Reflecting on my
past year of living in Sai Gon, it’s not only the surprises and discoveries,
but simply the everyday moments and rituals that made the experience so
special. Everyday moments like the afternoon golden light that danced
sideways down the alley outside the school where I worked – bringing out
the blues and reds of the building at the end of the alley and putting
a soft touch on the children playing (and fighting) in the alley. Rituals
such as my crazy ride to work (or hailing of a motorbike when I just couldn’t
face the traffic), the morning and afternoon drinks from the “drink lady”
in the lane at work, or a stop at the “sticky rice lady” for breakfast
on the way to work.
Then
there were also the daily surprises like the first sighting of Buddhist
nuns dressed in their grey robes as they zipped by on their motorbikes,
of two people on a motorbike balancing a fridge, or one person balancing
a tray of food as he maneuvered his way through the already crazy traffic.
My days were full of discoveries of things like the “clip-clop percussive
boy” selling noodles, funny Vietnamese expressions like “Troi oi!” (sounds
like choy oy) which means “oh my god”, and of course discoveries of lanes,
markets, and places to eat, drink, or play.
Travel opportunities
Living a year
in Sai Gon provided me with opportunities to explore other parts of the
country. I was lucky to see some amazing sights including the Mekong River,
Ha Long Bay, and the mountains of Sa Pa. Here are fragments of emails that
I wrote about my travels to these places:
… Colours of
Mekong I had held off on doing the "expected" tourist trip to the Mekong.
And was pleasantly surprised when I finally did it. Again, the Mekong was
a place of contrasts. In some parts there were well developed towns.
In other parts
people living in basic huts. What surprised me most was the lack of river
banks - people built, whether brick buildings or grass huts, right up to
the river's edge. And of course there's so much life on the river itself.
I could have
taken 10 rolls of film on just the boats and canoes (and the colorful people
with them). Colors upon the river's brown skin.
Browns and
greens casually floating along. Reds and yellows speeding by in a blur.
Purples, blues, and pinks gracefully drifting by......upon the river's
brown skin…
… the Sea Labyrinth
of Ha Long Bay
Our first
day out on the water was a wet, drizzly, foggy day. This only added to
the mysticism of the place as we navigated our way through the fog in short-sight
and through silhouettes of mountains rising up through the sea in far-sight.
Ha Long Bay
would make a great setting for a fairy tale – with a labyrinth of mountain
islands that emerge through the clear, turquoise waters. On our last day,
as we headed back to the mainland, the sun enabled us to see the depth
of the water’s turquoise color …
… the mountains
of Sa Pa Paint a backdrop of green mountains kissing white clouds.
Across
this backdrop, splash reds, blues, oranges, purples, pinks, and yellows
of the people. The ethnic tribes of these mountains can be differentiated
by the eye by the clothes (and colors of the clothes) and jewels they adorn
themselves in. Striking are the bright headscarves, woven jackets, bags,
and other textiles of the tribes …
Encapsulating
a year
It’s difficult
to write about your experiences of living in a place for one year because
it means, to some degree, that you need to encapsulate your overall experience
into smaller fragments and stories to share with other people. My days
in Sai Gon were filled with opportunities to discover and experience new
things.
My days were
also filled with everyday rituals and habits that formed over time. Living
in a place – even if just for 365 days – leads you to doorways of day-to-day
discoveries that travelers only catch glimpses of.
One of the
most significant elements of my time in Sai Gon were the friendships that
I formed – with the people I worked with, lived with, and with other travelers
I met along the way.
Because you
are in a new place, seeing the surrounding world with fresh eyes, you are
also able to meet people with fresh eyes.
I treasure
the different friendships I made – whether they were in short with people
traveling by, or my friendships with the people I lived and worked with,
or with those I made with people I’d always see out in the clubs and other
fun places to play.
Sai Gon was
a leap into an unknown bubble.
You never know
just what that unknown bubble will hold for you, but at least you can be
sure that it will present doors to new discoveries for you.
Everyday
moments.
