Shopping in Vietnam is unpredictable. In the U.S. or Singapore, you can be 99% sure that every time you go to the store, you’ll be able to find what you need. And if you can’t, there are many other stores within driving distance that will be able to sell it to you. In Vietnam, you’d just be out of luck.

Of course, I’m talking mostly about imported goods that foreigners buy and locals can’t afford. There’s always a ridiculous sense of excitement whenever we see something we love on the shelf here. Invariably, when we return to buy another, they’re all sold out and is usually never stocked again.

For example, I saw several Winnie the Pooh DVD’s just a couple of weeks ago that I knew Stephen would like but I didn’t want to spoil him by buying more than one. I later realized that they were hard to find and went back to the same shop today. They didn’t have any left and nothing new either. Fortunately, we were able to find some at a kiosk just down the hall for a cheaper price and better service.

Grocery stores are the worst of all. On Tuesday, there were six cans of straw mushrooms on the shelf. I bought one and when I went back for more the next day, they were all sold out. Regular button mushrooms aren’t sold fresh here and canned ones haven’t been seen in weeks. Sometimes even local products like yogurt or milk aren’t re-stocked for days at a time.

I think things disappear off the shelf because everyone knows that when you see something you like, you should hoard it. I’m currently hoarding pasta, pizza sauce, string cheese, mozzarella cheese, bread flour, soy bean cooking oil, kitchen sponges, color safe bleach, babywipes, diapers, sanitary napkins, hand soap, and body soap. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something and will be badly disappointed when I go shopping again in out-of-stock shopping hell.

xposted