I woke up at 5 a.m.
I woke up because I needed to use the bathroom. I'm sure that's due to hormones. I fell back asleep and didn't properly wake up until 11 a.m. It was ridiculously late.
I joined a meeting at the same time and then continued working. It was a time-sensitive job, so I worked super fast. Once I reached a stopping point, I started getting ready to go to Starbucks.
Lately I've been feeling kind of lazy.
I looked around my room with stuff left on the floor and thought, ah, this is bad. I asked the front desk to do my laundry. The woman who helped me was probably younger than me and seemed not very used to foreigners. But she greeted me with a smile and was really cute.
Before calling a bike to go to Starbucks, I realized the sea was close so I went to the beach. People were swimming, people were running. The beach was huge and expansive. I walked around a bit and took some videos.
After that I arrived at Starbucks.
I ordered a dragon fruit, mango, and coconut milk drink — the same kind I used to drink in the Philippines. It's full of nutrients and I was happy. While drinking that I worked through a backlog of tasks. Before I knew it, it was 7:30 p.m. I decided to go have dinner.
Dinner was the usual pho.
I called a bike taxi to the pho restaurant. Since the hotel was close from there, I thought I could probably walk back.
When I entered the restaurant, a boy of about 20 who looked like a receptionist asked, "Where are you from?" I answered, "Japan."
As I sat down and looked at the menu, a man who seemed like the manager asked again, "Where are you from?" When I answered "Japan," it turned out he'd lived in Japan for five years and had worked in general contracting in Nagoya. We talked about him being an architect, and it turned out I'm also from Aichi Prefecture. Suddenly we felt much closer.
I ordered the recommended beef pho and asked if they had that firm bread-like thing you dip in pho. They said yes, so I ordered that too.
While waiting for the pho, we talked about Japan and my travel plans.
When I explained my route — HCMC → Qui Nhon → Hanoi → Lang Son → Halong → Danang — he asked, "Why are you passing Danang?" I told him I have a friend there and I'm supposed to meet them in Hanoi.
As we talked, probably his child brought the pho and presented it like, 'Here you go, enjoy.'
The pho was truly delicious.
Among Vietnamese dishes, pho is my favorite. No matter which shop I try, the pho is tasty. I've never thought it was bad. Are they all the same? Not exactly, but honestly I can't tell the difference that much (haha).
If I ever run a restaurant in Japan, I'd want it to be a pho restaurant. I like it that much.
After I finished everything down to the soup, he said, "Wait two minutes," and later brought out the bread. It seemed he'd warmed it up in a toaster oven.
Since it was a good opportunity, I wanted to take a photo together, so I spoke to him after paying.
The old me would have been too shy to say anything. I would have worried about my face looking awkward or other unnecessary things. But this time I said it myself and was able to take a picture together.
The promise I made to myself while eating pho — "Take a photo with him." — I properly fulfilled it. I was really happy I could keep a promise to myself. I felt my self-esteem rise a little.
He asked me to leave a review on Google, so of course I said yes. We parted with "Have a nice day!" Their pho was really good, so I want to go again.
My around-the-world trip has a vision: become friends with locals, communicate and deepen those relationships, and learn about each country's culture.
I was genuinely happy that I was actually doing that.
When I returned to the hotel, my laundry was already dry and a cute note was stuck to it.
"Clothes have been washed :)"
I thought it was really cute and was surprised by how neat the handwriting was. I wondered who had written it. Maybe the receptionist from earlier, I thought.
At that moment a new goal formed: "When I check out tomorrow, I'll have her write a note for me."
On this world trip I have a project where I ask people I meet to write life advice for me.
I simulated it in my head: what should I say, what's the right timing. But the chance it goes exactly like the simulation is about 0.1%. That's what makes it interesting. If I overthink it I won't be able to move at all. So I don't want to think too much. Still, I want to have expectations. I find myself imagining it going well.
I thought that wouldn't be so bad either.
And so, at night I took clarithromycin and the hormone medication Medol and went to sleep.
