I went to Mojo with Chip and 3C after having bun bo Hue (Hue noodle soup, one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes) for dinner. We ordered some frappe. The name was 'stolen' from Starbucks yet the quality didn't meet. Obviously one of a few things I miss about the US is Starbucks' frappuccino, or frappe.
Lots of talking and watching. On the top floor of this bar you can look out of the glass to watch the stores and people on the street. Among the things that I would miss about Saigon is its distinguished kind of atmosphere. It's fast-paced and laid back at the same time. It could be painfully familiar and extremely distant at the same time. You could love it and be hurt by it at the same time.
Mojo sort of reminds me of all those things AND comforts me with its funny mix of my favorite music, the kind of mix where you like all the songs, but the order they are in doesn't seem quite smooth. Have you ever noticed that just one playlist for all of your favorite songs is never a good idea?
I wanted to buy a bottle of Hpnotiq from Mojo but it was sold at USD $67 per bottle. Er, excuse me?!
Anyways. When Jim joined us it was almost 11 PM, the closing hour of Mojo, so we decided to move to the 23th floor of the Sheraton hotel. (Mojo is part of Sheraton.) All this time, it was never about the drink, but good drinks were needed. I ordered a Sea Breeze which is a mixed drink of Hpnotiq, malibu, and something else. I was still kinda mad about the $67 per Hpnotiq bottle in Mojo, but it actually cost $120 a bottle at bar 23 of Sheraton, so I kept my complaint brain side well shut. 3C and Chip also got some nice cocktails while Jim got a glass of red wine. I personally like wine with food, cocktails by itself or with some light snacks, not the other way around. But we tried some of each and they were pretty good. The coconut touch from the malibu in my drink really mixed well with the tropical taste of Hpnotiq. Liked it.
We were sitting outside so there were only fans, no A/C, and fragments of music coming out from the discotheque section. The music was bad, the night winds were heated, I felt like cheated. They built a really nice bar but there was something not right. Something was missing. It's like the bar contains of pieces that don't click together. Bars like that fail at bringing people together. Who would want to feel like drinking alone in a group? If one needs solitude one would have gone there by oneself.
Overall, I disliked the frappe, liked my Sea Breeze, and truly miss my friends to whom I just said good night over an hour ago. I guess I won't go to that many different bars in town, yet there are always pieces of content I bring back from every 'drinking' session. Getting a drink in this city means a lot more than getting drunk, for me.
Just some of my bar notes for today.
