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I've described Jangnim-dong as "a poor, out-of-the-way neighborhood with rundown alleys, a large, cheerful market and plenty of factories nearby." On my first visit, I noticed a Vietnamese presence. On my second, I ate at a Vietnamese restaurant, but I was the only customer, so only talked to the owner, and very briefly. Today, I went into another Vietnamese eatery, Bac Lieu, which is named after a city in the Mekong Delta, and sure enough, everyone there was from that region, judging from their accents.

Eight men sat a table. Most were from Can Tho, and they spent a lot of time talking about its landmarks, streets, businesses and even personalities. It was as if each was trying to impress upon the others his Can Tho credentials.

Can Tho is a key location in my novel, Love Like Hate.

As someone who spoke with a northern accent, I was already an outsider, so I didn't want to distance myself further by saying I was an American, but perhaps I should have, for they could sense something unusual about me.

One man joked, "He's a godfather [đại ca]."

Another, "He's an intellectual. I can tell."

A third, "He's from Saigon, so he's already better than us!"

They all thought I was at least 70, so initially addressed me as "uncle."

This place was very casually run. There was no food available when I came in, so I just drank a beer while waiting for the owner/cook to show up, and when she finally came, she whipped up just one dish. (The menu listed at least a dozen.) Her son was the waiter this Sunday. Weekdays, he works at a factory.

At this restaurant, I found out you can get a room in Busan for just $80 a month, but only on a one-year contract, and with a $400 to $800 deposit, to be returned when you leave. About a month earlier at another Vietnamese restaurant, I had learnt about 10-month deposits to get an apartment here.

Though I'm still planning to leave soon, it's good to have options.



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