Vietnam Story #5

Hoi An is a wonderful town. It's one of the few spots in Vietnam that during the war both sides agreed to leave it alone. So the buildings are just great. And unlike Hanoi, they don't allow cars in certain areas so it's much less hectic.

I had a kick ass room right on China Beach. Couldn't get over the fact that I was laying out on China Beach. I kept looking for Dana Delaney and Marg Helgenberger. Waited for helicopters that never came.

I explored a lot of the old houses and a couple museums. Bought some art. GREAT art there. Took some pretty decent pictures.

Back up to the flight from Hanoi to Hoi An. There was a man on my flight. He and I locked eyes very intensely. He said something to me but I didn't hear him and just laughed and looked away. And that was it.

So my 2nd night in Hoi An I pick a restaurant out of a long list...get a table...and he's sitting right next to me. We looked at each other and just smiled. He was traveling with a married couple and they're all neighbors back in Toronto. So we proceed to have a great dinner. Tony - the guy - is hitting on me and that became the overlying theme of the evening. They're all very nice, sassy, fun people. Found out they were going to be traveling to Hong Kong the next week so we exchanged information and promised to have dinner when they were there.

Meanwhile, during this trip I was texting with Pascal. We tried doing dirty texts (I started it and he was more than enthused) but then I lost cell service...damnit. Haha...

As I'm on my way back to Hong Kong I have a layover in Hanoi. I'm sitting in the Hanoi airport in some crappy restaurant eating a crappy burger. They're playing the most random American songs. At one point I was singing along to "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar". I laughed out loud to no one.

I emailed Pascal from there and he said to let him know the weather report in Hong Kong because he thinks he needs to visit me...

I was so excited! I got much more attached to him than I planned on though. Which worried me as he's such a playboy. But I was trying to keep it cool in my head.

Didn't hear from him by Thursday re: any definite plans. So I thought, "Shit, he's bailing." I emailed him a link to some article as a ploy to get info out of him. He replied but didn't mention anything about coming to HK.

So I called him out on it. Said I felt like a big idiot because he said he was coming and now he's obviously not. I said "maybe you're not as over your ex-girlfriend as I thought?" Asked him to mail me my watch, etc.

He replied saying that he was so sorry and to please forgive him but he thought he could handle everything but he's now figured out that he can't and he's stuck and he's sorry. I said that was okay and I understood.

Then I proceeded to go out that night and get SHITFACED. Had a great time though with my new friend Sara (not as cool as the first Sarah). I sent Pascal a drunk email blasting him out. Said that if he knew he was bailing on me he should've let me know. That's fucked up and fuck him and blah, blah. Told him that he's 40 years old and need to be a man. I'm a nice person and I don't deserve this shit. I don't care who you are in your home country. You can't treat people this way.

Now most men my age would run screaming for the hills after an email like that. But Pascal had done the same thing as me - gone out and got shitfaced - and replied saying that he really likes me, more and more, especially after this email...it's good to let it out...blah, blah. He suggested we see each other in December.

After much hazy-hungover reflection the following day AND after having a VERY enlightening conversation with his friend Martin over IM I decided to make up with him and we could be friends. After a few email exchanges that was the end result and he said, "You'll never be alone as I humbly think you've found a soulmate in me."

Love the conclusion.

So then the Hoi An guy comes into town and I'm having dinner with he and the other 2 Canadians that night. My head/heart were still spinning from the Pascal drama....