Opera House, Fish Pedicure and Shopping in Saigon

After class today, I had a great TGIF afternoon.  First I had lunch with three students and the other prof at a place called Bread and Butter.  We've been there before; it is Western food.  Last time I had the veggie burger and this time I decided to hit the other end of the spectrum with a cheesesteak.  Frankly, I prefer to get Vietnamese food at every chance, but many have grown disenchanted (they been here 2 weeks longer than me) and I was happy to have company for the meal.  And I have to say how awesome it is to get to hang out with my students in an informal setting.  Also, it is super awesome to be in this foreign place together - I mean, when else could I begin class with a warning that I might not make it through hour 1 without a bathroom break (I made it just fine).

I then headed out for a walk with no real agenda.  I ended up over at the nice Dong Khoi area where all the fancy hotels are.  It was around 4:30pm when I found myself outside the Opera House and getting sold on an "acclaimed, unique culture show" that only happens twice a month beginning at 5:00pm.  For $5 it seemed like a no-brainer, especially because my bucket list included seeing the inside of the Opera House.  The show brochure boasted "a magical and epic theatrical experience of music, dance, song, animal folk tales, Vietnamese heroes and heroines and much more!"  With heroines and an exclamation point, I couldn't resist.   It was worthwhile if only for the impressive acrobatics and the new tale I learned about the poor buffalo boy and the banyan tree.  For a cocktail, Auntie M is available to tell the buffalo boy tale to your kids at bedtime.

I then headed down Dong Khoi street and managed to buy a silk shirt, a crocodile belt and a wallet.  And then I got a fish pedicure.  I only did it for my blog readership.  It was a miserable experience.  I am ticklish and could not suffer the fish swarming my feet and nipping at me.  Those fishing loved my feet; they could not get enough of my dead skin.  It was so unbearable to have them at the arch of my feet that I just left my heels in the water for them to feed on - they went to town.  I can cross that off the list.

I caught a moto bike ride back to the hotel and now I am figuring out my plan for a late dinner.