Left To My Own Devices

I've been having weird dreams since I got here.  I suppose that describing dreams as weird is an oxymoron.  There's always something about them that is slightly off, that weighs down one side of your subconscious and tilts the world on its axis just enough to make everything out of the corner of your eye slightly askew.  Maybe I just haven't been getting enough sleep.  I'm drop-dead tired every night, but I wake up too early.  There's so much traffic directly outside my window, and the noise surrounds the building and circles upward like the red stripe of a barber's pole.  Earplugs help, but I discovered this morning that they work too well and block out even the sound of my alarm clock.  Oopsie.

Kyle jetted off to Bangkok this morning for a conference, and his departure also meant the departure of my breakfast cook.  Left to my own devices, I ended up buying an orange soda (Hey, it's fruit!  Ish.) and a box of Choco Puffs cereal bars in the small shop in the lobby of our building, on which I feasted while heading to my internship.  He won't be back till Saturday night, but I've discovered I have a standing table at the apartment cafe each morning.  I will definitely be making use of that tomorrow.

As expected, today was much better!  Rapoport gave me a list of things he'd like me to do, including restoring ancient bronze coins found in caches buried underground in pots during times of war.  I'm also to bulk up on my knowledge of Vietnamese ceramics and bronze workings.  He's going to have business cards made for me--how legit is that?!  Apparently it's very common here to have business cards, for both professional and personal use, and I've already had a handful of requests for mine.

54 Traditions Gallery.  The outside doesn't do it justice.

It's seven floors high...of course, my boss' office is on the sixth.

Rapoport invited me along to a business lunch with a large group of lovely Australian women embarking on a textile tour of Southeast Asia.  The restaurant, Koto, benefits street children, giving them jobs and the opportunity to learn English.  The food was also fabulous.  I had duck for the first time in cabbage salad and passion fruit cake for dessert.  All the women were very interesting and interested in my pursuits.  One of the ladies got left behind while visiting the loo and I had to help her reconnect with the tour as I have four more days experience with Hanoi than she did...she was pretty pissed and I'm just glad it wasn't directed at me.

Delicious and helpful.

There are so many types of flowers on the streets and the grandiosity of the arrangements is astounding.

I was going to check out the Temple of Literature across the street, but while walking around the perimeter to the entrance, I was very politely accosted by a young Vietnamese woman.  Her laminated introduction and card claimed she was involved with the Red Cross, or some such organization, and her book of autographs and donations was, I suppose, her proof of legitimacy.  I gave her ten bucks.  I'm sure I was ripped off, but I don't mind paying people to LEAVE ME ALONE.

When I made it around to the entrance, I discovered they charged a fee, and after my "donation," I didn't feel like spending any more money today.  The nearby Fine Arts Museum was severely tempting, but I was short on time and didn't want to rush through.  It took me forever to hail a taxi on my own for the first time, and of course I had to get one who had no freaking idea where he was going.  He kept stopping to ask passersby directions and turning around, and I opted to get out and pay for my unwanted scenic tour of the back streets of Hanoi before I became too irritated.  I probably should have argued the price down, but I guess I'm just having a charitable day.  The next cab I hailed drove me through a construction site, bouncing in and out of pond-sized pot holes, but the man knew what he was doing and I made it back to the apartment in no time.

And then I did something wonderful: I took a nap.  I know.  I didn't come to Vietnam to nap.  I can do that anywhere.  But if I can't do what I want here and now, where and when can I?  Answer me that.  After dinner, Roman and I hopped over to check out the cafe owned by Pocket Australian, whom we met at 21 Degrees North last weekend.  He has a beautiful cafe and hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake, and I partook of the Earl Grey and chocolate muffin, a most beloved combination.  Pocket Australian was very gracious and told us to let him know if we decide to head up to Sa Pa, in northwest Vietnam, where he'll be checking in on one of his other hotels after Tet.  His shop also sells lovely ceramics and showcases traditional crafts.  It's definitely on my list of places to return.

My pictures of the inside didn't turn out well. Guess I'll just HAVE to go back. ;)

Today's highlight is going to make my parents cringe and wring their hands in worry.  Rapoport gave me a lift to lunch...on his motorbike.  I'd never been on a motorcycle before, and now I feel I've wasted the last twenty four years traveling on four wheels.  It was absolutely incredible!  I now totally get why chicks dig motorcycles--the feeling of openness and vulnerability tempered by a sense of complete freedom, wind rushing by your face and through your hair (except not, since I wore a helmet...you're welcome, Mom!), risking life and limb for that rare spark that sets all the life in you on fire.  I think I'll be mostly taking motorcycle taxis from now on...when in Rome...