Han and Bun Ca Chan
Today I met Han, whom I'd met online. She's older than me and apparently works in the Japanese quarter serving Japanese customers. It felt like a nighttime job. Since we had the chance, we agreed to meet, and because I wanted fish soup I suggested it. At first I was a bit worried, wondering what if it's a scam, but when we met she was really a good person.
When I got near the shop she was already there and called me. When I met her she said, 'I'm kind of embarrassed.' Apparently she rarely meets someone as young as me.
I ate fish soup (Bun Ca Chan). It was simply delicious. She really seemed like someone who loves CHANEL, dressing in white and black.
She gave off a YSL and CHANEL kind of vibe. Apparently the customers are diverse; there are many expatriates.
We still had time so we went to a café. She told me about rents in Vietnam—Hanoi's rent has become insanely high. Just living in the city center costs around 40,000 yen.
Apparently that's really expensive for Vietnamese people. She told me she currently lives with her older sister, things like that. At the café we talked about her time in Japan and about plastic surgery. She had lots of photos and showed them to me. We also got excited talking about CHANEL, YSL, and cosmetics.
I'm not knowledgeable about cosmetics, but I really love talking about beauty, so it was really fun.
Then I said goodbye to Han.
Lens replacement for two glasses for 2,000 yen
Then I met up with another Vietnamese friend. She introduced me to a shop that replaces eyeglass lenses. Apparently a relative is an ophthalmologist, so you get a discount through their referral.
When we arrived at the shop she was there and talking with the staff. I brought two pairs of glasses that I wanted lenses replaced in. They replaced all the lenses. The shop staff were astonishingly efficient, like real professionals.
The price was only about 2,000 yen—even though they were blue-cut photochromic lenses. If I had done it at OWNDAYS it would cost 24,000 yen, but locally it was 2,000 yen. I thought Vietnam is unbeatable. At the same time, I wondered how expensive OWNDAYS is. Of course they have a brand, but I think the lenses inside are the same in the end.
What surprised me was that they didn't take them and finish them later—they did them right away. I thought they'd just started, and 20 minutes later they said, "Done!" The lenses for the two glasses were finished in 20 minutes. OWNDAYS would probably take a week. From now on, I decided I'll go to Vietnam when I need lenses changed.
Rikuro Uncle and the bookstore
Then we walked to an ATM, ate a Rikuro Uncle cream puff, and went to a bookstore. I felt she's a really good friend because I don't have to be careful around her. She's cheerful and always talks even if I don't, and just that made it really fun.
First-time Vietnamese BBQ, and parasites
At night we ate barbecue at a Vietnamese yakiniku restaurant called Acheon.
It was my first time eating grilled meat so I was really excited. I ordered meat, bread, and fries. I was so hungry I finished the fries in a flash, and she asked me, 'Huh? Where did the fries go?' (laughs).
The meat was very juicy and delicious, but the bread was the best. You really don't usually grill bread at a barbecue. Because chairs and tables in Vietnam are low, people sit close together. I thought that's really humane and lovely. We were side by side and the smoke was intense.
The lettuce was riddled with holes like it had been eaten by insects. It was a bit scary. I wondered if parasites might be attached. And sure enough, I ended up eating a parasite afterwards, so I had to take metronidazole to get rid of it and it was really, really rough. My first Vietnamese BBQ—very fun, but the price was steep.
With Nga, as usual
At night I went on a date with Nga. As if we lived together, she picked me up when her work finished, and we ate pho together.
This bowl of pho was really large. She spoke to the staff in a pretty harsh tone. I thought maybe it's to protect herself. In that way, I thought she's really similar to me.
Then we went back to the room and spent some sweet time. She often watches TikTok and various social media—very much a typical Vietnamese young person.
