After a restless night with no phone call I called VISA in America at 6:30am (because I know they will need to call ANZ and they just opened-Vietnam 3 hrs behind Sydney) after ONE AND A HALF HOURS finally I get a confirmation number for a western union money transfer, can’t wait to see that phone bill!
I must mention how utterly useless, belligerent and unhelpful the ANZ were, if i ever meet that "Tracey" who hindered everything the VISA lady was trying to help me with, i will not hesitate to just punch her right in the face - and i am not a violent person - especially against women but she is an entire waste of oxygen and the specialist guy she put me through to actually said "I have no idea what is going on" after having it explained slowly and simply 3 times. but i digress..............
So I have some breakfast at the hotel and walk 20 minutes to the western union office and…………..there’s no money for me, numbers don’t match. I walk 20 minutes back to the hotel and call VISA again and get a new confirmation number, I walk 20 minutes back to western union office and at last, $1000 AUD (which is a good feeling to actually get $1053 USD). $1USD = 20,500 Dong - $1AUD = 21,000 Dong. I walk back to the hotel a fair bit happier and lay on the bed absolutely drained from all the drama.
I must mention how utterly useless, belligerent and unhelpful the ANZ were, if i ever meet that "Tracey" who hindered everything the VISA lady was trying to help me with, i will not hesitate to just punch her right in the face - and i am not a violent person - especially against women but she is an entire waste of oxygen and the specialist guy she put me through to actually said "I have no idea what is going on" after having it explained slowly and simply 3 times. but i digress..............
So I have some breakfast at the hotel and walk 20 minutes to the western union office and…………..there’s no money for me, numbers don’t match. I walk 20 minutes back to the hotel and call VISA again and get a new confirmation number, I walk 20 minutes back to western union office and at last, $1000 AUD (which is a good feeling to actually get $1053 USD). $1USD = 20,500 Dong - $1AUD = 21,000 Dong. I walk back to the hotel a fair bit happier and lay on the bed absolutely drained from all the drama.
I go down to Alley Booz and get a burger and an ice coffee and just smile and stare through all the people buzzing around me, energy returning. Funnily enough the waitress (Doyien) remembers me from the GO2 Bar from last year even without my Mohawk, oh dear I have spent some time in these bars! First order of business – I get a dilly bag to put the cash in and hang around my neck under my shirt – that’s the first thing I was going to do after breakfast on the first day but………….Second order of business, get a respectable teachers haircut which ends up being and hour cut, shave and face mask, i had to say no to the ear scrapping, i've had that before - it's scary.
Then I spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get in touch with my friend Huong who I met last year as I top up my energy with
I finish the day with a great meal at the Crazy Buffalo, paying back some karma from last year when Nick and I stormed out after waiting far too long for food and warm beers - only to find out later they lost half their kitchen the night before in a fire! I was also able to give money to the handsome young beggar guy with one leg (who looks like a young Benicio Del Toro) who I’ve given money a few times before when I was here but I had to say no to him yesterday because I had limited funds. I had a few drinks with a cute German girl who asked me out the following night for drinks and karaoke but I don’t think I’ll call her, older and wiser, that would mean a bad hangover and probably turning up late to my first day at work.
