long haired dictionaries

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^{©devoncalling2012}

Long-haired Dictionaries

Within a few days of arriving in Vietnam most of the western males who were travelling alone have acquired a long-haired dictionary. For those in need of an explanation, this is a local girl who can speak English. She may not end up with the new passport she would have liked but at least she gets a nice holiday, all expenses paid. These are the paperback dictionaries. The hardback version has found a westerner with a contract or business in the country. Marriages are not uncommon nor is the transmogrification from sweet-compliant to concerned

But what is the man’s alternative - A 15 stone beast with tattoos and attitude? The slim, interesting, pleasant western women have already been signed-up or are waiting for someone more handsome/charismatic/wealthy than us.

Well of course, being a seasoned traveller, I was too smart to think that a pretty young woman would want me for anything more than my wealth and passport-potential, so I teamed up with a divorcee. The sweet voice and kindness diminished when she had right of abode in UK and vanished completely when she obtained her EU passport.

Whatever I may or may not have done to deserve this fate, I claim one saving grace: I do not and did not think that I became handsome and smart by the mere fact of catching an aeroplane from London to SE Asia.

I love this quote from Michael in Medan,

I was nobody when I left England and I am nobody now.

Ironically, he had been in a successful progressive music group years before. A fair number of the other ex-pats in Medan spent every evening in “Lily’s” bar/restaurant , putting down the locals and congratulating themselves on being such free and adventurous spirits – modern Marco Polo’s.

Last of all, a true story: Mr X arrived at Saigon’s airport in the morning and found the tourist bars in the evening. Over his first beer in Vietnam he had practically proposed to the first local barfly he met. She was not even young or slim and – shame upon shame – did not have long hair!

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Photos

goa phu
goa-phu=widow. a very lively one!

mr and mrs
most days you can see wedding shoots around hoan kiem lake. before the wedding - do westerners do this? i can't remember seeing it in UK