I am not sure if I have used this title before or has it just become a saying in my mind. When I first heard, I got a van stucking in mud in Sarajevo, when my friend Rose burst out that "Life never gets boring with you, Tiitta". It was not the last time I needed help to get a vehicle moving.

As I mentioned in my last week´s writing in Finnish though, we got an invitation to a Vietnamese wedding this week. Unfortunately we all have been sick this week so I on my own decided to attend the morning part enthusiastic to see the groom as well. I travelled nearly an hour by taxi to the other side of Hanoi (which still cost less than 5 EUR!) and wore my best, though my friends had warned me that you can wear anything in the local wedding. That was true, some of the oldest ladies wore the traditional au sai, but there were people with sandals, jeans, T-shirts etc.

But the really big surprise what I did not before, was when asked from a beautiful bride where is her husband to-be, and heard that husband won´t be here today. He is having another party with his friends and relatives. ???? was in my mind. But yes, that was true, you can celebrate here your wedding either jointly or separately and this couple had decided to celebrate them separately. I was also curious to see bride´s mother, but was told that because they have had so many visitors due to wedding, she felt too tired and did not come along. Well, happy end, the couple meets in the afternoon at groom´s home (which I did not attend any more), but definitely, hmmm… an interesting way…of celebrating weddings. Otherwise the wedding meant eating together and leaving approximately after 1,5 hours.

That was the interesting part of the day. The angry part of the day was visiting fabric hall to get more some lovely silk velvet for new pillow cases. I knew the stall where I can get it, and went there straight away as the hall is famous of pick-pockets and really crowded. The lady was in a bad mood again. The silk velvet costs 95.000 VND meter, but because I wanted three different colours and only one meter each, the price to me was 100.000 VND as she should remove bunches of fabric to get blue, yellow and orange to me. Seriously, I asked and got a disgusted sight from her side. She did not have any more effort to serve me, when I talked that she is a very impolite and unhappy person and I am not going to pay the requested price to her. She still refused to sell it to me for 95.000 VND and even though the gap 5.000 VND is only 1/3 of dollar, this is a question of PRINCIPLES. All who have visited us, know how much I hate cheaters and keep bargaining because of PRINCIPLES. I left the tender moaning to surrounding people how crazy this all is, and bought taffeta instead from the neighbour. The tender would have got nearly 20 USD if she had behaved. Poor her, and angry me. But, I guess, without all these conflicts life would be too easy. Still, my blood pressure is still rising when I think about this!!! Especially because she has a monopoly of selling that lovely silk velvet. Another good reason to learn more Vietnamese – at least how to swear!

Enjoy your weekend!