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Saigon Story 2


Julian2

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Vietnam was a real eye opener for me and especially for the two guys I was with. My mate Bob had a couple of contacts there, a family he had been asked to take some presents to by Vietnamese friends in Australia and a Vietnamese girl he had met the year before on a world trip. I suspected a close relationship there but nothing was further from the truth. Hong-Hue was 48 years old, looked 25 and informed us she had never had a boy friend. She was a third class translator (unqualified) and apologetically informed us she could charge US$3 a day. We said we could manage it between us. She turned out to be one of those rare people you occasionally run into, totally honest and ready to believe anything she was told without reservation. She had learnt perfect English in a nunnery and was totally ignorant of any slang terminology, particularly Australian. She informed us that she had left the cloisters just before her final vows as in her heart she wanted a husband. Her father, she informed us, had been one of former South Vietnamese President Diem?s right hand men and had been jailed, after Diem?s murder, by the new US backed regime. With a perfectly straight face she told us that her brothers had been in a consortium that had organised the assassination of John Kennedy in retaliation for Kennedy ordering Diem?s murder. She said the real assassin was an American Indian mercenary well paid for the job. I genuinely believe that she didn?t doubt what she said was true. Also, she told us, when the last of her brothers was released from a Communist ?re-education camp? in 1993 there were still American POW?s there. She told us in a matter of fact way like it never occurred to her that anyone would doubt what she said.

The highlight of my day was always when I went to Bob and Andrew?s hotel to meet them for the days outing; she would always be there before me and as I entered the hotel room she would cry out to me, ?Julian, Julian, I don?t understand what they are saying to me, tell me what they mean?. It was always some thing disgusting in Australian slang. One morning the now street wise Andrew, who had indulged in a few more motor cycle trips (without a $100 in his pocket) had been talking about ?boom boom babies?; what did he mean she demanded to know. Boom boom I told her was an American military slang term now commonly used in Asia for sexual intercourse. ?He wants to have sex with babies?? she cried in horror. No, Hong-Hue, ?babies? is the American vernacular for attractive young women. She understood words like vernacular perfectly. She made up nicknames for all of us, Bob was the ?good heart?, I was the ?cool guy? and Andrew was the dirty old man. I think cool was the only slang term she knew and she never had that right.

The Vietnamese family were great people; they had a fourteen year old daughter who was a stunningly beautiful girl, (I photographed her on every possible occasion) and we invited them to a floating restaurant trip on the Saigon River one night. Eight people and the final bill, with floor show, and included a beer drinking competition consisting of me against all of the other four men in the group (I won) was the equivalent of B3000.

The next day Hong-Hue informed us that they had invited us to a ?genuine? Vietnamese restaurant and would we like to go the following night. Sure we would. On arrival the place was astounding, easily over 200 tables and packed out; we were seated and and small charcoal barbeques set up on the table. Bob and Andrew were very much spring rolls and fried rice men but were soon attracted to the grilling meat that arrived raw on platters. Our host proudly handed me the menu and pointed out what he had ordered, surprisingly in English sub titles. Vietnamese porcupine and Malayan mouse deer. Oh well thinks I, at least it isn?t dog, least said soonest mended. However Bob produced a rib bone about the size of a fingernail clipping. ?Venison? I said. They kept their peace until the taxi back to the hotel and under the threat of dismemberment I told them what they had eaten. ?I won?t forget this Julian? said Bob. If anyone?s wondering it tasted like chilli and lemongrass. (Same as dog)

All in all it was a good ten days; the other guys weren?t big drinkers, Bob a big night man with a three day hangover and Andrew a little often. All of us made a play for Hong-Hue but she had eyes only for Bob who shied off when he realised she expected a commitment. They still keep in touch and I still call him a fool but he says he has no time for a steady girl friend.

A day which is firmly in the memory was a trip to hot springs north of the city. We bathed all morning and on leaving stopped for a cold drink at an outside restaurant. We fell into conversation with three families having a day out and spent the afternoon drinking beer with the men. They couldn?t afford the springs but had brought the children to play in the gardens and I took several dozen photos and got them printed off the next day and having obtained their address got Hong-Hue to post them off to them.

We booked our flights for Siem Reap and headed for Cambodia, Bob and I in the mood for adult activities, but that?s another story.

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