Heat waved

I can't say I received any kind of strong impression upon arriving in Saigon's Tan Son Nhat Airport. Busy with the luggage and going through customs and such, I never had a moment to really stop and think that I'm stepping on "my mother's land, my father's home." Cheesy, but that's how my dad thinks of it, whereas I felt it was hot and humid and crowded. Dad had joked that he would kiss the ground when he arrived, to show deeply engrained love for someting I could not find so appealing. And it would be weeks until I could find something that I truly "loved" about the country.

Perhaps I'm mistakened, but I don't believe I romanticized any part of this trip--or even anything about this country. Far be it for me to say I was absolutely prepared to live in the city. I had the culture shock of my life! OK, I'm exaggerating now. But the truth is, I just never imagined it being so difficult to function in this society, in this environment. The heat is unbearable. Being from Texas, I thought I could endure the heat and humidity. Wrong! It's ten times worse b/c you can count on the tips of one hand the places that have AC. You could shower 4-5 times a day and still not feel clean. You don't have to step outside to need to close your eyes b/c of the filth. Even though there is street cleaning, most people simply throw their trash out onto the streets.

Just today, while sitting in a taxi, I ate part of a grapefruit. When I was through, the taxi driver kindly rolled down the window as we were driving down the street so that I could fling it out the window! He was a bit surprised when I declined, too. The people's behaviors and mannerisms are markedly different from what I'm used to. Never have I been stared at so much in my entire life! And this is the country in which I'm supposed to be able to blend in, being dark-haired and short. Even if I live here for the next 12 months, I still won't be able to figure out how the locals know I'm "viet kieu."