Crossing the Street

Toes on the edge of the red brick sidewalk, you look to the left. There’s no way. A thick river of motorbikes eases along in front of you, drivers passing you by without so much as a glance. You step off the crude curb and inch your way toward the perpetual current. Just before getting your feet wet, you hesitate, hoping a more opportune moment will come. There will be a break sooner or later. They have to hit traffic lights sometime, right? You wait in vein, no opening in sight. A few yards away, a local Hanoian saunters across the road peacefully, without pause. How was that possible? There must be some invisible Vietnamese force field that I just don’t know about. Feeling disheartened, you take a step back and look around. People are staring, as usual. I’ll just go to fruit market tomorrow morning when there’s less traffic. It’s not a big deal.

But wait. It is a big deal. They can do it. Why not me?

…I guess I’ll go for it. You start out strong, one foot in front of the other. But suddenly, you lose resolve and give in to your discomfort. Your pace slows as you meet the gaze of an oncoming biker. His eyes widen. Unable to anticipate your next move, he swerves, causing a disruption in the flow. Recognizing your disturbance, you correct yourself immediately, continuing on your journey and fully giving yourself over to the movement surrounding you. Before you know it, you’ve reached the other side unscathed. I made it! That was all ME.

Learning to cross the streets in Vietnam is like learning to ride the wave of cultural challenges that arise away from home. Somehow everything will work out when you give yourself over to the flow, which I’ve been trying my best to remember as I meet the obstacles that accompany each change of setting. Don’t anticipate, overanalyze, or impose your preconceived fears, hopes and expectations on the situation. Just keep your head up and your eyes open, pay attention to your surroundings and find your place within the current.

Culinary Update: Finally something to write home about!

The dedicated foodie that I am has been eagerly awaiting a country with the culinary personality of Vietnam. And believe me, it did not disappoint. I miss the food already! One of my greatest regrets is that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to try more street food. It wasn’t until we left that I realized just how prime a destination Hanoi is for foreign food enthusiasts. Meals are dirt-cheap for one thing. A huge bowl of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) rarely costs more than 20,000 dong, which is less than $1.

Vietnam has quite the culinary history as well. Having been a French colony for a large part of its life, Vietnam adopted (who knows how willingly) many staples of the French culinary repertoire. Omlets and crepe-like things are common on many café menus. Baguettes can be found everywhere, from food carts and French bakeries alike, which stand next to traditional pho shops on nearly every street corner. The most delicious offspring of such an unlikely marriage is definitely the bahn mi sandwiches: from the French comes the baguette, liver pate and mayonnaise, which fuses unexpectedly and deliciously with the cilantro, chili sauce, pork slices and pickled veggies from the Vietnamese.

One of my favorite snacks, which I only discovered toward the end of our stay, was the roasted yam and steamed corn on the cob that street vendors wheeled around during the dusky hours. Who doesn’t love a soft, warm roasted yam on-the-go? No one. However, eating in transit unfortunately isn’t part of the culture in Vietnam. I attracted some awkward attention nibbling on my potato during a crowded bus ride. But I couldn’t resist. (It also could have been because I am 6 feet tall and white, but whatever.) These street snack carts are really creatively designed, complete with overhead lighting, signage, wok-like charcoal roasting pit and corncob steamer, all on wheels.

I'll admit, I didn't take this photo. Judging by the $ sign, it wasn't event taken in
Vietnam...but the food carts I saw in Hanoi were very similar to this one.

Street food is such a blessing. It’s just such a different game here. Fresh seafood is cheap and easily available, as are tons of great vegetables. Stir fry-like dishes of tofu/squid/shellfish/eggs/chicken and various vegetables are sold in buffet-style restaurants all over. These places would definitely never pass our food handling regulations, but maybe its that little element of danger that makes them extra delicious. GOD STREET FOOD RULES! Damn you FDA!

For all of you who enjoy looking at food as much as I do, here is a list of my top 10 food experiences from Vietnam – in order.

1. Pho!

Pho (noodle soup) in Hanoi is different from any of the pho I’ve had in the States. This is probably because of the significant regional differences that exist in Vietnamese cuisine. I found Hanoi pho to be simple and clean, but that’s not to say it lacked any depth of flavor. The broth is the star of the show, with ginger, garlic, fish sauce, chili, lemongrass, MSG J (a.k.a. my new favorite condiment) and tons of other delicious secrets that I will never know about. Mix-ins are simple and sparing: cilantro, scallion, and mushrooms if you’re lucky. My ultimate concoction includes as much fresh lime juice as you can get your hands on, spicy chili sauce of some kind (it varies from place to place) and plenty pickled garlic and chili slices, each of which are found on every table at nearly every restaurant in Vietnam. I’m already missing the warm, bright comfort of a huge bowl of pho in the morning. It really is a great way to start the day, even though it only keeps me full for like 2 hours…

2. Pho xiao

Not as much of a staple as pho soup, but nonetheless delicious this fried noodle dish (pho = flat rice noodles). Pho xiao is nothing extremely unique, just stir-fried noodles with beef and vegetables, usually onion, tomato and green peppers. It’s the simplicity (and probably the MSG) that makes it so good. It’s pretty greasy but every bite is indulgent and satisfying. Anna and I treated ourselves to this dish after our class presentations, and it was definitely the perfect reward.

3. Mixed fruit

While most of my tripmates went crazy for chè (see below), I preferred the incredibly refreshing and “mixed fruit” treats that my friend Ha introduced to me. They are so delicious and so simple, which seems to be the theme here. Just a salad of various cubed fruits (jackfruit, mango, papaya, Asian pear, mangosteen, watermelon, dragon fruit, strawberry, banana) topped with shaved ice (Sno-cone style) and fresh yogurt or condensed milk. It’s the best thing ever on a hot sticky afternoon, and its something I’ll never really be able to recreate.

Mixed fruit on the far left, and black rice and yogurt hidden in the back.

4. Black rice and yogurt

The same shop that sold the mixed fruit also offered this interesting treat. I’ve seen black rice almost everywhere in Asia, and the more I have it the more I like it. Ha explained it to me as the fibrous rice pieces that are leftover after the rice wine-making process. But they aren’t tough or starchy. They’re more gelatinous, but dense. Kind of like a jelly bean crossed with a barley kernel, but rice sized. And they’re sweet, but not overly. Again topped with shaved ice and yogurt. It’s just so refreshing.

5. Banh xeo

One of the first and most interesting street food experiences I had was with banh xeo. After a field trip to a silk market, a few of the PAs took our entire group out to lunch. I expected to have some trouble finding a restaurant big enough to fit all of us. However, instead of a restaurant, we were taken to a typical roadside food vendor on an already packed street corner just outside the market. Literally sandwiched between a telephone pole, a seafood vendor and the stove of this one-woman show of a chef, I enjoyed one of the most unique dishes in Vietnam. Banh xeo is a dish made up of various separate components and requires considerable diner input. First, a crispy crepe-like egg cake is fried up in a pan, inside of which is folded a bean sprout/carrot/baby shrimp/ground beef mixture. These little pockets of goodness are then divided up into small sections and rolled in rice paper along with fresh basil, cilantro and lettuce leaves by the diner. There is a delicious fish saucy/vinegar/chili sauce for dipping as well. Here are a few photos of the whole process.

Again, as has been the theme of Vietnamese cuisine, the flavors are bright, refreshing and (in my opinion) complex. Banh xeo is such a wonderful mixture of herby brightness and satisfying, salty crunch.

6. Banh mi

As I mentioned above, banh mi is a marriage of French and Vietnamese culinary traditions. Pate, pork or egg, cabbage, cucumber, hot sauce, cilantro and sometimes tomato smushed inside a light, crispy baguette. It’s just so full of interesting flavor. Bright and herby from the cilantro and cucumber, and salty and meaty from the pate and pork. It’s so unique and so unforgettable.

7. Snails

One of my favorite memories of Vietnam was the night my friend Kari and I ventured out to find a unique spot to eat dinner. We ended up at a little restaurant run by a mother and his son (I’m assuming). They quickly figured out that we didn’t speak Vietnamese and weren’t familiar with the food, but they were so sweet and accommodating. We pointed to the snail dish that had been ordered at a table next to us, and they took the liberty of showing us how to peel the meat out of the shell and dip it into the sauce. All we were given was a bowl of steamed snails, triangular metal picks, some tasty little pickled figs (I think…), and the wonderful sauce - so simple and yet so complex. It had the staple Vietnamese ingredients: lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and chili, along with some soy sauce and MSG I’m sure. I think I might have been a little more into it than Kari, but we had a blast nonetheless.

8. Bun cha

Another meal I probably wouldn’t have tried without having it pointed out to me by my PA friends was bun cha. It’s a little bit like banh xeo in that it consists of many separate elements that must be put together by the diner. First comes a small bowl of broth filled with grilled pork meatballs, carrot and bean sprouts. But it’s not soup. It’s much thicker. Also at the table is a communal plate of cooked rice vermicelli noodes, fresh herbs and pickled garlic and chili slices. These meatballs are meant to be eaten along with the noodles and herbs, each of which can be added to the broth at the diner’s discretion. I like adding chili and garlic to my broth too, just for a little more kick. The cherry on top is the scrumptious spring rolls that come along with the whole shebang. I’ll admit it’s tough to eat, especially when you’re not a chopstick expert. But it’s really fun.

9. Café sua da

Coffee in Vietnam is much different from coffee in the states. If you want the gory details, I’d be happy to share sometime; my group project for our International Business course was an analysis of the café sector in Vietnam. Basically though, coffee in Vietnam is much, MUCH stronger than we are used to, partly because it comes from Robusta rather than the Arabica beans. And it is brewed very differently too. I won’t go into the specifics, but it ends up being much thicker and more dense. The typical Vietnamese cup of coffee is only about 6 ounces, filled with ice cubes over which is poured an espresso-shot’s worth of coffee. Condensed milk can be mixed in to your liking. It is almost always served cold. Most hot coffee drinks that are sold are western-style espresso drinks. The iced coffee was definitely too strong for me. I ended up being strung out on caffeine for almost the entire day after having a cup at breakfast. But it is enjoyable nonetheless.

10. Chè

This is definitely the most unique eat of Vietnam, and is incredibly hard to explain for those who are unfamiliar with it. But I’ll make an attempt. It is basically like a salad/soup of sweet, glutinous jellies and beans over shaved ice and topped with coconut cream and syrup, served in a cup. Glutinous starch products like these are common all over Asia. Rice flour (or some other flour) is essentially mixed with water and flavorings, and smashed/pulled for a LONG time to activate the gluten to create a nice, chewy texture. Japanese mochi is one well-known example. They end up being a lot like the tapioca balls that are found in the bubble tea drinks that are becoming popular in the States. Anyway, these chewy glutinous balls come in literally dozens of flavors (taro, pomegranate, red bean, etc.) and sizes. Regular beans are often in che too. Red beans and mung beans are most common (and they’re sweet!).

Vietnam was so yummy. I would love to return some day. Who wants to come with me?

More Learning Outside the Classroom

One aspect of the PacRim experience that I haven’t touched on yet is the social atmosphere and group dynamic between the 25 of us. Things have changed drastically in each country as some of us become closer, and some of us begin to realize who we are better off avoiding. A little drama is inevitable in such a small group. And yes, in case you’ve been wondering, a few romances have blossomed along the way, none of which I am involved in (thankfully). But my relationships have shifted nonetheless, and I’ve undergone some personal change as well.

I realize that I’ve become more self confident as a result of recent events here. Vietnam wasn’t physically grueling or culturally jarring, but it was tough in other ways. Ultimately, I found that the last month taught me the importance of solid, levelheaded and honest friends. I’m beginning to learn who I can truly rely on here, and exactly which qualities I appreciate and admire in my friends. I’m learning what I need and deserve from my friends, and how to appreciate the friends I have even if they don’t give me all of those things.

On the whole, the social experience has caused very little anxiety for me, thanks to the laid back and appropriately passive attitude I inherited from my dad. I’m learning to take myself and others much less seriously, and to spring back from uncomfortable situations much faster than before. Shit happens, but none of it is really that big of a deal. Realizing this has reminded me of some advice I was given by a previous Pacrimmer before the trip.

Aleisha Smith, with whom I’ve recently become much closer, told me months and months ago that one the most important things to remember on this trip is to be honest with yourself and spend each moment the way you want to spend it. Forget about the group, and forget about the guilt and regret you may place on yourself when you feel like you haven’t taken full advantage of every opportunity. Sometimes you need an afternoon off to write postcards, Skype with your friends, watch a movie or blog! And sometimes a solo adventure through the city is your calling. Of course there are plenty of times when your needs and desires take a backseat to those of the group. But if given the choice, don’t let the way anyone else chooses to spend his or her time influence the way you spend yours. Never ignore what your body tells you you need. You will always be more content and satisfied if you do what you feel is the healthiest for you in that moment, and chances are you wont enjoy whatever it is you’re turning down anyway if you’re not invested in it. This is something I struggle with both at school and on this trip. I’m sure everyone does from time to time. No one wants to be the one who wasn’t in the picture. Especially here, where everyone feels like they must make the most of every situation. But no matter where you are, everyday is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. PacRim doesn’t make that any more true.

Whether I am alone or with the group, I’m trying to adopt a more independent outlook now, and I’m learning to appreciate each experience for what it teaches me.

At Home in Hanoi

After the longest and earliest travel day of the year (we had to be up at 3:00am to board a 6:00am, indirect flight on October 22nd), we were more than eager to find some stability in our most recent home: Hanoi, Vietnam. We knew Hanoi was going to be different from our previous destinations: we were going to stay put for a whole month in dorm/apartment style accommodations, have only one roommate (!!), attend class at a university, and have weekends free to explore the city! The set up in Mongolia was similar, but Ulaanbaatar was so intimidating to us noob travelers that we couldn’t quite take advantage of it. To be fair, Hanoi also has a much less hostile atmosphere and more opportunity to shop, eat and hang out around town. But despite it’s good vibes, the majority of the credit for my comfort in Hanoi is due to the incredible hospitality, generosity and good nature of the students we were introduced to through National Economics University.

These kids were the cream of the crop in Hanoi, each hand selected from the International Business Program at NEU after a rigorous application process. There were six Program Assistants in all, hired to acclimate us to Hanoi and help us with a cultural project for our class. We called them our PAs. Aren’t they cute?

Yes, they were paid to hang out with us…but they went above and beyond their job description, I’m sure. I became very close to Ha, the 20-year-old student who helped with my project, and I’ve been keeping in touch with her since we left Vietnam.

NEU is well known and well respected in Vietnam for churning out hardworking students who are prepared to enter the country’s ever-expanding workforce. With difficult entrance exams and high tuition, most students we met were from upper-middle class families in the area. All of the classes in the International Business Program are taught in English, so the PAs were nearly fluent.

Their work ethic was apparent from the day we met them. Bright, friendly, eager, respectful, and polite, they greeted us at the gate to our dorm building at 4:00pm on the day of our arrival. I wish I had been in a better mood, but after a day of travel all I wanted to do was unpack and take a nap. But they graciously took us out to lunch for our first bowl of pho (more on that later!!) and showed us around the neighborhood. I didn’t fully appreciate this until the next day when I had no trouble or anxiety finding a place to buy some snacks and eat dinner.

They are practical people; when my friend Kari and I asked Tao her favorite place to get a haircut, her first response was to suggest that we look for a coupon online. I later began to understand that hair salons and other shops are ubiquitous on the streets of Hanoi (literally there are a handful on every block in most places), causing Hanoians to make many of their decisions based on price, or cost leadership. We took an International Business course in Vietnam, so I’ve got econ. vocab on the brain. Identical goods and services can be found everywhere. Substitutes abound, giving consumers plenty of options. Quality doesn’t drive too many decisions here, which could be a result of Vietnam’s yet undeveloped economy. Most choices are made for convenience and frugality’s sake. I’m sure the scene will be quite different in 5 or 10 years.

And the students are well aware of this changing atmosphere. They are optimistic, aspiring, and seek to do whatever they can to expand their horizons. Every NEU student we met hopes to travel abroad someday. We were approached around town many times by English-speaking students from other universities, just looking to have a conversation and practice their speaking.

Their goal-oriented mindset was surprising and their priorities were in a much different place than ours. Well, a different place than mine I guess. These kids don’t party…at all. Not that I’m a huge rager by any means, but I know how to make time for fun. We invited them out to the bars with us many times, but it’s the norm for them to be at home and in bed by 10:00pm. Alcohol wasn't popular. Most of them were commuter students who live with their parents.

Jim McCullough, our Puget Sound professor who flew in to teach our business course, offered us a silly anecdote that highlights their remarkable work ethic. A few years ago he was teaching an economics course at NEU, which happened to coincide with the Vietnamese New Year. He and his students were attending a New Year’s Eve party at which the students were asked to explain their new year’s resolutions. To his surprise, a significant number of them replied that it was their goal to gain weight in the coming year, not because they didn’t have access to enough food, but because they were simply too busy to focus on eating healthy, balanced meals! Not only is the Vietnamese lifestyle and relationship with food very different from ours, but their commitment to their futures is on a different level.

Their integrity was certainly reflected in the countless hours they spent translating, guiding, teaching and inspiring all of us. It was through our relationships with these wonderful students that we gained access to the streets and the flavor of Hanoi in an otherwise impossible way. By the end, Hanoi had a personality in my mind, something I haven’t found in any other city. I know I made a similar comment about our friends in Malaysia, but the two experiences were actually quite different. Though our friendships in the jungle were equally impactful, they didn’t lead to the same sense of place and belonging that they did in Vietnam. Malaysia never felt accessible to me. The forest was a foreboding, impenetrable entity, one that we and our hosts met with fear and uncertainty. Our relationships necessarily defined our experience at Matang by virtue of the fact that they were the only piece of the country’s culture we could access. In Vietnam, we met excellent people our own age who introduced us to the country through their eyes. We became students living in Vietnam, not just Americans passing through. I am so grateful to have experienced it in that way.

Jurassic Park

Before I close the book on Malaysia, I’ve got to give you a glimpse of some of Borneo's incredible natural beauty. This place is truly out of this world. It’s like a prehistoric dinosaur land. I remember feeling like I was on the set of Jurassic Park. Pictures can tell a thousand words in this case, and here are some of the best. Unfortunately, Blogger doesn’t let me create slideshows. Hopefully this won't  take too long to load.

Aman, the largest dominant male at Matang Center. Not all adult males
grow these cheekpads. The dominant male hormones are triggered
only when natural conditions are conducive.

Walking stick on a railing outside our longhouse.

Carnivorous pitcher plants. Endangered, but we saw a lot of them.

Rainbow legged centipede.

Unidentified beetle in our longhouse.

"Re-released" orang at Semenggoh Wildlife Center. 

Another flavor of carnivorous pitcher plant.

Unidentified tropical flower. You can't tell, but these flowers were
covered in ants. Symbiotic relationship?

Wild boar on the beach at Bako National Park. This park was pretty disgusting and litter-ridden. It wasn't until after I took these pictures that I realized wild boar hang out around the campsite all the time. They are a pest.

Mangrove forest at low tide.

Heavenly beach at Bako National Park. Arrived after a tough 90 minute hike. It was literally like heaven.

Mulu National Park.

Remember the mountain of guano from the "Caves" episode of Planet Earth? Well, I saw it in real life! Deer Cave at Mulu National Park in Borneo.
By the way, that is the SECOND Planet Earth site we've visited!

Ribbons of bats flying out of Deer Cave. This is a nightly occurrence. 

Unidentified HUGE ASS leaf bug. Bigger than my fist.

Canopy walk at Mulu National Park. 20 meters high.

Really cool iguana spotted on our night walk.

One of the many geckos in Malaysia. These guys were EVERYWHERE, especially in our bedrooms.  Little known fact: geckos bark. Very loudly. For a funny story, read my travel-mate Rachael's blog entry.

Forest flatworm.