my

new year's day started with me not really wanting to wake up. After a night of revery in the club or "disco" (as the locals in Long Xuyen call it) I pretty much had enough of clubbing. Having spent several hours next to 40 something year old men downing Hennessy XO, confusing women with lady boys, and confused awkward Vietnamese women who were just "hanging around" and closeted men falling all over one another on the dance floor... I felt weird.

However, amused at the situation. I observed and danced. And thought to myself how I could easily become a DJ here. There are a few elements that a Vietnamese DJ needs: an Ed Hardy shirt (or something remotely flashy), an unnecessary trucker hat (two colors would do best), some large headphones to throw in the mix, and the ability to add rising crescendo's intermittently among mashed up songs, with the same repetitive beat over and over and over again. Oh how people in the disco love to shout and yell for no reason during a song as well. Wooooooo! Who are they woooo-ing at?

Before I knew it, I looked at my cellphone. 11:59 pm.

12:00 am. New Year's YAY! With an announcement a good 10 minutes later.

This is how I rung in my new year's.

My night had sprinkles of text messages and calls from friends and family probably what was making my night, besides the plate of fruit at the disco, the sporadic dance moves of others, and the very polite security staff.

But eventually I rolled out of bed around 10:19 am. Not really sure what to do on the first day of the year. I think I debated many options in my head. I cleaned my room and folded laundry instead. As I always do when I'm a tad overwhelmed with things.

With my new biking abilities I decided to go out to get Pho as my first meal of the year at this food stand around the block.

Today the pho vendor started to talk to me and I learned that he was making pho for about 17 years. Many many years of perfecting his pho recipe. He told me how he picked his meat and I asked about his special sauce which he grinds by hand. It's pretty much the best sauce I've ever had.

Then I sat there. Looking across from me, where the very organized trash pickers were sorting out their finds. I was thinking that my new year's day would be uneventful. But I thought to myself how lucky I was to be sitting in Long Xuyen, enjoying the warm basking sun, talking to the pho vendor and observing these people work. I waved hi to the Banh Uot food vendors as they drove by. I knew that they've been up since about 330 am to make Banh Uot, and that they had just finished their shopping for tomorrow's food. I took a bike ride around. And then back by 2ish so that I can ring in the new year's all over again with my favorite people.

Happy New Year's Everyone.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!