We do our shopping at Metro, a really big supermarket owned by some Taiwanese company. Metro is like Walmart meets Costco meets Target and so on. They sell some decent foreign food, and bulk buying is encouraged. The prices are just a little higher than the markets and such, but it's big and you don't get banged into as much when you shop. Anyway, one of the employees there, a woman, chats a little with me and Phuong. The woman had a request a couple of weeks ago: She wanted me to introduce her to one of my foreign friends at my language center. She was blunt and said she wanted a foreign man in her life, adding: "He doesn't have to be handsome or good-looking. He can look like you." I assured her that all of the foreigners in Vietnam are better-looking than the White Monkey, but, unfortunately, I had to tell her that none are my friends. That's true. She didn't care if I had friends or not, she wanted a foreign man. I was unable to be of any assistance. I tried to tell her she was on her own.
Animal thieves invaded our neighborhood a while back. Someone stole Phuong's father's dog. Phuong suggested the dog probably became someone's dinner, It was a pretty-good-sized dog, so it likely fed a large family. A small bird was stolen from Phuong's family's store -- cage and all. The bird might make a nice appetizer before a delicious dog dinner. Dog is served in some restaurants here, but I haven't got the stomach for it.
Our landlady is apparently trying to sell the house we're renting, but I hear the paperwork isn't pristine. I'm not sure if we're moving or not but we've been poking around just in case. Of course, nothing is simple. Folks tell us that they may not really want to rent, regardless of the For Rent sign, or that their cousin's brother's uncle's sister may want to live there. Or buy the place. So maybe it's not for rent, after all. We'll see what happens.
The more I ride the bike here, the less I like it. I was parked in front of my cigarette shop when a guy comes up behind me and lays on his horn. Naturally, there's plenty of room for him, but he apparently felt compelled to prove to the White Monkey that he was the real man, or something like that, I guess. I played stupid (easy for me) and stared at his sunglasses. I had just lost to Phuong in a close tennis match, so I was ready to rumble. He just stared at me, like everyone else. Another treat: When you turn left into oncoming traffic, a bike inevitably comes up behind you and then races past you and cuts you off as you finish your turn. Dangerous stuff. And when you turn right with your right-hand blinker on, some yahoo will inevitably try to pass on the right the moment you make the turn. I've seen at least three or four accidents since my last blog, and it's no surprise. People can be real chuckleheads sometimes.
Phuong was rejected again trying to get a visa to the United States so she could travel with me. I will go solo, which is a downer. We wanted to go to Scandinavia as well, but she can't get that visa either. She won't let me go solo there, which saves us a lot of money. Otherwise, all is well enough. Phuong is the most wonderful woman in the world and I'm the lucky pinhead that gets to be with her every day. So really, how bad can things be?
