Spring in Saigon

April 1-8, 2015

So as I said before, for spring vacation I didn't have many things planned originally but suddenly had a packed schedule. So after immediately flying back from Hokkaido, I was on a plane the very next morning for my flight to Vietnam. Vietnam was a super last minute trip. My good friend Uyen-My currently lives and works there as a fashion designer. She just finished up her line and needed to get her website up. She approached me via email a few weeks back asking about my time off of work and "did you get fat in Japan?" I laughed at her blunt question and word choice but wouldn't expect much else from Uyen-My. Upon my answering of "no I'm not fat" and that I had time off, she asked me if I would be willing to come to Vietnam to do some modeling for her website. I hadn't done any type of modeling for years and had only done it for friends before, but the thought of a chance to do it again, go to Vietnam, and see a friend I hadn't seen in over a year was too good to pass up! So she was generous enough to fly me over there for a week of half work and half play. Was I excited or what!!

So the day of flying was a bit hectic and tiring, like most fly days are. I had a 10 am flight out of Kansai with a 2 hour transit in Taipei. I arrived in Vietnam about 5 pm in the afternoon. Luckily for me, I didn't have to hail a cab alone or figure my way to my friend's place. As soon as I made it past customs, Uyen-My was there waiting for me and it was as if a year hadn't gone by.

Fortunately, her apartment is in District 1 of Saigon, the most central district I'd say and easy to get to other places. My time spent in Saigon was mostly eating, trying not to have panic attacks on the back of motorbikes, sun tanning as I walked around, chillen and having chats with Uyen, and of course "working." I cannot tell you how awesome eating in Saigon was! The food was SO cheap in compared to Japan. Yeah sure the cleanliness of restaurants and food stalls aren't what you would like to see but what do you expect! I learned that in Saigon you don't look around while you eat. Just stare at your food and eat, hah!! Saigon is not the cleanest place, but if you just go off by taste, it's pretty awesome. I was so happy to have Vietnamese food because I rarely (if ever) get to eat it in Japan.

Riding on the back of her motorbike was fun but really terrifying. One of the things about Vietnam that always impresses me every time I come is how traffic flows here. First of all, there are so many motorbikes. It reminds me a lot like living in Bali but Vietnam is much more crazy. Uyen-My had to hold my hand like a blind child every time we crossed the street because I couldn't do it alone. You just have so many vehicles coming at you that never stop! But some how, the cars move, and some how you get to where you need to be. Maybe it was all the praying I did. But even with my fear, riding on a motorbike is part of the Saigon experienced so I was glad Uyen-My, being way smaller than me, was still able to carry my weight and not kill us on the road.

Working for Uyen-My was fun too. We had a fitting day where I had to try on each article of clothing to see if it fit. I felt like a whale! So I've always been told I'm a bit tall for an Asian girl (I don't think so..I wish I was taller!) but I didn't really realize how much till I paid attention in Saigon. Uyen-My is a tiny person (in Houston) but here, she was quite average! So when trying on some of her pieces I found that I was too tall, or my legs too big or my hips too wide! Crazy to think I am considered "big" in this country, but its true. Luckily, most of her pieces I could get into, even if many of them I needed assistance. So we shot for three separate days. The first day was shot in and around her apartment building. It was an old building so it had many interesting angles and a roof top equipped with weathered and broken furniture. The second shooting day was done in the city at a famous fountain. It was a bit strange having so many people around but I soon found out that it is common for people to come photograph at this location as I later saw other photographer/models as well. The third day was the longest shooting day. It started early in the morning and we didn't finish until 3 in the afternoon. But luckily, that day was shot indoors at a friend's cafe so I didn't have the worry of sweating all my make up off or having clothes stick to me in places they shouldn't.

Along with work and eating, we also got to enjoy many relaxing things. Uyen-My was so thoughtful as to pre-buy massage packages because she knew I was coming. So for two separate days we enjoyed massages and facials. Something I don't get to do often (if ever) because of how expensive it is but luckily in Saigon they weren't. I also got to get my nails done too!

I had been to Saigon a couple times before and in those times I was fortunate enough to be introduced to some of Uyen-My's other girlfriends. This trip, it was great because Friday night I actually got to see some of them again! We met up Bam and Tuyet at a roof top bar called Glow. When going there it seemed very fancy with light up bar, foreigners, dressed up people and really nice interior. Even though Saigon is dirty and many areas are poor, places like bars, clubs, or cafes can get really nice looking inside! We hung out sharing bottles of champagne and listening to chill music for the beginning half of the night but then switched it up when we went down stairs to the sister club, Play. The music was loud and it was fun to take this chance to just drink and dance in a new place with familiar faces.

Even though I am of Vietnamese decent, being in Vietnam this time made me feel so foreign. I don't speak the language as well, even though it was my first language, and that fact made me feel very much an outsider. I definitely would love to spend some time in Vietnam in my life to learn more about my culture and background as well as relearn Vietnamese. Being there also made me realize (more) how lucky I am to be born in America. I had no idea that Vietnamese people have such a hard time traveling or getting out of the country. Looking at their lives and the jobs they must do really made me thankful to have so many choices in my life. Truly I know I am so blessed to be able to have the freedom and choices that I do have in my life. Of course, anyone can do anything and possibilities are endless, but I really do feel the culture and country we are born into or grow up in has a lot to do with our mental ability to truly believe or act upon that.

The week I spent in Saigon was a lot of fun and I was grateful I got to hang out with Uyen-My so much. I truly think her line of clothing is beautiful and feel so appreciative she would trust me to present it publicly. As the photos are edited down and such, I'll be sure to post a link on here for you guys to check it out as well!!

So thank you so much Uyen-My for your hospitality, bringing me over, and trusting me with your project. I really appreciate it all!! Love you and see you soon!

xx
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