Putting things into perspective

So I had lunch together with my colleagues today in a very fancy, beautiful restaurant in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  The food was really great, and I was nervous by the time the bill came.  I had been warned that food bills could add up pretty quickly, so I was prepared for the worst.  I'm also not very good at the exchange yet.  So the bill came, and it was 560,000 Dong.  That's pretty much around $28 for an amazing lunch for 3 people.  Wow - I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Then we had dinner with a total of 5 people.  The bill came back at 524,000 Dong.  Again, about $23 for a huge dinner that back home would easily be around $150.  So, while I was mulling over the cheapness of it all, we heard that Vietnamese teacher's salaries are around US$50 - 200 per month.  This is so hard to understand and put into perspective.  So our dinner, so cheap at $23, could have been 1/2 someone's monthly salary.  How can people live on that?  That does explain why people here need to use every resource they can to make ends meet.  I am enjoying my exploration of the culture in Vietnam.  I am sure I will bring home more insight into living simply, and more appreciation for the way of life that I have.

What to Eat When You Want to Go Out

Old habits really do die hard.

I came home late tonight after a really full day, hoping I could think of something quick for dinner. No, actually, I was hoping my husband would suggest we 'go out' for dinner. This is typically easier said than done as we deal with food allergies in my house, so finding safe places to eat is a bit tricky. More than tricky. Most often, we go out thinking we can find something good to eat that will meet our allergic needs, and come home with a bellyache. But we keep trying, somehow thinking that the next chef will truly understand what it means to be gluten intolerant.

Oh how I longed for a ride in the car to our closest Mexican restaurant, just to enjoy some enchiladas and chips and salsa. But no, my husband had not suggested it, and I really need to stick to my pledge. So I became determined to work out what this all means.

When I was young, I lived for eating out. I used to plead with my mother, and at other times, my grandmother to go out 'just tonight. PLEEEEZE?' And I'm not too proud to say I told my grandmother that 'It's Tuesday. We always go to Taco Bell on Tuesday'. This, of course, was not true. But somehow the quest for eating out was one for celebration. And as I got older, eating out became reward, social life and status all in one. But the point of this post is not about eating out so much as it's about what to do when you usually go out to eat when tired and starving, but have made a pledge to eat in instead.

So how did we move beyond my urges to feed my eating out frenzy? My DH helped me figure out what we had in the fridge and made a spectacular dinner! It was so tasty - 

Potato-Cheese Quesadillas

corn tortillas

cheddar cheese, shredded

sauteed potatoes and onions in olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Broil until cheese is melted and all is heated through, top with salsa, sour cream and hot peppers.

Oh my. Much better than driving through icy roads to spend $60 minimum on dinner at the Mexican restaurant.