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Monthly Archives: August 2016

On Imitation and Authenticity in Vietnam

24 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by itsaphanlife in Saigon life

≈ 2 Comments

imgres.jpg   1436027870-11713499_433198036882486_677832933_n.jpg

*versions of “ca chien”

During my first full summer back in Vietnam, I paid 100 USD to a local friend and for the money was able to a) rent a motorbike, b) attain an owners’ certificate, c) possess two rain jackets for biking in the downpours that dropped so frequently during the rainy season, and d) possess one real and one fake helmet, the latter used in case I need to drive a friend around. Within one week, someone took my real helmet and replaced it with a fake one costing one tenth its value. Two weeks later, my original fake helmet too, was stolen, and I was left with the substituted fake helmet that the first thief left me to use during my last few weeks in the city.

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Street food in HCMC

22 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by itsaphanlife in Food and drinks, Saigon life

≈ 2 Comments

It’s been officially a month since my move to Saigon, and it will soon be a full month since I was last paid. Given that I am salary-less for the rest of this year, I’ve taken to trying out an abstemious lifestyle while simultaneously getting more adventurous with where I get my meals. It’s no fun listing ways I’ll be limiting my spending, but it might be pretty cool to see some delicious street food options and their costs (in USD), as well as a little breakdown of the places themselves.

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Uber rides in Saigon: 1st uber black

07 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by itsaphanlife in Conversations with uber drivers, Saigon life

≈ 1 Comment

While I have a motorbike and have been riding it for a month now, taking taxis or ubers is a better way to meet and converse in Vietnamese with others in the city. Plus, when it pours in Saigon, getting a ride in a car is the only option if you need to get somewhere, still relatively dry.

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