Technically, the new year begins at midnight, a few hours from now, but the supper tonight was one of many dishes, whiskey, beer, and relatives I'd not yet seen; any and all guests were invited, if I'm correct, and I got to meet a couple new couples. A British woman who's been around for a day or so also attended.
Between us the majority knew French (I being in the minority), English (the French among us were weaker in this department), and also all of us seemed to know one or two words in Vietnamese.
We sat down to a table comprised of three tables, at which were far, far too many seats. Eventually all these seats were filled. I prayed, as I couldn't really expect anyone else to do so for me or join me, and began eating.
As we ate together, as has been common at family meals, the family would put things into my bowl of rice and encourage me to eat them. The incidence of these sort of things was actually less during the meal tonight than usual, such that I had to actually ask for rice a few times, as well as things to eat with it.
It felt a lot like Thanksgiving back home, but all the food was completely different; there was a chicken, pretty much cooked whole and then chopped into more portion-sized bits; there were these sort of bundles they made earlier of shrimp, what I assume was pork, lettuce, mint, and parsley (I think). These were wrapped up together in a kind of strip of green of some sort. Something like...oh, my memory fails me. Spinach! Like the stems of spinach leaves, I think. with those would they wrap up these combinations of ingredients.
There were slices of what seemed like sausage of some sort, another sort of green, there was a dish comprised of what we thought was pork and what seemed like spinach or some such green...
I'm pretty terrible at describing these things, unfortunately. While I enjoyed the meal and the company, I still feel I would enjoy the fried goat at the Bamboo restaurant more. Whatever. It was another good meal in a foreign land, and I loved it.
I have time now to write this because, like the western New Year, it begins at midnight; thus, fireworks will be ignited, and hopefully I'll get some good pictures then. I feel I ought to take a nap between now and then, but it may be that I'll be able to stay awake in Ninh Binh (more fireworks in the city). The difficulty will arise when I arrive back here and fall straight to sleep instead of writing to you first.
I've been worried occasionally that my hosts' generosity and kindness might be expectant of more than the money in payment for my stay here, but tonight I felt so welcomed and at home that, at least for that moment, all doubt of their intentions was gone. We'll see, in the coming days, if their love has limit or hope for payment I don't know of.
This is slowly becoming one of my favorite places in the world. It will be a beautiful memory one day, a place I long deeply to return to. I think I might spend a few days here for Tet, then pass on to Hoi An, if all goes well. I was considering biking to Hoi An, but it's almost eight hundred kilometers, so I should probably not try that, certainly without some recovery. It would take four days or so...and I've never biked that much in my life. Still, it would be a wonderful adventure to bike down Vietnam, had I the endurance and the bicycle to do so.
Anna bought me cough drops and nasal spray, which I've used once. Yet another example of them treating me like family, which is nice. It feels as if that's confusing to me, though. I don't know how to describe it, but part of my intention in traveling was to be away from my family for a while, and now I'm on the other side of the world and family is just as real and as close as it was there.
Frustrating.
The young ladies seem to be content to leave me alone, which is relieving. There was a couple from Canada (also from Tokyo...I think. I can't remember), and listening to the lady's voice was interesting; I could sense it was different from Minnesota proper, but the similarity was there, and it served as an oasis of sorts in the desert. I was going to tell her that she reminded me of home, but I didn't get to it. She stays here, though, so maybe I'll get another chance.
For some reason, in connection with asking me to marry her sister (who may actually not be her sister; I've assumed things about the family here which aren't true), Anna asked whether I could dance. I would have been hesitant to say so before this January, but I feel somewhat confident in my ability to do so now. I assured her that I could.
Tet goes on for several days now, so I should have some interesting updates to post over the next week or so. I kind of hope I move on from the hotel. I love to be treated like family, but at the same time I can't wait to leave them.
Wanderlust, I believe, might describe what I feel. I feel antsy. The road beckons. I'll leave soon.
Just as soon as they get my laundry back...
!Noah!
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