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CHRISTMAS
Christmas came and went even in Tuyen Quang. Celebrated with a few decorations and Christmas trees if not the religious ceremony. We were a bit down in the lead-up, afraid we'd miss the family too much. So it was a lovely surprise when one of the staff, her husband and baby son called in on Christmas Eve bringing us a Christmas cake. Not our traditional kind. They do very elaborate customised sponge cakes for all occasions here (the staff had even arranged one for Owen's birthday a week earlier) and this one even came with a "firework" candle. It was a lovely gesture and really cheered us up.
Without the horrendous build up like at home (don't worry I'm sure that'll come here in the lead up to Tet) Christmas Day crept up on us rather. It was a normal working day and the university had it's annual day-long (!) year-in-review meeting starting at 8am. Fortunately as it was to be conducted in Vietnamese, and not really relevant for Owen, he was just required to go for the first hour or so for the introductions and had the rest of the day off, which was nice. We decided to go into town and look for a special lunch, and ended up at the cafe in the newest hotel and ordered steak and chips. Very traditional!! It was only the second western meal we'd had since arriving in Vietnam.
After lunch we headed off to find the town church, to see what was happening there in the way of Christmas festivities. Then a long walk and several stops for directions later, we eventually found it on a hilltop overlooking the town and it was a traditional, slightly rundown typical old church with old carved figurines which I'm sure could tell a story. It was deserted apart from a few sightseers like us, but an outdoor stage set up suggested there had been some celebrations on Christmas Eve. There were several interesting nativities set up in the grounds and Christmas trees with polystyrene snow and some mixed metaphors.
It was a busy day with lots of sms, email and Facebook conversations with family and friends despite the internet misbehaving. It's seemed a bit quiet since.
A late trip to the supermarket and we decided to treat ourselves to a bottle of Dalat special red wine (we'd learnt from experience, the red was more palatable than the white), seeing it was Christmas - only to discover that when we got it home it had a cork and we had no corkscrew. Never mind, we were too full from lunch to eat much for dinner anyway. Boxing Day we managed to buy a corkscrew and a BBQ duck from the market and with oversize chips to approximate roast potatoes (no oven) we had our almost traditional Christmas lunch with "special" Vietnamese wine. For those who remember Lanzhou - at least it wasn't a turkey cooked in a wok!
DAY TO DAY
I've pretty much adjusted back to the land of heavy honking, rock hard mattresses, little plastic stools and mosquito nets. (Well, perhaps not the loud horns, definitely not the mattresses, the stools just about - and one always remembers something the minute the mosquito net is all nicely tucked in). The main road through our area carries a lot of traffic to and from the Chinese border. Trucks and buses as well as cars and motorbikes - even a few brave locals cruise up and down on bicycles. Trucks and buses tend to straddle the line, avoiding the pedestrian and lighter traffic on the edges, honking loudly and it can be quite deafening.
There are strict rules about food here. What's cooked with what and what dipping sauce goes with what and it doesn't pay to get it wrong. When I cook I tend to make it up as I go along. Spices and flavourings are a bit limited locally. There's a lot of soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar and chilli sauce used: also the market has lots of certain fresh herbs, mainly varieties of coriander, mints, dill and lemon grass - so I use them in varying combinations as the fancy takes me. But I dread having to admit how I cook stuff.
When we first arrived we were given little gifts of food by several people - from the next door neighbours to the university staff. I think it's customary. It's also customary to get mini "interrogations" - everything from the not surprising "where are you from", family, etc, but also to age (so they know what to call you - complicated), what did you buy, how much did it cost etc.. So when asked if we enjoyed the fish given by one of the staff, she wanted to know how I'd cooked it - and was slightly aghast to hear I'd made a sauce with tomatoes and aubergines (There'd been loads of beautiful looking ones in the market that day). Aubergines are never cooked with fish - they're usually cooked with snails.
No fusion food here - not sure what kind of reception Luke Nguyen would receive. I suspect all those smiling people surrounding him in his TV series are really thinking he just doesn't have any idea how to cook.
The locals don't shop up and store in the fridge like we do at home. There are usually two market stopovers per day. Around 11.30 on the way home to cook lunch, and again around 4.30 on the way home for dinner, and they just buy what they need. The market is crazy at those times. My market shopping tends to be a bit random. I wander round and buy what looks appealing, if there's good looking broccoli I'll buy some even if I don't intend to cook it that day, 'cos it might't be there tomorrow. I'm sure the stallholders must look at what I buy and wonder what on earth I'm going to cook. They must be totally bemused by the combinations of things I buy. I'm slowly learning to shop twice a day and not buy too much at a time, but there's so much there it's hard not to overdo it. I think I'm also learning the correct combinations - as soon as I buy something I'm immediately offered something else which I assume is what is supposed to go with it.
One thing I found difficult at first was buying meat from the market. In Quang Ngai I mainly bought it from the supermarket, although I did sometimes buy from my local stall at the end of the lane. My rule of thumb there was to go early and if the ice in the bowl hadn't yet melted, I reckoned it hadn't been there too long. Didn't have any problems with that system. However here the supermarket doesn't sell meat so the only option is to buy it off the street. And they don't have bowls with ice (colder weather? Wonder what will happen in summer?) Nervous at first, I figured if everyone else does it I can too. I buy meat first thing in the morning and only get prawns if they're still jumping.
Speaking of colder weather. When we first arrived the weather was very cold - much colder than we expected. Maximums in the low teens. We'd been warned it would be cold but couldn't believe it would be that cold. In Quang Ngai people donned parkers and gloves when the temperature hit 25 degrees. I'd brought a few changes of winter clothes but nothing dressy. A couple of cardigans and a Kathmandu type jacket. Also several pairs of sandals but only lace up walking shoes. So ... as a matter of urgency I went off and bought some ankle boots and had a jacket made (there are dozens of tailors and the Vietnamese sizes off the shelf are too small).
I'd noticed a tailor just around the corner from our house, opposite where we go for breakfast pho sometimes, and the quality of their garments looked good. The weather wasn't warming up, so I thought nothing ventured nothing gained, took a deep breath and fronted up one day to have a go. I've learnt that while the tailors do an excellent job you have to have something for them to copy or a photo - and even then it's not easy to get exactly what you're after. I googled and found a photo of what I wanted and showed it on my phone. The lady took a photo of my phone with her phone and after much gesticulating, pointing, checking of the dictionary on my phone - even a quick call to one of the staff at the university, I headed home, measured up, fabric chosen and fingers crossed. A few days later I went back for a fitting - managed to get the shoulder size reduced a bit, but I wasn't allowed to have the shoulder pads removed completely - and a couple of days after that I collected my new jacket. Just in time too as we were invited to dinner with the Rector and his staff and family on New Years Eve. I'm very pleased with both, but could have kicked myself when the jacket arrived with large gold buttons. You'd think I'd have learnt after Quang Ngai!! (For those who go back that far)
- comments
Zig Hi Avenel, Sounds like you're settling in very well. I don't think I'd enjoy the food shopping part but designing and having clothes made by a tailor sounds like fun - even if one does get GOLD buttons!The Birthday and Christmas cakes look very fancy - were they tasty and most parts edible? Love your blogs. Cheers, Zig x
hendersons Hi Avenal and Owen. What I would give for some of the cold weather you are experiencing. It has been extremely hot and there have been dreadful fires in the south-west. Coolup has been hit heavily; many houses and the railway workshop museum razed to the ground. It's all very sad and devastating for the people affected. I enjoyed your Blog. Look forward to the next instalment. Love from us both Helen
Penny Storey Hi Avenel and OwenGreat to hear you have settled inSounds like an amazing experience Still full of admiration for your get up and go retirement( obviously not) planLooking forward to the next instalment Take care of yourselves RegardsPenny