Further research work…
By writing this blog, I am making it clear how difficult it can sometimes be to find the desired motifs. So today, I got up at 5 a.m. again, drove to Phong Dien in the freezing cold AC car, communicating with the driver via Google Translate while driving, of course. When we arrived, still in the dark, we looked out over the water from the bridge and saw about eight boats. The driver told me that they would all be gone by 6:30 at the latest and that the market would then close.
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I just didn’t want to believe it.
And this is precisely where I think it’s important not to follow what the local driver says (often based on assumptions), but to follow my own expectations and ask that we wait until the market actually closes.
I didn’t want to give in to my frustration at that moment.
Of course, it’s usually the case that the locals know what’s going on, but not always. It’s important to find that line.
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He kindly got me a coffee (with ice, of course!) and I just stood there and waited. The women (most of them, it seemed) chatted and laughed with each other; it was a nice atmosphere. In the relatively short time, it got lighter and lighter. A few boats sailed away. I asked the driver to find out where the women were going. It took several entries in Google Translate before he could tell me the name of the markets. And here comes another interesting point. For him, the name and thus the specific location were not important; it was simply far away. But I wanted to know exactly so that I could possibly go there. It took a little effort to achieve this agreement in our communication and thus in our assessments. We eventually got there. He said that some of the markets can only be reached by water (alternatively by scooter… cars are not allowed… I don’t know why)..
After I had been standing there for about 1.5 hours, the women noticed me, of course, and since they are all very nice and open, they waved to me friendly. So the first contact has been made. And it was worth the wait just for this first tiny step.
Only the implementation is still questionable. In any case, I need someone besides the person who speaks fluent English to simplify communication a bit and who also speaks Vietnamese so that a photo including the necessary conditions can be conveyed to the sellers. But I still have to find that person.
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And then something happened that I have often experienced when I have calmly surrendered myself to a situation: something completely unexpected happened: of course, these salespeople also felt like having breakfast and were hungry, just like me. More or less out of nowhere, a young woman appeared with a bag that visibly contained several breakfasts, which she handed over to the boatwomen. Tradition does not, of course, dispense with modernity.
The young woman had parked her scooter on top of the bridge, come down, and brought the pre-ordered items. Wonderful!
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What happens now? What do I do?
In any case, I could only take photos from a boat here.
So I need someone who speaks English, a boat, and an assistant…
First, I moved to be closer to this place. Now it takes maybe 7 minutes to get there instead of 40. But how do I get there?
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All of this now needs to be organized from my new accommodation.
This resort has a pool, so I can cool off while I ponder my options.
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