Vietnamese life

Article and photo by Whitney Cox

I lost eight months of my life, one January 1st. On a-day at beach, of things.

To commemorate the latest 12 months, we went along to the coast at Vung Tao with some of my Vietnamese colleagues from work. It was only a short, and low priced, van ride from Ho Chi Minh City, and seemed like a fun-loving and carefree tone to create when it comes to coming year.

We arrived and sat down at a fish and shellfish restaurant for a large meal. I skimmed the menu, smiling at various unappetizing English translations. Flaccid Oyster had been the most popular. We bought the non-flaccid oyster, fried which, as well as clams in lemongrass sauce, huge prawns, and a grouper hot pot.

While we dropped the saucy fish onto our personal soup bowls of white rice, we mentioned tomorrow, which we-all decided is a noticable difference from the last. One colleague pointed out that since he was 23 he hoped which our bosses would simply take him much more seriously. This astonished myself, since I have had only switched 22 and had been confident that I was avove the age of him.

I pointed out this, therefore the group laughed. I happened to be 23 also, they explained. It absolutely was easy mathematics: you had been born in 1987? It’s 2010 today, which ended up being 23 years ago. Relating to Vietnamese age reckoning, a new baby is certainly one year-old and gains per year at each passing new-year. My very early 20s had been literally traveling by.

Fast the aging process was an urgent side effects of living in Vietnam, particularly since I have had never ever sensed younger. I happened to be residing a spot where I struggled to learn, write, hold a discussion for more than a minute, grocery store as well as mix the road. Ultimately, I happened to be a very huge youngster.

I was developing up though. I happened to be learning how to do things in new means, and to resolve problems I didn’t previously think i'd have. Maybe this additional birthday celebration ended up beingn’t therefore off-base in the end.

Why Vietnam? Why Ho Chi Minh City?