Tan My Dinh Hotel
288 Le Thanh Ton
Room VIP I

This is the address of our hotel, and we've had to share this address with many many vietnamese "service professionals" - you know; cab drivers, pizza delivery guys and the like. The only problem is, we don't speak Vietnamese, and they don't understand my english. I've had some people here compliment me on my diction, how clearly I "pro-nun-ci-ate". But, diction is no help when it comes to saying english words vietnamese style. For example, the darling girl at Al Fresco's restaurant who takes our "to-go" order a few times a week just can't understand why I cannot say the word "eight". Here, eight is not "ate", It is "oite", and I keep forgetting this. So every time the poor dear repeats our address back I try and correct her; "No, I'm sorry, it is 2-ATE ATE". And she says; "Yes, madamme, 2-Oite Oite...sigh". I thought she had cleverly solved the problem when with our order the other night she sent a "delivery card." Now all I have to tell her is our delivery card number and she looks up our address. Our delivery card number is 1388 (yes, 13-oite oite). Thank goodness, I thought I'd never get it right.

O.k., and while we are rolling on this subject, I just have to add to my lack of verbal intelligence. As I mentioned earlier, our room number is "VIP I". Now, I have never been associated with the accronym "VIP". I believe I am a unique person with individual worth. However, I do not believe I am a "VIP". So, to be staying in "VIP I" has been a bit discomforting in the first place, it sounds too staunchy, too stuck up, too expensive. The other evening the darling order taker at Al Fresco's was repeating to me our room "number". This, she was doing, by saying "V like..." and not getting it right (remember, I can't speak english to the vietnamese...) so she was saying "V like Boy, I like ice cream, P like big". And I was trying to help by saying (o.k., not by saying V like Very I like Important P like Person) "V like Violet, I like Ice Cream and P like Purple". P like Purple? What was that? Especially since they sell P like Pizza and P like Pasta at Al Fresco's, I chose P like Purple? I'll repeat, I've never associated myself with "VIP", it's kind of thrown me off. The night the delivery card arrived, I think we finally communicated. Once I'd been asked for my room number I said "V...and darling order taker said the rest "IP I". Understanding at last!

Maybe by the time we leave here I'll be able to make some of the tones in this very interesting language. Maybe somehow I'll be able to teach Lucy to count in the language of her birthland. But, more than anything, I hope I can communicate to cab drivers and order takers the address of my hotel, in a language we can both understand...