My Protanopic Life

Tonight I am staying near Tien's house in a $4 hotel room with no toilet seat and a dirty bidet nozzle.

One hour ago I was on the back of a scooter riding through a warm gentle rain, sharing an earbud with Mai listening to Kaskade off my non-phone-functioning iPhone, watching the strange surroundings illuminate from the shadows in the headlight of the scooter.

This morning I walked around the market where Tien's parents own two stores, talking to the local villagers (through Tien) who all turned their heads at me as they walked by.

I saw two feral lawn darts nipping at each other in the street.

Today I saw a woman selling cake on a bridge over a river next to a slum.

I saw two girls biking down a bridge on a bicycle with a bent back wheel.

It smells like death and rotting fruit a lot in Vietnam.

A man looked at me as he passed by on his scooter, a segmented cage full of field mice on the back.

For lunch I had one of the best meals I've ever had. Tien's mom cooked some amazing fried chicken with some amazing sauce brazed on and some other amazing dipping sauce.

At dinner I ate a fish tasting thing with a bunch of tentacles of varying lengths and nobody could tell me what it was.

Out of respect for cultural customs Tien decided it would be a bad idea to travel with me and I'm a little worried about how things will be in a few days when she's not around to translate for me. I'm also bummed that she won't be traveling with me, it would've been great for her, and great fun for both of us.

After seeing the bathroom in this hotel room, I'm glad I took Igor's advice and got a sleeping bag liner to sleep in.