Pre-Viet Nam

Wrote this when I arrived but Internet was down. I will be posting soon about Ha Noi. Unfortunately, I forgot the cord to my camera that connects to a computer to upload pictures so those won't be up for a while. I need to find a camera shop to buy a cord. Today is my last full day in Ha Noi until late July and it's been storming since 2am but I'm still going out to play. Be back soon!

I made it!!! I'm currently in Hanoi, Viet Nam in the Old Quarter which I always want to call the French Quarter for some reason. 

!!!!Viet Nam!!!! I really never thought I would actually return when I left it in the summer of 2009. Of course part of me said I would, but you know that feeling in your heart of hearts that says "yeah right, who are you trying to fool?!? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity."- this was just that. There have been several of those moments in my life and I really did never return- literally and figuratively, really...So I'm blowing my own mind to be back here!!

Anyway, before I start to bore you with details about arriving to Ha Noi, I have to tell you what my Wednesday was like getting ready back in Hoa Ky (USA). I had to work the first part of the day then Carly (good friend, colleague, n roomie) n I took our our staff out to lunch. It was a fabulous distraction from the craziness of packing up and getting to the airport. 

After that I decided I still wasn't ready to head home and face packing (I know I should've been packing weeks before: definitely some self-sabotage triggers happening for me on this trip. To be explored n assessed at a later time) so I went shopping for a few things I felt I still needed like...luggage, haaa! If you know me well, you know I've had THE worst luck with luggage! It doesn't matter where and how much I've paid- that shit always falls apart on me for one reason or another. I think I've had luggage from every place who sells it except walmart n target- something always happens to it! The best one was when my friend Diego tried to help me by dragging my luggage across the train tracks, got the wheel stuck on the track, yanked it n kept on walking, only to discover he left a damn wheel on the track! That was the start of our trip too so it sucked hauling that shit around. Seriously though, no joke, luggage hates me!! I can't lie though, I do have a pretty good piece right now that I don't use often because it's so big. My friend Alex calls it the "blue coffin" and hates when I use it to visit in L.A. He has a point though- it's huge! I got it as a trade in at jcpenney once when I returned some other pieces that fell apart. Anyway, I stopped at Ross this time and got a nice giant tote that fit evvvvvvverything!! Nice n light (not after i filled it) and hopefully sturdy enough to survive the month's abuse ;o) ...there's always tape if it doesn't and oh indeed I brought some this time, haha!

Of course buying luggage wasn't enough of a distraction so I stopped by Party City to see what kinds of things I could get for the kiddies. The last time I came to Viet Nam, I brought licorice and dum-dum lollipops, pounds of it. People tripped out on this stuff. I was very amused but also concerned that I was introducing processed crap to them, especially in the rural areas. I also felt horrible that kids just yanked off the wrapper n tossed it on the ground! It's a tough concept, I came to think at the time and not to be stereotypical either, for the Vietnamese to think it's bad to just toss stuff on the ground. Why? Well because they don't have tons of processed crap like we do, especially in the rural areas. If they eat fruit or veggies and toss the pit or peel to the ground, it's actually a good thing! Then here we come giving them un-biodegradable crap they can't return to the earth. Yeah thanks Hoa Ky for trashing such a beautiful country :o(

Stay with me now! I know I can run several stories at a time, but don't get lost ;o) I found several things at Party City, I thought would be fitting for the kiddies in Da Nang and I went ahead and got some candy for the kids in both countries- with wrappers :o( Fear not- an update on my observations of Ha Noi is that they have been cleaning up the city like crazy! There are trashcans everywhere and the streets don't have much trash like I remember. Yay!!!! I'm hoping I can ask everyone to toss their wrappers in the trash without being invasive or controlling in Da Nang which I expect will be a lot cleaner than the busy city of Ha Noi. If my attempts fail, I will just go around cleaning up like I did last time...they laughed at me in Thanh Hoa when I got into the garden area and picked up trash they flung into it...cute. 

Back to packing- I finally went home and started around 6:30pm. My flight was leaving at 1:30am and I was an hour away from the airport, by car. So if I wanted to be there within the 2-3hr timeframe set for international travel and I was still planning to leave my car at my friend Jenny's place in Pinole, take a bus to a nearby BART station and take BART out....calculating, calculating...I should leave no later than...9:30pm! Fabulous! There was still plenty of time...to do laundry n chat with Carly...then pack! Yes I already told you there were some triggers going on here! A big issue was money. I made a huge mistake thinking my job, like my previous job, paid out deferred pay in a lump sum for summer- they don't! It continues to be month to month, ugh! Soooooo, I spent money (actually overspent) earlier in May that I thought would be compensated in June- errrrrrrrrrrrr, WRONG! Then- the folks we made all our arrangements with drop a surprise request the last few days before departure- please pay cash upfront for ALL accommodations! Ack!! Last time I was able to use my credit card for some of the costs so I could keep cash on hand for any unexpected situations. Now they wanted cash and I'm broke? Good one! I know I have limited access to ATM here too and all the money comes out in Vietnamese Dong (VND- and pronounced "daom" btw! It's a flapping "d" and puff out those cheeks when you get to the "m"). Yes that's a major trigger for me being that I'm a super crazy OCD freak about paying things on time and never bouncing a check. Not a good way to start a trip.

Packing, yes the packing! Don't get me wrong- I'm still very much a freak about packing and preparing for any trip (I had 3 pages of very detailed lists waiting to be checked off) but I was definitely procrastinating. Somewhere in my head there was a script running itself over n over that I shouldn't be going on this trip for a lot of different reasons- money, one of them and tied to several other reasons because of that, family another. I'm kind of worried that my grandpa might die while I'm away and I won't get to be there for the process and closure. I did get to visit him one last time this month on father's day and told him where I was going and why. It triggered his memory and he said he remembered I'm a teacher and I have a big heart because I work with the Deaf. He remembered I talk with my hands- cute! He told me I was the most distinguished grandchild he had and that I came out like him, hardworking with a good head. I almost cried because my mom is right- no matter how much he forgets who's who and what's what, he definitely remembers my mother and her children! It has to be because we practically lived at grandma n grandpa's house and my aunt Ruth (my mom's baby sis) and I are more like sisters than anything else. I'm glad he still knows me. I will take whatever I can get from him. He's 90yrs old, living with dementia, and within the past 6 months I've watched him whither away dramatically. It's pretty amazing actually- to see this strong, funny, witty, active man in September be shriveled, shaky, unable to walk, forgetful, and  fearful in June. He's lived a long hard but good life. He's probably the only consistently kind, stable, gentle, loving man I've ever had in my life. Yep, I'd say so. He's definitely been a daddy to me and my older sister, so much so that we've always called him "apa" like his own kids instead of grandpa. I do hope I get to see him again in September for his birthday...but I know what's coming either way- just don't let it be while I'm overseas, is all...so yes lot's running through my head but that's just two major concerns. I packed up and checked off my list as Carly laughed at how meticulous I was...whatever! Let's not talk meticulous "Mikawlee" hehe _\m/ ....7pm, 8pm, 8:30pm and I'm still going through my lists and talking on the phone with my mom and my friend Jenny about how I was getting to the airport. Turns out it was going to be a challenge because transportation was limited in Pinole, ack! I really couldn't worry about that anyway because I needed to finish packing and getting things done at home before I left...9pm, 9:30pm and I was starting to panic. I checked the BART schedule and if I didn't get to it by 10:30pm I was looking at arriving at SFO after 12am, not good! 10pm and I'm finally dragging my bag downstairs and on the phone with a frantic Jenny telling me I'm going to miss my flight- she's right, aaaahhhh!!! Carly was fast asleep by then. That girl goes to bed with the sun! I double checked everything and woke up Carly to say goodbye. She insisted she should drive me as she fell back into bed, haha! 10:24pm and I'm finally out the door with my mother calling me too- don't fly away without telling me! Finally on the road!!! Ok next area of focus- transportation. Really though, was I trying to miss my flight or what?!? 

10:45pm and I'm in Pinole wondering if I should risk calling a taxi, taking BART, or what! My mother called again and this time I was indeed freaking out! Ok, ok, let's look at this carefully. First of all I'm broke! Second of all if I call a taxi it's going to be about 100$ at least but if I park at SFO that's a billion bucks...but it can wait til I get back- see how this works? This is how we get ourselves into debt so pay close attention! 

Ok, fuck it! Driving to SFO in my car and I will worry about paying hundreds of dollars later...and anyway it's 11:04pm so there really isn't much time left...and off I went. While driving- and please don't get mad or tell on me- I checked for the cheapest parking lots around. Ok cool, found one, let's do this! Of course I had to get nervous and make a wrong turn in San Francisco so all of a sudden I'm on a freeway to somewhere west, like Burlingame or San Bruno or something, ack!! 11:40pm, tick-tock! Ok now I was really fucking up! No exits for a while and it went from one freeway to another! Good one noralita, gooooood one!!! I figured out my way back and went looking for this cheap parking lot...found it!! It's now minutes til midnight. Will I even be able to check in my luggage at this point?!? 

Pulled up to the place and fear struck! Oh no hell no!!! I can't do this!!! Talk about shady!!! Who cares if they jacked my car, ain't worth much but I sure the fuck wasn't about to get down alone and in the dark in that place!!! It was dark, isolated, and there were a lot of big trucks like something else was happening. Nope! Nope! Can't do it!!! Now wtf am I going to do?!?!? Ok well seeing as how there was less than an hour and a half left to be on the plane and wherever I went I would still have to shuttle over for at least 15-30minutes I was about to have an anxiety attack! Respira profundo noralita! Let's just park it at long-term at SFO! I called my mom and told her and she suggested they come pick up my car and take it home. Yay!! Now to figure out how to leave my key! I wanted to leave her my car to begin with so she could have it checked out while I'm away but my brother didn't make it up to take it like I was hoping. Ok problem solved...but I'm still not ready to board! 12:15am and I'm racing to the airport...what a loooooong drive to the parking lot! 12:25am, found a ground level spot, score!!! It was freeeeezing outside...as always...as I pulled out my giant bag and backpack. 12:27am, hurrry up!!! I took my key off the ring and remember that tape I told you I packed??? Yeah good thing! Rrrrrrrip, tape, tape! Taped my key to the car, texted Carly and called my mom to let them both know where the car and key were and off I went to chase a shuttle! Omg, am I going to make it or what?!?!? Obviously I did but wow!!! The shuttle guy told me not to worry- he works the late shift and sees people checking in for that scheduled flight up to 15min before departure- daaaaaaaamn!!!! I thought I was bad! Ok ok though, I decided to trust him. 

12:52am people!!! That's when I checked in my luggage! Ha! I made it! So this woman has me unpacking all of my things and rearranging because my bag was too damn heavy! Really though? Because Carly said I could just pay! 20lbs over, move more into another bag. Ugh!! I was sweaty and tired and anxious! After I moved 14lbs to another bag and said I can't do anymore- it was totally messing up my neatly packed items and I was freaking out-she says "or you can just pay 30$" and she giggled "put everything back, put it back again" !!What the fuck!! That's just cruel! Argh!! I put everything back, 1:07am, and got my ticket...really, though?!?!? Ok well all checked in and good to go! Yay!!! Security was a breeze! Nobody there except me! I hurried down to my gate- it had to be the one at the very end of fucking course! 1:22am and whoooooooo, I made it, I made it!! Now all that was left was to make sure I didn't drown or implode on the way over- no big deal!!!

Ok I need to eat! More on my fun ride into Ha Noi later today.