One of my fondest memories growing up was eating gỏi khô bò, beef jerky salad with papaya, right outside Lê Văn Tám park in Sài Gòn. There is no restaurant. This entire beef jerky salad operation is all done from a makeshift setup off a motorbike. My cousin and I would stop and get this salad every few days on our way home from school in the afternoon. We would join a large crowd of folks sitting on tree planter curbs, using the red plastic stools as our table. We indulge ourselves in a refreshing, crunchy yet spicy mixture of papaya juliennes, nuoc mam dressing, roasted peanuts, prawn crackers, and beef jerky niblets. In the sweltering Sài Gòn heat and amid a packed sidewalk, I would feel right at home. Recently, I revisited the same beef jerky salad vendor after being away for nearly two decades. The makeshift operation remains unchanged and still attracts a large crowd of people. Again, in the sweltering heat and crowded sidewalk in Sài Gòn, I still feel at home. The painting depicts the papaya salad eaten outside of Lê Văn Tám park in Sài Gòn. On a good day, a red plastic stool was our table. 

9" x 12" Acrylic Painting on Canvas (SOLD)