Monday, April 8, 2024

In the morning, I attended two online classes back-to-back; staying focused for 3 hours straight with just a few minutes of break was challenging. Then, I had a simple breakfast of leftover fried rice made by my mom before taking meds. Was pretty unproductive after that. 

In the afternoon, I booked a Grab motorbike to go to the hospital for acupuncture. Hesitant at first due to the gloomy weather and my aversion to going out in such conditions, but had still managed the trip. Booked another Grab ride to return home, enjoying some awesome discounts on my trip through the app.   

For dinner, we enjoyed a special dish prepared by my dad, who takes great pride in his cooking skills, especially when it comes to traditional Vietnamese cuisine. His specialty tonight is called “Giả cầy”, a kind of stewed pork. The main ingredient is pork, preferably from parts like the feet, legs, or shoulders, which have a good amount of fat alongside lean meat. The fat from these cuts doesn’t taste greasy. The pork is marinated with various minced herbs, including a unique one with a distinct flavor, called galangal root. Additionally, the dish features a sour element called “mẻ”, a fermented product of cooked rice, providing a pleasant acidic flavor. Another key flavor comes from “mắm tôm”, or fermented fish paste. The combination of these three main stuff gives the dish its distinctiveness and makes it stand out from other stewed pork dishes. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the pork skin is fire- roasted before stew. Traditionally and, still in rural areas, it is roasted with rice straw, giving it a smoky aroma. However, in cities, I guess people use a liquefied gas torch, which still guarantees the dish is cooked to perfection.

We typically pair this dish with a special herb called “lá mơ” (cheese leaves or skunk vine leaves), creating a wonderful mix of flavors. Today, we ate “Giả cầy” with rice noodles instead of rice. My whole family loved the meal and raved about how delicious it was.

After dinner, I went for a walk and encountered a group of preschool kids playing together. They greeted me, and when one little girl addressed me as “bác!”, it hit me: “Uhm..I already look old.” In Vietnam, we rely on age to address each other in social relationships. A female can call herself or be called either “em”, “chị”, “cô”, “bác”, or “bà” in various situations. If she is called “bác”, it means she is only younger than “bà”, but older than the rest. While using age-related terms shows respect, it can accidentally draw attention to age, especially for older women. In contrast, simply using “I” and “You” in communication in the US greatly helps avoid emphasizing age. One reason I still see myself as young there as the majority of people in my neighborhood and my social circles are older. My best American friends are seniors. But most importantly, in American culture, people don’t experience social pressure growing old.

P/S: In friendships, if someone is called “Bà”, it doesn’t mean she is very old; it’s simply a friendly form of address.