Anh: A Local vendor
Anh. A local vendor that I made daily food purchases from, and I had a conversation. Very limited due to us both being pretty crap at each others language. There was a lot of miming involved. Stupid giant white woman making faces at gentle humble Vietnamese man, Embarrassing. He knew I was looking for long term accomodation. At this time in Hoi An the zillions of expats had not yet arrived, and there was not an easy way to rent a house.
He took me to his home, and showed me around. Where his daughters slept, where the kitchen was, how effective the bum gun worked (hahahahaha I will never forget that moment, and his smiling cheeky face) etc etc.
We pointed, shook heads and showed fingers. A deal was struck. In 2 months time, I would return, live in his sweet little house across the road from the rice paddies in my favourite hamlet in Hoi An.
However things changed a little between then and then. I had a bicycle accident with my little boy (we are fine, please don’t ask), and I had a new level of fear onboard. So I decided that when I return to Hoi An, I will stay with my friend who runs a guesthouse, with 24hr reception. That way, if ever I need help, it will be easily accessed. I had no way of telling Anh.
When I arrived, I met my friend, checked in, and asked my friend to tell Anh that I would be staying with her and not him.
Unfortunately when I saw Anh, I saw his face. He was absolutely devastated. I had NO IDEA in my naive privileged ways how big a deal it was for him to move his family out of a house, apply for a licence and prepare for my arrival, and then for me to not come. I was a total dick. I felt like crap, but I was so poor, and did not have enough money to reimburse him, and pay for my other accomodation at the same time.
Over the years, every time I return, I find him, and give him large wads of cash. I have made financial amends now. But I have also done something else. I have learnt from this. I don’t go back on my word when I connect with Vietnamese friends anymore. When I book their services for tours, I pay them. I don’t cancel. If they were expecting the money, because I booked them, they get it.
In the future, when I run tours, I will be more upfront. My Vietnamese friends and tour partners are my priority. I am literally having a love affair with Vietnam, and I want my tour guests to come to the orgy. I want to show you how awesome the Vietnamese are. I will try and convince you that Vietnamese culture is far superior to your own shitty capitalist culture, I will entice you to change your ways and your thinking, and be Vietnamese. I do not care about your comfort levels, your preconceived ideas about how I should run my business or how bloody comfortable your pillow is. If you complain about the food, I will take it personally, because, “I am having a love affair with Vietnam” and you have just insulted one of the worlds best chefs, and more than likely you know shit about Vietnamese food. But I don’t care what you know. I care about what the Vietnamese vendor knows. And you should too.
