Just sitting out on the balcony all sorts goes on around the house, from first light until well after dark. During the night too, which was when the chickens went walkabout, probably in someones sack. I never realised when chickens roost at night, you can just walk up to them and grab them. We, Dung, Luan and me have tried catching them in the day and it is not an easy task. There is a big cock comes around from next door, or used to, he came for sex with the hens, but now they are greatly reduces I haven't seen so much of him. Perhaps he is in the pot now. It wasn't easy to get rid of him. At feed time he would chase the hens away from the lua, rice in the husk, so we would scatter him with sticks, bricks or anything that came to hand, but he would walk around the house and come in from the other side. He wouldn't give up easy. He got to the point where when he saw me he would scatter. He would come into the house too and peck a hole in the lua sack to get to the rice and I'm sure he would wait until we went for a nap and come and crow outside the window, because no matter what time we napped he would turn up and crow.
People start coming passed the house from first light selling different wares, mostly to eat, these are the regulars, like the milkman and breadman used to be in the UK. They come all day, although ealry morning and evening are the hot spots for them. Besides the regulars there are the likes of a matress salesman, on a moto, with about 4 double mattresses strapped onto a board on the back of his moto. Some bloke came along selling wooden buddhas, not small either. The ice cream man is a favourite, closely followed by the DVD salesman, who will take swaps in part exchange. He's a happy bloke and always smiles, the kids love him.
The collectors come along too, the plastic and metal collectors, the dog collectors being chased by all the dogs he passes, as he tries to beat them off with a stick. He has to raise his feet when the braver dogs get a bit close.
We live down a small dirt track that, at the moment, goes nowhere, so they have to come off the beaten track. It must be worth their while though.
I got a shout from Dung the other day, she was all excited, so the shout was probably heard in HCMC. Meo, a cousin, had a snake. I was a bit blase at first, as I have seen a few now, but Dung said it was a big one. I found out she had exaggerated a bit, but it still was a big one. Being an expert, I pronounced it non-poisonous. It looked like a python to me. I asked Meo and he told me it was safe. The way everyone was handling it, I thought it must have been, so I had a quick hold, but no cuddle, as some were. Boi, a nephew, wasn't too sure and started to howl when he was pushed towards it, but 2 minutes later he was grasping it. Meo went to get a cage for it from Tieng, Boi's Dad, so he put the snake down on the veranda at Tieng's and it wandered off into the house, nobody seemed bothered. Meo retrieved it and laid it on the veranda, whilst he sorted the cage. One of the local kids started to grab it's tail and it didn't look too happy, but he continued. It wasn't happy!! It jumped up and bit Meo.
He got a few nasty fang holes in his arm and the kid got more than an ear full from a few of the adults. Meo said it was nothing, but I think he was a bit concerned, perhaps not too much, as he just grabbed a cloth and wiped off the blood. Later in the day word spread that Meo had gone to hospital, as he was feeling drowsy. That sent the neighbourhood buzzing. Was it a python, or was it a con nua. So much for my expertise, if the Vietnamese don't know I have no chance. Meo drove himself to the hospital and while he was away the hunt was on for a decision, is it a python or con nua. I wandered down to duong Ba's, Meo's father and there was a lot of talk going on. Nobody seemed to be able to decide. Apparantly a con nua has 9 noses, so everyone is peering into the cage to see if they can count the noses. There certainly looks to be more than 2. Duong Ba asked me what I thought, I must look like an expert too, but I declined to make a decision too. However, I did hightail it to check out the internet. I wasn't having much luck, but Dung had told me how to spell it wrong. We still didn't have much luck when the internet corrected our spelling. It is a clever sod this internet. It did say that you would probably die, if bitten by a con nua and people had been poorly eating it and whilst we were browsing, Meo came home, so I guess I am an expert after all and it is a python.
It caused a lot of anxiety amongst his family. His sister was very down and wanted rid of the snake, but when I mowsied on down their tonight, Meo is still alive and the snake is still in the back yard. Both seem happy enough. The snake has some frogs sitting waiting to be eaten and Meo is still alive.
Staying on the snake theme. I went out walking and didn't see a snake, but that is not the continuation. When Dung finally got out of bed, she followed me, or thought she did. I had hung a left long before she stood on the snake. She said she thought she felt something under her foot and when she looked it was a small snake, she stepped back from it and it just looked at her, probably stunned or deciding if she looked delicious, an old fella came along and told her to leg it, so not being a snake lover she did. He told her that if this one bites you, it makes you feel sleepy. I asked her what it looked like to add to my expertise, but she said she didn't hang around long enough to check it out. She reckons it didn't bite her as she probably stood on its head, no wonder it was stunned, she's not stopped eating for 2 months and has added a couple of kilos. She can't fasten some shorts she used to wear in the UK, but tells me she hasn't put any weight on, fearing she may have to cut back on the eating.
And moving on, I was laid in the hammock, under the trees out front the other day, happily reading and listeniing to some music then Dung came out and started nattering with an auntie over the track, who has a son best described as a waster, but don't take my word for it. Dung and her auntie number 4 started bellowing, but not speaking the lingo I kept out of it. An uncle joined in, then another, then another auntie, then her Dad, then her Mam and then Uncle Tom Cobbly, all bellowing. I was impressed with Tom's Vietnamese. It sounded like World War 3 was breaking out. I wasn't sure what was going on, but had a good incling it was about the cousin. Another cousin walked by and threw me a smile, so I returned it and shrugged my shoulders. Once it had died down and Dung came over, I asked what everyone was arguing about. She told me they weren't, they were just agreeing about the cousin being a tosser, I told you not to take my word for it. I'm glad I didn't go over to defend Dung. When the Vietnamese talk about anything they all raise their voices to higher levels than I can shout. I must confess to having to walk awaay, it gives me a headache. I think they have to shout, as they all talk at the same time, I'm not sure if they are talking about different subject or the same one, but I have a feeling it is the same one. It beats me how anyone hears anyone else. Eating doesn't stop the volume either and no food is spat out, so it must be an age old skill. The telly blaring in the background also contributes. Tellys in Vietnam don't have volume switches they are just supplied at full volume. The same goes for the Karaoke machines and hifi's. So long as you are watching the same channel, if the speakers go on the TV, you can listen to next doors and next doors is probably a good 50 metres away, behind trees. There seemed to be a bit of grumpy old man creeping in there. I have grown used to it now and have a good spot in the middle of the paddy where I can relax and read my books with the snakes, clever snakes.
Keeping on the snake theme... de ja vu as Neo said, I was doing something out the back, chasing that cock I think and Nu shouted me to come and have a look, so I did. Oh yes a worm. She told me she found it in the bathroom, con rang - snake. It was a baby snake, it looked all the world like a brandling to me, until it raised its head to look at me. Nu swept it out of the door and then it didn't raise its head anymore, as she belted it with a brick, in fact it didn't raise anything anymore.
And guess what? More snakes. This is very unusual, a snake glut. I had only seen 2 other than those Hiep caught at his factory. OurSue had called me on Skype, so me and Dung took her for a wander around, it's a great thing this wireless, and Uncle Hiep has brought a bucket of snakes home. A bucket may be an exaggeration, but there were a good few in there. Being an expert, I put my hand in and grabbed one. I will add that I had double, triple and quadruple checked that they werent poisonous and seen several people handling them. He had caught these at the factory too. I don't know what the plans for these were, but possibly the pot or barbecue.
Uncle Dung often passes by and hails me over. He buys bags of old prawn crackers, at least that is what they look like. I haven't tasted one yet. He feeds them to the fish in his pond and they love them, the water boils. Ba Noi, usually sits and watches, as this is early morning, before the heat kicks in. It is relaxing to watch, I don't know why, but it is.
We were sat outside one night and Minh, a young bloke from down the road called in, he was well and truely oiled and carrying an ice cream, like a knickerbockerglory. He had come on his moto, but an ice cream is small potatoes, if you see what I mean, to carry on a moto. It looked good, he had bought it from the ice cream shop up the road. I asked how much and he didn't know, he had sat down with it, then got up and come away with it. I don't know if he will be going back to pay tomorrow, but I doubt he will go far tonight, he is smashed and on the edge of sleeping. If anyone has a light on when Minh passes he stops in. I doubt he has missed a drinking session in years and he always seems the most smashed. Perhaps he is just topping up. He goes over big curbs on his moto, across the rough ground, but never seems to fall off. His moto doesn't look too healthy, come to that, Minh isn't the picture of health.
The mozzies are getting restless, so I think I'll call it a night. Chuc ngu ngon.
People start coming passed the house from first light selling different wares, mostly to eat, these are the regulars, like the milkman and breadman used to be in the UK. They come all day, although ealry morning and evening are the hot spots for them. Besides the regulars there are the likes of a matress salesman, on a moto, with about 4 double mattresses strapped onto a board on the back of his moto. Some bloke came along selling wooden buddhas, not small either. The ice cream man is a favourite, closely followed by the DVD salesman, who will take swaps in part exchange. He's a happy bloke and always smiles, the kids love him.
The collectors come along too, the plastic and metal collectors, the dog collectors being chased by all the dogs he passes, as he tries to beat them off with a stick. He has to raise his feet when the braver dogs get a bit close.
We live down a small dirt track that, at the moment, goes nowhere, so they have to come off the beaten track. It must be worth their while though.
I got a shout from Dung the other day, she was all excited, so the shout was probably heard in HCMC. Meo, a cousin, had a snake. I was a bit blase at first, as I have seen a few now, but Dung said it was a big one. I found out she had exaggerated a bit, but it still was a big one. Being an expert, I pronounced it non-poisonous. It looked like a python to me. I asked Meo and he told me it was safe. The way everyone was handling it, I thought it must have been, so I had a quick hold, but no cuddle, as some were. Boi, a nephew, wasn't too sure and started to howl when he was pushed towards it, but 2 minutes later he was grasping it. Meo went to get a cage for it from Tieng, Boi's Dad, so he put the snake down on the veranda at Tieng's and it wandered off into the house, nobody seemed bothered. Meo retrieved it and laid it on the veranda, whilst he sorted the cage. One of the local kids started to grab it's tail and it didn't look too happy, but he continued. It wasn't happy!! It jumped up and bit Meo.
He got a few nasty fang holes in his arm and the kid got more than an ear full from a few of the adults. Meo said it was nothing, but I think he was a bit concerned, perhaps not too much, as he just grabbed a cloth and wiped off the blood. Later in the day word spread that Meo had gone to hospital, as he was feeling drowsy. That sent the neighbourhood buzzing. Was it a python, or was it a con nua. So much for my expertise, if the Vietnamese don't know I have no chance. Meo drove himself to the hospital and while he was away the hunt was on for a decision, is it a python or con nua. I wandered down to duong Ba's, Meo's father and there was a lot of talk going on. Nobody seemed to be able to decide. Apparantly a con nua has 9 noses, so everyone is peering into the cage to see if they can count the noses. There certainly looks to be more than 2. Duong Ba asked me what I thought, I must look like an expert too, but I declined to make a decision too. However, I did hightail it to check out the internet. I wasn't having much luck, but Dung had told me how to spell it wrong. We still didn't have much luck when the internet corrected our spelling. It is a clever sod this internet. It did say that you would probably die, if bitten by a con nua and people had been poorly eating it and whilst we were browsing, Meo came home, so I guess I am an expert after all and it is a python.
 |
| Meo happy before the bite. |
 |
| Boi not so happy and the lad who caused the bite. |
Staying on the snake theme. I went out walking and didn't see a snake, but that is not the continuation. When Dung finally got out of bed, she followed me, or thought she did. I had hung a left long before she stood on the snake. She said she thought she felt something under her foot and when she looked it was a small snake, she stepped back from it and it just looked at her, probably stunned or deciding if she looked delicious, an old fella came along and told her to leg it, so not being a snake lover she did. He told her that if this one bites you, it makes you feel sleepy. I asked her what it looked like to add to my expertise, but she said she didn't hang around long enough to check it out. She reckons it didn't bite her as she probably stood on its head, no wonder it was stunned, she's not stopped eating for 2 months and has added a couple of kilos. She can't fasten some shorts she used to wear in the UK, but tells me she hasn't put any weight on, fearing she may have to cut back on the eating.
And moving on, I was laid in the hammock, under the trees out front the other day, happily reading and listeniing to some music then Dung came out and started nattering with an auntie over the track, who has a son best described as a waster, but don't take my word for it. Dung and her auntie number 4 started bellowing, but not speaking the lingo I kept out of it. An uncle joined in, then another, then another auntie, then her Dad, then her Mam and then Uncle Tom Cobbly, all bellowing. I was impressed with Tom's Vietnamese. It sounded like World War 3 was breaking out. I wasn't sure what was going on, but had a good incling it was about the cousin. Another cousin walked by and threw me a smile, so I returned it and shrugged my shoulders. Once it had died down and Dung came over, I asked what everyone was arguing about. She told me they weren't, they were just agreeing about the cousin being a tosser, I told you not to take my word for it. I'm glad I didn't go over to defend Dung. When the Vietnamese talk about anything they all raise their voices to higher levels than I can shout. I must confess to having to walk awaay, it gives me a headache. I think they have to shout, as they all talk at the same time, I'm not sure if they are talking about different subject or the same one, but I have a feeling it is the same one. It beats me how anyone hears anyone else. Eating doesn't stop the volume either and no food is spat out, so it must be an age old skill. The telly blaring in the background also contributes. Tellys in Vietnam don't have volume switches they are just supplied at full volume. The same goes for the Karaoke machines and hifi's. So long as you are watching the same channel, if the speakers go on the TV, you can listen to next doors and next doors is probably a good 50 metres away, behind trees. There seemed to be a bit of grumpy old man creeping in there. I have grown used to it now and have a good spot in the middle of the paddy where I can relax and read my books with the snakes, clever snakes.
Keeping on the snake theme... de ja vu as Neo said, I was doing something out the back, chasing that cock I think and Nu shouted me to come and have a look, so I did. Oh yes a worm. She told me she found it in the bathroom, con rang - snake. It was a baby snake, it looked all the world like a brandling to me, until it raised its head to look at me. Nu swept it out of the door and then it didn't raise its head anymore, as she belted it with a brick, in fact it didn't raise anything anymore.
And guess what? More snakes. This is very unusual, a snake glut. I had only seen 2 other than those Hiep caught at his factory. OurSue had called me on Skype, so me and Dung took her for a wander around, it's a great thing this wireless, and Uncle Hiep has brought a bucket of snakes home. A bucket may be an exaggeration, but there were a good few in there. Being an expert, I put my hand in and grabbed one. I will add that I had double, triple and quadruple checked that they werent poisonous and seen several people handling them. He had caught these at the factory too. I don't know what the plans for these were, but possibly the pot or barbecue.
Uncle Dung often passes by and hails me over. He buys bags of old prawn crackers, at least that is what they look like. I haven't tasted one yet. He feeds them to the fish in his pond and they love them, the water boils. Ba Noi, usually sits and watches, as this is early morning, before the heat kicks in. It is relaxing to watch, I don't know why, but it is.
We were sat outside one night and Minh, a young bloke from down the road called in, he was well and truely oiled and carrying an ice cream, like a knickerbockerglory. He had come on his moto, but an ice cream is small potatoes, if you see what I mean, to carry on a moto. It looked good, he had bought it from the ice cream shop up the road. I asked how much and he didn't know, he had sat down with it, then got up and come away with it. I don't know if he will be going back to pay tomorrow, but I doubt he will go far tonight, he is smashed and on the edge of sleeping. If anyone has a light on when Minh passes he stops in. I doubt he has missed a drinking session in years and he always seems the most smashed. Perhaps he is just topping up. He goes over big curbs on his moto, across the rough ground, but never seems to fall off. His moto doesn't look too healthy, come to that, Minh isn't the picture of health.
The mozzies are getting restless, so I think I'll call it a night. Chuc ngu ngon.
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