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

 
I am a weak woman. So very, very weak.

Before I set out this morning, I solemnly resolved that I would not buy a single thing, no matter how beautiful or tempting. After all, anything I buy I have to carry around for months -- it should be a powerful incentive, considering the weight of my backpack already. And I've been very good for the last few days. We went to markets, and walked by the countless vendors and shops in town, and I barely twitched. Well, maybe I asked prices a few times, but I never closed the deal.

Today, however, I just couldn't help myself. I was left alone with nothing planned but wandering the streets, unfortunately filled with gorgeous tie-dyed and batik fabrics, clothing, "little red books", jewelery, elaborate little metal objects, and decorative wall hangings. Circumstances were obviously conspiring against me.

I started off in an innocent way -- I bought a bracelet. The one I had been wearing, small wooden beads strung by blind orphans I visited in Saigon, was inadvertently left on a night train a couple weeks back when I awoke just as the train entered the station where we were to disembark. So I needed a replacement, and it really wouldn't add any weight to the luggage. It was a perfectly acceptable purchase, now that I think about it.

My second purchase of the day wasn't too bad either -- a small purse with a long strap. Of course, I have one already. It's really practical and functional (read: not cute at all) and I'm am kind of tired of it. I could leave it behind -- that would mean no net gain in the weight department, and thus no real violation of my morning resolution.

Unfortunately, there is no possible justification for my third purchase. I bought a tablecloth, for crying out loud. I mean, really. I've never had any interest in tablecloths. Sure, this one's very pretty, in a deep blue with an intricate geometric white tie-dyed design on it. But I have to carry it for three months. What the hell was I thinking?

Man, I'm only on Week 3 of my trip and I'm already failing at the shopping self control. I guess tonight I'll have to figure out how to fit a 4' x 6' tablecloth in to my bulging luggage. If I'm not careful, by the time I get back to Saigon I'll be down to a t-shirt, shorts, 4 pairs of undies and 25 pounds of tourist goods.

Copyright 2003 Katy Warren
posted by Katy at 2:42 AM