Vietnam Motorbike Bingo

Hey all, let's follow up my post about murderbike with a nifty little driving game!

Driving in HCMC is an experience. It can get nutty. There are so many people, everywhere, going all different directions, and everyone's doing everything all at once. You've got to look out for oncoming motorbikes, pedestrians, buses and larger vehicles - it's often overwhelming, and usually tiring, even after 4.5 years. You've got to plan for the unpredictable.

Check out a basic day in this gopro video my cousin shot on his trip for a taste of day-to-day street life. (Thanks CuzBro Chris!!)

These days, however, all this activity is pretty humdrum. Staying engaged while you're driving is crucially important - anything less than being 100% present is dangerous. I try to be observant of the world around me while I'm driving in order to stay sharp... and here are a few of the most striking sights you'll see on the roads of Ho Chi Minh City!

And now, a one-note joke for all you SEAsian Motorbike drivers out there...Just for you, with love from me... HCMC MOTORBIKE BINGO!

Resolution Check-in: How to Speak (Enough) Vietnamese

The major difference is that, in the game, you're almost perpetually physically alone - traveling, I'm only mentally isolated.

Let's check out our hero's #4 New Year's Resolution...

4. Be able to basically communicate what I need in Vietnamese 

My vietnamese is just terrible. Much of it is that I'm shy and hesitant to use it in the first place (and the fact that it's just a difficult language, period), but I've come to recognize that, to put it simply, I've got to either use it or stay in the English bubble forever. Since the latter is not acceptable, I will start making more of a lingual connection to my environment.

Ha. Learning Vietnamese. I'd forgotten that I'd even made this resolution. Let me tell you a story.

It's time to unpack that dusty box that has "VIETNAMESE - HOLY CRAP, LEARN ME ASAP" scrawled on the side in big, black marker...