I’m horribly behind in posting.. We’ve been so busy! Making the interior for an eco-lodge while also trying to manage the expectations of six different local companies is no easy task. To relax, and to research other hotels, we’ve been to Mui Ne last week. It’s a tiny fisherman village with loads of resorts. The signs in Russian made us expect the worst, but luckily it’s low season at the moment. 

As you can see, the scenery was great, the food was good, the resort more luxurious than I’ve ever experienced and the sun was shining. Perfect. And still I felt a bit weird. In a tourist place like this, the people serving you want to give you the best possible experience. Of course, that’s how they make their money. But this servile attitude makes me feel even more an outsider than I inevitably am. I like to be the observer and I know I can never blend in (my blond hair is too easily noticed I’m afraid), but being treated as a colonial princess is a bit too far on the other side of the spectrum for me. Somehow, I felt more like a western money bag than like royalty.. very awkward. It also left me wondering about the eco-hotel we’re designing for. The client is king, but wouldn’t he feel more comfortable if treated like a real person? Wouldn’t it be much better if the guest felt privileged to take part in the eco-resort in stead of just consuming one-sidedly? Am I the only one thinking this?