Week 20: New Year's Solipsism

I finally had my much-anticipated meeting with my advisor. The 4-hour lunch wasn't as bad as I anticipated--it actually went pretty well. We talked about my work, my life in Hanoi, the happenings in Berkeley, the field of Vietnam Studies--I really miss talking to a mentor. Much of my work here is self-motivated and solitary, so sometimes I have no idea I am yielding results. I feel more confident and reassured after our meeting, mentally invigorated about my project. He gave me advice about where my project should go and what I should focus on in the next few months. Basically, we outlined the plan for the remainder of my time in Vietnam. I will continue to gather materials in Hanoi until late April, then move to Saigon for the last 4 months. Meeting with my advisor made me realize how much work I have left to do--I'm actually thinking of hiring a research assistant. Someone to do the grunt work for me: photocopying, writing request forms, scanning materials, etc. That way, I have more time to do more interesting work...

Took a whirlwind trip to Saigon to see my good friend Giang. Back in the day, Giang and I taught English together in Saigon. I haven't seen Giang in 3 years, and a lot has changed--she got divorced and engaged, I got a new coiffure, a bunch of shoes, and a healthy dose of cynicism. Hung out with Giang's younger sister Ngan, who I have watched grow from an adorable elementary school kid to a accomplished teenager with much promise. Affectionately nicknamed "the fish," Ngan is now one of the most popular girls at her high school, and plans to move to the US to finish high school. We had dinner at my favorite Banh Xeo place at Dinh Cong Trang. Ngan wanted to know everything about American high schools--classes, people, events. Eventually the topic switched to boys. I asked her about her teenage love life. Did she have a boyfriend? What was he like? She replied, "My boyfriend is very nice--a little bit fat, and a little bit dumb, exactly how I like my stuffed animals." [Writer's note: !?!?!?!?] Ah, the forthrightness of young love. I like ladybugs and turtles...so does that mean I like my men short, round, and squatty? Have posted pictures of Giang.

Song currently playing on iPod: Computer World (Kraftwerk). And no, not that drippy, urbanite, wussy Coldplay song that samples it... Chris Martin and Co. only wishes they were Kraftwerk.

New Year's, while not the mind-blowing nocturnal Dionysian liturgy expected by popular pressure, turned out quite pleasant. Kat threw a hot pot dinner in honor of Javier's parents and aunt, who came to visit from Madrid. Such lovely people. I loved the family atmosphere during the holidays, even though not with my own. At midnight, we all took part in the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes, one celebrating each month of the year. The grapes in Vietnam are about the size of golf balls, so I could only eat 6. Does that mean I will have a good half and bad half of 2006?

I remember the New Years spent with my parents growing up. Deeply religious, my parents were never the New Years' party animals. Our family celebration, "reveillon" as my parents called it, consisted of a short prayer and a midnight snack. My dad allowed my sister and I each a shotglass full of champagne, our yearly alcoholic drink (such adult beverages are all too-familiar nowadays). As a family, we would talk about what we hoped for in the new year, and let go of the old year.

I've had my first visitors of the year! My college friend Lisa and her mom Linda came into town this week (Lisa works in an art gallery in New York City, and Linda is a painter). It was so great to see some familiar faces from home. We walked around the Old Quarter, and had a lovely day wandering around the sights and sounds of the city. Living in Hanoi, sometimes I forget what a truly unique city it really is. Seeing Linda and Lisa discover Hanoi for the first time brought back the wonder I felt, the love for Hanoi that I've lost in the past few months.

Must run--the crotchety old lady, the archives, crooks her bony finger at me. Will write more later.