Bia

Location: Hoi An, Vietnam

One of the most useful words we've learned so far here in Vietnam is “bia” (pronounced “bee-ah”), the Vietnamese word for “beer”. Because of this happy coincidence, we can always make ourselves understood when we order one. This is “a very good thing”, as the rest of our vocabulary is sadly lacking.

So far, we've learned “beer”, “3-3-3” (the name of a local beer) “Happy New Year”, “hello”, and “thank you” - useful phrases all. Unfortunately, we sometimes get mixed up. Case in point: the guy who supplies us with bottled water lives across the street from us. We take our empty 19 liter jug over there, give him a 10,000 dong note (about $0.50 US) , and he carries a full one over to our house and puts it on the counter. Last time Mark goes through the whole routine, the guy is leaving and Mark gives him a nod and says “Hello. Hello.” He smiles and says “Hello” back (probably wondering when Mark will start his version of the “hello” dance) and walks back home. Julie, Steve, and Marg all start laughing and say “You just said “Hello, hello” instead of “Thank you”. DOH!!

We have made some friends here despite the linguistic challenges. A few days ago we were visited by an older man, one of our neighbors, and his daughter-in-law, who thankfully speaks English very well. Turns out they're having an annual post-Tet full moon street party on our street and they would like us to attend. We give them a donation to help cover supplies, food, drinks, etc. and promise we'll be there at 4pm. Laughing, she says “Yes, and if you aren't on time someone will come by your house to make sure you remember!”

Last night was the full moon and this morning there's a tent set up spanning the street. At 2pm a Buddhist ceremony is taking place. It involves incense, gongs, bells, chanting, and a big drum. Not wanting to intrude we sit outside on our patio and wait to see what happens.

At 4pm a friend comes to tell us it is time and we all wander down the street. They are just finishing up the ceremony and invite us to sit and watch. We ask if it's okay to take pictures and it is, so we do.

Tables at both ends of the tent are covered with food, bowls, glasses, candles, and incense. The ceremonial participants chant, play a bell, a gong, and a big drum, and burn a lot of stuff – incense, wood, paper, money, etc. Near the end of the ceremony several people who have been observing with us get up to pray and bow.

They have built and decorated a 4 foot long dragon ship. It has wooden pontoons and sits on a low cart. When it's time, they fill the boat with food and other offerings and push the cart down to the river. We are invited to come along. We walk with them down to the river and the dragon boat is lowered into a boat, taken to the middle of the river, and set adrift amid much flinging of colored paper, paper money, cigarettes, and candy. The whole celebration is to ensure a happy and prosperous year for all who attend.

Then it's back to our street. There we find 7 tables set up with 10 stools per table, each one covered with food. Our new friends seat us at a table and we wait. We have no idea what much of the food is or what the protocol is for eating it. We all have a bowl and chopsticks and we wait for the other people at our table to start so we can see what we are supposed to do. The problem is they are waiting for us, the guests, to make the first move!

Eventually one fellow sitting next to Mark figures out what's going on and shows us what to do, helping us to our servings so we can start. Then they all get stuck in and we follow suit. There is shrimp (eaten complete with head, shell, legs, and tail), chicken, pork, crispy pork belly, fish, salad, lots of vegetables, rice, rice cakes, bread, etc., followed by a delicious soup and more unknown bits of food. It's all similar to and yet different from the New Year celebration we attended at Quyen's Riverside Pottery Village Homestay.

There is also lots of “bia” which is topped up as soon as a sip is taken. Most of the food is awesome, and some tastes a bit odd to our western palates, requiring copious amounts of “bia” to wash it down. Dessert is fresh fruit and more bia. After dinner the disco lights are turned on and the loud, thumping music begins. And the bia flows.

As with our other celebration, people from the audience come up to sing, and most of them are pretty good. One couple from our table dances a tango while someone else sings. Everyone is encouraged to participate, the kids are dancing, the smoke machine is pumping out smoke, and the disco lights are flashing. Everyone has a wonderful time and we are made to feel so welcome.
After the singing starts our friend Dong (means “beauty”, pronounced “tung” -ish) from across the street comes over to our table and whisks Julie & Marg away to 'the ladies table'. There follows even more beer and lots of laughing. None of them speak English but they encourage us to try different foods and a few of them get up and sing.

As soon as they are left unattended, Mark & Steve help the men consolidate several tables into a “men's table”. Everyone wants to clink their glass with the guests, loudly count to 5 in Vietnamese, and quaff their bia. Then it's time for a refill and another toast. And so it goes for some time....

At one point, Mark gets up to take a photo of the table and they all toast him as he snaps the picture. As he moves (well, perhaps stumbles might be a bit more accurate) along the table to get some shots of the ladies table, one fellow grabs him and pulls him aside just as a motorbike zooms past. Close call!

Occasionally during the evening tourists walk down our street. We can see them looking at us and wondering “How did those people get to go to that party?” We feel special and privileged to have been invited to this important annual event and feel that the good luck and prosperity of our friends has already started to rub off on us.

Let's have another bia!!