"Thuy and the ATM" a Ho Chi Minh City Travel Page by soopabayit

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her feet barely reach the ground

My ATM problem

Shortly after my arrival I discovered that my ATM card no longer worked in HCMC ATMs. I tried many other ATMs and one time walked almost to Phu Nhuan to find one but it also wouldn't work. I realized I was pretty far out in Q3 , maybe I was near Thuy. Then it occurred to me that since Thuy's job is to work foreigners over for cash, she would know where foriegners can get cash. I messaged her by phone and sure enough she immediately agreed to take me by motorbike to the ATM where I could get cash.

So she took me to this bank where I encountered other foriegners having the same issue as me. I tried the two ATMs with no luck. Thuy began to bleat "nhe" insistently, and pointed to a third standalone ATM. Sure enough it worked. I got the cash. Unbeknown to me at this time Diem had seen me there and called to me, but I was oblivious. What are the chances someone I know would run into me in such a big city?

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family home

Back home

But not to my hotel. Thuy again "kidnapped "me and took me to her grandmother's home where I had been the night last year. I met some of the family, but not all of them as 20 people live in the place measuring approx 2.5meters wide by 5 meters deep, 3 levels. The grandmother has a vendor stand in the front. Everything was the same as last time but I wasn't afraid they would poison me this time.

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the usual family photos

Here it comes

So Thuy and I walked to the local market and we bought some food from some vendor she knows and ate it there. I knew she was going to hit me up for something so while at this cheap market I offered to buy her something. She then departed for the expensive jewelry shop across from the cheap market. Thankfully she didn't ask me to buy anything.

Then we went back "home" and made the usual family photos. We all ate some Me and I was instructed to throw the remains into the street like everyone else was doing. Then some family member showed up and yelled at me for doing this as the police will complain. Everyone quit doing it.

Then it was arranged that we would go to the coopmart. This was the coopmart Thao used to work at and I said I would come visit her. I finally made it , but she no longer worked there. About 6 of us went and they all did some shopping for various household things. Many things came from the bargain bin. During checkout, everyone disappeared except me and Thuy. I paid about 400,000vnd for everything.

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common configuration of saigon home or business

Home again

After returning with the stuff I was then invited to "go upstairs". I had asked Thuy about her house and wanted to learn more about life ordinary, but was a little apprehensive about what upstairs" meant. The manager at the internet service Thuy frequents messages me by yahoo every day , and she told me she thinks Thuy is a call girl. I don't doubt it. Sure I have no problem saying no, but worried about when I decline, will it be some big insult and then have to make my way through angry family members to escape. I figured I'd just bolt at the first sign of "trouble".

Anyway, I climbed the steep ladder/stairs up to the 2nd level which had a well worn wood floor. There were blankets, pads and a pile of 6 or 8 VN people there. They were watching TV and one had a baby. [ they looked at me like I knew what to do so I tried to remember about childbirth from some TVshow. I knew it was important to instill confidence in the mother so I started to quote lines from "rescue 911". I then realized they didn't understand what I was saying so I just quoted lines from the film "Top Gun" in a calming authoritative manner.] Acutally what I meant to write was one of them was holding a baby.

Anyway, the TV show they were watching was in english but none of them speak or understand any. Then someone brought up the shrimp rolls we got from the coopmart. We ate them. I found myself in the middle of a pile of VN people lying over each other in a bedroom of a small urban dwelling in SaiGon. Nobody found this to be odd in the slightest - except me. Only for a few moments though as this is Viet Nam, many odd things happen to you, but they are amusing.

Anyway, I had seen enough of the house and life and said I should go back to my hotel. Thuy then took me by motorbike.

In sum, yeah I could have ditched her at the sacombank, but I know her family doesn't have much money, and for $30 its probably worth it to me to 1) solve my atm problem, 2) learn some of the house and life 3)the experience of hanging out with the family with all their laughing and carrying on. Plus I felt they spent the money on necessities. So Thuy finally got money out of me, but not a lot and for good reasons

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Collage-o-Thuy

Months Later

I had changed my email and yahoo, and didn't notify Thuy of my new address. However one day I recieved a call on my usa cell phone. Yes, it was Thuy. She finished her "make up school" and now has a job doing "make up"

I think she lost some weight. Seems happier. Maybe she really does have a legit job, but she's often at the internet service at 3 am wearing really thick makeup. Still wants to get married. Mailed me her ao dai photos by post office hoping " if I see her in ao dai I'll want to get married" I'm still "the only guy only nice to her". Which I wonder is paradoxically a blessing and curse.

Update 9/06 This summer she had "finished make up school" and now had a job doing "make up" She wears really heavy make up and is always online at 3am. Thuy got jealous when she found out I have friends in HCMC. A week later she's back to asking for money to "finish make up school"

12/06 She never gives up. Still "loves me" and says, "if you dont want to get married, no problem" She's sad because I think she only loves money, but surely, she loves me genuinely.

$30 of groceries gets you the undying adoration of a vietnam girl

On a brighter note, she no longer wears the thick make up and is living with her mother, and has a normal day job. Lost some weight, seems a lot happier.

7/07
She's back to just wanting to have my baby, marriage not necessary. Why? Because I'm still "the only man only nice to her" and she thinks she's ugly and I could give her a half breed very beautiful. (This is a common line with vn girls) She wants to have a child of her own. She wants to know, yes or no, do I have love for her? Will I give here a baby?

Translation: The "I love you" thing didn't work so its now down to try to get pregnant then call your bf in USA and say "your baby is starving, please send money"

Lately she's taken up messaging my phone asking me to call, then shuffling the phone among her family. I can barely understand any of them and all the shrieking and laughing doesn't help.