the Glocal Trekker Blog

Yesterday, I was in a cab on my way to my hotel from the Noi Bai airport near Hanoi. The cabbie tried to converse with me, but it wasn’t easy. His English was bad. My Vietnamese non-existent. The World Cup is just huge here. If you sit outside, you hear all the people on the streets cheering when things go good or bad--it’s wild. In trying to identify with him, I actually made things worse! I know nothing about soccer, the teams or any of that stuff. Here’s a recount of a fascinating conversation!

Cabbie: Mr. – you World Cup?
Bob: Yes – good
Cabbie: Urrca r Spam?
Bob: What?
Cabbie: Urrrrca r Spamee?
Bob: No understand
Cabbie – Very persistent: Urcan or Span
Bob: Ukrane Spain?
Cabbie: Yes!
Bob: Good
Cabbie: U Urcan or Spam?
Bob: (What the heck do I know, what the heck do I care!) Urcan
Cabbie: Urcan?!!
Bob: (Here we go again) Urcan – I mean Ukrane.
Cabbie: Spain?
Bob: Spain good – Ukrane will surprise.
Cabbie: No!
Bob: Oh yes – for sure! (I don’t know a thing I’m talking about.)
Cabbie: Me Urcan then.
Bob: OK
Cabbie: Yesterday loose $300--today make it up. (he gets on his cell, he’s placing a bet based on what I said).
Bob: Mr., don’t do that--I know nothing about this.
Cabbie: You know, I know you know.
Bob: Spain good (poor guys’ going to loose again!)
Cabbie: No Urcan win--thank you Mr.

Prayer for the Day:
Father, there’s a desperate Vietnamese cabbie wasting his money. I pray he did OK though I don’t believe in gambling. But if he didn’t, keep me safe from a guy looking for some white guy from Texas!