"Expatriate Life"

The subtle art of closing the deal . . . Having dutifully collected scores of glass bottles emptied over four years of Hanoi living, Cargill's Kathy Charlton presented them to the local recycling lady, negotiated the selling price to 15,000 dong (a dollar and change), and, standing curbside, awaited payment. With glacial swiftness, the buyer, ancient and with ruby gums, reached in her dress and unpeeled 100 dong. Another minute, another 100 dong, and so on for ten minutes. The gritty recycler stopped at 10,000 dong and told her to go away. But Kathy was determined to obtain the agreed price. Finally, the fed-up old lady swung around and slapped her; that gesture was promptly repaid in kind. Retelling this sordid tale, Ms. Charlton declared that it is when you slap an old lady in the middle of the street, you know it's time to leave town (fortunately her flight left the next day; she'll be attending Harvard Business School. We hope they will teach her to slap first).

So the fare was double . . . Following a VIP only Hanoi Cultural Hall reception, VBJ's own country manager Mr. A. Stopack scurried into the drenching rain to find a cab for himself and two New York colleagues. Ten minutes, much competition, no luck, when at last a bright yellow Mercedes sidles up to the stairs of the hall. Mr. Stopack runs over to the driver's side, determined not to lose this one...turns out to be a senior banking official.

One more example of "Untied Aid" . . . Does Saigon's chaotic traffic get under your skin? It seems to have driven one Korean businessman downright nuts. Late one muggy January afternoon this gentleman geared up into a police uniform, complete with epaulettes, helmet and traffic baton, and ambled through the traffic to take a prominent posting at the notorious crossroads of Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi, where he began directing traffic. His enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. When genuine police showed up to inquire after the ringer, he cried, "I love Vietnam! I love Vietnam!"

I don't have much time, so just take me to the mall for a pair of Dr. Scholls . . . It is understood tin cyclo (bike taxi)-driver circles that weekends have just taken a twist for the wonderful. Not only does New York developer Al DeMatteis - who just bought a 4-wheel Ford Explorer - granted his driver weekends off so he can careen Hanoi's carless streets himself, but reports are zinging in that the rambunctious New Yorker has taken to giving joy rides to cyclo drivers.


You saw Ho Chi Minh stuffed? Now we know you're pulling our leg . . . Mogul Chris Coughlin, who assumes a position at Vatico consultancy, is still beaming about a particular day, not too long ago, that he decided to show up to work. Things started at nine, a breakfast with one of his billionaire clients, in this case Dick DeVoss, CEO of Amway. They chatted. Then - quick glance at the day planner - it was on to his next appointment, PM Vo Van Kiet at three. What a day!  Chris needed to wind down. He headed over to Apocalypse Now for frosty grog. Oh, didn't we tell you who was sitting next to him? Robert DeNiro, naturally. What would you do? He pitched movie ideas for 45 minutes.


Future item: Ruinous Bachelor Party . . . New York beauty moved to Hanoi in March. A quick trip to Singapore left her lighter by one appendix, the weather makes her hair frizz, and she's starting to notice that most people don't understand her when she speaks English. Nevertheless, she's agreed to marry VBJ editor Levine on her parents' farm in Washington State this August.