Vâng, Dà, Ù. Vietnam Here We Come

Usually when I go to a nail salon I keep my eyes hooded and say as little as possible. I know if I make eye contact I’ll get pressured to get the Deluxe Mani/Pedi when all I really want is the Classic Pedi. But yesterday I bounced into the salon and announced to no one in particular, “I’m going to Vietnam tomorrow!”

Tina, my usual tech, rolled her eyes and Yana, who is unused to me having vocal capabilities, questioned, “You?”

Me: Vâng!

Yana: What?

Me: Vâng? That’s ‘yes’ in Vietnamese?

Tina: In the North they say vâng in the South they say Dà and in the Center they say Ù. 

Me: OH FOR [inaudible] SAKE.

It continued like this as they sensed my thirst for knowledge. Before I knew it I had blown past the Deluxe Mani/Pedi and said vâng to something called The Full Spa Experience.

Earlier this week I told everyone who will be on this trip with us that I would write about them and allowed them a chance to pick their “blog name” (to keep them somewhat anonymous). 

Never underestimate the seductiveness of an alter-ego. Tom wants me to call him Tank. David L looks like a tank yet wants to be called Dirk (though he asked this sardonically so I’m not giving him Dirk until he lets me in on the joke). There are 16 of us in total. I’m not sure I can keep it all straight.

We are traveling today with Tom (Tank) and his wife, Addie. We hadn’t coordinated our flights nor our shoes but here we are—Addie and I both in Row 8 in matching shoes. She wants to be called Happy Girl. We’ll see if that tracks for her after our 24-hour travel day. 

Photos from our Pick Your Blog Name party. 

Pray for me, folks. I’m traveling with weirdos.