We finally arrived at Hoi An - Ancient city filled with little shops and fascinating eating corners. Smack right in the middle of Vietnam, this is my last stop before i board a train-ride back to Ho Chi Minh to prepare to head home. And with it’s cheap tailors and low priced handicrafts, i must say this is the perfect place to sum up an incredible Vietnam adventure with a favourite recreational activity of mine, Shopping!
Enter the dragon’s maze
It’s amazing how this place manages to keep its nostalgic feel even with tourists flocking day in and out. The chinese culture is definitely predominant here; from the entire architecture stylings of the shophouses to the local crusines offered, nothing fails to remind me of a period drama setting (at almost every turn, i could imagine some pugilistic hero jumping on the roof top being pursued by an arch enemy: think crouching tiger, hidden dragon). One might be left bewildered by the town’s numerous paths and turns but I’ve managed to decipher the entire road structure within hours of arrival, so now navigating from tailoring clothes to feasting roadside delights is but a breeze.
If birds could fly, i can cook
This morning, i woke up all hyped for our culinary class. I’ve planned for this right from the beginning and i was just dying to get my hands dirty to whoop up some Vietnam specialty. The class found us a tad misplaced as we were the only Asians amongst an entourage of Caucasians, but as soon as the the lesson began, all inhibition were shed as we banter and shared our individual travelling experiences. The mood was lively and everyone left the cooking class in high spirits. A morning went by extremely fulfilled.
Same dark skin and asian features, how come speak Ang Mo?
Throughout our stay here in Hoi An, we’ve were asked countless times where we were from. Although our Asian features were a dead giveaway, people are often thrown off by our accent. We’ve been asked by the locals if we were Japanese, Thai, Chinese or Vietnamese given foreign upbringing. The caucasians usually assume we’ve studied abroad and are surprised to know English is in fact our national working language. I’ve already started to turn the questions back to them getting them to guess instead - so far, none got Singaporean on first try.
Money no enough…
Haha, as usual. I overspent! However i’m proud to have spent a good $65 on a nicely tailored suit. That’s my prized purchase this trip. I’ve fought off the temptation to get a pair of tailored shoes as that would have set me back by about $50. I shall wait to get a cheaper pair in Bangkok next week. Money is of essense now. Keke…
Stay tuned as another day continues for more garb grabbing and food savouring…Jayz, OUT!
