Lazy day. Ran a few errands early but kicked back in the afternoon before heading to the Da Nang University English language department New Year's Eve party. January 1 is not a traditional Vietnamese holiday but the English speakers will mark the occasion, at least until 21:00. We are back at the hotel by 21:30.
The evening was yet another adventure and magic moment. Tuyet arranged for a taxi that took us to a restaurant/ballroom south of the center city. The party was quite the affair with spouses, children, a large buffet, karaoke and dancing. Most of the activity was in Vietnamese but it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on. The staff--all female--we've worked with looked very different in cocktail dresses. At 20:00 Maggie and I marked the new year's arrival at the international date line. Now it's just two hours away here in Da Nang. Another 15 hours until the new year in Olympia.
It's hard not to compare this New Year's Eve in Vietnam with my first. At the end of 2010 I am happy and energized, the company of someone I love very much, enjoying Vietnamese hospitality, and looking forward to the new year. Forty years ago as the new year arrived I was alone, depressed, afraid of Vietnamese, and facing the very real possibility that I would not live to see another new year. I have no guarantee now that I will see another new year but I begin this one with joy and hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment