Hey, I feel like I haven't done a heck of a lot today and it's a little annoying thinking that "Oh I spent another day not doing much" while I'm in a tropical country with an interesting culture and plenty of things to discover. I'm starting to get a case of SSDD - Same Shit, Different Day. I woke up late and wanted to hunt for different breakfast place. I've found that some places on De Tham and Bui Vien (in the backpacking district) operate the same menu, just having a different name and style which I find kinda sneaky. If it's the same food why not market it as the same restaurant so I know what I'm getting before I walk in? Instead I checked out the menu they have along the street, saw it was the same stuff and moved on. I'm picky with breakfast as I don't like eggs, it really limits my options haha. I found a place that sold American pancakes and went for them. Most Vietnamese places give you one thin pancake with fruit inside it, and the banana pancakes are getting less interesting each time I have them. I have no clue what I'm having tomorrow, but if I wake up closer to lunch it might be grilled cheese and a crap load of ketchup haha.
I hoofed it over to Phuoc's shop to see if he had a Duckhunter camo uniform as Nate in my group was interested, which he didn't have after saying he did haha. I told him I'm staying in Saigon until Dec 15th and we jumped on his moto to bring my box I was going to ship (thinking this weekend I was going to leave at the time) to my hotel as I'll be here a while and he doesn't need a big box just sitting in his shop. Before he drove me I planned to hit his place, then go to Cho Dan Sinh, the military market to hunt for camo, but sending me to my hotel was me back at square one. I also wanted to check out two markets in the downtown area I hadn't checked out, so I hit them first.
Well only one market was there, and it was a street one. It wasn't all that interesting to me, had clothes and food. I like the culture, but smelling pig guts, fish heads and other misc unwanted meat in the sun at 2pm, they can have that part of the culture back. Sometimes cultural scents aren't always nice haha. I did find some items I like in wholesale though. A six-pack of cherry Sting was 35,000VND which is about $1.70CDN instead of me paying 15,000VND each which is $.75CDN and that's the rate street vendors sell it at. I also found a 24 can case of Orange Mirinda which I love for about $5 but each can at shops is about $.36 a can making 24 cans $8. I wouldn't mind bringing some home for people to drink, but the shipping on 24 cans 14,000km via air would be ridiculous haha. I bought a bottle of Orange Mirinda and started to walk away. The lady that sold it to me got all bent out of shape. It's because it's glass she can get some money for it, and honestly people here need every dime, so she can have her bottle. I only bought it for the bottle though haha as I can get cans and plastic bottles anywhere. Oh well. I headed toward Dan Sinh Market and took a new route. I found an old building and every time I do I take pics, as its the 1960's architecture. It had barbed wire up so it had to be something haha. I walk further down and found a concrete bunker and I think a watchtower, I forget because I haven't uploaded the pics haha. But it was something!
I made it to the market just in time since it started to rain. I knew the market was like a steel shack but being able to see rain drip from certain spots made me think of Rivet City from Fallout 3 - an old aircraft carrier rusting in the Potomac River in Washington DC. People lived in it as it was safer than being out with the super mutants and Mirlurks(mutated shell crabs that eat ya!) but its also one of the best markets in the game haha, and I guess Dan Sinh market has been good to me too :) I was only on a mission to look for reproduction (repro) uniforms as I think most of us would like a set of ERDL (camouflage like the 1980's US Woodland camo) that's cheap. Well no such luck. I took a pic of some repro tiger stripes and hopefully someone can ID the pattern as I don't know that stuff (yea I know, I don't know something that's VN). What I did find was repro Olive Drab (OD) uniforms. You can find green uniforms anywhere, but what we specifically need to look for to thin out the herd is ripstop cotton, non-reinforced knees, ass pockets with one button and the icing on the cake is the secret one button mini pocket on the inside of the left cargo leg pocket. An expensive set with all those are $150US and the cheaper set is about $60US. This set had everything but the secret pocket for $30US but I can probably get them at $25 or maybe lower if there's a lot of orders. Sadly I can't buy anymore but I got his contact info so I can buy a few sets later. The best shop there had two ERDL jackets for $30 each, but they have had repairs for them, one that would fit Nate and one that might fit Sam if their interested. I checked out all the other booths and found an ERDL jacket the guy wanted $100US for it, same guy that wanted $80 for an ARVN ruck so I walked. The rain was really picking up, and I know what the neighbourhood is like with flooded streets so I humped it out to higher and dryer ground.
I took shelter at KFC haha but took pictures of the water and it was getting nuts. in 30 minutes there was 12" of water flooding the sides of the roads, the middle being built higher just in case it does flood. I had to cross the busy street in it too haha. I take one step in and quickly find out the water now has it's own current and it almost knocked me over. If I fell in that water I'd fucking flip out because in some spots you can smell whats in it, and you don't wanna be soaked in that! I made it home but somewhat dry thanks to my US Army Poncho. I had a headache so I bought some tynolal, 8 pills for $1 and took a nap. I was going to go to Pizza Hut but being too far from home and in the rain wasn't cool to me. I'm starting to have a big problem of not knowing what to eat. I know what I want, but it's always burgers or pizza, which can kill me in frequent doses and my guts aren't working as it is haha. So not being able to find something I know would help me like at home but having nothing but two items on the menu that interest me pisses me off haha. Sure you can cook a duck 30 different ways, can you make me a ceasar salad? haha. Also while I was at the market I was looking for bran muffins, any breads that might help and yea no, this country doesn't eat bread. I did notice that the Kellog's Rooster (by the way good song that I'll play now!) has been working out. Check out the guns on him! I don't know if it's only Vietnam or in Canada too, but those would be some awesome chicken wings!
Anyways I settled for Veggie fried rice. I hate eating food I don't enjoy, but for the sake of my health I should try. I came back home, cleaned up because the cleaning lady wants to change my sheets and towels and here I am.
I've been in contact with the Canadian Forces Recruitment Centre as I need to enlist soon. The more I think about it, the better I feel about it and I'm going to enlist as an Infantry Officer so that I can start making $40,000 a year, get my university paid for (probably take history), have an amazing resume and experience working with others. Also, and thanks to Jackie, if you take something in university it opens the door to living abroad, like in China and possibly Vietnam, as they don't want to add more poor people they have to take care of. I could honestly see myself living here one day *cough* Cu Chi Tunnel Tour Guide *cough* so I'd like that door open. I know I want to take history in school, I love writing and taking that course makes things seem more credible compared to me writing books at this moment, which I'd love to do. I'd honestly love to do a 173rd Airborne Brigade book or Canadians in Vietnam. On top of that if I had the funding I'd like to take what I do with re-enacting and turn it into a profession, possibly open a living history museum (sounds crazy but go to Pioneer Village sometime haha) or at least find a way to turn what I love into something bigger.
The only downside to all this is leaving my life in SW Ontario, which will be the hardest thing I've ever done, so I'm not looking forward to that or saying goodbye to my guys for five years, but in the purpose to making money and come back greater than before after my time is up, I gotta do it as painful as it will be. It's not happening yet so this isn't my farewell speech, but just because I'll be in a different city doesn't mean I'll stop re-enacting, just open a temporary firebase in Edmonton, where I'd like to be based. Before all that happens though I have to apply and the due date is Jan 15th, so as soon as I get home and wake up while there's day light (since I gotta get use to CDN time again) I'll hit up the CFRC in downtown London and start the beautiful process of paperwork! Good way to get you started for the years haha. Alright, one day at a time... Tomorrow I gotta hit the clinic because I've taken my meds religiously and have not reached the desire result. I gotta walk down the street to the post office to call my bank as I can't gain access to my online bank account to move money to my Visa, my only form of funding. The other thing is that if I'm accepted soon to the CF, any redness in my bank account will be corrected soon haha. I just wish I didn't work out for six months to get doughy in six weeks and then join the army haha. Then since it will still be daylight and before the 5pm rain hit Pizza Hut and hopefully be home before the rain fall! I'll take it a bit easier tomorrow as I have about 25 days left to go crazy in Saigon, including walking across town to the Airborne Museum and a day trip to the Mekong Delta. Till then I'm going to sleep. Take care.
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