Hoo-Rah for My Tho (me tah)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Posted by Tootsie & TwoLively

We were awakened by the sound of drums beating (oh the joy of having end-facing rooms...Tootsie and Monte's room is located midway down the hall, so they were oblivious and slept in.) When the drum beating didn't fade or go away, we walked out to the balcony to investigate. Below us, at the nasty restaurant directly across from us, they were having a Dragon Dance--and what a dance it was! (Too bad there weren't any patrons around to see it!) Since Dragon Dances bring luck, and this restaurant needs all the luck it can get, they had about four different dragons dancing. Here's to 2012, Nasty Restaurant!

The only people watching this dance (aside from the restaurant staff) was US--6 stories up!

For our last day in My Tho, we decided to lounge around, and do some last-minute shopping. Glinda, Oz, and Monte returned to the Islands Tour building, to re-visit the souvenirs previously seen there. Tootsie, MarcoPolo and TwoLively headed to a nearby market located just over the bridge from our hotel (discovered completely by happen-stance a few days earlier...and it wasn't packed wall-to-wall/bursting at the seams with people!)

In the marketplace, we found a modern-ish, large, two-story store. The top floor housed books, shoes, and clothes, while the bottom floor was comprised of random items ranging from packaged and fresh foods...to ceramic banks...to foot massagers...and even to lamps, advertised as superb graduation gifts.

Baby in bicycle carrier...crossing the bridge
Cat Tongue?...toys...clocks on sale
Pretty decorative stones (Later: we found out they're inscribed with sad messages)...
Denver, CO--a lil' off course...graduate (pictured on box) hugs mom when given lamp

One item that caught our eye (and our funny-bone) was a two-in-one toothbrush and key ring holder--two items that naturally go together--all in the shape of a hand. The toothbrush went into the wrist hole, while the keys hooked onto a curled pointer finger.

White Elephant gift, anyone?

While we were shopping, the rest of our group met up with us. Glinda later told us, that on their way to the market she heard, "More white people!" from behind her. She turned around to see a Caucasian lady. They both laughed and went on their own way.

MarcoPolo and TwoLively were shopped out, so they returned to the hotel -- while the rest of the group explored the store's second story. To their delight, there were some really awesome shirts featuring Engrish phrases.

Don't hate me cuz you ain't me...Donald Duck from Taxus...Urple
Crrolina...This Is (This is what? Don't leave us hanging!)...Nature Sucks Use More Cars
Toe socks...Strapping hair onto mannequin...Cat Tuong (Tongue?)--shown again, 'cuz it's funny

For our last meal (Wow! That sounded so hard-core, death row...change that to last <restaurant> meal), we all agreed we had to have lunch once more at the restaurant (with truly delicious food) where Brother had taken us on our first day in Vietnam. Due to the Tet holiday, the taxi companies were either understaffed, really busy, or both. It took our hotel concierge over 30 minutes to get in touch with a company that could take us to the restaurant. When the taxi arrived, we were surprised to see that instead of a van (the usual mode of transportation for a group our size) we were given an economy-sized car....the only one available. Once again, we were forced to consider our "American Girth," and consider how we'd all fit into the car. Our ever-smiling hotel concierge (seriously--that guy always smiled!) explained "2 trips." Reluctantly, our group split, and parted ways. Monte, MarcoPolo, and TwoLively went first--while Tootsie, Glinda, and Oz stayed behind for the second trip.

In Group One (the taxi bunch) Montezuma was on the cell phone with his wife, The Travel Agent. She told him to pass the phone to the driver, so she could explain in Vietnamese where we were headed, and reiterate the need to go back for the second group. However, we were flabbergasted when the taxi driver refused to take the cell phone! To our relief, we made it to the restaurant...but we weren't quite sure if the taxi was really returning for Group Two...or if they'd already found another taxi...and we worried they'd arrive at a different location altogether!

Back at the hotel, Group Two anxiously awaited the return of the taxi driver. They knew it was only a 10 minute ride...but about 30-45 minutes had already passed (which seemed like an eternity to both groups!) Group Two wondered if something was lost in translation...and they wondered if they'd ever meet up for lunch. Sure enough, the driver eventually returned for Group Two (we wondered if he took another job in between ours?) and both groups made it to the restaurant.

Lunch was yummy! Oz and TwoLively both ordered Elephant Ear Fish (Travel Agent's family raises Elephant Ear fish--and the name has nothing to do with it--the fish are large, and so are elephants??) The fish came out propped upright, (scales, fins, eyes, and teeth intact) between some wooden sticks made to look like reeds in a pond.

The waitress saw the stunned look on everyone's faces, and was kind enough to offer, "Do you need assistance?" Each of us were thinking, "Uh...yes, of course! The fish has teeth, and it's looking at us!" The waitress proceeded to grab a single chopstick, and to our amazement, she fillet the fish with the chopstick. She wrapped the perfect pieces of fish in rice paper, added a piece of pineapple, some vegetables, and once again using the chopstick, rolled it into an spring-roll shape. Instead of showing us one or two, she stood there and kept rolling and feeding us, until there was nothing but just bones, fins, and heads left. (BTW: Oz heard you can eat the fins of Elephant Ear fish...which he tried...and just because you can eat just about anything, it doesn't make it palatable!)

Elephant Ear Fish

Stuffed, we headed back to our hotel (two taxis...simultaneously...both taking "long, scenic routes" home...cha-ching, cha-ching...but we all made it back!) We took well-needed naps!

Later that afternoon, we headed to the Travel Agent's Grandma's home for dinner. Earlier in the day, TwoLively had taken a water pill--but didn't realize she was already dehydrated due to the heat--so the water pill further dehydrated her (but she didn't realize it at the time.) So TwoLively decided to stay behind and recoup in the air-conditioned hotel. Based on the previous evening's discussion on healthcare and TwoLively's pacemaker, the family took her absence very seriously and were worried.

Nephew playin'

After dinner, the Travel Agent told us that Uncle had moved the Mai tree we had given the family (for New Years) to the highest ancestor altar. This was a very big honor, and showed great respect to our family.

The tree is to the left...

While at Grandma's house, The Travel Agent's Aunty showed Glinda and Tootsie how to cook rice paper. We were given flat, shiny rice papers to put over a fire (we used a small metal container with wood for fuel, and a grate over the top.) We continually flipped them with chopsticks. Tootsie was again schooled for not doing it right: her rice papers were fluffy in the middle, but hard on the sides, and brown all over! The Aunty's papers were light, fluffy, and a beautiful golden color. But in Tootsie's defense, flipping slippery papers quickly with chopsticks is much more difficult than it sounds!

Cooking rice paper...

Monte and Son...Playin' with Teenage Cousin's cellphone...The Travel Agent stranglin' Monte

We were delighted when once again, we heard drums approaching. Dragon Dancing Cousin and his teenage Dragon Dancing Posse were headed--once again--for the house! Although our 2 1/2 year old Nephew was initially terrified during the New Years Dragon Dance, over the next few days he'd warmed up to the idea (he would see Dragon Dancing Cousin's practice costume in the house, and point at it--his nonverbal way of asking to see it again.) So, this dance was slated for our Nephew, but we were lucky enough to enjoy it, too!

Dragon Dancing Cousin

The Dragon Dance for Nephew

Dragon Dancing Cousin vs. his Dad (wearing practice Dragon)

The Family told The Travel Agent that while they'd enjoyed the discussion from the night before--and wanted to talk some more--they were concerned for TwoLively (who, for the record, was very comfy and doing just fine, watching Hollywood movies on cable TV back at the hotel) The rest of the group was sent back to the hotel, to make sure TwoLively really was okay.

Upon arrival at the hotel, Ferris--oops--TwoLively was feeling much better, and even pulled herself from her sick bed (haha!) to watch Monte show his devious-breakin'-the-law side of himself: launching paper airplanes from our seventh story hotel room towards the disgusting-food-encrusted-chopstick restaurant across the street. (We thought about writing a note on the airplane: Your food sucks!) After an allegedly very successful first flight (as reported by Monte and Oz), a second flight was attempted for the whole group (minus Glinda who was already sleeping.) It was a DUD! but we were intrigued by something we noticed in the doorway of the yucky restaurant: a man sleeping on a cot! We don't know why he was doing this; perhaps he was a guard??? For our amusement, we decided that if Monte hit the sleeping man with an airplane, it would be worth a lot of points. But, alas, it never happened!

Montezuma skillfully folds the plane (while Tootsie and Ferris check out the sleeping guard)...The LAUNCH!