I love Lan Anh (Vietnam)

Back in 2015, I still sometimes stayed in the backpacker enclave of Pham Ngu Lau in Saigon - they were a bit more flexible with check-in and check-out times compared to hotels in other parts. One evening I was checking out of a hotel. The serious girl at the reception said I owe them some money. Puzzled, I replied that I had paid in advance when I had checked in the previous night. The girl said she could not find any record of my payment. I remembered that there was a boy at the reception when I paid. She called the boy on her mobile. The boy also didn’t remember.

Glancing around the reception, I saw a security camera. I asked the girl if we could review the camera footage as I knew the approximate time of my arrival. The girl walked to another corner of the reception where they had the surveillance computer. She sat down in front of it and pulled a chair for me. She started scrolling through the video. It felt more like a couple watching a suspense movie together.. Soon, we found the segment where I was making the payment. Satisfied, the girl apologized and closed the video. I could sense her awkwardness. I blurted, “This is fun. We should continue watching. I will get some popcorn”. The girl - Lan Anh - laughed out loud.

I have fond memories of exploring hidden places with Lan Anh, in Saigon and in Kuala Lumpur, where she later moved to work for a few years. Most of all, I love Lan Anh because she keeps me entertained with humorous stories of her life. Once she took time off her busy schedule (now she is a globetrotting businesswoman) in Yangon to get the latest on the cutest bookseller in the world.  love Lan Anh!! Actually it is hard to find someone who doesn’t love Lan Anh.