giddy adventures.: Where were you when Obama was re-elected?

Wednesday was quite a day for us. We woke up and stayed on top of the election back in the states. With Romney in the lead all morning, we were getting pretty antsy. So, Angela skypes with her dad to catch up. Angela and I were recapping our previous evening out in town when Angela's little brother, Kelvin, runs through the background, fist pumping. "Obama won, Obama won!"

"What?!"

I check the polls and yes. Yes, indeed. What a comeback. Everyone in Vietnam was rooting for him, too.

Angela and I watched the news over breakfast, hoping they would cover the elections. They did. Neither of us really understood what they were saying. But, Obama looked AWESOME. We high-fived over some mangosteens.

Then, my uncle took us on a bus to the Reunification Palace. It used to be known as the Independence Palace and was the symbol of the South Vietnamese government. On April 20, 1975, the tank pictured below crashed through it's gates, ending the Vietnamese War (or, American War as it's called here).

After we walked through the Palace - it really was more of a hike, it's huge - we took another bus to a small church in District 3. My uncle explained that the ashes of my grandmother and grandfather, as well as a number of our other relatives were there. Angela and I stood quietly and read their names. I wondered what Angela was thinking about as all the stories my mom told me about my grandparents rushed back to me. The one where her father's spirit visits her the time he passed away to say good-bye to her and my brother Anh Hung resonates with me the rest of the day.

On the way to the church, I get hungry. I've been hungry a lot, here. Angela always seems full. It works out because I love to eat her leftovers. We stop by a lime green stand that pops out from the white and brown buildings. Com Kep. A Vietnamese version of a hamburger. But, instead of bread for buns, it uses a patty of rice. It wasn't anything exciting, but it was fun to try something different.

That night, I made it a point to celebrate Obama's victory in a Western style bar. A friend of mine had reached Ho Chi Minh City on a ten day journey from North Vietnam to the South with two of his friends. Angela and I took a taxi to their hotel and we all went to a place called Seventeen Saloon. All the waitresses and bartenders were dressed up in cowboy gear and a live band sang English cover songs. It was a very popular place and a lot of fun. Then we roamed around the Backpacker's District before taking a taxi back home.