Our last week in Rach Gia

Friday, July 22, 2011 - Friday, July 29, 2011

A week has gone by in Rach Gia, and instead of breaking it up into days, I put it all together into one week. Some sections are about the events of the day and some are just random thoughts or memories.

Back to the outdoor market

After a long work week full of summer service camps, traveling to distant hospitals, and our daily work, Scott and I spent the weekend relaxing and going to the market. We spent most of Saturday at Tropical Coffee Shop where we caught up on some data entry and ran into Dr. Man. We had a mini-meeting with him to discuss how we would get the control interviews for our study. Scott and I had borrowed Bac Chau’s motorbike for the day, so we headed to our favorite vegetarian place to buy some sandwiches and fresh tofu. They have the absolute best tofu there. They deep fry it for us right on the spot—the outside perfectly crunchy while the inside is immaculate white. We also ordered some fried wontons and egg rolls. We scarfed down all of our food and headed to the outdoor market.

Our favorite vegetarian sandwich lady

We stopped by our usual place and bought 3 kg worth of fruit (bon bon, mang cut, and lychee). We then went to our favorite vegetable stand and bought the largest bag of vegetables filled with bittermelon, bok choy, green beans, tomatoes, onions, and herbs for only $2 USD. It's like a farmer's market, but much more hectic. You either have to fight for attention from the merchant or fight to haggle prices. We also bought half a dozen chicken eggs and headed home. At home, Scott handed me the bag of eggs, at which point my hand slipped and the whole thing dropped. All eggs had cracked save one. I cannot describe our disappointment—watching all of our protein splatter away. For dinner, we cooked up tofu, green beans, and bok choy and enjoyed the produce we had just bought.

Pondering the options

They sell them, but do they use them?

That's not alive

Backseat driver

Vietnamese rehearsal dinner

On Sunday, we slept in and cooked at home for lunch again. At 4 pm, I made an appointment with Thu’s cousin, Duyen, who is a seamstress. We met up, and I showed her all of the outfits I had picked out on style.com that I wanted. We then went shoe and fabric shopping. I love picking out fabrics. It’s so fun, especially since I am so fascinated by textures and colors. Scott and I then had to head back to get ready for Tien’s sister’s rehearsal dinner party. We got showered and dressed and met up with Ngan at 6:30 pm.

We arrived at Tien’s house, and his entire family welcomed us to their home. They were so happy that we were there, and Tien was elated that we came. His family was extremely hospitable to us. They immediately seated us and put so much food on our plates. Scott and I met the bride and groom, and they seemed like a lovely couple. We had egg rolls, Vietnamese salad, and Vietnamese porridge. Many people at the table would put food in my bowl without my asking. I guess it is Vietnamese custom. They really like it when you enjoy their food. Scott and I must have eaten 10 egg rolls each. Halfway through dinner, Ngan and Tien’s other classmate, Quyen, joined the party. She was excited to learn English from us, so we spent most of the night giving English lessons and joking around. We have never seen a group of students so motivated. Ngan and her classmates take their English lessons very seriously and study everyday. They listen to tapes, practice reading, and watch American TV shows, always with the goal of improving their pronunciation and comprehension. It is quite inspirational and maybe Scott and I should take a lesson from them.

I also got some Vietnamese lessons. Many words in Vietnamese are similar in sound but very different in meaning. I was trying to say that I “examine” patients, but I was pronouncing the first letter wrong, and I ended up saying “pig’s food.” Ngan, Tien, and Quyen were laughing at me so hard. We talked about so many different words and their meanings, I can hardly remember. After dinner, the group of us headed home, our bellies content.

New friends

Custom tailoring

On Monday, I went with Duyen to buy fabric and to get measured. When Thu was here last week, she showed off a beautiful beach dress Duyen had made. I was so impressed. Duyen is one year younger than I am and is a seamstress. She knew all of the best fabric places, so she took me around on her yellow scooter. At one point it started raining, and she drove fast to get to our next destination. I have never been so scared on a motorbike, but I couldn’t complain as I do to Scott, so I kept quiet, closed my eyes, and held on tight. The first place we stopped at had piles of fabric outside and fabrics hanging from the roof. One could get lost in the small store. I pushed my hands through the curtains of fabrics and searched for the one that would catch my eye. I love looking at all the colors and imagining what they might become and for whom. I had downloaded many pictures I found on the internet of what dresses, skirts, and blouses I wanted, and Duyen said she could make them. At this point, it was just about matching the fabric pattern and color to the outfit I had in mind. Afterwards, we headed to another seamstress who specializes in making swimming suits and exercise clothing. We stopped by her house, which was on the same street as one of our favorite smoothie places. She had a worn, green gate in front of her house, and we called in asking for her. A very old lady slowly shuffled outside and told us to come in. We waited in the front room and sat on some mini plastic chairs. I showed the new seamstress, Chi Chin, some of my pictures, and she copied them down and measured me. I can’t wait to see them on Friday.

We then went to Duyen’s house so that she could take some of my measurements. Her father is a barber and had a small shop at the front of their house. I took off my shoes and stepped into their house. Duyen had a large pile of fabrics on the left and all of her machines on the right. Some samples of her work were hanging on the wall, and I was very impressed by her attention to detail. Duyen had a beautiful sand-colored dog and of a breed that I have never seen before. His eyes were amber and his nose was pink. His fur was fluffly like a chow chow’s. It really made me miss my dog, Koby, at home. After she took my measurements, Duyen drove me back to the guesthouse. Ngan and Scott were waiting for me and had already started cooking lunch. We had the usual: bittermelon stir-fried with scrambled eggs, green beans, and a side of rice. We ate and chatted. After lunch, we had a final meeting with Dr. Man.

Fabrics

Finding the right one

Taking a break

Agreement

1, 2, 3, Do!

That night was Tien’s sister’s wedding, so at 5 pm we met with Ngan. I decided to wear my new, yellow ao dai. Ngan arrived in a taxi wearing one too! She said she tried her best to fit into it, since it was from a long time ago because she wanted to match me. We arrived at Tien’s house, and no one else was wearing an ao dai. Everyone was in jeans, shorts, or a modern dress. Just the other night, Tien’s mom told me to wear an ao dai! Guests at Vietnamese weddings in the States wear the traditional dress more than guests in Vietnam itself! It didn’t matter, though, because I love my yellow dress and couldn’t wait to take it out for a test run. We sat at the friends table near the back, and Tien seemed so happy. Dinner was delicious and consisted of many different courses: bo kho (simmered beef), chicken, lau (hotpot) , and for dessert we had sam bo luong (a dessert drink). Throughout the meal, we drank more and more beer and our table started becoming more comfortable with each other. “Cheers!” in Vietnamese is “1, 2, 3, Do (pronounced ‘yo’)!” We would hear the echoes of other tables cheering and try our hardest to be louder. Tables around us began clearing up, and we ended up being one of the last tables to leave. Finally, after an endless meal, Scott, Ngan, and I got up to go home.

Scaudrey

Scott, Tien, Ngan, and Audrey

Mornings and Evenings

Every morning, Scott and I head over to Hoa Bien Hotel, which is right down the street and where we stayed the first four nights we were here in Rach Gia. The is the same hotel whose owner took us to visit their private island. We head there to have breakfast and to visit, Bac Chau. He truly is a wonderful manager and has been taking such great care of us while we have been here. We walk into the door, and he is smiling and already knows what we want for breakfast. Lately, he has been giving us free bananas from his farm in the countryside. They are so sweet and delicious. The bananas we have in America, or rather the bananas that are imported, are no match to the Vietnamese bananas. I never really liked bananas until I got here. Bac Chau also lets us rent his motorbike whenever we ask. All of his staff know us as well and smile. They also ask us to make sure to visit them again next time we are in Vietnam. Whenever we have to pay Bac Chau or forgot money, he always says, “Don’t worry. We are like family. It’s no problem.” He just trusts us. Scott and I have been taking and editing pictures of his hotel for him and have written and uploaded pictures on tripadvisor.com for him.

Our favorite hotel!

Showing off bike skillz

Bao (his mom works at Hotel Hoa Bien)

Every evening, it pours. I have been to tropical places like Costa Rica and Barbados, but the rainstorms there do not compare to the storms here. When the rain starts, it sounds far away. It quickly crescendos into an orchestra, which sounds like large metal rods are being shot from the sky and hitting the roof and our windows. Thunder rips through sky and dogs start barking. I always look at Scott and say, “I’m scared.” Light rain tapping on the window is soothing, but loud and boisterous rain reminds me of mother nature’s true force, and that is intimidating.

Monosodium glutamate

Scott and I have coined a term here, “Getting MSGed” since it has happened to us a few times. We got it bad after having an amazing lunch on Tuesday. The food was cheap and savory. Sometimes, when it is too savory and delicious this could be a bad sign because it means that a lot of MSG, which tastes wonderful, has been added to the dish. When Scott and I “get MSGed,” we become drowsy and fall asleep. There is no fighting it. Tuesday was especially bad because after we got home from lunch, we fell asleep for over 4 hours when we had gotten plenty of sleep the night before. We woke up, looked at each other and said, “We just got MSGed.”

New friends = more goodbyes

In America, we are so used to diversity and people from all races and ethnicities. It’s something so great about America, and I think it is something that I have taken for granted. Going to a small town like Rach Gia where we and most of the people living there only see one race/ethnicity makes us appreciate how many different types of people we have met. Because of this, being a foreigner is a big deal. So many locals scheduled to go to a coffee shop with us and practice their English. Normally, they do not get to speak English because not many people do in Rach Gia. A neurologist we met at the hospital, Bac Si Thao, was one of those people. Though it wasn’t easy for him, he spoke to us in English every time. Scott would respond and talk to him at which point Bac Si Thao would nod vigorously to everything Scott would say. I would ask Bac Si Thao if he understood, and he would look at me at shake his head. Bac Si Thao decided to invite us to his home on Wednesday to eat lunch and talk.

After work on Wednesday, we met with Bac Si Thao at noon outside of the hospital. He was waiting for us with 2 motorbikes, one for him and one for Scott. Ngan hopped onto the back of his motorbike, and Scott and I hopped onto one. The bike we got was in much worse condition then Bac Chau’s. The mirrors were falling off, the shifts were stiff, and it just looked old and rusty. It took Scott some getting used to, and took us about 5 minutes to start. Bac Si Thao zipped away, and we chased after him. Vietnamese drivers are so adept at weaving through traffic. Scott had to try so hard to keep up with him. We turned off into the a side road, and rode along a river we never knew was in Rach Gia. It was a gorgeous ride. We drove behind small countryside homes and turned onto a dirt road covered in puddles with jungle on both sides. Scott expertly navigated through the rocks and tagged along behind Bac Si Thao. The scenery kept changing.

Bac Si Thao and Ngan

Learning from a local

The driver

Water on both sides

Riding by countryside homes

We then turned into a newly developed area with houses built in front of a rice paddy. We parked the motorbikes and went inside to meet his wife. Bac Si Thao was so excited to show off his house to us. We took a few pictures and then headed inside to wait for his wife to finish preparing lunch. His father and best friend came to join us, bringing a large box of 333 beer. An abundance of food was lined up on the ground. In Vietnam, it is customary to take off your shoes and eat on the floor. We did this at Ngan’s house as well. We had Vietnamese chicken salad (you dip the chicken in salt, pepper, and lime), porridge with mushrooms, bittermelon with duck eggs (duck eggs are amazing; they are creamier and more robust than your average chicken egg), and tofu stuffed with pork. I feel that the hospitality in Vietnam is unmatched. People here don’t have a lot of money, but anytime they invite you to eat at their house, they always pull out all the stops and food is overflowing from the plates. Scott and I can never finish it all, and we can usually eat a lot, so that’s saying something. After lunch, Bac Si Thao, Scott, and I talked about medicine, practiced English, and Bac Si Thao showed us his collection of medical books. We were talking in his room and woke his son up from his nap. The minute the boy opened his eyes and saw Scott, a big, tall foreigner, in his bedroom, he started crying. Scott and I were impressed with Bac Si Thao’s collection and were even more impressed that they were all in English, and that he reads at least an hour everyday. This must be a real challenge, and I admire his determination and study skills—something I want to take back with me when I start school again. 

A cloudy day in Rach Gia

Excited for lunch

Scaudrey with Bac Si Thao and his wife

Feast on the floor

Do! (cheers)

Yes, that is yellow watermelon, and yes, it does taste better

We continued to talk and eat some more. We had a strange eel-looking fish that was deep-fried and about the size of a 6-inch ruler. It lives in fresh water mud and gets scooped out with a pitchfork-looking tool. After 3 hours, we left and followed Bac Si Thao back to the hospital and rested for the rest of the day.

Never-ending hospitality

The main event of Thursday and Friday was eating street food. Tien invited us to his house for lunch on Thursday. His mom had prepared a feast of banh xeo and banh khom for us. There were, literally, piles of food. Tien’s mother is from Cambodia. She is missing the top row of her teeth, which causes her to look as if she is smiling all the time. She has a beautiful, weather-beaten face with short thick eyelashes. Her eyes are incredibly kind. She kept asking us if we liked her cooking and to remember her and her cooking when we go back to the United States. Tien's mom encouraged our taking pictures for our memories. At the end of the meal, Tien cut as some sweet watermelon, which we ate with a special salt that was golden brown. The saltiness balanced the sweetness well. We then found out that she runs a small street food shop outside of their house. She had taken the day off to cook for us. Tien’s mother basically put out an entire day’s worth of living on the table just for us to eat. From our experiences thus far, the hospitality is nothing I have ever seen before. Many people live in poverty, but anytime they invite you over, they prepare a feast feast for you, and the food is always abundant, no matter the cost to them. Tien had never told us that his mother owned a street food stand, and we wished he had so that we could have spent money on her food and not elsewhere.

Tien's mom's banh khom

We were honored by a homemade meal

 

Scott with the chef and our translators

Urban decay (Credit: Audrey)

Siblings (Credit: Audrey)

After lunch, the four of us, Tien, Ngan, Scott, and I headed to the market to buy baskets of fruit for all the people who have been taking care of us: the guesthouse manager, Bac Chau, Tien’s mom, and Ngan’s mom. At this point, Scott and I really did look like locals by packing our motorbike full of goods. Scott was holding a 10 pound basket in the front, while I was holding a 10 pound basket on my left thigh. To top it all off, we were riding in the rain like the true locals.

Hospital retirement

Friday was our last day in the hospital. We met with Ngan and Tien one last time in front of the motorbike parking lot and headed inside. We first went to the neurology ward where they had one patient for us. We saw some of our old patients who had been transferred up from ICU, and we greeted them and asked how they were doing. While I was examining and interviewing with Tien, Scott and Ngan went off to give away the rest of the reading glasses. We had left the States with 100 pairs, and now we were down to our last 10. Giving away the glasses really added to our experience in Rach Gia. We feel that it was the way we got to know the people and the patients in the hospital. Everyone in the neurology ward recognized us and would come up and ask about the glasses because they had heard from someone else. We were even stopped in the parking lot one day, where 3 old men were waiting for us. They had been afraid to ask earlier, but they had seen us give the glasses to so many people that they had finally gotten the courage to ask. We received so many toothless smiles from the old men and women who accepted our gift to their community. More than that, it was just so fun to see their eyes brighten as they realized that they could finally see again.

Typical setting of our interviews

A patient's touch

 Street food for the soul

We headed to the ICU and interviewed one last patient before breaking for lunch. Tien’s mom had invited us to eat at her food stand, so the four of hopped on 2 bikes and headed for Tien’s home once more. His mom was sitting outside, hat on head, manning her small street food station. She had 2 toddler sized tables and her one table where all the food was patiently waiting for us. She was cooking her banh xeo with batter made from scratch. People would drive up on their motorbikes and order from the streets and then take the food home. Tien’s mom also had homemade papaya salad, egg rolls, bi cha (shredded pork), and bun (vermicelli noodles). For lunch, Scott and I ordered a papaya salad each, and Ngan ordered egg rolls with bun. Tien whipped himself up a bowl of bun. The food was so tasty and fresh that we really wished that we had come here sooner, not on our last day in Rach Gia. After the salad, Scott and I shared another dish—bun with egg rolls and fresh herbs. It was probably the best I have ever had. The ones in the States cannot compare. The bowl had a certain nuttiness and aroma to it, and her egg rolls were filled with fresh taro root and mung bean. Tien’s mom then surprised us by refusing to let us pay for the meal. We had just eaten so much! We tried so hard to ask Tien and his mom if we could pay for the meal, and she resolutely refused. Her answer was, “Just remember us when you go back home.” Again, another demonstration of her genuine hospitality.

A loyal patron (Credit: Audrey)

Tien's mother

The chef doing her magic

Time out

After lunch, the four of us went to the traditional hospital to find more patients, since we only interviewed 2 that morning. We hopped on a taxi and headed out. The traditional hospital had only 1 patient for us, whom I examined and Tien interviewed. The patient was from Phu Quoc. We also had one last pair of glasses left. We saw an old patient from the general hospital who had been transferred here, and we greeted the family and asked how she was doing. She looked a little better, and the family agreed. We asked if the father needed glasses, and unfortunately, the one we had was too strong for him. All of sudden people from all over the hospital were crowding around us, asking for the last pair. Somehow, we had misplaced the eye chart and did not want to fit anyone without it to prevent them from telling us they needed the glasses or that they fit when they may not. Ngan and I were frantically running around the hospital looking for it, backtracking to all the rooms we had been in, and it turned out that Scott had it in his pocket the entire time. We finally found a lady who needed it, and so we gave it to her but not without a very old man yelling at us for not giving it to someone 80 and older. We said our goodbyes and left the hospital. We were still one patient short of 50, so Ngan, Scott, and I decided to head back to the general hospital. I also had to return an instrument that I had borrowed. One patient had just been admitted during lunch time, so we interviewed him and got our 50^th patient!

Departing in luxury

Afterwards, Ngan and I went to get our nails done. We both got French manicures, and I got a French pedicure. The total was 15,000 Dong, or 75 cents for 2 pairs of hands, and 1 pair of feet. The price was absurdly inexpensive, they were fast, and they did a great job. What a comparison to the $40 mani-pedis in the States—the reason why I always do my own nails. Ngan left us for the night. I had an appointment with Duyen, Thu’s cousin, to pick up the clothes she made for me. Duyen sent her younger brother to pick me up by motorbike at the guesthouse, and we were off. When I got there, she had the dresses waiting for me. They fit me perfectly. The dresses were beautiful and were made from all the silk I had picked out. I also had 2 dresses for my sister. Each dress was $7. It was such a wonderful price for the tailor-made dresses. Scott and I spent the rest of the night packing and saying our good byes.

-Audrey

Baby on board

Learning to hang on tight at a young age

Rach Gia sunset

Look at me!