A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
Well, I did see one interesting thing yesterday, in addition to the gorgeous mountainous drive up here. In honor of Tet they are having a bit of a carnival in the big park along the Perfume River. Only one ride, actually, one of those kiddy rides with hanging horses moving in an endless vomit-inducing circle. The remainder of the fair was classic carny games of chance, low budget Vietnamese style.

First of all, there were no useless stuffed animals or plastic toys being given away. Virtually all the prizes were food (cookies, crackers, candy) or cans of soda pop or beer. These lower-value games were mostly variations on familiar themes: throwing balls into bottomless bowls, tossing rings onto deceptively easy targets, fishing with dangling magnets on bamboo poles, and knocking over surprisingly heavy decorative cans with a pitifully light foam ball. Everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time.

The more difficult or chancy games rewarded winners with small household appliances, electric fans, and cooking pots. My favorite of these games was a roulette-style operation in which a large guinea pig was placed under a plastic colander or mesh wastebasket while a large tabletop wheel spun around him. After the wheel had gone around a few times and bets were placed, the colander was raised and the guinea pig was able to scamper into one of the 15 numbered wooden boxes affixed around the edge of the wheel. I saw a particularly good (or lucky) guesser win a rice cooker.

It's been interesting to see all the various ways they celebrate the new year here, but I'm really ready for this holiday to end. Carnivals are nice, but I want the shops and restaurants to be open again!

© 2003 Katy Warren


posted by Katy at 4:04 AM