Quang Ngai, Autumn Moon Festival

ancientpathos wrote:

Greetings,
This is my 1st Autumn Moon Festival. I have really enjoyed watching the young children put on their performance in their outfits.  Always give some money.  Tonight there was this older group that wasn't happy with my gift and wanted more, very rude and aggressive.  So I took my money back and had to be forceful with a couple of the older kids/young men.  Has anybody else have this happen? I am in Quang Ngai, very few westeners here.  I have only seen 2 others in the last week.

Your message initially brought to my mind the movie Air Force One.

There's a scene where right before the phone cuts out, The President, played by Harrison Ford, tells the Vice President: “Catherine, if you give a mouse a cookie” and she finishes knowingly, “he's gonna want a glass of milk.” Of course Mr. President. Thanks for breaking that down for us. We get it, America doesn't negotiate ...

I find the words "thank you" very seldom used by people looking for money.  About a week ago, I was gassing up my motorbike and an old woman was begging for money.  By rule, I do not give money to panhandlers.  I politely told her no, but I gave her a bottle of water instead.  She didn't say one damn word but just went to the curb, put the bottle down and continue begging.

She just wanted money, not help.

Because you're an American, people will always see you as loaded with cash.   Even if in your mind, you gave them enough and even if they compared it with local standards, you're very generous, it is NEVER enough.  They always seem to want "a glass of milk".

ancientpathos wrote:

...I am in Quang Ngai, very few westeners here.  I have only seen 2 others in the last week.

Probably because they knew about the storm and evacuated.  So how is the storm in Quảng Ngãi province? 

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/13294/wea … ne-missing

Quang Ngai city is very nice.  Most people are very friendly. Have not seen any western food. Never missed it until there was none.  Lots of rain, weather nice for scooter, and traffic must better than Saigon.

ancientpathos wrote:

Quang Ngai city is very nice.  Most people are very friendly. Have not seen any western food. Never missed it until there was none.  Lots of rain, weather nice for scooter, and traffic must better than Saigon.

You miss the Big Mac that much?  I've passed through Quảng Ngãi on my way to the North and it was a nice view from the train.  It's really not a tourist destination though so what brings you there?

In my quest to act productive, I accepted a teaching assignment there.  Teaching Vietnamese English teachers.

ancientpathos wrote:

In my quest to act productive, I accepted a teaching assignment there.  Teaching Vietnamese English teachers.

Awesome!  Hope you have fun in your new gig.  Just be wary of the land mines, UXOs and Agent Orange in the water up there.  Seriously, I still read newspaper articles about these things still in existence.

Change your status from Sài Gòn to Quảng Ngãi so any expats up North can invite you to coffee.