Doing "Normal" Stuff in Da Nang

After spending way too much money on tailored clothing in Hoi An, I chilled out for 2 nights at a hostel in Da Nang and really did a lot of nothing.

Da Nang is a big-ish city about an hour from Hoi An, and its definitely a little more off the beaten track. There are some tourists that stay there and commute into Hoi An to avoid the higher accommodation and food prices in the Old Town, but walking around the city you definitely feel like you stick out as a white person! I got a lot of stares and occasionally a child would point at me!

I had to do some t-shirt shopping since I didnt pack very many and a few have been ruined along the course of the backpacking adventures. This was also an adventure. For one thing, Vietnamese women are TINY. At home I generally fit a size small or medium shirt, but here...I am a Large or XL! And sometimes they dont even carry those sizes! The upside is that clothing here is so much cheaper...I got 2 good quality shirts that I like for 50,000 VND each, which is roughly between $3-4 CAD.

The other thing was that I would walk into a store and the staff would just look at me and break into a shocked smile, like as if a clown had just burst in with noisemakers and a dance routine. Then they would drop everything and try to suggest things for me to wear- usually stuff I would not be caught dead in, and usually way too small. I think both of us were a little bewildered as to how to proceed. Eventually we would both give up, but it was quite sweet. When I did actually buy something, the one salesgirl who had followed me around told me in broken English that my purchase was very pretty.

Ordering food at a restraurant was an interesting experience! With no English translation, no English-speaking staff, and few photos to go on, I literally just pointed at something within my price range and hoped for the best! It turned out to be Ban Xeo, which is rice paper pancakes, fried omelets, and veggies served with peanut dip- the same dish I ate at Friendsgiving! Delicious.
I repeated the point-and-wait-for-a-surprise routine each time I ate out. Since I loved most Vietnamese food, this was generally quite successful.

On my last night in Da Nang I was feeling a bit nostaligc for home, and wanted to do something that felt normal. So I went to the movie theatre, and I watched The Hunger Games....yes, it was in English, with Vietnamese subtitles! I was the only white person in the entire mall/cinema, and definitely got a lot of curious stares and points. I was also the only solo female, and it turned out to be a date movie haha...Vietnamese couples everywhere! The plus side was that the movie theatre seats were the most comfortable I have ever had the joy of sitting in, and Ihad the most prime seat in the house, and no one sitting in front of me. And I enjoyed the movie, and had been looking forward to watching it for a long time. So...a successful night. I dont think I've ever watched a movie in theatres by myself before!

The only "normal" thing left to do, that I meant to accomplish there and didnt, is get a haircut! I am still too afraid to allow someone who doesn't speak my language to take the shears to my head. Its a situation that is quickly getting out of control, however. Between the humidity and just the sheer quanitity of hair that is accumulating on my head, I'm beginning to look like a crazy person. The bright tourist pants probably dont help.

Even though these "normal" activites still were different than they would be at home, it was strangely comforting to just go about the everyday things, rather than do tourist stuff. But now I'm back at it...spent a day in Hué exploring the historic citadel, and today I have arrived via tourist bus in Phong Nha, to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a touristy tour...but I think it will be cool, so I hope its worth it! We will see...