In Da Nang

Views from the train.  Finally on the coast!

After my train companions departed in Hue, I had a few hours to enjoy the scenery and prepare for arrival into Da Nang. 

My hotel room is small, quaint, and adorned with essentials (and a tv).  The only stations in English are MTV, CNN, and National Geographic.  I’m grateful for two of those.  

My bathroom might come off as a tad strange to an unaccustomed American, but I love it.  As you can probably see in the picture, I have the biggest shower ever!   ….because its floor is composed of the entire room.  The sink, shower, and toilet are all under the same floor, which is awesome.  Talk about morning multi-tasking.

My awesome bathroom.

After checking into my hotel, I had a few hours to shower and put things away, before observing a class being taught at my English school.  I welcome any opportunity to watch our English teachers in action – they have a terrific way with the kids and although I have teaching experience, this is a whooole new can of worms.  This class was attended by teenagers who will have me as a teacher next week, so it was a great benefit to meet them beforehand.  Their questions:  How old are you, and can you speak Vietnamese.  I’m looking forward to working with teens, and seeing this class again on Monday. 

After observing, I set out on a trek for my first Da Nang dinner, and boy did they deliver.  I found a restaurant which cooked your meat on a table-top burner, and I had the most delicious seasoned beef of my life (Bo nướng sate nhỏ), combined with greens and a large round crisp cracker type thing.  The young female servers found great pleasure in snickering at my knowledge (or lack) of how to eat these dishes, and I had no problem laughing along with them.  Eventually they just showed me what to do.  Vietnam food has been very good to me, and the beer is cheap!  

One interesting thing to note: Karaoke is so popular here, that even if live karaoke isn't happening in a restaurant, the speakers will fill the dining area with sounds of popular American, Korean and Vietnamese songs sung through karaoke.  Whyyyy?

Ready to ride!

Da Nang has many contrasting qualities to Hanoi.  Her locals are nicer, I receive daily warm smiles, waves, and “Hello!”s from fast traveling moto drivers and small children (a co-worker of mine calls it “drive-by English”).  For the most part, I don’t get a different price than locals.  Since Da Nang isn’t really on the tourist circuit (thankfully), most locals know little or no English, and they are fascinated with how white fair-skinned westerners are.  Often I am the subject of iPhone pictures, and they don’t hide the fact that they’re doing it.  Some are offended by this act, but I don’t mind it.  I’m a celebrity!

Even in stifling heat, many women wear long sleeves that have built-in hand covers, or they’ll wear gloves, and face/neck covers while driving their motorbikes to “preserve the complexion.”  So it seems crazy to some Vietnamese women that western fair-skinned women would want to wear very little clothing during these hot, sunny days.  I wonder how they’ll think of me after I get a lobster sun burn…

The hotel

This morning, I had breakfast at a restaurant called Bread of Life.  This is a very well-known restaurant for many reasons, some being their Western menu, good prices, and completely deaf wait staff.  The owners, an American couple, have a goal to empower the central Vietnam Deaf community with vocational training, sign language skills, and accommodations.  One of the owners, Kathleen, has a well known reputation for helping new residents in Da Nang, and I could not have predicted the extent of this generosity.  After I had finished my meal, Kathleen walked into the restaurant.  As I was trying to figure out how to introduce myself, she noticed an unfamiliar face, sat down next to me, and asked how I was doing and the nature of my stay in Da Nang.  After I explained my employment and my background in sign language, she and I had a long conversation over the differences between ASL (American Sign Language) and VSL (Vietnamese Sign Language).  There are many, many similarities which I was elated over because our conversation continued into the restaurant’s kitchen, where I met every member of their staff (all deaf), and was even able to converse with some of the Vietnamese twenty-somethings who knew some ASL.  What a rush!!   In a city where I can’t communicate with 98% of its locals, my bridge here was sign language. 

After meeting her entire staff, Kathleen invited me to her home, where I would look at her scooters and motorbikes for rent.  I hopped sidesaddle onto the back of her scooter (shouldn’t have worn a skirt this morning) and we were off!  She showed me her tailor and a few other spots of interest on the way to where she has lived for the past 11 years.  I cannot give enough praise to this woman and her family, who take in new residents under their wings without hesitation.

 

View from my room

So, in short, I love it here.  Yes, there will be many differences I will figure out and accept, but on the whole, I feel as though my huge antsy itch has been very sufficiently scratched.  Every day brings new sights, wonders, relationships, ways to mime with locals, savory food, and new norms that turn my understanding of life upside down and leave me in awe and humbled by this unique country.