I look forward to Saturdays here in Duc Hoa, these days give me my little bit of the UK. I watch live Premier League football, well it is almost live, there is about a 2 minute delay. It is not guaranteed, like most things in Vietnam, so far the streaming has slowed up too much, so the link drops out and the electric has bit the dust after a storm. The football is shown more than in the UK, it is possible to watch an early kick-off, 12.45, UK time, a 3 o’clock kick-off and if you can keep your eyes open, a late kick-off, 17.30. I have only managed one late kick-off, so far when Sunderland were playing Chelsea, this is when the streaming went tits up, so I missed the second goal and about 15 minutes of the 2nd half, but I stuck at it, due to Sunderland being in the lead. I put up the BBC live score page, whilst I kept retrying to get the streaming going. How sad is that? It did go to 0-2 whilst it was off and although it was about 1 a.m. here, I’m glad I stuck at it and saw Sunderland’s 3rd goal. We usually get a good hiding at Stamford Bridge, but this is a phenomenal result. OK OK, no more football. I do get a spring in my step when it is Saturday though. I have tried listening into BBC 5 live, which is OK until there is a live commentary, then it is blocked. The same happened when I tried to watch “Later with Jules”. I’d like to know why it is blocked. Perhaps it is the Vietnamese superstition working against me, telling me to go native and forget the UK. I don’t miss much from the UK and as I am seeing more football here than in the UK, I don’t miss that, although it is different. DEFINITELY ENOUGH FOOTBALL.
Auntie Thuy has come to visit today, with her son, Nam. Kids are the same the world over, if you let them get away with murder, then, happily, they will. He is a little bugger, but a clever one. He runs everyone ragged, well almost everyone. Thuy and Thuong are sisters, but like chalk and cheese, except in looks. Thuy is quiet and likes a laugh. Thuong like to talk, play badminton and get the feeling she will put a spell on you if you cross her, but I get along with both and Thuong is good exercise for me, she is a lot better at badminton than I am, Thuy is pretty good too. Dung is useless.
What a good life it is here, playing badminton bare foot on the lawn in front of the house, before the sun gets too high and hot, whilst avoiding the duck and goose shit. There’s a tap at the side of the house, so it doesn’t really have to be avoided. I wish I could understand Nam, he seems a 2 year old character. We do exchange fives now, which is American really, but seems more childish than a handshake. Aptly.
Tea is duong Dung’s fish again tonight and very nice again too. It is a great occasion, in fact most meals are. Everyone sits around on the tiled kitchen floor with the food laid out inside the family circle. The rice is seated at the head of the circle, if such a place exists and is dished out, usually by one of the ladies, as a person empties their bowl and the rest is dig in time, except where the choicest bits of food are concerned, that is Vietnamese choicest, e.g. fish heads and tails, chicken’s feet and heads, the internal organs of whatever, these tasty delicacies are usually dished out to the senior members by the children, or younger members. It is a sign of respect, I guess and love. They have learned not to send them in my direction. Some things I don’t mind, but chickens feet are hard work for little gain, as far as I can see, but I am probably wrong. The same goes for fish heads, there is not a lot of meat there. I think the eyes are quite prized too. It is the belief that if you eat brains, you will become brainier, or eat liver and it increases the health of your liver. Now I know how our Mick is so brainy. The rest of us must have been deprived for his sake. PHEW.
There is a strong movement within Vietnam, well at least within this family, to get Gil fat, or keep him as fat as he is. Everyone tries to stuff more food in my bowl and encourage me to eat more bowls of rice, even drink more beer. I don’t understand where my urge to drink beer goes, when we come here, but it is not so great as when in the UK. Not a bad thing I guess. I don’t need encouraging to eat cake though, that desire has not dissipated. I often sit on the veranda, at night, with a pot of tea and a piece of cake, my laptop or a book or both. The kids don’t come around so much as last time we were here, so far only one double visit in one night, the first for a laugh and to take the mickey out of the Brit and the second to learn a bit of English. They are very keen, especially Luom, the lad from next door. I got the laptop out with my Vietnamese lessons and tried to use them, they were chuffed to be using the laptop, more than learn English I think. One late arrival was giang ho, a very popular saying here. The dictionary says “errant”, which is probably close, but the usage is wider, anyone who bucks any kind of normality or tradition seems to get the giang ho tag. It is used in a very comely manner mostly. I use it if I hurt myself and am asked if it hurts, my reply is “No way, I’m giang ho” This usually gets a laugh. Most of us probably have some giang ho in us. Anyway back to the late arrival, he was trying to mess with the keyboard and mouse, so I gave him a slap and a “dung” (don’t) that curtailed his actions and the other kids marshalled him afterwards. He is a good young ‘un too, just likes a bit of fuss, not so giang ho after all.
Getting back to the family gathering, all the washing up is done and Luan chipped in here, I think this will be a one off, but hopefully not. It is not the done for men to wash up in Vietnam. Luan just used it as an excuse to stand next to Tu and have a bit of body contact without too much supervision. Tu fusses over Luan like a mother hen, it must be love, but Luan is a bit more distant, shy under anyone’s gaze, but I did see him put his arm around her waist when he escorted her back to her moto to head off back to work. Luan is at college in HCMC, but whenever he is at home Tu turns up for dinner and tea. She will walk in from work, at dinner time, usually with some food in the form of vegetables, herbs or fruit and put them down and start to wash up, or if all that has been done, she’ll sweep the floor. I think she is trying to encourage Luan to get married. She will move in here from her parents once they are married. She will be a definite bonus for Nu around here, she won’t have to do much house work, as that is Nu domain and she won’t release it. Tu works hard too, not only at work, but at home too. Her parents run a temple and Tu puts more than a full shift in there, before and after work. She doesn’t begrudge it, she has a strong belief and follows most of the Vietnamese suspicions etc, as far as I can see. People having hard times get a bit of refuge in the temple, a few nights bed and board for free and some help to put them back where they belong. Tu helps a lot of these people out, sneaking them extra food and giving money for transport to family members elsewhere in Vietnam. Typical are people who have lost their homes locally, but have families elsewhere in Vietnam, or people who are poorly and have nobody to look after them. I am told, it is a rare occurrence for a temple to give such assistance. The temple came about from Tu’s grandmother, who was the wife of a high ranking and famous Viet Cong. She used some of their wealth to build and establish the temple. It has become a family legacy, promised to be continued. The family are very rich and very able to run the temple, but it is not a ball and chain, from what I have seen, it is a labour of love and the place is very well respected by at least the local people, but probably further afield, due to Tu Granddad’s fame. He has parks and main roads all over Vietnam named after him. For completeness, his name is Vo Van Tan.
And that is this one complete.
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