My craving while I’ve been here has been French bread with a spread of Laughing Cow cheese. In the past I have been gluten free, but since I’ve been back on my UC medication, I’ve been able to go out of the lines here and there. Vietnamese French bread is well worth going out of the lines for. My husband requires that I eat fresh bread instead of the week old bread I have been thoroughly enjoying (no mold, in case you were wondering how gross I am). While waiting for bread to be brought back, he lets me know that Cousin Sassypants wants to take him out for a little bit. I’m cool with that and just request he return with a coffee for me. When Cousin Sassypants comes by with fresh bread, she brings up that he and I need to get ready and yells at him (in a big sister way, even though he is 11 years her senior) for assuming I am not also invited. So I guess I am going with them, which sounds nice—especially to check out one of her favorite coffee shops. My husband makes me my cheese sandwich that could not taste better because I am pregnant and it’s all I want to eat. After we have both eaten, we quickly get ready.
Cousin takes him first, and in 20 minutes comes back for me (one passenger at a time on her motorbike). We arrive to this seemingly outdoor mall that is very fancy and appears to still be under construction. After she parks, we walk by this giant enclosure full of baby chickens and a peacock. We are walking toward a river surrounded by greens, when we turn the corner of the building to find a really nice cantina with individual gazebos set above the side of the river. It’s lovely outdoor restaurant. My husband hails us over to the table where food has already been ordered. Seems very luxurious with a server and a busier always standing at attention within earshot. There are roughly twenty gazebos with tables, and only one other with customers. We enjoy the view of the woman canoeing down the river harvesting vegetation. I enjoy my fresh carrot juice and we all enjoy the various Viet appetizers. Just a lite, pleasant lunch. When we finish up and pay, Cousin then takes me to our next destination: the coffee shop.
On the way we drive past some school kids riding the bicycles in the street headed the same direction we are. I see a small waterpark in the distance. This area is newer and seems to be a multipurpose park in the works—still fairly baren. Across the street from a playground is a long open-air coffee shop. She drops me off and heads back to the restaurant to get my husband. I find a table for us and just sit waiting. The waiter brings me a jasmine iced tea (which is what is complimentary served rather than ice water) and attempts to take my order. I cannot read too much Vietnamese yet to understand the menu, so I resort to using Google translate to ask him if I can wait until my husband arrives. He politely bows and moves on to other tasks. There are quite a lot of people, mostly high school and college age all in their trendy clothes with trendy hairstyles. It’s a bit more upscale than the other coffee shops we have driven by. When Cousin and my husband arrive we order some drinks: iced lattes with boba and a matcha tea drink. We chat, laugh, exchange photos, and enjoy the decent weather for a few hours. My husband and I share one more latte before I and then he head(s) back to the house with Cousin.
At home, the packing begins. My husband has plans to go see grandma again, but after a thorough doctor update, he decides to hang back and we will stop by on our way to the airport in the AM. Packing seemingly takes all afternoon and evening. Several cousins stop by to say hello or wish is safe travels. Tomorrow early morning we will take a taxi to the city and start our 48 hr journey home to Philly.
This trip has been way more enjoyable than I could have anticipated. I’ll miss the geckos that travel around the walls of the house and make kissy sounds at night—although I will not miss their turds everywhere on the walls. I will miss cool showers on a humid day, but I will not miss feeling sticky all the time. I have loved having the opportunity of getting to know my new family that I have only met over FaceTime up until now. Their stories and who they are individually means so much more to me now. From what my husband tells me, I passed the test and am accepted in the family. Look forward to many more trips in the future, and especially bringing back our child(ren) to know part of where they come from.
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