Yet another adventure with Me Dinh

Me Dinh's mum in the middle taken in July 09 with the non- smiling Vietnamese photo taking women!

So  I didn’t really want Me Dinh to come all the way to Hanoi in order to just turn around and get the bus back to Bac Ninh with us, when I am perfectly capable of managing that myself, but there she was in full “disapproving mother in law” splendor at my door.   I persuaded her to get a taxi to the bus stop and then we boarded the bus to Bac Ninh.   I hadn’t bought a present but this time had taken along my very intensive English – Viet dictionary and printed out a few choice sentences so that I could purchase something when we got there.   Once off the bus in Bac Ninh instead of jumping on a motorbike we then were frog marched to another bus stop.   We sat next to a latrine whilst waiting for the bus which was most pleasant! and then we boarded another bus to god knows where?   Another hour and bit later we landed somewhere and were eventually picked up by what turned out to be Me Dinh’s nephew Tow.   Tow was a very enthusiastic man, who was driving a green SUV, when he gave me a bear hug ( unusual in Vietnam) I definitely thought I smelt Whisky but decided not to be too judgmental.   We then drove to what can only be described as a  beautiful picturesque village called Lang Bui.

Lang Bui

more Lang Bui

We went into a house occupied by what I thought had been one of Me Dinh’s sisters back in July, then found out she was a neighbour, well now it seems she is part of the family, which part is beyond me; my Vietnamese doesn’t stretch that far.

This was the house we ended up staying at

The back garden with organic vegetables..

So we went in sat down and drank tea,   I was a bit impressed with my Vietnamese to be honest, it’s not anywhere above very very very basic but compared to July when all I could say was ‘Thank you’ and ‘I don’t understand’ I managed a couple of conversations – woo hoo.   What is most peculiar about these visits is that once we arrive – word goes around and half the village turn up and they just sit and stare!  I was dying for a wee so after a polite amount of time I asked  where the loo was.   Hwa refuses to be on her own with Me Dinh so she came with me and it was a small outhouse in the back.   I regret not taking a photo at the time but that would have been considered rude, or at best weird, but the description goes like this.

A small room with a wooden door which pulled out wards but was closed with a brick.  Once the brick was removed in the far left hand corner was two chickens nesting on straw.  Note it was pitch black in there.  In front on the right hand side was three steps up to a hole,  with a half pipe run off to the back area which was straw, toilet paper and other stuff I didn’t want to examine too closely.   It was obviously the luxurious version as there were two half bricks either side of the hole so you could stand or squat at leisure.   Hwa had to stand by the open door whilst I had a wee the chickens were unaffected.    I can proudly say that my squatting capabilities have certainly improved since living here and there was no drippage on the ankle or foot.   Seriously though I had seen a program once about sewers (and how water was the wrong way to deal with it )  and how a  dry sewage/ compost was the least smelly and most effect way to deal with waste,  well I have to report it didn’t smell at all, only of hay, I was quite impressed.

Oh how we have a new found respect for the smell of fresh hay...

Trouble with over-thinking is that I was constantly looking for bits of toilet paper in the vegetables when we ate later, cos you know where that compost was headed for …………

Lady of the house is on the right... its embarrasing but I don't even know her name!

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting other people in their houses in the village, it was a lovely day but I kept wondering about the party and the fact I hadn’t seen Me Dinh’s mum yet.

a stroll with the local teens and tweens

We had lunch at the house, where the over enthusiastic nephew wouldn’t leave me alone,  he managed to consume ( along with some friends that came over) a decent amount of Whisky, and I had two beers! I find it really helps when you don’t understand a sodding thing that is going on!

The ducks were all quacking away it was very funny

We went to a rich house… again I wish I had had my camera as the temple outside was huge and there was a group of six very old ladies in there just drinking tea and chatting, it really would have been a great photo.   The house had a fully fitted kitchen and was really modern, not a big deal you may think but honestly I was so hoping the party was going to be in there.

Night fell and we had dinner, which was just the same as the lunch we hadn’t eaten – where was this bloody party!  I should also mention that at this point the Nephew had disappeared to bed at about 5pm … the weather was cold and the house was very drafty.  After dinner at about 8pm  we were literally put to bed, in our clothes, in the front room, with Me Dinh.

The space next to Hwa was reserved for me ...

Again not to go on about the bathroom situation but I was dying for a wee so we were given a candle and this time I had Me Dinh hold the door open for me whilst trying to aim for the hole in pitch black,  Hwa the same.  Last time I mention it, but I had to go again in the morning and it was still dark.   I managed poorly and my scarf got covered in wee – try smiling and hiding gagging at the same time.

The lady on the left was the nephew's wife she seemed really tired and beaten down - I bet she was younger than me

So we slept (sort of) it was so cold and Me Dinh snores!  I was fully prepared to wake up at 5am but the buggers changed it and we were woken up at 4am!!  We were bundled into the SUV, drunky nephew drove in the dark and I tried not to think about it.  2 Hours later we were back in Hanoi!   How? What? WHERE WAS THE PARTY!!!

There was no party, I never saw Me Dinh’s mum.  I kept asking where she was and they kept saying she wasn’t there – duh I gathered that.

I don’t think I will ever get to the bottom of why we had this little adventure and where the party was or wasn’t but it certainly was an experience and I love Lang Bui.

You'll be back Bleakley's you'll be back.