-^-for posterity-^-

restaurant.

they come to ask what you would like to drink. they ask you what food you would like. you tell them what you would like and they alter it fifteen times. they tell you what is special tonight. you listen and change your order.

you sit and wait for your food. the waiters and waitresses fill your glass with ice umpteen times. they don’t wait and ask if you want more ice. they take old pieces of ice out and put larger, fresher pieces in. they bring mosquito coils which burn and keep bugs away. they sit on their haunches and work feverishly on lighting them. the food comes and it’s wonderful. the waiters and waitresses stand in the background watching everyone’s move. between courses they change bowls and chopsticks. they watch the tables like hawks. they bring new straws in the middle of meals. they change napkins. they bring new chopsticks in an instant if one of them hits the floor.

all in all it’s like being a king. these restaurants are not posh places, they are simply places where a family can eat for about 10 dollars. the waiters and waitresses serve you hand and foot. they tirelessly work with a brilliant smile only addressing you in the most formal vietnamese only to watch you pay your bill and leave. you leave no tip and it is rude to thank them. you don’t thank people in this society who are doing their job. if you thank them it means that they are going above and beyond the call of duty. you thank them if they were bad waitresses or waiters. the thanks they receive is a brief smile and a partial hint that they did their job well. what a world.