Picture This:
Trip Start
Unknown
1
31
37
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of an alarm waking you up at 5 in the morning to get on a plane. Except that alarm was not a "Beep, Beep, Beep" alarm. It sounded more like a UFO landing or aliens trying to communicate with you.
You arrive in Ho Chi Minh city. Hop in a cab. Have the cab almost hit an ambulance but, *sigh of relief* you will live to see another day. You sit in the backseat of the cab, wondering to yourself, "why would the cab hit an ambulance?? It's an ambulance for Pete's sake!!" (You also think that the ambulance is the best car to have an accident with). The driver laughs (hysterically) turns and smiles. You feel the woman next to you practically burning holes in the back of the driver's head. Car stops, running over the curb and badly parallel parking. Driver asks "this okay?" Nodding you pay him $300 000 (300 000?!) and get out.
Hotel staff bring your bags into the elevator, open every door, press every button. You feel like royalty. You lay down, bed's hard. You get up, walk out the door.
Walk to the market. Buy two shirts and two doodads. You walk back.
Staff opens door, press every button, and again, you feel like royalty.
Lay down. Bed's hard. You don't care. Fall asleep.
Fall asleep. Wake up. Eat. Walk. Fall asleep. Wake up. . .
Picture this. This? This is life.
Fall asleep. Wake up. Eat. Walk. Fall asleep.
By Nadeige
Comments
Good blog Nadeige! I like all the repetitive words,in many ways life everywhere is kind of like that,except the beds are soft. I can't imagine the excitement/ terror that goes with a Vietnam cab ride. Think of how good it will be to ride your bike down Lansdowne Ave. It was good to see all of you via Skype; and the photographs you;ve been taking are marvelous,probably good for a 6 hour viewing! We miss you. Love to all. (try to keep Torin off the beer!)
I'm all out of words--haven't written this much since I retired--I've also developed a hard callous on the end of my solitary typing finger. I guess some folks type with more than one finger but I have a hard enough job deciding where to put my single digit. Now I know what the expression, "slower than a herd of turtles" looks like--a picture is worth a thousand words. Turtles spelled backwards is "selturt" which is appropriate because they carry their seturt on their backs. O.K. I'm running out of brain cells too. It will be nice to have you home so I don't have to eat all of Grandma's cooking all by my self--I do my best as is evidenced by my profile(as pointed out by my cheeky Grandson--I have feelings you know --you beer swilling trouble maker) but--back to my original thought-Grandma is a food pusher--food is love and she loves me to death. I know , I know all us junkies blame our over indulgence and lack of will power on someone else. Who is Will Power any way ?? Well today I put casements around all the unfinished doors down stairs and finished changing outlets and switches to more modern editions--there so cool. Went up and down stairs about 25 times so had a good work out. To reward myself and teach Grandma a lesson by giving her back some of her own medicine--I had a maple walnut icecream cone at Robertson's and insisted that she have one too--her's was much bigger than mine and she paid for them both. I get more treats when my grand kids aren't around--there's an up side in every situation. Well I love you guys and miss you--looking forward to your arrival home. Love Grampa