The final say
e r o d f a e B Bre d e c i l S nt comme
Vietnam is changing. Michael Hardy gets nostalgic and harks back to all those things his chosen city of residence, Saigon, didn’t have when he first arrived
I
remember in my early days, seeing a T-shirt that read “I made it to Vietnam before McDonald’s did!” I recall loving that concept at the time; I felt original, like I accomplished something groundbreaking. With my nine-year anniversary of living in Vietnam having passed in June, along with the news recently breaking of McDonald’s finally coming to the country, I started thinking of all of the other things this city didn’t have when I first arrived. Here’s my list of eight things that made it to Vietnam before McDonald’s (but not before me).
Sliced Bread I remember going around the grocery store wishing I could make a classic packed lunch sandwich, but no slices were to be found. Don’t get me wrong, I had my fair share of banh mi op las, but I needed a taste of home too. Having grown up on sliced bread with
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processed meat and cheese, I was nostalgic for that taste of home (yeah, I can admit it, I missed my Mommy). These days, not only can you find sliced bread at banh mi stands around town, but you can find fantastic varieties of it in almost any grocery store. And yes, I still miss my Mommy!
The Helmet Law Ah, those days of seeing people driving around, enjoying the wind in their hair. This nguoi nuoc ngoai got some strange looks for wearing a full-face helmet when you didn’t even need to fret over a fine for not doing so. The most incredible moment was the day the law was enforced — December 2007. With much anticipation, I stepped out of my house to find 99.9 percent of people wearing helmets! I rejoiced with the thought of fitting in, finally, until I realised they all had tiny little skullcaps on while I was still sweating in my head sauna.
Facebook These days, anybody who has just moved to Vietnam or is considering doing so can log into Facebook and find groups where they can ask anything their travelling heart desires. Not only did I arrive in Vietnam before the billion-plus user website, I set foot here before it was even a dotcom. Where the best burger in town was, the bar with the cheapest happy hour or where to find a good deal on renting a motorbike all came from getting out there and searching. And not with a keyboard.
Tattoo Parlours Though I don’t have any tattoos, I did come here with my tongue and lip pierced, and got some rather curious reactions along the way. Tattoos and piercings were for society’s underbelly, but that concept is slowly changing. With parlours popping up everywhere and a lot doing quality work,