and so it ends...


Alessandro Borsari wrote:
Dear Bel,

thank you very much. I think you've already given me the info I needed. Just like it seemed, I think Vietnam doesn't in fact have yet any active stainless steel mill. And the ones that are about to start production will be owned by foreign corporations. My hope was that there might be an old state owned mill under renovation or something like that, but I don't think it's the case. I will now contact my father's company and the company who gave my father the input for this thing, and ask them if they still want me to go there and meet the people from ASC. Of course I will also contact Mr. Ta and ask him more about the company. I am therefore not very sure that I will make it to Vietnam, but it might as well be. In case I am coming, I will certainly let you know.
In case they give you other info about the stainless steel thing, just let me know, but as you've done more than enough, don't worry about making further research.
Thank you very much about this, you've been extremely kind! I hope, whatever happens next, we're gonna stay in touch and be friends.
hugs
Alex

continuation (sept 14)

so then we continued talking about cinema paradiso (i told him it was my all-time favorite), phil politics (he asked what i thought about GMA), his biz trip to beijing (he didn't get to see the great wall), norway (he lived there for about a year), europe (he asked me where i'd want to go), the difference between eastern europeans (italian, spanish, portuguese etc., who, he told me, may be better named as mediterranean europeans) and western europeans (brit, french, germans etc.), traffic in bangkok (i commented that it was as bad as the phils but the good thing is that people don't keep on honking for no reason), flood in bangkok (he said that as it rained the whole day in bangkok, water was almost knee-deep outside his apartment building)...he also taught me how to get to khao san road where we planned to stay because he heard that the van might just drop us off at some station...i was thinking, there was no need really as i have survived in strange cities on my own...but still thanked him anyway...a few seconds before he got off at a BTS station, he gave me his business card, saying "call me if there's any problem." i did not think i will have any problem so big that i'd have to call him...i accepted his card without plans of contacting him...like, it was the end of him.

in khao san (730PM)

my sis moved next to me when he left...she handed me her bag (i thought it was just to give her enough space)...when we arrived in khao san, we looked for a money changer straight away...it was then we realized that we didn't have her bag with us...she told me that she gave it to me so i'd carry it...oh well...too late...she was quite distressed...my sis' face is very transparent; much, much more than mine...almost had a breakdown just looking at her...she didn't cry but she looked like she was about to...it was understandable, her bag contained her passport, ticket, money, cellphone, camera etc...i, being a self-proclaimed strong-even-in-the-midst-of-crisis kind of person, decided to look for a place to stay first...afterwhich, we went to the travel agency where we bought the ticket to siem reap (didn't help, as going back to bangkok, we just purchased the ticket in the guesthouse wherein we stayed in SR)...

police station (830PM)

then, we went to the police station in the corner of khao san...it was painful talking to the police as there was only one who could speak english (not exactly good english, but we understood each other)...the policeman named tu asked me to do a police report...i think he believed that there was no way to get the bag back as i had no contact info of the guesthouse in SR- big mistake...then when i asked, "what should we do next?" he just said, "go to your embassy." what???? I couldn't believe him...i was thinking that thai police should be a little more dynamic...i.e. call the agencies around khao san and asked for who owned the van which arrived at 730PM from the border...but no, they didn't wanna do that, probably because they have seen many cases wherein the bags with valuables do not get returned...i was then thinking of plan Bs and Cs (i.e. how much money to asked my parents to send through western union; maybe i and my sis would have to go go-go dancing to earn money while waiting for the passport to be processed- just kidding)...anyways, i remembered that i had alex's number...i borrowed tu's cellphone and called him up...when alex picked up, i immediately introduced myself and said sorry for bothering him...he said, "no, no. you're not bothering me." i swear he is nice, it's almost unbelievable...i told him about my sis' problem and asked if he knew anything about the van/driver/agency...he apologized for not knowing the agency name, he had the card in his apartment but he was still about an hour away...then he told me to hold on as he has the number of the driver (not the driver of our van, but the van that he rode on on the way to the border to get his visa)...he told me to dial it as the driver might help...he also asked me if he could call me in the same number that i used to call him, i said, "maybe" but that it was the policeman's number...he asked me as well how long i was gonna stay in the station...and told him "for a long time maybe," as we were still in the middle of filing a report...he told me that he would call in an hour when he gets back to his apartment so he can give me the agency's name and other contact info...he ended by remarking, "don't worry, you'll get your bag back." i dunno if he was serious or if he was just trying to appease me...

aa

so we dialed the number up, talked a while for identification...and then the guy (named aa, short for some very long thai name, so i didn't asked anymore what it stood for), said "yes, we have your bag"...sigh!...he said he'll return it in the morning to our guesthouse...we knew that he would do as he said as he mentioned the items in the bag (which i didn't tell him)...so then, we left the police station, telling tu to "tell my friend alex, that everything is ok now," in case he calls...

next day, sept 15 (830AM)

some other person (not our driver) delivered the bag back to our guesthouse...it contained everything, including money...we knew then that the driver was likewise an honest man as he was trying to call the people in my sis' phonebook...probably to know how to get in touch with us...unfortunately, my sis' roaming service did not include calls...

anyways, it really all seemed surreal...i mean, what are the chances of getting the bag back? and what are the chances of meeting a very nice italian who was willing to help? my god.

and now, it looks like i have to email alex, thank him and offer help when he comes to saigon for his dad's business...

iranians (sept 16)

things got stranger when i was on the plane back to saigon...i was seated next to a couple of iranians (they looked like father and son)...one was in his twenties (mohammad)- kindda cute, especially his deep-set eyes and thick lashes...the other was old about late 50s (ahmed)...they asked for my help on filling up the immigration form...then, when we landed, they asked if i could help them get a car for 15 days while they were in saigon...i said, "sure" and i did...i was thinking it was my turn to help, after what happened in bangkok...then, they were telling me that they were in the diamond business...ahmed showed me a couple of diamond rings he wore (really humongous), he said that one was 10,000USD and the other ring, I forgot...i asked them where they get their diamonds...apparently, from kuwait...the old guy then said, "you're nice and you speak very good english, can you help us during the 15 days we're here in hcmc? my english not good. i pay you." i, of course, said it was fine, i would help in any way i can, but that there was no need to pay me of course. BTW, i think they were rich as i accidentally saw about a 2-inch thick of 100usd in the old guy's shirt pocket.

then they asked me how much i make...i just smiled...hello??? then, this was the last straw...they said that i should stay in their hotel...i declined...hello??? then the old guy said, "don't worry. you stay in another room." hello??? anyways, i still gave them my office/business card; in case they we honest guys and they really needed help...maybe i?m too assuming, but that's no way to treat me...my god.

im still here in bangkok, waiting for my trip to the airport via a mini-bus/van...i just found out that my cellphone is with my sis...left it in her bag as i used her bag when we went to angkor wat last tuesday...oh well, i guess i'll have to ask her to send it back via dhl/lbc...

cambodian/thai border (poipet) sept 14 (about 3PM)

anyways, about the italian thing...we were on a bus from the border of cambodia/thailand..i happened to sit near this josh groban look-alike (tall and slender as well) as me and my sis got separated (she was seated at the row in the back of mine)...so anyways, this italian guy talked to me with the usual conversation starter "are you thai?" and we got to share stories etc...found out that he works in the bangkok opera (patronized by HRH princess of thailand)...he told me has gone to vietnam once for some stainless steel business of his dad's (prolly getting some supplier) and that he'd be going back again in three week's time...he's been in thailand for almost two years...i asked him why thailand, he said he once had a thai gf- but the relationship is finished/over now...was wondering also if he has gf right now...hahaha...anyways, i also told him that me and my sis think he looks like jg...and he said, "oh really? a lot of people have told me that. i do not see why." i said, "it's prolly because of your face; and your hair." and he said, "nah, usually my hair is straight, only now, it's gone wavy because i got rained on." he asked me more about the phils...about the phil chinese...i told him that before, kidnapping for ransom was just so rampant (altho that crime rate has lowered now)...and he said, "oh, it's also the same in my country (he lives inthe north of italy which he said is a quiet town and he just has to drive some distance and he's already in austria). it's good to know that we have something in common (kidnapping for ransom)!" ...we also got to share some words in pinoy that is similar to spanish/italian (like como estas/kumusta)...sobrang natuwa sia...and apparently, he has met erik mathis (tama ba spelling? inis-pell nia kasi) in some film association in italy...i told him i know of him as he's one of the new genre directors; that he's into experimental film...and as he worked in an opera, i asked him if he sings; i was expecting a no (as he was just a production exec)...he said yes, because he used to have a rock band back home; although he played (and still does play) the guitar...speaking of rock, he said he's organizing some rock thing/events in thailand because it's not yet a big thing here yet...it's not just mass-marketed yet...and the current rock bands in thailand are just awful execept for one or two...and then he asked me when i will leave for vietnam; i said on friday...he said too bad, "you'll miss the rock concert on friday"...oh well...

anyways, have to leave na...will continue later ; my bus is almost here...