Everybody's Gone Surfin... [Part One]

If you're a traveler and you don't know what Couchsurfing.org is by now, you are missing out on one of the most brilliant programs invented since Craigslist.  Why is couchsurfing even better than Craigslist? It's free!  I know, I know, there is an inherent danger in sleeping near people you don't know.  Of the million people I host or surf with, the one rotten apple wouldn't have allowed me to have a "well, I won't be inviting THAT Bundy over for tea again" reflection. But I made a conscious decision during this adventure to trust people that I don't know, and so far, it has given me a wealth of positive experiences, none of which I regret.

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."  Hebrews 13:2

So after surfing friendly homes in three countries, I decided that it was my turn to give back and welcome travelers into our home in Da Nang.  We have ample space for supertramps, and with my roommates' permission, we embarked on a two-week extreme hosting mission - three surfers back-to-back.  There were many travelers in town for the International Fireworks Competition (very cool two-day festival where five countries - including USA who ended up winning - put on extreme fireworks shows with musical accompaniment.  It was magical).  Our three surfers all happen to have been from the US but held very different life stories.  

Our first surfer, Eddie, was a writer and editor for a popular magazine in Vietnam.  It was nice meeting another fellow expat who was working and living off of a salary other than English teaching.  He lived in HCMC and was traveling through Da Nang for work.  Our night started with a very delicious favorite restaurant of mine - we locals lovingly refer to it as "dirty chicken." After that, Eddie mentioned that he had met a few gals who were singing in a cafe and he wanted to go see them.  I agreed and off we went.  We pulled up to a small cafe that I had never been to.  It was chock-full of books and nooks to read in. We were greeted by a girl who was speaking barely above silence, motioning us upstairs.  As we ascended the cement staircase, the walls and ledges offered paint splatters, dried flowers, and the incredible songbird lullaby streaming from the top floor.  Mentally noting that I would never have found this place had I not met eddie, we quietly reclined into middle row seats to take in the bohemian, theater-like room of creative indulgence.  There were guitars, a conga drum, a violin, a piano and a cello, but tonight, a very talented singer, Tien, and her guitar player were serenading the small crowd of listeners.  She sang with a clear, pure sound that could only be described as effulgent.

Afterward, she invited us downstairs to chat.  While we were becoming acquainted with one another, motorbike lights beaconed from the storefront.  It was quite late at this point and I wondered who these approaching visitors could be.  A sleek and scantily-clad Vietnamese girl and a tall, lanky foreigner joined and settled into the conversation as if on cue.  She introduced herself and after some small talk, asked me if I might be interested in tutoring her every day for a week while she was in Da Nang for her boyfriend's job.  A pretty common occurrence, my mind started churning up the regular excuses and polite declines.  I told her we could meet for coffee in a few days, and that I'd check my calendar for other available time slots.
She wrote down her name and number and we left, discussing Tien's singing all the way back to my house.  I carried on more motorbike conversation with Eddie than anyone else I've ever ridden next to.  He made it feel like a natural opportunity to chat, even though it's a stunt trying to keep the same speed and close distance between bikes.  Unfortunately, Eddie was only in town for one day, and we said our goodbyes the next day.

I remembered Tien telling me that this friend of hers who requested the tutoring was quite well known in Vietnam.  I decided to Google her and see what I could find out.  Wow!  It didn't take long to uncover tabloid pics, YouTube videos, concert recaps and blogs about this singer.  She definitely carried rebellious reputation in her choice of hair styles and clothing.

When we met for coffee at the book cafe, I asked her what she wanted her tutoring to be focused on, and she said she wanted to be able to discuss the politics of gender equality in Vietnam.  (Sweet!)  So for our first meeting, we discussed vocabulary and topics like domestic abuse.  The hour flew by, and I looked forward to our next session.  The next time we met, I brought news articles to discuss and dissect   We talked about how to voice and accept/discuss opinions in English.  It was so much fun and she was so down to earth - I kept forgetting that I was tutoring a high-profile singer!

"Opportunities?  They are all around us.  There is power lying latent everywhere waiting for the observant eye to discover it." - Orison Swett Marden

Out of respect to my student, I decided not to publish her name in this blog, but here are some photos of her in her element and then with me, a little more au-natural.  Yes, I am sunburnt.