The accidental tourist

We huddled together on a freezing winter morning at a small outdoor café in the city of Vin Yen, the capital of Vinh Phuc province in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam. I sat there shivering with eight other parents of the 9/10-year-old members of the Philippine boys team that is participating in the Pony Baseball Asia Pacific Zone Mustang Division Championship. The quaint coffee shop was located just outside the field where the tournament is to be played in and we anxiously waited to be saved from the cold by some of the country’s famous coffee. Since most of my knowledge about Vietnam had come only from watching Rambo I, II and III, it came as a surprise to me that Vietnam is actually renowned for its coffee. The country is, in fact, the world’s second largest producer of coffee and is reputed for its rich 200-year tradition of coffee cultivation and unique roasting and brewing methods. The people of Vietnam take their coffee seriously and even have their own unique kind of coffee maker, which looks like “a top hat sitting on its brim.” The coffee that was served to us was excellent. It was, however, very strong and our Vietnamese hosts looked at us with amused smiles as we diluted it with several cups of plain hot water. After getting sufficiently warmed up, we then strolled along the city streets to window shop. We also tried to gather enough nerve to sample some of the local delicacies from the street vendors. We all agreed, however, that discretion is the best part of valor and decided instead to get a taste of the culinary delights of the newly opened branch of … Jollibee! Yup, our very own red and yellow bee has now invaded the land of the Vietcong!

At this point, you may be wondering if we parents came here on vacation rather than to cheer on our boys in an international baseball tournament. Indeed, as our children practiced, we made plans to do a “parents only” day trip to Hanoi the following day. It is, however, all just a case of accidental tourism. We arrived in Vietnam two days before the start of the tournament in order to enable the boys to acclimatize properly. The kids are also rooming in with each other and not with their mothers or fathers. And with the team’s coaches keeping a tight leash on the boys’ activities, we parents do have some free time to ourselves — time to leisurely sip a cup or two of local java; to do a little shopping; to engage in typical Pinoy humor and laugh with gusto at everything; and to forget about the real world back home and live a dream with our sons for one glorious week. It is, therefore, not surprising that we parents have developed a strong sense of camaraderie that parallels the friendship that our boys have found with each other.

I do not know whether the “Little Razcals” (as we have nicknamed the boys) could really win the championship or not in the next few days. By the time you read this, it would already all be over. Due to deadlines, I have to submit this article on the very day that the tournament starts. Yet as I told my sister-in-law in the plane coming over, while this event is, indeed, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the kids, so is it also a very precious moment for us as parents. One of the most satisfying feelings I’ve ever experienced is the sense of pride that engulfs my entire being when I see my own flesh and blood giving it all he’s got. While it is certainly not just limited to sports, it does get magnified exponentially when you witness it all happening right before your very eyes in the compressed two-hour universe of a sporting event. Win or lose, it’s certainly going to be one unforgettable experience for both myself and my son.

A friend posted in Facebook some time back, seemingly in complaint about all the time she has to spend on her children’s numerous sports activities, that she was not only a soccer mom but also a basketball momma, a football momma, a swimming momma, and a momma of a few other sports. But then she concluded, “…and I love every moment of it!” Right here, right now as I type these words and wait for my son to do battle, I know exactly what she means. Especially, I’d like to add, however, when you take in the entire experience together with a tall mug of thick, black, and extra strong Vietnamese coffee!

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