Aug. 13, 2019
Eating sushi at Sushi Be is expensive, but worth the price for a special occasion.
Wow, my fourth decade! Can’t believe I can say that about myself. And what better way to celebrate a big, round number like that than by continuing my birthday tradition. So there I was, eating sushi, turning 40 and contemplating the future.
Sushi Be definitely has some fresh fare, so fresh I didn’t even need soy sauce for it. I’m not sure which morsel I liked more, the duck decorated with fois gras or the fatty tuna topped with sea urchin.
The other pieces were blue fin tuna, yellowtail, mantis shrimp, crab, eel and scallop. All were amazing.
Fun fact: I spent more on those 8 pieces of sushi than I normally do on 2 1/2 weeks worth of groceries.
But it was worth it. Raw fish for my birthday is a must, always, every single year.
Plus, as I mentioned earlier this month, I live in Da Nang, where the cost of living is so low, hence the cheap trips to the supermarket. I pay less than $500 a month for a beautiful, comfortable apartment that’s just a 10-minute walk from the beach, and because I work from home, I can write off that expense on my taxes.
My neighborhood is great too. Very green and quiet, and close to lots of good bars, cafes and restaurants.
It’s just not close enough to walk or ride my bicycle to my birthday spot. That means taking a mototaxi so I could celebrate in style, eating sushi, turning 40. It was fine, especially for a life milestone.
So what does this next decade hold for me?
Well, I plan to stay in Da Nang at least another year, and I’m hoping to pick up a couple more contracts so I can save more money for retirement.
Also, I’m planning to see a lot of new countries.
In October, I’ll go to China, country No. 34.
In February, it’ll be the Philippines.
Then next summer, I plan to touch down in the United Arab Emirates to see a couple of good friends from Mexico who now live there, followed by a day-long layover in Lebanon, which will allow me to see a bit of Beirut, and eventually I’ll make my way to Croatia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, with a week in Italy squeezed in as well. (I went to Italy for the first time earlier this year and I loved it so much, I must make a return trip.)
Of course, throughout my travels, eating sushi will be part of the fun.