Friends Visiting

Diep and I met a very long time ago when her and her friend walked into a pool bar.  Diep's friend, Trang, asked her to come talk to me and introduce us.  I dated Trang very briefly, usually while Diep came along, and I saw things weren't going to work out between Trang and myself fairly quickly.  Anyway, that is how I met Diep... and Trang.

So, since then, Trang married an Italian man and went to Italy.  She had a daughter and then got divorced.  I am not sure what jobs she has done or how her life has been in Italy, but she does visit Vietnam from time to time.  This time, she came with her boyfriend and visited Diep in Hanoi.  Trang and her boyfriend, Andrea, invited us to eat at one of the older eateries in what is known as the Old Quarter, the Cha Ca La Vong.  This is one of the most famous of restaurants in Hanoi and it hasn't changed much in the past 20 years.  It is run down and the service is lacking.  Nevertheless, it is one of the "must do" things on the list when traveling to Hanoi. 

Trang is a naturalliy pretty woman, but has put on a little weight in the past couple of years... nothing like a woman in her 40s in the U.S. but still she isn't the skinny girl she used to be.  The extra weight makes her tattoo on her lower back a little misshapened and that, along with the blond highlights, boob job and less-than-conservative dress made her a topic of not-very-flattering conversation for everyone in the restaurant.  Hanoians love to talk about other people.  I have, over the years, learned to ignore these snide little comments, but even I felt a little uncomfortable at the restaurant.

Diep and Trang reconnected, and Diep invited Trang and her boyfriend/husband (not really sure what the relationship is) over to dinner at our house.  This was good in that we didn't have to go out in public again, but not so good in the fact that two social events in one week is about 1 1/2 too many for me.

The dinner went off well and the reconnection, overall, went well for me.  Apparently, it was an opportunity for Diep to see how lucky we are to be doing what I am doing, living where we are living and enjoying generally comfortable lifestyle.  I am always aware of how lucky I am. I remember very vividly how it was in Mobile before coming back to Vietnam, but I think Diep needs reminding from time to time.

In a nutshell, life has been good since Diep saw Trang.  Not sure how long it will last, but it is good for now.