The Saigon Diaries: Ball Mania

I'm not sure if words can accurately describe the way I'm feel about this city right now. Even though I've been here before many times, this time round, it just seems so different. Foreign, even.
No, not totally foreign actually. The pollution, the dirty side streets and the excruciating noise...that's all very familiar. But the people and the atmosphere...for some reason, those things were not imprinted into my memory.

Despite it's more 'uncivilised' qualities, I now find Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) incredibly beautiful and wonderous. Goddammit, I'm romancing the city. When I landed here I never expected to be swept off my feet. I've always had a kind of less than savoury attitude about the city.

Tonight changed my mind. And all it took was a little bit of a kick. Quite literally too...
Perhaps you know this or perhaps you don't but Vietnam as a country is absolutely bonkers over soccer. Today, Thailand had a face off with Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup (or something like that). Vietnam only had to draw to be able to win the cup and...yatta! The Viets did it!

It literally only took 1 minute after the goal for the celebrations to start. Within the space of 5 minutes, thousands poured onto the streets waving flags and honking like there was no tomorrow. Oh and suddenly, street vendors whipped out the Vietnamese soccer jerseys and cashed in on the soccer fever. All within 5 minutes...5 minutes!!!

The event was surreal, to say the least. But I'll do what I can to plant an image in your head. Picture you are in a mosh pit. Now imagine that the mosh pit is the size of your city and every single citizen of that city is moshing along side with you. Except, instead of moshing on their feet, they sitting on motorbikes, doing wheelies and bouncing about.
I love how much heart the city showed tonight. It was crazily beautiful. No other way to describe it. There was a smile on EVERYONE'S face. Such a sight for tourists...

Apologies for the blurry pictures. My shutter speed is much too low and my flash too weak. It also doesn't help that the Viets treat the road like a race track.

In other news, I decided to dress as a boy at dinner. The challenge was to fool people into thinking that I acutally was a boy. So out came the skinny black jeans, Converse sneakers, oversized tee and blazer. It helped that I have short short hair.
The result?
A lady asking my aunty if I was her son, a few questionable stares from waiters and I daresay, a pervy look from a girl. Success!!!