I woke up at 8:30 this morning.
It was my first night in a hostel in Vietnam.
To be honest, I hardly slept.
Someone suddenly got up in the middle of the night and went out onto the balcony, and in the morning it was really noisy — I woke up many times because of the sounds.
Even though I was sleeping with SHURE SE815 noise-isolating earphones, the snoring cut right through them.
On top of that were the side effects of steroids. My sleep was shallow and I felt anxious — all kinds of problems piled up that night.
When I woke up, I made up my mind immediately.
I thought, 'I can't go on like this.'
Sleep is truly important to me.
Especially when I'm traveling or on an adventure, I think it's the top priority for maintaining my immune system.
So this time I decided clearly.
I'd rather pay money to make sure I sleep properly.
I decided to ask for a room upgrade and sent a message to the front desk on WhatsApp.
I said, 'I'd like to upgrade my room.'
But even that back-and-forth got bothersome, so in the end I booked a single room for the same dates on Agoda.
As a result, I could still use the dormitory room while also having secured a separate single room.
It felt like I had taken out insurance.
I had a meeting at 12, so I decided to sleep once more until then.
A short but important sleep until 11:30.
After finishing the 12 o'clock meeting, I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and went to the front desk.
I received the key and went to the other single room.
After all, single rooms are nice.
I might meet fewer people, but it's calming and there's a sense of 'safety.'
Maybe I find this comfortable because I'm 25 now.
Two years ago I would have chosen a hostel without question and never picked a single room.
With that settled, I got on with work — today is my last day in Quy Nhon.
At night, I'm going to my favorite Japanese restaurant that I had already decided on.
Before that, I went to pick up the laundry I had left yesterday and bought bananas at Willmart.
When I went there, they only had an 8-piece bunch.
After thinking for a bit, I decided to ask.
'Would you be able to sell just four of these?''
She readily said, 'Sure,' and the woman at the register cut the bananas on the spot.
The price was neatly cut in half too.
I thought again.
It's really important to ask.
It's such a waste to make a snap judgment inside your head that 'it's probably impossible' based on assumptions.
After that, I went to the bike rental guy's place.
A bike I rented for five days.
130,000 dong per day, which is 650 yen.
It's really too cheap.
When I arrived, the man was waiting for me and his wife promptly returned the 2,000,000 dong deposit (about 10,000 yen).
He asked, 'Where are you going next?'
When I told him I was going to eat dinner at a Japanese restaurant,
'Then I'll give you a lift,' he said.
He said that.
In the end I paid 650,000 dong and we took a photo together again.
He repeatedly asked me to 'write a review on Google.'
Looking back, this is the fourth time since I arrived in Quy Nhon that someone has said the same thing.
The woman at the pharmacy, Ms. Su from the pho shop, Huy from the hostel, and this guy.
I realized that reviews really matter in regional towns.
I enjoyed the last ride on the bike and returned it.
After parting ways with his wife, the man gave me a ride to the Japanese restaurant.
'Bye! See you later!'
I told him I'd rent a bike here again when I come back to Quy Nhon, and we said goodbye.
As I was entering the Japanese restaurant, a thought crossed my mind.
I wondered, 'Are they thinking, "Oh, it's that customer again"?'
But instead of thinking like that,
'They came again.'
'They must really like it.'
Maybe they think that.
It's much better to think that way.
This time I tried to order the aji fry set meal, but it was sold out after all.
So I ordered the karaage set, edamame, and orange juice.
The orange juice had sugar in it and was quite sweet.
The edamame was surprisingly delicious.
The karaage set was 99,000 dong (about 500 yen), yet the contents were amazing.
Three huge pieces of fried chicken,
rice, miso soup, stir-fried vegetables,
two fried tuna pieces, and a salad.
Such a generous price.
Without a doubt, I think this is the most delicious Japanese restaurant in Quy Nhon.
After finishing the meal, I headed straight to the hotel.
I still had work left, so I took care of it.
I wrote in my diary, posted on Note for the first time in a while, and spent some time to myself.
Tomorrow I fly to Hanoi.
Originally I was supposed to meet a friend in Lang Son, north of Hanoi, but it's been canceled this time.
So I decided to stay in Hanoi for a week.
For a late-night snack, I ate the cup noodles that were there.
I honestly thought, 'It's good.'
That's all (lol).
