Pat's Night Out

Last night I was invited out by Mr. Tan, whose friend (brother, perhaps?) was celebrating the opening of his new cafe in Nha Be District of HCMC:

That's Mr. Tan, breaking it down on the left. You can tell he's an architect because of his black-framed glasses.

Going out Vietnamese style is an all-male affair. Apparently on Friday nights men go out and drink themselves silly while their wives and mistresses wait at home for their husbands/lovers to come home feeling randy, presumably Not listening to Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (with Lovin' On Your Mind)." Anyway, so this outing was all men, and included many men dancing with other men, as above. And that's how -- VERY far from home, the guest of a friendly co-worker, with no reasonable way to leave politely -- I found myself in THIS position:



Yes, yes, that's me twirling a very nice, very drunk Vietnamese man, whose name I do not remember. And, of course, I had a dance with my host, too:

You may thank Luke, an engineer who's also volunteering with Habitat Vietnam, for the photos.

After the dancing, Mr. Tan showed me and Luke around the house, parts of which he designed. Then Mr. Tan drove me back to his home (nearby) where his not totally-pleased wife let us in, and where I spent the night quietly fighting for space under a Winnie the Pooh blanket with one of Mr. Tan's children, who had snuck into the bed when I had momentarily risen to use the bathroom.

I won eventually, but it was hard fought.