J-emine's reflexionando

The morning prior to our flight back home, N and Q decided that we should meet for Pho- breakfast at one of the oldest Pho restaurant in HCMC. A place that N frequents daily for breakfast unless he’s back home in Australia or on work trips, and claims as the only authentic one around. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the name of the place (next time!), we walked through a small alley opening up into a wider alley filled with  blocks of tube houses and  lively commotions from the  local residents. At 8 am, the pho place was packed but being a regular patron has its perk, we were quickly escorted to table parked near a side wall with a huge fan blowing right at it. Perfect.

4 huge bowls of pho were quickly placed on our table with little bowls of cartilage soup and another 2 bowls (for R and I)  that I couldn’t quite figure out visually, but it did have  resemblence to one of my favourite home-cooked dish –  steamed eggs with mince meat, only difference was the raw egg thrown into the mixture. Dipped my spoon in to break up the raw egg, and even with the small spoonful, still couldn’t quite comprehend the meaty, spongey aftertaste in my mouth.  N and Q were giving me the snickering look and when I finally said – tell me. N piped up – do you like it? It’s congealed pig’s blood soup. I retorted – shouldn’t have asked and went back to slurping up my good o’l friendly pho. 

Little jaunts and pockets of fun time with colleagues and local business partners in their turf, never fails to bring additional colour to my work week. And, if a friendship spurns out of such business relationship, the contentment and gratitude of such occurrence is unparalleled.