Shopping, Psychic, and Fun

Before the trip to Sam Son Beach, I had a rough week with my mind busy with the IVF cycle. I was worried about my future, feeling trapped and unable to focus on anything else. It felt like I was wasting my life, stuck in a rut where each day passed futilely. I wanted to change but felt so demotivated. Fortunately, making a to-do list helped; it gave me something to look forward to.

Thinking about how enthusiastic my mom was for the vacation, I decided to buy her a new bathing suit and scarf. She loves being photographed, and the scarf would be a versatile accessory for different looks and poses. My sister had intended to take Mom shopping for clothes because she was worried about finding the right fit without trying them on. However, my mom wasn’t up for it, thinking it wasn’t necessary since she hardly ever goes to the beach and could just use her old one. I still wanted to surprise her. I went to a shop and quickly picked out a V-neck bathing suit in a rich reddish-brown and a floral scarf. The suit comes to about mid-thigh and features modern patterns. Unlike me, my sister is very picky when it comes to selecting clothes. She can try on 10 or more items and still not find anything she likes, while I’m quite unfussy. I can quickly choose the pieces I like and adjust them if needed. I believe any problem can be solved. Additionally, shopping is easier for me because my style is different from hers. I prefer loose, comfortable clothes that don’t require strict measurements. I also know which styles, patterns, prints, materials, and forms suit me well.

My mom was very pleased with the new set, especially the scarf, after I showed her different ways to style it. Initially, she thought the scarf was too big and wasn’t sure how to use it. A few hours before we set off, my mom still walked to the market looking for a top to match her skirt and sunglasses to hide her eye wrinkles, but she didn’t have any luck. It’s wonderful that at 70, she still looks attractive and maintains her appearance so well. I’m not sure I want to see the photos of myself when I’m older as I doubt I’ll look as vibrant as she does at her age, even well before I reach that age.

One day before the trip, I visited a Chinese horoscope reader with a friend. Although I’d heard about her a while ago, I hadn’t thought much about it until my IVF concerns drove me to seek some insight. The visit was disappointing. I couldn’t provide an exact birth time, only an estimated range between the Tiger and Cat hours, but she immediately concluded I was born in the Tiger hour. I hoped she would have used both potential birth hours to offer more accurate insights. She asked several yes-or-no questions to validate her readings. I then told her I wanted insights into my motherhood and marriage. It was no surprise when she quickly highlighted the problems she assumed I was having. Well, it’s not unusual for some psychics to magnify problems to make clients feel vulnerable and reliant on their guidance, but, I didn’t realize that during the visit. She emphasized I might face a divorce, and to prevent this, I needed to prepare for a ritual involving both a symbolic divorce and remarriage. She also pointed out that my bedroom was located above the kitchen, which was bad; I should move to a room on the same floor but across from the kitchen. For fertility, she instructed me to put a totem of a buffalo with a child riding it on the headboard; obtain a piece of a nail and a strand of hair from a child in a family with several children, and put them in seven gourd-shaped bottles (Hồ Lô). Moreover, she advised using various types of crystals somewhere in the room. Finally, she guided me to have my mom place red roses and some stuff on the altar and pray to the female goddess for support.

What she said seemed odd, but as someone seeking insights, I listened quietly. She then handed me a bag for the items. Without questioning whether I really wanted them, I just asked the price and paid her, though, very soon after, I had a gut feeling something was off. I tend to respond slowly when caught off guard. If she’d asked, “Do you want them?” I might’ve said no. Instead, she acted like she was giving me instructions I had to follow. At that time, I didn’t realized she was selling me Feng Shui items. I had never expected to encounter that at a psychic reading. How naive or silly I was!

Upon leaving the psychic’s house, my friend pointed at a fancy house across the street and mentioned that it also belonged to her. She explained that the psychic still works in the old, rundown house since it’s brought her good luck with money, and she wants to maintain that fortune. This experience made it clear to me how lucrative this type of business can be. Within half an hour, the psychic could earn much more than a high-paid medical professor or academic. Well, it’s difficult to compare earnings across different fields, I just don’t feel that her knowledge, values, or experience justify the amount of money she charged. It seems that she’s more skilled in business than in psychic work. Though the reading isn’t a pleasant experience, but it has taught me a lesson to always consider carefully before making a decision.

Later, I stopped at a restaurant for meatball noodle soup (Bún Mọc) and lemon tea. The soup was good, and the tea was perfect. I liked its bold tea flavor, unlike the other experience I had before, which tasted like lemonade. Next, I went for a walk to exercise on the way to LoBi cafe. I had never gone to this place but its spacious and inviting appearance captured my attention.

I ordered “Nâu nóng” (Vietnamese traditional hot coffee with condensed milk), as usual, and enjoyed my “me time” there. Half an hour later, a group of young guys came in and sat at a table next to me. They did a tarot reading. The man doing the reading seemed like a perfect match for the job. His manner, voice and tone reflect a flexible gender, which reminded me of fortune tellers or ritual hosts I saw in Vietnamese movies. Watching him inspired me to ask him for one myself. I thought this coincidence might have been the Universe’s way of answering my nightly questions. He agreed to the reading, and though it was fun, it didn’t provide much insight. I gave him a small amount of money to thank him for his time and left the cafe, buying a cup of tiramisu and a brownie for my mom, and a fried sticky rice ball for my dad. I also bought crispy roast pork but didn’t eat it as I had planned for dinner and a movie with my cousin.

She picked me up, and we went to Vincom Plaza. It was quiet, with only a few restaurants open. We had dinner at Alfredo; I had pumpkin and Tom Yum Thai soups, and she had deep-fried chicken and a platter of appetizers.

The soups helped with my jittery feeling from earlier coffee. We browsed the plaza and stopped by Annam Gourmet, a premium store known for its high-quality imported and local products. We picked up dried kumquat and rose apples (called “Mận” in the South or “Roi” in the North.)

They are naturally sweet and retain their true flavors but might be too sugary for some. We watched “Despicable Me 4,” an animated movie about Gru and his family. Gru’s old rival, Maxime Le Mal, seeks revenge and plans to kidnap Gru’s son. To protect his family, Gru relocates them to Mayflower under new identities. The movie centers on Gru’s battle with Maxime, with the help of whimsical and super-powered Mega Minions. It was fun, full of humor and clever antics that kept us laughing and feeling young. It provided a delightful and relaxing escape.

Overall, though I still couldn’t find answers for my concerns through psychic readings, I felt blessed by the experiences of the day.