to offer him.

So what about me?
This trip has hit the midway mark... and it's an appropriate time to start planning for the future. I defintely realize all the good in my life... but I'm also seeing the potential of being somewhere else.

There is absolutely NO doubt that I'm coming home Nov.9 (unless I can get an extension on my ticket and come back December... but very unlikely.) The question is: how soon will I come back to Vietnam? and will I stay for longer? If so, then I should start applying for jobs.

Oh Romeo... how you got me trippin'

Everyone Has Function...if not, they make one up.

Labor is so cheap in Vietnam... everyone has a function.

I bought a SIM card from a random cell phone stand and I was told to wait to 10 minutes. In 10 minutes this guy rides up in a motorbike to hand me my SIM. His primary function was to drive around the city delivering SIM cards to random mobile shops.

Near my Aunt's place is a street that specializes in motorbike decor. While waiting to get some stuff tailored, my cousin had his phone laminated.

THAT'S RIGHT! HIS CELL PHONE LAMINATED!!!

So these kids take a lighter and warm the metal on the Cellphone (like $500 cell phones) and melt plastic on it. After, they smoothen it out with their finger and use a razor blade to cut out the sliding parts.

I was in awe. People laminate their motorbikes too. It's like an art. Pictures to come.

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I was in the market looking for some guy clothes. While walking down an aisle these three ladies turned their head and said in unison, "what are you looking for?" At that point I turned the opposite direction and ran.

While I was trying on shirts 5 people who worked there? were staring at me. Good God, how am i supposed to shop like this. And while buying fabric to tailor a shirt this woman kept telling me how "MO Durn" it was and how handsome I would look. Thank you, but I can't think with your incessant yammering.

Buying at the market is like buying from a car dealer.
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Labor is so cheap, I've gone to restaurants with people just standing around because there's nothing for them to do. And when they hand you a menu they stand there... staring. GO away!! I need time to decide!

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I'm officially a FOB. I was trying to figure out how to spell the word 'unison.' But I was convinced that it was pronounced Unicent... so of course I needed to describe the word to a friend to get the correct spelling. Oh god help me.

Curry

When my grandma passed away in 2006, it didn't affect me as much as I thought it would. I never dreamt about her and I only cried for her at the funeral.

But being here, spending time with her sister's family and her brother's family made me realize how much I missed her.

"Your grandma was the BEST cook." She was, every dish she made was beyond delicious.

She had a tough life, she sent her 17 year old daughter to the states to find a better life, not knowing what would happen to her. 10 Years later, she was reunited and left Vietnam to be with her daughter and help raise her grandchildren: me and my brother.

How alienated she must have felt in California. She never asked to return to Vietnam because even though her silblings were in Asia, her daughter was in the US.

She took care of me. A lot and I never really showed enough appreciation. When do we?

Last night, my aunt, my grandma's neice cooked curry for the death aniversary of my great grandma, my grandma's mom. The curry was an amazing copy of what my grandma used to cook for me when I was growing up.

It's impossible to forget your roots when you're surrounded by your family's history. My parents told me my grandma's spirit followed me to Vietnam. I believe it. I believe it more every minute I spend time with her family that left to be with me.

God, this curry is delicious.

Skin Update in Vietnam

I was gChatting with someone I thought was really cute.

They told me that they should be in bed because they're breaking out. I respond with offbeat humor, " don't worry, ive come to realize that bad skin is just another trait that people judge you with like.. bad teeth, bad fashion or bad hair."

And they became really self conscious, "YOU DONT UNDERSTAND!!!! I HAVE TERRIBLE SKIN!!!"
"do you think you have worse skin than me?"
"you don't have bad skin... trust me, no one has skin as bad as me."

I was taken back because I never noticed his skin. Mony always said to me, "no one notices Chris... stop caring so much.." Which I have.. I have been caring less, but in Vietnam my aunt always tell me RIGHT before i eat something if it will make me break out or not.

"You want to eat Top Ramen? That'll make you break out."
"Here, eat this fruit, it'll help your skin"
"Don't eat too much of that meat, you'll break out for sure!"

RIGHT before I eat it... !!

Thanks to my aunt I can classify foods into two food groups: makes me break out, clears my skin.

Thanks to her and my other blunt family members who say, "if you didn't have ugly skin you'd be very handsome!" or "did this happen when you got here or back in the states?" As she rubs my face.

I'm wondering if my bad skin is the reason that no local Vietnamese boys try to make conversation with me at Lush, the Vietnam Dragon, sort of. Though one boy did smile at me... but I didn't know what to say. I'm considering flirting with boys I see at the pool wearing sexy tight trunk suits... wow, lots of muscles. Especially when they know how to swim the butterfly... yummy.

I was considering skin treatment in Vietnam because it's so cheap, but I began to day dream about all the things that can go wrong.... like with shady equipment with Melamine in it.

So I'll just hold off, but I must say that my skin is doing great. I dont know if it's because I'm in Vietnam, because I'm on a normal sleeping schedule or because it's Oct-Nov (the period when I usually have really good skin.)

Embarassing Dance Videos!

Funkanometry Posted the South Bay Class Videos!!

HAHAHA! How embarassing!

Can you find me Mony and Joe?


Okay.. Im the one that's about two seconds behind. And not featured in the small group cuz.. i was terrible.

White People in Rice Hats!

Sorry for blogging so irregularly, but...

WHITE PEOPLE IN RICE HATS LOOK RIDICULOUS!!!!

Prop 8

So I'm interested in the arguments that YES on Prop 8 people have.
I found a facebook group that express their concerns.

I'm trying REALLY hard to see their point of view, but homophobia is the only thing that I see. That and money concerns.

No on prop 8 will cost the church a lot of money... law suits left and right... blah blah blah... I don't know. Read it for yourself. It's a bit strange to me... how people can have this point of view. And how much they LOVE their church.

I also wonder how many people of the 6,200 in the group engage in homosexual activity. How kinky.


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