All Roads Lead to Midway

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The simple things



I am in Saigon, Vietnam. The name is over 300 years old. Its new name, Ho Ch Minh City, is fairly recent.

Been here many times over the last year. Loved it so much I decided to move here.

They didn’t renew my contract as a lecturer at the university in Malaysia. Whatever the reason, matters little now. This might indeed be a blessing.

I came here to Vietnam out of a hunch. Needed a holiday. Had some cash. Oz is too expensive.

Why not try somewhere new?

Lived in Oz for 15 years . Nice. Can’t complain. Some of the best times of my life were had there. Ask Mick. Ask Warren..Heather, Jo-fin (God bless her soul), Tossbag and Sabita… The list is endless. I miss Australia.

Back to Saigon. Someone told me about airbnb. I was naive. Probably, still am. Got a place for a week for under 100 ringgit, for the whole duration. Nice.

I sort my stuff out. Talk to the owner of the unit, Thoung, a gem of a person. Told me where to go, what to eat etc etc. He then left.

Feeling sweaty, I showered, then took the lift downstairs. Hear rock music. Metallica!

Music came from Midway a nice pub/cafe. Stopped for one beer. People around me started talking to me. Buying me beers, so I chat away. Getting pissed by the beer but not that pissed. After all, I live just upstairs. Have to stagger to the lift. 20 m away hahahahahahahahahaha.

Later, I went for a walk to get some smokes. To the Circle K store 50 m down the road. Had, somehow, run out of smokes. Pity, no smokes there.

I think to myself: why not buy the staff of the pub some chocs? After all, everyone, esp little angel. came to say hello. Hell, even the Boss, Cuong came out to welcome me. Nice.

So I got some chocolates and gave them the goodies. Then I find out I can get smokes at the pub itself! No one told me. My fault: I didn’t ask. Dumb! See how degrees really don’t matter in the real world..

I soon take a liking for the little angel. Have to walk to the market 30 mins away to get flowers. A mere 7 roses for 30K VND. A little over 1 USD. Worth every cent of it. Did the same for the entire week I was here. Took many nice pics of little angel with roses. Very very nice.

Well, while it lasted. Then, the little Angel vanished. I still came there. Only to the small area around Midway. Made numerous friends. Worth every cent again, but I didn’t need to give them anything. Just a bar of chocolate every now and then. When I go have lunch next door Most times I pay but occasionally, they refuse my money: it’s on the house..

My affair with Midway continues. I came to Saigon (and keep coming back) coz of the people. Now I'm here to stay...

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Photos

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The Boss in front of Midway..

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little angel

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Khoa, one of the staff, now good friend

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food comes to you: one of the lovely ladies in her pushcart