So when a friend of a friend picks you up and drives you all over town looking for a second hand bike during the fair on madness of a Hanoi rush it does well to return the favour. The opportunity fell at his sister's cafe where a live band was playing along to whatever people wanted to sing. I was asked and the reluctant exhibitionist in me obliged.
How peculiar that this would be preceeded by my kindly host informing me of the Vietnamese for 'yesterday', 'today' and 'lover', and furthermore that the suggested song was 'Yesterday' by the Beatles. So I stands up and says 'Chung toi co khoe khong' 'How we all doing' to mixed reactions, and further bemusement as I say 'Hom Quay, toi co ngoi yeu' 'Yesterday I had a lover' 'Hom Nay, toi khong co ngoi yeu' 'Today I don' have a lover'. - Lennon had no better prelude than this.
But then again he did sing it better.
It ends and a heckler from the crowd shouts out in English 'Are you Single'. Not knowing the word for single, I simply repeated 'I don't have a lover'. Bewilderment descended on the face of the deep and meaningful persons assembled. I said it again.
Penny drops.
'Are you singer' was what was said by the pretty girl with the rock lobster looking boyfriend. Comment from the compere was to the tune of, 'next time it might not be such a disaster'.
Does it pay to self-aggrandise - we shall see.
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