I Yearn To Return To Vietnam

[verisio]

bro.. pls continue... I like the way you write.. doesn't always have to be about sex only. The buildup is good. Reminds me of my time in Vietnam too. I love the girls there also. Very very girlish and feminine. Love them

[Tomahawk]

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Thanks dirk_diggler, yanz and verisio for your encouragement. I had wanted to submit multiple posts today, but a busy day at work meant that I could only compose one. Enjoy...
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[Tomahawk]

The journey to Mondial seemed to take forever. Perhaps it was because Lan and I had been reunited. Every second we spent together was so magical. As we sat in the cab, her head resting on my shoulder, her hand in mine, I told myself to cherish every moment we had together.

Me: Lan, do you like the flowers?
Lan: Yes... Very nice. Thank you. *sweet smile*
Me: So, you work in the evenings right? How do you normally spend your day?
Lan: ... *she didn't understand me, due to her lack of profiency in English*
Me: I mean, you work in Bar Stop. Right? Nighttime... So, daytime, what do you do?
Lan: I talk to my sisters. They have baby... Very cute. *She was referring to her housemates*
Me: Oh, you like babies?
Lan: Yes, I like babies!

Dong Khoi Street is a one-way street, so if you turned into it at certain junctions, you might miss our hotel altogether, with no way to do a U-turn. You would have to turn into a side road and start all over again. We did just that. Now, looking back, I am slightly more familiar with Saigon, but given that it was only my third day in town then, without having seen any map of the vicinity, the city appeared rather confusing to me. We looked for my elusive hotel.

"Here, here..." I uttered excitedly as I saw Mondial looming ahead. Lan instructed the driver to pull over. We got out of the cab and into the lobby. I was confident that tonight, Lan and I would make history. We would finally be united as one, if you know what I mean. With my heart pounding inside me, I approached the Front Desk. I had earlier confirmed that I would only need to pay an extra US$8 if I had a guest staying over.

Me: Hi... I have a friend with me. I believe I just have to pay US$8?
Staff: Is she Vietnamese? *looking at Lan*

I was confused. I didn't quite expect this. Were there restrictions on Vietnamese staying in hotels? I stared at the counter staff with a blank look, then turned to Lan, not quite knowing how to respond. I saw her pretty face too, fixed on the lady. I turned back to face the front.

Me: Is there a problem?
Staff: Vietnamese cannot stay with foreigners.
Me: Is there such a rule?
Staff: Yes, Vietnamese are not allowed to share rooms with foreigners.

Shock overtook me for a few seconds before I regained my composure. I couldn't believe that this was happening, not after having suffered the emotional setback at Caravelle, then the unnamed shophouse hotel, the night before. I had hit a wall yet again. I did not know then that I was in for something even more serious that night.

I turned and headed for the exit, Lan's hand still in my mine. I didn't know what was going on in Lan's mind then, but mine was filled with disappointment and anger. What kind of rule was this? Vietnamese were not allowed to be in the same rooms as foreigners? Thinking back, I thought perhaps the small hotel we went the night before (actually, the same day, in the early morning) had illegally let us in and that we were lucky not to have been caught. (I have since found out that there are indeed girl-friendly hotels in Vietnam; Please correct me if I'm wrong here!)

The friendly doorman, who was actually one of the Front Desk staff, opened the door with a smile. I returned a smile, though deep inside I was feeling bitter. As Lan and I neared the road, I apologised to her.

Me: I'm sorry. I didn't know we would have this problem... Vietnamese cannot stay with foreigners. Sigh.
Lan: It's okay...
Me: What do we do now?
Lan: We go eat? I bring you... Highland Coffee.

I didn't quite know this place that Lan was referring to. I would have preferred that we adjourned to another hotel, but I did not want to appear to be pushing Lan too hard. In any case, I had not had my dinner myself, so I thought we could do with some food. Fun could always come after that. Lan brought me to this coffee joint not far from where we were. Highland Coffee is Vietnam's answer to Starbucks and Coffee Bean. It's targeted at the young and trendy, and of course the yuppies too. The branch that Lan brought me too was next to the Opera House. This outlet offered mostly-outdoor dining. As it had rained heavily earlier in the night, the chairs were wet. I thoughtfully took out my pack of tissue and began wiping a chair for Lan. She protested, saying she could always sit somewhere else, but I didn't want her to compromise her seating preference. I hope she saw the caring side of me through this little gesture.

We settled into our seats. I didn't want anything heavy, so I ordered what I thought was a small side order, something consisting of hash browns and ham. It turned out to be almost a main course in its own right. Lan ordered something with beef in it. Over our casual dinner, I tried to know her better.

Me: Lan, can you show me your IC? You know, the thing that you used for registration at the hotel?

Lan took her IC out. I tried to read her name. Pointing to her name, I tried to read, with utmost inaccuracy, "Hoang Thi Lan". Of course, there were the squiggles, dashes and dots above and below the alphabets, but I tried to pronounce the words as though they were in English.

Me: Ho-ang Teh Lan, is that correct?
Lan: Yes, your Vietnamese good!
Me: Your surname Hoang... I should read Ho-ang, right?
Lan: Hoang *gesturing in a straight line with her hand, like an orchestra conductor giving cues to the musicians*
Me: OK... Hoang Teh Lan *managing to read the surname in one syllable*

We smiled to each other. As we resumed our meal I realised again how beautiful Lan looked tonight. I couldn't resist whipping out my camera phone. I snapped two pictures of her. As I offered a piece of hash brown to her, I wondered where we would be heading next.

Me: Where do we go later? *hoping to score a hotel visit*
Lan: We go Lush *she could not pronounce the word Lush properly*

I did not quite know what that place was about. It was only when we were on our way did I realise that Lan was bringing me to a disco. This girl really knew how to enjoy herself. I asked for the bill and produced my card, only to find that this coffee place did not quite accept cards. I struggled to look for the correct set of notes. Lan beat me to it, and put 150,000 Dong on the table. I didn't quite expect her to pay, but did not reject her offer. I had paid for everything the night before, drinks, cab rides and the hotel, so I was quite happy to have her foot the bill this time. We were on our way.

I enjoyed taking the walk with my girl. We walked like a couple in this foreign city, with her hand in mine. Back at home, I wouldn't have attempted such a stunt, but here, nobody knew me, so I felt very comfortable flaunting my new girlfriend. The destination seemed further than she made it out to be. She had told me it was just 10 minutes from Highland Coffee. 10 minutes later, we were still walking. Apparently Vietnamese did not have a sense of time.

Me: Where's Lush? Are we reaching soon?
Lan: 5 minutes. *smile*

5 minutes later, I could finally see a structure in the distance with bright lights. I knew we were approaching Lush. I decided to tease Lan.

Me: How long more? Another 5 minutes?
Lan: 2 minutes. *smile again*

We were at Lush's entrance. Lush was like any disco in Singapore. Smart, contemporary, happening. It was a far cry from Apocalypse Now, the old, run-down disco which I had visited over the past two nights.

The stylishly-dressed staff greeted us at the door. In between ogling at the girls' bare shoulders (one side wasn't covered by the low-cut dress on each girl) I asked to pay in US$, as I was fast running out of Vietnamese Dong. They did a quick calculation and decided that the cover charge for us would be US$20.

As Lan and I strolled into the nightspot, I cast my eyes on the candies all around me. We entered the airconditioned area and went up the stairs. I was going to have a handful of fun that night -- literally.

[Tomahawk]

Lan and I made our way through the crowded dance floor and up a flight of steps. Most of the seats were taken, but we managed to find ourselves a small patch of space on a large sofa-bed. We sat at the edge such that we were facing the walkway, with a good view of the dance floor below through the railing. Behind us was a group of young people, slouched on the bed. They did not mind that we were blocking their view, preferring to indulge in their own small talk.

Lan and I made ourselves comfortable. She was seated to my right, my hand mostly on her waist. Between sips of liquor I kissed her. Not just light pecks on the lips, but deep, passionate French kisses.

Me: I like this place. Very nice.
Lan: Yes, very nice. *smile*

We watched as the energetic youths on the dance floor below gyrated to the loud music. Lan ordered a fruit platter, made possible with sponsorship by yours truly. She fed me pieces of fruit, occasionally handing me my shot glass containing intoxicating liquor. More than once, I took half a bite of fruit and pushed the remaining half into her mouth, in lame attempts to steal more French kisses from her. More interestingly, I sipped some liquor and let the liquid flow onto her tongue and gums, while our lips were locked in perfect harmony. This evening was truly heaven.

By now, Lan and I had been distracted by the group of youths on our right. While the girl was mostly slouching on the cushion, the pair of guys was making a nuisance of themselves. Between them, they attempted to ride on each other, both facing the front, in simulated offending motion. As a bemused me looked on, Lan turned to look at me with a knowing smile. "Gays," she told me. I smiled back at her. "Yes, gays... *chuckle*" Next, the guy actually sitting on the sofa let his hands roam on his friend's chest, as if he was carressing his breasts. Disgusting. "Gays..." I said again to Lan. I turned to the front.

The waitresses at Lush were heavenly. While not quite many of them were busty, they were dressed in black, low-cut dresses that betrayed their cleavage. Each dress was supported on one shoulder, leaving the other bared. I looked intently on one particular waitresses as she leaned forward to pass drinks to the group seated behind Lan and me. Lan gently turned my head back to the front, with that "I know what you're looking at!" look on her face. On another occasion, there was this waitress who was standing right smack before us as she tried to serve someone to my left. Because Lan and I were on a raised platform, the waitress' bosom were level with my eyes. I feasted hungrily on the superb view. As I turned instanteneously to my right, I could see Lan giving me that disapproving look.

Time for my own action. I got Lan to sit on my lap. Making sure she was carefully balanced on me, I poked my head out to the front, alternating between her left and right, and reach upwards for her lips. We indulged in many French kisses this way. It was fun. I tried my luck with touching her. Given the dark conditions, I was rather daring, allowing my left hand to stroke her tummy, then, without warning, reaching upwards and squeezing Lan's breasts. I looked as she displayed that agonising look, while her mouth gave that silent "Ouch!". She hit my arm as punishment. Next, my right hand roamed her thighs, through her denim jeans. Starting with the lower part of the upper thighs, I went upwards slowly till I touched her groin area, then her pubic area. I rubbed that part hard. Lan pushed my hand away. Fun... I sensed something hard in her left pocket, and tried to fish it out. It turned out to be her mobile phone. I had never seen such a thin phone before. Mobile devices were to form the central part of our relationship henceforth, I was to realise.

As the night wore on, Lan began to receive calls and SMS on her mobile. Obviously, she spoke in Vietnamese, and I couldn't make out what was going on. But I did know that each time she wanted to send an SMS, she unlocked her phone and the English words "Welcome back!" flashed across the screen. At about 12:30am, Lan wanted to go. I was looking forward to spending the night in a hotel with her.

Lan: John, we go.
Me: OK... We go to the hotel okay?
Lan: Me want go Bar Stop.
Me: Huh? Why go to Bar Stop? We go to the hotel okay?
Lan: We go Bar Stop, talking friends me okay? (She wanted to meet up and gossip with her colleagues)
Me: ... *disappointed look*
Lan: You don't like? You don't like, we don't go okay?
Me: No, it's okay. We go to Bar Stop. *in a disgruntled voice*

I hoped that this was the last time we would make a detour. I had had enough of nonsence tonight. The last thing I wanted was yet another wasted night where nothing got done. We headed for the exit.

In the cab, Lan asked again if I didn't like going back to the bar, and offered to drop the idea if I was unhappy. It's alright, I told her, though I knew things weren't quite alright. I noticed the cab driver had forgotten to reset the meter. I expressed my concern to Lan, who talked to him. She assured me that she would handle the matter, and things were in control. Lan talked on the phone again. She must have been up to something. Before I knew it, we were outside her house. I asked her what we were doing there, instead of at returning the bar as agreed.

Lan: Me go take this *pointing to her phone*

With that, she disappeared up the steps, leaving me confused and to jaga the cab. The fare on the meter ticked upwards slowly but surely. Soon enough, Lan was back. She had gone to take her phone charger. Apparently her phone battery was running low in power. In a minute, we pulled up outside Bar Stop. We were back at the place where many smooches and kisses had been exchanged the night before. Lan saw two men at the entrance and got out excitedly.

Me: Hey, how much do I pay? (The meter was showing more than 50,000 Dong by now)
Lan: 50.
Me: Huh? 50? (How could I be paying 50,000 Dong? The driver had forgotten to reset the meter, remember?)
Lan: 50! 50! *sounding agitated*
Me: How can it be 50? The meter wasn't reset just now...
Lan: 50! *gesturing the figure 3 with her hand*

This girl meant 30,000 Dong but because of her poor English, told me to pay 50,000. I hurriedly fished out three 10,000 Dong notes and made my way out of the vehicle. As I walked up the steps into the nightspot, I could see Lan engaging in animated conversation with the two men. I walked into the bar, past Lan, who was by now giving full attention to the guys. Tonight was to turn out to be the worst night of my short stay in Saigon.

[hellwarrior666]

wonder whats gonna happen next... waiting patiently!!!

[Tomahawk]

I settled myself on a high chair. One of Lan's colleagues was already seated on my right, while another two girls were behind the counter, pottering around. The seated girl introduced herself as Chau. She, like Kym, could speak Mandarin. She asked where I was from, how long I would be staying in Saigon, and such. Then, she shocked me when she complemented me on my looks. I brushed that aside.

Really, I wasn't interested in talking to Chau. My attention was actually on Lan, who was making herself very approachable and accessible to the two Caucasian men. One was an old man, perhaps in his 60s. He had a belly and could easily be my father. The other man was definitely much younger; He looked about 25 to 30. And he sported curly hair that made him look Italian or French. Lan saw me looking at her and, gesturing to them, said "My friends!" I smiled. OK, I thought. I would wait while she entertained her friends, then we would move on to some R&R.

One of the girls behind the counter, Lien, saw the set of three roses I had brought along and proceeded to put them in a vase. Seeing how Chau was chatting me up, she came out to the front and sat to my left. I knew she wanted to get close to me. All night, she had her eyes fixed on me. Lien spoke good English, and I suggested that perhaps one day she could work in Singapore. She, like Chau, asked me questions in an attempt to get to know me better. And both took turns to ask me to buy drinks for them. Lien definitely looked better than Chau, being slim and young -- she was only 19. However, I wasn't quite interested in her. I was still observing Lan and the two men, sometimes through the mirror behind the drinks rack. Lan was getting very close to them, perhaps a little too close for comfort. Chau and Lien sensed my uneasiness and sought to assure me they were just friends. Lan was just entertaining them as they were both friends and customers, they told me. Lan came by, on the way to the counter area to plug in her phone charger, and checked that I was alright.

Lan: You okay? They my friends...
Me: *smile*

I couldn't fathom how anyone who had made herself a guy's girlfriend could prance around a bar with two men, getting intimate and all, right in front of him, under his nose. I couldn't help but notice Lan hugging them once in a while. While she was close to the older man, at least she kept a distance from him; The most she gave was a friendly hug, sort of like what business associates of the opposite sex do when the meet. But she really flirted with the younger guy. They held hands and once, they were locked in an embrance and the man planted a kiss on her lips. I was fuming mad. How could this happen? I felt so humiliated. Chau attempted to divert my attention away from the spectacle still unfolding before me.

Chau: 你回酒店，带 Lan 回去。 Lan 给你 massage!
John: 带她回去？她跟那个男人在一起嘛! *seething with anger*
Chau: *pointing to Lien, seated on my left* Lien 好。你带 Lien 回去。 Lien 给你 massage!

I couldn't believe it. Were Vietnamese girls so cheap? Here I was, trying to get close to Lan and here, she was kissing other men. Did my time spent the previous night at Apocalypse Now, this bar and the hotel count for nothing? And how about this evening? I had waited for her for an hour amidst rain and flood, and kept her company at Highland Coffee and Lush, and this was what I got? And to make things worse, now another girl was offered to me? What was this world coming to? Still, I wanted Lan.

John: 我等 Lan.

I was prepared to wait till Lan was done, then do what we were supposed to do. The old Caucasian man pretended -- Really, he was just playing the fool -- to grope Lan and she gave a flying kick, only to lose her balance and fall, her bums hitting the hard floor. Although I was angry with Lan, I rushed to her rescue. As I helped her up I wondered why I was doing this when she had humiliated me. Perhaps this was the humanitarian side of me. No matter how bad others treated you, you still helped when they were really in need of help.

Between sips of liquor, Chau and Lien continued talking rubbish to me. Among other things, they said they liked my foldable umbrella. I thought these things were common and could be found everywhere, but I was told that those you could buy in Vietnam looked awful. They made me promise to bring nice ones over the next time I visited Saigon.

I didn't know how much time had passed since we talked, but when I turned around, Lan was gone. So was the young chap and the older man. I asked the girls around me where they had disappeared to. "They're having supper", I was told. Were they coming back? "Not sure. Maybe."

And so I waited. After about 15 minutes I sensed that things didn't look quite right. I stepped out of the bar and onto the road. Most of the shops were closed. I headed for the only two eating places that were still open. No sign of Lan and the two jokers. As I walked back to the bar I passed a 24-hour convenience store. I felt so sad when I saw that place. Just the night before I had gotten for Lan and me a pack of Durex which never got used. And this evening, she had to disappear to heaven-knew-where. Back at the bar, I waited a while more. I called Lan on her mobile. It was off. I remembered I had seen her plugging the desktop charger at the power outlet earlier. When I went to check, the device was no longer there. Strangely, Lan's phone was off. I had no way to contact her.

By 2:00am it was clear that Lan wasn't going to return. I was getting impatient. I interrogated Lien, who was by now mopping the floor, preparing to close the bar for the night.

Me: It's so late already. Do you know where Lan is?
Lien: She's sleeping with the man.
Me: WHAT? She's sleeping with the man? Which man?
Lien: The young one. *afraid to look at me*
Me: Does she always do this?
Lien: Yes.

I was damn pissed by now. Fuming mad, I stumbled out of the bar and walked to a waiting cab. Halfway during the walk I turned around. I walked back to the bar and went straight to the table where my roses sat prettily in the vase. Out of courtesy, I turned to Lien, warning her of my action ahead.

Me: Lien, I know you put these roses here in this vase. I'm sorry okay?

With that, I pulled the stalks away from the glass enclosure.

Me: Where can I throw these? Where's the rubbish bin?

Lien pointed to an area to my left. I dropped the now-useless roses. Then I brought the vase to the sink, emptying it of water.

Lien: Okay, okay!

Lien was afraid I was going to smash the vase.

Me: Don't worry. I won't turn violent.

I washed the vase and placed it back on the table. Before I left, I turned to Lien again.

Me: Lien, you said Lan always does this? She always sleeps with men?
Lien: I don't know! *looking down, continuing to mop the floor*

I got into the waiting cab and headed back for my hotel, again having achieved nothing. I arrived at Mondial Hotel, the very place where Lan had been barred from entering earlier in the night. The cheerful staff greeted me as I reentered the lobby. Back in my room, I recounted the series of incidents that had taken place so far. Was I being unlucky? Was fate playing a trick on me? Fate had allowed me to get to know this wild girl at the disco, and fate had made her offer herself to me at the hotel, but fate had also made sure I got nothing out of all these. Fate had reunited us amidst the rain and flood, and fate had made us share a meal and dance our way into the night. But in the end, fate let this girl elope with some Caucasian man! I felt so hurt.

I tried calling Lan repeatedly on her mobile, and each time I heard the "The subscriber is not available" message. She must have been having a good time with her new-found boyfriend. I fell into a troubled sleep.

[blue_swatch]

Thanks for your sharing. Made me remember the times when I was in HCM, eating breakfast at Highlands, zipping around on a bike there.

Pls continue to share and can't wait for your continuation. Will up you once I can for your efforts!

[blue_swatch]

Thanks for your sharing. Made me remember the times when I was in HCM, eating breakfast at Highlands, zipping around on a bike there.

Pls continue to share and can't wait for your continuation. Will up you once I can for your efforts!

[Libra]

brother...

it is such a heart wrenching story you shared.

I had my fair share of this type of girls too. Once I know a china gal who is a pros but was willing to forgo her work and income just to accompany me so I tot maybe she's different. I splurged on her etc. to cut the long story short, she refused to let me sent her to airport on her departure date giving excuses about how the agent had arranged for transport blah blah blah. I went to airport guessed what I saw? She there hugging and kissing another man!

Girls! Cina girls... bar girls.. they are really cheap..

My heart goes to you..

[Reaper]

dude.....

ALL hotels in vietnam are not girl friendly. It is an offence for un-married couple (Locals) to be in the bed room after 9pm. IT can be a local woman and a foreign man, it is still illegal. the fine is S$1000. which can also include jail time. Its just that some hotels are "connected" or pay bribe the cops. but even then, it does not guarantee you can bring the ger back.

as for the ger going with the caucasion guy, it is very very common. you are in Bui Vien, which is in the heart of the back packers area. alot of expats hang out around that area also.

maybe you didnt screw her tats why she never asked you for $$$ when she stayed with you overnite in the hotel.

Why do you feel so hurt??? just because you did all thoes nice things to her??? you expected something from her????if i was paid a dollar for every nice thing a viet ger said to me, I wouldnt need to work anymore and i must tell you this, i am not good looking. in fact i am very very average looking....and that is on a good day...

NExt time you in HCMC, I can intro a lady to you who for a price of a coffe at highlands, will whisper sweet nothings to you........

[Odysseus]

Your writings remind me of the good times in had in Vietnam. Hmmmm.

Bro Reaper is right about the Hotels. I remember I always had 2 hotels. One to stay in for business, and a cheaper lower grade one to bonk in. This was always the biggest hassle for my trip to Vietnam.

[Odysseus]

Originally Posted by Libra

She there hugging and kissing another man!

Girls! Cina girls... bar girls.. they are really cheap..

Bro. Your story is the most common. Show that no matter what. Best to get involved with Non-WLs in China.

[Tomahawk]

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Thanks brothers blue_swatch, Libra, Reaper and Odysseus. Not to worry... We haven't come to the end of the story yet. Lan and I are now back together. Yes, she and I are located miles apart and I've no 100% guarantee that she really likes me. But when she now takes the initiative to contact me and is upset that I don't call or SMS her, it shows something.

Also, she has told her mum about me (she's very close to her mum). In fact, she will be in town next week (her mum is flying from Hanoi to Saigon to see her daughter) and Lan is pleading me to fly over so that her mum could see me. I now truly believe that we're up to something. Perhaps like one of the brothers said earlier regarding my story with Tingting from Meiya, my perseverance has paid off.

I have two more sections to my longwinded story. I will post one in the next few minutes and attempt to put in the final instalment tomorrow. It will culminate in my departure from Saigon. After that I will still talk about our long-distance relationship, but no longer in such a melodramatic manner. I also need to seek advice from you brothers regarding hotels in Saigon.
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[Tomahawk]

I awoke to find myself bathed in the diffused glow of the morning sun. It was already 8:30am on Saturday, 1 September. No time to waste. It had been a whirlwind tour of sorts for me in the past three nights. Though my emotions had risen and ebbed and I had been taken for a ride, I still had to be accountable to my family back home. I had to get out to the tourist attractions and bring back some souvenirs and photographs. My own life had to go on. My plan was to visit Ben Thahn Market as well as the War Remnants Museum. The Cu Chi Tunnels were out as they were in the suburbs and would be a day trip in their own right.

I picked myself together and packed my luggage. Before I left my room, I made a last-ditch effort to contact Lan. Though she had humiliated me the previous night, I did want to keep in contact with her. I did not want to lose this pretty, 17-year-old contact. I would close my eye this time and attempt to keep in touch. I would look her up in future and try to bonk her. What she did with other people was none of my business. I called her mobile. This time, she answered my call.

Me: Lan, how are you?
Lan: I'm okay.
Me: Lan, I'm leaving this afternoon.
Lan: Yes...
Me: *swallowing my saliva and my pride* Can I meet you one last time?
Lan: No.

I was flabbergasted. No??!!

Me: No? Why? You're not free today?
Lan: I'm tired.

I spent the next half minute or so trying to talk her round.

Me: I want to see you one last time. We meet this afternoon, okay?
Lan: OK.
Me: 2pm. Highland Coffee. OK?
Lan: OK.

With that we hung up. I did a final check around the room, making sure I had not left anything behind. I cast a sorrowful eye on the four little bottles of toiletries that I had stolen from a cleaner's cart in the Caravelle. We Singaporeans normally take these things for granted, but I had thoughtfully taken this set for Lan, for she would never have had the chance to stay in such a luxurious place. I felt bad that she was chased away by the security guard on our first night, and thought the least I could do was to let her have some momentos from there. After so much that had happened, I left the set standing on the writing desk and locked the door behind me.

I left my luggage in the care of the Front Desk and had a quick breakfast. It was slightly past 10:00am by the time I left Mondial. I had only four hours to do my sightseeing and shopping before meeting up with Lan. By 3:00pm I would have to be on my way to the airport to catch my 5:15pm flight. Surprisingly by 12:30pm I was already done. Settling down for a cool glass of sugar cane drink at the Ben Thahn Market (I had skipped lunch as I was running low on cash and needed to pay for drinks that afternoon), I looked at what I had got. Within the past hour I had accumulated bags and bags of stuff, ranging from snacks to coffee to clothes. Not bad for a guy who had just been jilted. At least he regained his composure and did what he had to do for his family.

I took a slow walk back to the hotel. As it was to be Vietnam's Independence Day the following day, most shops and buildings sported the red-and-yellow Vietnamese flag. Even taxies played their part. All of them had mini flags flying proudly on their roofs. I arrived back at Mondial very early. It was only about 1:15pm. Remembering that I was running out of Vietnamese Dong, and mindful that Highland Coffee did not accept cards, I approached the Front Desk with my S$50 note. "I'm sorry, we don't accept Singapore Dollars," the Front Desk staff said apologetically. I ambled over to the Caravelle. This luxurious hotel looked the same as I had left it the day before. Bustling with activity, people in jackets and suits milling around, the ever-courteous staff attending to business travellers' needs. I got my Dong and sank into a sofa. Before me were two men in their 40s. From their accents I could tell they were Singaporeans. Singaporeans were really everywhere, I told myself. Saigon was really fast becoming another Bangkok.

1:50pm. I set out to wait for Lan at Highland Coffee. Just in case she stood me up again -- Yes, the painful memories of the night before at Bar Stop were still fresh in my mind -- I stood outside the cafe. The security guard outside the Opera House kept his eye on me. He must have been wondering what this bloke was doing, pacing up and down in the vicinity.

By 2:15pm, there was still no sign of Lan. I called her on her mobile, half-expecting to hear that "The subscriber is currently unavailable" message. Thankfully I managed to reach her.

Me: Lan? Are you coming? We're supposed to meet at 2:00pm at Highland Coffee.
Lan: Yes, yes. Me at home. Me going now.
Me: OK. How long will you take?
Lan: 10 o'clock.
Me: Huh? 10 o'clock?
Lan: Oh... 10 minutes!

This girl had mistaken o'clock for minutes. This happens even up till today. Yes, she really needs to brush up on her English!

Me: OK... 10 minutes. How will you be arriving?
Lan: ... *confused*
Me: You ride motorbike? Or you walk here? Or ...? *not expecting her to take a cab, which I thought was a luxury for the locals*
Lan: Yes, yes. (I didn't quite understand what she meant)
Me: OK. Never mind. 10 minutes. See you.
Lan: Bye.

As expected, 10 minutes came and went with no sign of Lan. I was still pacing up and down the area outside Highland Coffee, and I was getting impatient. I parked myself at a spot outside the Opera House.

I was looking intently at the traffic around me. Scores of taxis and motorbikes zipped past me. "Hey!" I was startled by a shout. I turned to my left. A girl in oversized shades was smiling a big smile at me. It took me some time to realise it was Lan. She had appeared in a flowing but low-cut pink dress. Somehow I did not return her smile. We walked together to the cafe. I didn't appreciate that she was late when I had a flight to catch.

Me: You're always late. I should have told you that we meet at 1:30pm.

We settled ourselves at a table for what I thought would be the last chance for any physical interaction between us. I was keen to sort things out with her that afternoon.

[blue_swatch]

waiting for u to continue your story. well if lan would bring her parent to meet u, chances are u r probably the one for her as vietnamese do not usually bring a guy to meet their parents unless they are the one.

That being said, lan might be using u as a passport to her freedom from poverty or to a better life with no love involved. Merely a transaction to them when they give u their body while u provide for her and her extended family including all her relatives. When u marry a vietnamese, u marry the whole family.

So please consider carefully and think carefully if u ever decide to progress further my friend