As you all know, I am not a man of small girth. The Vietnamese, on the other hand, are short and slight. This means that I stand out in a crowd, and nowhere was this made more clear than in Hoi An, a charming town in central Vietnam. In Hoi An, I transformed from my normal self into the Happy Buddha. Why? Because, being 'well-rounded', I was constantly being called Happy Buddha, (mostly by women) based upon one form of a corpulent Buddha, often shown laughing with his hands on his belly. Everywhere we went, girls wanted to rub my belly for luck (as is the custom for the Happy Buddha). I don’t know if it worked for them, but it was a hell of a lot of good luck for me.
We had arrived in Hoi An after landing at Danang, site of a large US military base during the war
. This is close to the former DMZ and China Beach, names from that past. HoiAn is a prosperous city popular with tourists, situated on a muddy brown river which is an integral part of the life of the city. Besides the many historical sites which can be visited, it is a hotbed of tailoring, as there are literally dozens of shops which custom-make clothing in 24-hours. The competition is fierce!
Hoi An also happened to be the site of one of our most memorable travel experiences ever. We set out in the morning, looking for a tailor shop to custom-make some suits for us. We were seeking one shop in particular, one which came highly-recommended by a fellow traveller. We liked the place from the get-go, based upon the friendly reception and attention we received from the large staff of pretty Asian girls, all with their own particular expertise within the business. We were measured and re-measured, and over the 3 hours with them, we had a great rapport. Near the conclusion of this process, we were invited to a party being given in a nearby restaurant to celebrate their 4 years in business
. How, or why we got invited, we’re not completely sure. Of course, we accepted!
That night, we took a cab to a restaurant in a part of town not frequented by tourists. We were escorted in as honoured guests and seated at a table with 6 very pretty girls working in the shop. Oh yes, this was gonna be hard to take! There were maybe 50 or 60 other staff members, but we were the only non-Vietnamese there. For the next 4 hours, the food was non-stop. Course after course was served and eaten communally, as it is done here. Basically, all the large dishes are shared around the table. Besides this, the beer flowed, with perhaps 30 toasts being made throughout the evening. We drank ourselves silly, but when in Rome....
Karaoke is huge in Vietnam, so the singing was non-stop, often hilarious, and boistered by cheering, dancing, and carousing. Once again, in the spirit of the moment, Bonnie and I took our turn at the mike as we sang Happy Birthday to the business. The crowd loved it. But even more astounding was the speech I made before the song IN VIETNAMESE. With 6 days in the country, I said some pretty basic stuff, but got lots of cheering in response (probably the beer kicking in!). People didn’t expect it, Bonnie didn’t expect it, and even I didn’t really expect it. It just happened. Later on in the evening, one of the managers came up to me, hugged me, and said: "You are Vietnamese!" Even the owner of the company thanked us for coming. We felt like we had been in a movie.
One day later, we left HoiAn with brand new beautiful suits, and memories we’ll never forget.
Happy Buddha Hits Hoi An
Monday, March 12, 2012
Hoi An, Vietnam
Other Entries
Comments

2025-02-15
Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank
The Sunnies
2012-03-14
Of course the Liliens get invited to a party....they must have heard prior to your arrival about the two of you being party animals! Truly, your insights and descriptions of places you visit are beyond incredible.....you really immerse yourselves in the culture, the language, the people, and the way of life - I can't imagine any better travelers than you guys! You leave no stone unturned and no adventure undone! I am THOROUGHLY loving reading your blog entries and am enjoying them through your eyes.....trust me, my dear cousins, I truly believe that you are meant to be travel journalists, at the very least!
Continue to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy and may the next stops along your way be as enjoyable and eye opening as the past ones have been!
Love and hugs,
The Sunnies
joseph
2012-03-14
David and Bonnie,
the way you guys enjoy your travels and all the unexpected turns you seem to encounter along the way, makes our reading even more lively and interesting. Ir makes me feel as if I was part of the travel group. Thanks for sharing.
Keep on trekking !! I love it!
Hope Springman
2012-03-15
When Bonnie and David arrive, the party starts! What an incredible adventure for you and how lucky and smart those Asian folks are. Your trip is better than any movie - can't wait to see the custome-made suits you bring home. Love, Hope
cissie.retired
2012-03-15
Hi Bonnie and David,
Great to read your exciting and wonderful Vietnam experiences. The pictures are worth more than 1000 words! I hope you post a photo of you both in your new suits! That would be terrific!
We are enjoying exceptional spring-like weather here this March Break week. Mike and I are sharing the week with his two granddaughters and my two grandsons...fun, fun, fun! Then total exhaustion!!!!
Be well, keep sending these detailed explorations and discoveries "oh Happy Buddha". I look forward to them.
Cecile