Rocking Out in the Mekong Delta

After a month of training in Hanoi, I've finally arrived in my new home, Cao Lanh, a laid-back city of 150,000 people in the Mekong Delta. The trip from the airport in Ho Chi Minh City took a little over three hours. After about an hour's worth of driving we began crossing a new bridge every ten miles, so many, in fact, that I lost count. This was my first hint that we'd arrived in the Delta.

I'm quite happy with Cao Lanh. I expected it to be much smaller, but its downtown is actually a hopping place. There's plenty of places to explore, and a lot of people were walking, shopping, and motorbiking when I visited at about 8 PM. The city has dozens of cafes, and a young population that frequents them. There are also several parks to enjoy. One, just off of the downtown district, lies on a small lake with fountains shooting water into the air. It's quite scenic, and I hope to visit soon.

Cao Lanh is clearly not used to Westerners. I've been told by Tam, my university host, that most of the town knows that there are two Americans at the University, and everyone is quite excited. Consequently, I feel like a rock star. I get stares wherever I go, and everyone seems to know that I'm the American man that has come to teach. Today, for example, I walked into the gymnasium with Tam to visit the physical education head. There must have been four hundred students getting ready for a meeting. About half of them stared at me as I looked out over the balcony. I felt like Barak Obama before a rally.

All of this attention seems to be positive, and I don't get negative vibes from the Vietnamese. Most of them seem curious and even happy to have me in their city. They return my smiles, and are put at ease when I say hello or xin chao. Furthermore, I'm not unfamiliar with semi-celebrity status. When I was SGA President a lot of people recognized me on campus. The difference, however, was that I also knew most of the people who knew me. Here, I really do feel like a rock star in that I have no idea who most of these people are. Hopefully my newfound celebrity won't drive me crazy. I would imagine that in time Cao Lanh will get used to me, and that I'll make friends among the student body. Who knows, maybe I'll regret returning to a life of anonymity back in the States.