Ho Chi Minh City Part II

Brian and I finally connected this morning. After sitting at different Lotteria's yesterday, wedecided it would be best for me to make my way to his house via moto. So, with his address in tow, I hired a moto to help me find his apartment in District 4. (Ho Chi Minh City is divided into 8 Districts. The backpacker area is District 1.) Luckily finding his apartment was not too much trouble, although we did encounter the worst traffic jam I have ever seen in my life!

Brian took me first to this giant store call mEgaMart. It was a grocery store, home store, electornics, beauty supply. clothing store, and children's arcade all in one giant 3 story building. Apparently these are pretty common throughout Asia and have started popping up in every major city. You truly could get anything you could ever want ot need at this store, it was amazing. Oh yea, and there was a food court too! After wandering through the store for over an hour, Brian gave me the grand tour of his neighborhood--the local market, the temple, his favorite coffee spot, the park, and eventually back to his apartment. He lives in a great part of town where everything was within walking distance. Walking...right. That is NOT something that Vietnamese do. Everyone owns a moto (a moped) and even just going to a restaurant down the street, which would require a 2 minute walk, requires that you hop on your moto. I haven't figured out why they are so against walking and absolutely insistent on using their motos!

Brian practices a form of Hinduism and as such, we found ourselves discussing such interesting topics throughout the day as past lives, meditation, the power of the mind, and the basisc human desire that binds us all--happiness. Really that's all it comes down to. We all just want to be happy. Nothing more and nothing less. If we could each love ourselves enough to be fully and completely content with who we are as beings, imagine the kind of world we would live in.

After watching the sunset on the roof of his house, we went to the 6pm prayer at the Buddahist temple. I had no expectations for what the sevice would be, as I have walked through many many temples, but have never participated in a prayer service. But nevertheless, I vowed to myself that I would immerse as fully as possible. Sitting through the 90 minute prayer was a test to my ability to sit still for such a long time! I am typically very calm and have no trouble sitting still for prolonged periods...but sitting cross-legged, on hard tile for 90 minutes was a whole different ball game.

As the monks chanted, I crossed my legs, bowed my head, and lifted my hands in prayer, and tried my hardest to not let my mind wander. I had no concept of time, but I couldn't have lasted more than 5 minutes, before thoughts started racing...I'm getting hungry, umm..seafood sounds great. Should I go to Dalat tonight? Nah, tomorrow will be better. I wonder what Bauer and Kobie are doing right now? Probably chsing eachother around the house. My mind was in a constant chain of thoughts. Concentrate Dona, you can do this! Determined to reach a meditative state.

I let my body sway with the chants. Darkness and calm appeared. I felt myself drifting to another universe. Damn, my foot's asleep. I don't know how much longer I can sit like this. Just be still, I calmly told myself, envisioning the struggles of Elizabeth Gilbert at her Ashram in India. You can do anything for 90 minutes. 90 minutes, thats just a blink in time. I had to move my feet, I couldn't take it anymore. Adjusting myself, I was jolted out of the dark calm that I had entered and back to reality. Man, my back hurts. This tile is killing my ankles. And it continued like that for nearly the entire duration, into and out of that gently rocking, calm of dark nothingness. Towards the end, I was able to stay there just long enough to love it. I wish I could say that I had a great experience, but the truth is, it was really hard to just let myself be for such a prolonged period of time. I didn't have an epiphony, but got just a taste of meditation and the power that it holds. The power that we each hold within us to find complete love and acceptance of ourselves. I had no idea what I was doing or what was happening around me, but I really enjoyed the chllange and am looking forward to trying it again. To work through the pain of my feet falling asleep, my back aching, and my mind wandering to maybe, just maybe hold that meditation moment a bit longer. Who knows what will be on the other side? But I want to find out.