I think my last post was a bit negative in terms of me not liking Vietnam. In fact just the other day I was telling my good friend Bobbi that I really don't like the country. Nim Binh changed that a bit for me as I got to interact with locals in a quiet environment and gain a better understanding about their life. I still do not like Ha Noi, and after visiting a few other Asian countries, the Vietnamese were very cold.
While I was in Nim Binh, I hired a driver and a motobike to take me around to all the sites. I was lucky to get a driver who spoke really good English, so I used the opportunity to ask him some questions. The first being about the dogs. As I said before, it didn’t seem that common since there was only one lady in the market selling dog, but a lot more selling chickens, vegetables, and fish. I also noticed a lot of people let their dogs lay around in what we would call a back yard. So I asked my driver if it was common to eat dog, and he replied its very common, and children tend to get a puppy and raise it (similar to cattle). He then proceeded to ask if I would like to try it and with my most polite no thank you, I spent the rest of the afternoon contemplating this. At first I was really bothered by it, but then I thought, would it be that horrible if I didn’t grow up with dogs as pets? I mean it would be a bit hypocritical of me to say it’s wrong and then go eat a hamburger. So, although it is impossible for me to see a puppy, or for that matter, cats and monkeys (I don’t know if they do in fact eat them, just saw a few tied up) in this country and not think about their fate, I accept it is what they do here.
So go give your pup a big hug and let them know they should be grateful they were born into a western society!
The way back to Ha Noi involved a new experience of waving down a bus to jump on it as it slowed down, more stares from all the locals, and in general, feeling like a movie star as people wanted to take pictures of us, touch our hair, and see if we were single. In general, I had some great times in Vietnam, but didn't connect with the country. Furthermore, the food wasn't that great, which was a huge let down for me as I love to eat my way through a country!
Ill do my best to catch up on the Philippines and Cambodia soon, as well as get all my pictures up on Facebook!
Its going to be a rough week, so if you all get some time, I would love to hear about what is going on in your life!
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