Stupid ferenge was on his way into a store last night before dinner. I thought the door was open which of course it was not. I banged my head on the glass door to the amusement of an elderly lady in the establishment. I found out last night a few other things about the streets of Hanoi. I am constantly motioned at by guys sitting on scooters. I thought they wanted to rent me the scooter but was told they are yet another form of taxi, much cheaper but probably more risky than the 4-wheeled model.
I was also told that one can rent a scooter but then mentioned that if I were to do so, I would never be able to find my way back to the store. Apparently if you are a ferenge and approach a taxi driver on a scooter and give the address of the store, you can follow him there which solves that conundrum.
I contacted Parminder in Dar es Salaam and will hook my Sweet Thing up with him if she ends up there and he is still around. Towards the end of my stay in Addis, Parminder mentioned the Bank likes to rotate people every 7 and his time is up in Tanzania. He had not yet indicated to the Bank what he wanted for his next posting (sentence??).
I checked the lineup for BluesFest and ALL the acts I want to see are on before I get back. I need to see Sean Mallia's band on Sunday but there is really nothing else for me to see. I will discuss with my Sweet Thing who is very very very busy working away these days. It's funny to text her as I get up and find she is just getting home from work. I read today in the paper that it has been unusually dry May/June this year in Hanoi in a season that hosts some major downpours most years.
We are approximately 4-6 weeks away from the arrival of grand-child #2, a second child for Lindsay and Jordan. The baby will probably be either a boy or a girl :). Zaide will make plans to go out in early September.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Just do it
I am enjoying the cold spell. It has been no more than 35 all week which in the scheme of things is cool. It was a feverish pace at work today and I had meeting after meeting after meeting. I headed out of the office late as I spent quite a while with others in the collection centre then the IBM office looking at the system.
I had dinner with Kathleen and another guy from IBM whose name escapes me. I walked for about 2 hours before the dinner date and tried to find a familiar street near the Hilton that I frequented the week I stayed there. Just like every other voyage so far around Hanoi, I sort of got lost. Finally I recognized a street as I approached it ... Luong Van Cam where I once went to hear jazz and right at the corner where Little Hanoi was where I ate a few days ago. I followed the lake and ended up near the World Bank building. My next puzzle was which way to turn to go down the street I remembered and stopped at the Nokia store to look at some phones. My trackball is acting up on my BB and I know I can pick up something here starting at less that $50.
My next adventure was trying to find Ly Thuong Kiat street. I got some assistance at the Nokia store but could not find it. I asked a few more people and ended up at another Nokia store and called Kathleen. I ended up getting a cab and, stupid ferenge, had been on Ly Thuong Kiat all along. I am such an idiot. I did not see any cross streets with the name I craved to see 'cause I was already on it ... duh!!
We had Thai that was very nice and then I cabbed it back to the Horison. No World Cup again until Friday. Unfortunately I am tied up with an evening meeting with MoF and the World Bank tomorrow that may occupy most of my evening ... yucchh.
I made some progress with the local language today which will not make me look so silly when I meet with Mr. Tri (pronounced "Chi") and will proudly greet my buddy the Trangslator with her correct name tomorrow, that is Trang, pronounced "Chang".
I had dinner with Kathleen and another guy from IBM whose name escapes me. I walked for about 2 hours before the dinner date and tried to find a familiar street near the Hilton that I frequented the week I stayed there. Just like every other voyage so far around Hanoi, I sort of got lost. Finally I recognized a street as I approached it ... Luong Van Cam where I once went to hear jazz and right at the corner where Little Hanoi was where I ate a few days ago. I followed the lake and ended up near the World Bank building. My next puzzle was which way to turn to go down the street I remembered and stopped at the Nokia store to look at some phones. My trackball is acting up on my BB and I know I can pick up something here starting at less that $50.
My next adventure was trying to find Ly Thuong Kiat street. I got some assistance at the Nokia store but could not find it. I asked a few more people and ended up at another Nokia store and called Kathleen. I ended up getting a cab and, stupid ferenge, had been on Ly Thuong Kiat all along. I am such an idiot. I did not see any cross streets with the name I craved to see 'cause I was already on it ... duh!!
We had Thai that was very nice and then I cabbed it back to the Horison. No World Cup again until Friday. Unfortunately I am tied up with an evening meeting with MoF and the World Bank tomorrow that may occupy most of my evening ... yucchh.
I made some progress with the local language today which will not make me look so silly when I meet with Mr. Tri (pronounced "Chi") and will proudly greet my buddy the Trangslator with her correct name tomorrow, that is Trang, pronounced "Chang".
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Rainy day, dream away
The sky is so overcast, maybe I will get my wish and experience a torrential downpour Hanoi-style. We have had next to no rain the 2 and a bit weeks I have been here. Even though I felt badly for the street people in Addis, I loved the rain there. Picture the heavy flash rain storms in Orlando ... only 2 hours of that interspersed through 9 hours of rain. Welcome to Ethiopia.
I made hotel reservations in Seoul, staying at the Residence Inn ... I hope my hotel maven wife approves :).
I made hotel reservations in Seoul, staying at the Residence Inn ... I hope my hotel maven wife approves :).
Monday, June 28, 2010
The heat is on
It's starting to get to me (the heat that is, all else is OK) so I am not going to do as much walking. Even though it is entertaining, the oven out there makes it unbearable. There is no doubt that compared to the first 10 days I was here, this is cooler. I must admit that 35 is a lot less than 42, but still a chore in itself. The dress code at work, business casual, is not very conducive to such glaring heat.
I cabbed it to Nam Phuong for dinner, a Vietnamese spot I had been to before with the WorldBank duo who was here the first week I was. The food was great except oddly bland. I wonder if they deliberately took it easy so as not to flame out the ferenge.
BTRF ... body temperature raising factor --> 1
FSF ... ferenge stupidity factor, a measurement of how stupid I look when ordering --> 1
It's an early start in the AM with an 8AM meeting with IBM.
I cabbed it to Nam Phuong for dinner, a Vietnamese spot I had been to before with the WorldBank duo who was here the first week I was. The food was great except oddly bland. I wonder if they deliberately took it easy so as not to flame out the ferenge.
BTRF ... body temperature raising factor --> 1
FSF ... ferenge stupidity factor, a measurement of how stupid I look when ordering --> 1
It's an early start in the AM with an 8AM meeting with IBM.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Little Hanoi 2
So here is the report from my voyage to Little Hanoi 2 at 21 Hang Gai street. I cost 60,000 VND to get there and in true Hanoi-style taxi, a mere 30,000 to get back. It must be the prevailing winds. It was at the corner of Luong Van Can which sounded like Minh's jazz club street. Across the street were a plethora of sunglasses outlets that would put the Sunglass Hut to shame. It was block 68 of Luong Van Can so could not have been far away from the sweet sounds of jazz.
They have been there since 1994, and the breakfast pho (pronounced "phir") was 87,750 VND. It had veggies and beef floating in a broth and was lovely. As the national food of Vietnam they have us beat big time. Canada's national dish is anything highly caloric and fattening :). The place had dark wood tables and chairs, something that always impresses this ferenge, and featured western and local fare. They were playing western folk music and I made out Judy Collins amongst others.
The surroundings with their medium narrow streets invite walking. The walls contain tall casement-like windows and the place is clean and bright. The streets in the immediate area of Little Hanoi are clean and spotless, which makes me wonder if that was because I was there Sunday. Hopefully it is that clean during a work week. There were a few air conditioners on the wall but they were mainly using ceiling fans. The menu was in English too and the server spoke English well.
I walked for about an hour after until the soak-factor kicked in and grabbed a cab back to the Horison. I think I may have learned how to ask for the bill in Hanoi as the server yelled "check check" to a colleague when I asked for the bill. It was the same in Addis, nothing fancy, simply a high-pitched "beel beel" and the invoice would arrive shortly thereafter.
When the bill arrived, at the bottom it said 6.60 USD or 12540 VND ... there was a "0" missing from the VND total which, without that last trailing zero was only 66 cents; I think I prefer to pay in VND currency if it is that much cheaper, you?
I surfed "pho" for a while and now feel confident going to a road-side emporium and asking for pho ba (beef), pho ga (chicken), pho lon (pork), or pho ___ (for fish with blank filling provided by Trangslator). I will also get the correct pronunciation.
I got the explanation from Trang for the extra-terrestrial transaction at the store Friday for my 3 shirts, and I quote ...
"Do you remember a lady at the shirt store and went with us to the cashier? She also bought a shirt which costs roughly 1.6 million VND or something. But that store has a policy of 10% discount for a bill with amount greater than 3.8 million VND. Your 2 Valentino shirts cost about 2.8 mil VND. She proposed to include her shirt into your bill to make the total amount to become greater than 3.8 million VND to enjoy 10% discount for each, you and her. Then with her shirt, the bill became more than 3.8 mil. Great! She paid for hers but it is included in your bill. That's why you see 4 in the bill but you get only 3."
My response was "Thanks ... I would not even understand that transaction in English so no wonder I missed it in Vietnam". Thus the 3 shirts cost me 3.6 million VND or about $55 each before tax. Was that too much to pay? Ask me Monday afternoon when I get home carrying 2 litres of perspiration rather than 3 litres.
I also ran into something today which amused me to no end ... a self-discounting street vendor. I stop and ask a lady in a small storefront how much the fans are ... she says 35,000 so I say no, and she immediately says "10". I did not have to bargain or even say a word, The price dropped itself by over 70% and I had nothing to do for the discount.
Two final measurement indicators for Little Hanoi 2 (not Zagat style ratings but better) ... for both factors, a 5 is best for the first and a 1 is best for the second:
BTRF ... body temperature raising factor --> 3.5
FSF ... ferenge stupidity factor, a measurement of how stupid I look when ordering --> 1
I will use BTRF and FSF for all the places I go and hope that will assist others who have nothing better to read than my BLOG when trying to figure out where to eat in Hanoi. Upon further investigation, Zagat and Frommer are planning to use there 2 factors once their patents expire in 7 years (rumour has it).
Another achievement today I am pleased to announce ... I now know how to get from Horison to the O building. One heads out of hotel and hangs a left. Proceed down to the temple I visited with the tour guide last Sunday and hang a right at the next street. Poof ... one is now on the O building street that leads to the World Bank building.
They have been there since 1994, and the breakfast pho (pronounced "phir") was 87,750 VND. It had veggies and beef floating in a broth and was lovely. As the national food of Vietnam they have us beat big time. Canada's national dish is anything highly caloric and fattening :). The place had dark wood tables and chairs, something that always impresses this ferenge, and featured western and local fare. They were playing western folk music and I made out Judy Collins amongst others.
The surroundings with their medium narrow streets invite walking. The walls contain tall casement-like windows and the place is clean and bright. The streets in the immediate area of Little Hanoi are clean and spotless, which makes me wonder if that was because I was there Sunday. Hopefully it is that clean during a work week. There were a few air conditioners on the wall but they were mainly using ceiling fans. The menu was in English too and the server spoke English well.
I walked for about an hour after until the soak-factor kicked in and grabbed a cab back to the Horison. I think I may have learned how to ask for the bill in Hanoi as the server yelled "check check" to a colleague when I asked for the bill. It was the same in Addis, nothing fancy, simply a high-pitched "beel beel" and the invoice would arrive shortly thereafter.
When the bill arrived, at the bottom it said 6.60 USD or 12540 VND ... there was a "0" missing from the VND total which, without that last trailing zero was only 66 cents; I think I prefer to pay in VND currency if it is that much cheaper, you?
I surfed "pho" for a while and now feel confident going to a road-side emporium and asking for pho ba (beef), pho ga (chicken), pho lon (pork), or pho ___ (for fish with blank filling provided by Trangslator). I will also get the correct pronunciation.
I got the explanation from Trang for the extra-terrestrial transaction at the store Friday for my 3 shirts, and I quote ...
"Do you remember a lady at the shirt store and went with us to the cashier? She also bought a shirt which costs roughly 1.6 million VND or something. But that store has a policy of 10% discount for a bill with amount greater than 3.8 million VND. Your 2 Valentino shirts cost about 2.8 mil VND. She proposed to include her shirt into your bill to make the total amount to become greater than 3.8 million VND to enjoy 10% discount for each, you and her. Then with her shirt, the bill became more than 3.8 mil. Great! She paid for hers but it is included in your bill. That's why you see 4 in the bill but you get only 3."
My response was "Thanks ... I would not even understand that transaction in English so no wonder I missed it in Vietnam". Thus the 3 shirts cost me 3.6 million VND or about $55 each before tax. Was that too much to pay? Ask me Monday afternoon when I get home carrying 2 litres of perspiration rather than 3 litres.
I also ran into something today which amused me to no end ... a self-discounting street vendor. I stop and ask a lady in a small storefront how much the fans are ... she says 35,000 so I say no, and she immediately says "10". I did not have to bargain or even say a word, The price dropped itself by over 70% and I had nothing to do for the discount.
Two final measurement indicators for Little Hanoi 2 (not Zagat style ratings but better) ... for both factors, a 5 is best for the first and a 1 is best for the second:
BTRF ... body temperature raising factor --> 3.5
FSF ... ferenge stupidity factor, a measurement of how stupid I look when ordering --> 1
I will use BTRF and FSF for all the places I go and hope that will assist others who have nothing better to read than my BLOG when trying to figure out where to eat in Hanoi. Upon further investigation, Zagat and Frommer are planning to use there 2 factors once their patents expire in 7 years (rumour has it).
Another achievement today I am pleased to announce ... I now know how to get from Horison to the O building. One heads out of hotel and hangs a left. Proceed down to the temple I visited with the tour guide last Sunday and hang a right at the next street. Poof ... one is now on the O building street that leads to the World Bank building.
A quandry
There are so many places to eat in the area of the Horison I don't know where to start. The problem is that they most seem to serve the famous soup with vegetables/fish/other meats that I do not recognize. When at the fish restaurant near Minh's jazz club last night there was a bowl of dipping sauce that had something in it whose taste I did not like. One day last week I turned left out of the office building where I work and then down an alley for some very nice soup. I don't want to know what was in that soup but it was good.
So I made myself a list of places to try and have them carefully written on a piece of paper to show the cabbie. I will try Au Lac (I did go there with Bruce and Ron once already) as well as Tamarind, Cha Ca La Vong, and Little Hanoi 2 that I read about here as a start. Some of them could be quite a piece from the Horison but it does not matter since I can then explore the new surroundings and cab it back when swimming in perspiration. I so want to see Hanoi again when it is not summer. Supposedly they have 4 seasons here rather than the 2 they have in Africa ... wet and dry.
Now I will ask the Trangslator on Monday to write down on a piece of paper how to say:
No snake
No eel
No stomach or intestines
I like chicken
I like pork
I like beef
I will then present this list wherever I go and should be fine. Without these adventures I will go back to Ottawa missing the what I know is some of the most amazing dining experiences of Vietnam.
So I made myself a list of places to try and have them carefully written on a piece of paper to show the cabbie. I will try Au Lac (I did go there with Bruce and Ron once already) as well as Tamarind, Cha Ca La Vong, and Little Hanoi 2 that I read about here as a start. Some of them could be quite a piece from the Horison but it does not matter since I can then explore the new surroundings and cab it back when swimming in perspiration. I so want to see Hanoi again when it is not summer. Supposedly they have 4 seasons here rather than the 2 they have in Africa ... wet and dry.
Now I will ask the Trangslator on Monday to write down on a piece of paper how to say:
No snake
No eel
No stomach or intestines
I like chicken
I like pork
I like beef
I will then present this list wherever I go and should be fine. Without these adventures I will go back to Ottawa missing the what I know is some of the most amazing dining experiences of Vietnam.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Working at the Horison
So ferenge did make it up to USA football time at 1:30AM. I was even awake for most of the game. I watched tennis beforehand for 90 minutes. The overnight front desk staff watched most of the game as well. Mrs. K. A., is that taught in your front desk course :) The USA and Korea lost yesterday and are now eliminated ... tears. One of the guys brought me some tea which was very kind. Today is another stay at the hotel and hide from the heat extravaganza. England plays Germany at 9PM and in my short love of football, even I am pumped.
The front desk guy found the game last night on Viet 2 but I convinced him that, after remembering that I had seen S3 from South Africa on that receiver downstairs, he looked and found it in English ... remember what I said about kind?
Since I spent so much time with these employees, I must work at the Horison too ...
The front desk guy found the game last night on Viet 2 but I convinced him that, after remembering that I had seen S3 from South Africa on that receiver downstairs, he looked and found it in English ... remember what I said about kind?
Since I spent so much time with these employees, I must work at the Horison too ...
The "h" is not silent
So ferenge had the best night so far of my 2 week stay in Hanoi. I amused myself somehow all day, punctuating the time with walk-until-soaked. I grabbed a cab about 7:05 and proudly handed the chauffeur the address of the club I was going to ... 31 Luong Van Cam. I feel very secure and relieved when a cab driver reads my note and smiles or nods his head. The ride took about 15 minutes and we winded through some very interesting parts if Hanoi. I did see some familiar landmarks of which more and more I recognize as time marches on. Ended up at a lovely traditional fish outlet and had garlic onions with rice noodles and fish. They put a charcoal-fed furnace on the table so the food is not only sweet but piping hot.
Walked to the club and sat awaiting the entertainment that was scheduled to start at 9. Just about on time they started ... traps, bass (Fender Jazz at that), 2 saxaphones (one soprano and one tenor, the former always a special treat), and a baby-grand. The players were all great and the repertoire was very familiar. It re-confirmed my opinion that some modern jazz is simply a bunch of notes running around in between some very clever turnarounds, very commonly repeating 1-6-2-5. They did A-train and This Masquerade which were huge, as were many more. I asked for Desafinado at the start of the second set which they did immediately. The owner very inconspicuously sat in the corner, the one and only Quyen Van Minh (pronounced Minhe), playing on his cell. I imagine he is the special guest for the last set. There was no guitar which I missed but did not miss at the same time. I will be back at Minh's Jazz Club again now that I know where it is. I found the trip there in the cab went through some very funky parts of town so I am going to get in a cab sometime, give the driver that address, and hop out along the way when I like the surroundings.
Since I got the Viettel SIM card I have been able to text and receive replies from my Sweet Thing and have also communicated on a regular basis with my buddy Melaku in Addis. Shauna mentioned that it seems from my BLOG that I am not loving Hanoi ... not true; I am not loving the weather but all else is a pleasure, especially the people. Sunday is another lazy day then back to MoF early Monday morning.
It's now 11:35 and this ferenge is still wide awake so it is highly likely that I will make the US/Ghana World Cup match at 1:30AM (ya right, I've heard that before).
Walked to the club and sat awaiting the entertainment that was scheduled to start at 9. Just about on time they started ... traps, bass (Fender Jazz at that), 2 saxaphones (one soprano and one tenor, the former always a special treat), and a baby-grand. The players were all great and the repertoire was very familiar. It re-confirmed my opinion that some modern jazz is simply a bunch of notes running around in between some very clever turnarounds, very commonly repeating 1-6-2-5. They did A-train and This Masquerade which were huge, as were many more. I asked for Desafinado at the start of the second set which they did immediately. The owner very inconspicuously sat in the corner, the one and only Quyen Van Minh (pronounced Minhe), playing on his cell. I imagine he is the special guest for the last set. There was no guitar which I missed but did not miss at the same time. I will be back at Minh's Jazz Club again now that I know where it is. I found the trip there in the cab went through some very funky parts of town so I am going to get in a cab sometime, give the driver that address, and hop out along the way when I like the surroundings.
Since I got the Viettel SIM card I have been able to text and receive replies from my Sweet Thing and have also communicated on a regular basis with my buddy Melaku in Addis. Shauna mentioned that it seems from my BLOG that I am not loving Hanoi ... not true; I am not loving the weather but all else is a pleasure, especially the people. Sunday is another lazy day then back to MoF early Monday morning.
It's now 11:35 and this ferenge is still wide awake so it is highly likely that I will make the US/Ghana World Cup match at 1:30AM (ya right, I've heard that before).
Lots of time on my hands
With the weather as it is, I so value opportunities to get out of the hotel only to return 60-90 minutes later swimming again and sweat beading everywhere. I have seen the following going on while driving or being a passenger on the scooters that are running around all over this town:
D- carrying 2 plastic molded chairs in each arm, arms cocked with hands on cycle controls
D- smoking a cigarette and talking on a cell while holding a drink can between legs for leisure time at red lights
P- sitting sideways on the seat reading a paper
P- sitting sideways on the seat doing her nails
P- checking email
D- supporting a rather large load on back while driving, somewhat like Jerry ridiculing the guy holding the mattress on the top of his car while driving at 60 mph ... "I got it" the mattress holder says
The scooters and bicycles can be seen driving around town while carrying:
- close to 12 dozen empty glass pop bottles in an assortment of plastic carrying devices attached to seat and rear fender
- what appears to be close to 20 empty clear 18.9 litre water bottles
- a wide assortment of small kitchen gadgets, so numerous as to make one have to look closely to find the bicycle underneath
- a couple of dozen breakable ceramic tiles secured with rope and frayed bungee cords
- a 10 foot high stack of 2 by 6 white styrofoam sheets
- a full sized interior door and frame
- a bundle of 2 inch gray drainage pipes, 10 feet in length, extending a dangerous distance beyond the front and back of the vehicle
- up to 5 people ... 3 adults and 2 children with the littlest one standing on the running boards between the driver's legs ... family car re-invented
It's all part of the culture which brings me no end of enjoyment during my journeys into far away places. I went to a chicken and ribs place for lunch and ordered the chicken and a standard plate of the Vietna-greens with garlic I have come to adore while here. The employees at these establishments are very attentive to ferenge and giggle when I ask for something which we both know will not be understood. This was one of the first meals (yes meals :)) I have had that did not lead me to asking for hot sauce. On its own it needed no additional spices. I am going to head down to the area where the jazz club resides before the show and find something to eat down there. I have been told there is an especially lovely fish establishment close by.
I am in a dialogue with Andrew in Toronto for a few days work the day after I get back home in mid-July. Text messages cost me 2,500 dong or about 12 cents to send or receive so I can get 40 for the 100,000 dong card I buy at the local cell phone outlets. I always get the proprietor to load the card for me since they know how.
Amazing a sit may seem, the final figures are in ... since I got here 12 days ago, I have seen no less than 652,198 scooters and ONLY ONE lying on its side in traffic after some unfortunate turn somehow going wrong. The body language and instantaneous communication that goes on between pedestrians and these scooter drivers as we wade our way across a very very busy street are quite astounding. The drivers deliberately alter their trajectory to go on the backside of ferenge to allow me to cross unimpeded. I was told when I first arrive not to take for granted vehicles are going the right way on a one-way street. Regardless of where you are, look both ways before wading into traffic.
D- carrying 2 plastic molded chairs in each arm, arms cocked with hands on cycle controls
D- smoking a cigarette and talking on a cell while holding a drink can between legs for leisure time at red lights
P- sitting sideways on the seat reading a paper
P- sitting sideways on the seat doing her nails
P- checking email
D- supporting a rather large load on back while driving, somewhat like Jerry ridiculing the guy holding the mattress on the top of his car while driving at 60 mph ... "I got it" the mattress holder says
The scooters and bicycles can be seen driving around town while carrying:
- close to 12 dozen empty glass pop bottles in an assortment of plastic carrying devices attached to seat and rear fender
- what appears to be close to 20 empty clear 18.9 litre water bottles
- a wide assortment of small kitchen gadgets, so numerous as to make one have to look closely to find the bicycle underneath
- a couple of dozen breakable ceramic tiles secured with rope and frayed bungee cords
- a 10 foot high stack of 2 by 6 white styrofoam sheets
- a full sized interior door and frame
- a bundle of 2 inch gray drainage pipes, 10 feet in length, extending a dangerous distance beyond the front and back of the vehicle
- up to 5 people ... 3 adults and 2 children with the littlest one standing on the running boards between the driver's legs ... family car re-invented
It's all part of the culture which brings me no end of enjoyment during my journeys into far away places. I went to a chicken and ribs place for lunch and ordered the chicken and a standard plate of the Vietna-greens with garlic I have come to adore while here. The employees at these establishments are very attentive to ferenge and giggle when I ask for something which we both know will not be understood. This was one of the first meals (yes meals :)) I have had that did not lead me to asking for hot sauce. On its own it needed no additional spices. I am going to head down to the area where the jazz club resides before the show and find something to eat down there. I have been told there is an especially lovely fish establishment close by.
I am in a dialogue with Andrew in Toronto for a few days work the day after I get back home in mid-July. Text messages cost me 2,500 dong or about 12 cents to send or receive so I can get 40 for the 100,000 dong card I buy at the local cell phone outlets. I always get the proprietor to load the card for me since they know how.
Amazing a sit may seem, the final figures are in ... since I got here 12 days ago, I have seen no less than 652,198 scooters and ONLY ONE lying on its side in traffic after some unfortunate turn somehow going wrong. The body language and instantaneous communication that goes on between pedestrians and these scooter drivers as we wade our way across a very very busy street are quite astounding. The drivers deliberately alter their trajectory to go on the backside of ferenge to allow me to cross unimpeded. I was told when I first arrive not to take for granted vehicles are going the right way on a one-way street. Regardless of where you are, look both ways before wading into traffic.
Friday, June 25, 2010
A foolish assumption
So I head out of the hotel after a nice breakfast. It is overcast and threatening drizzle. I weigh the choices ... go walking and if the rain gets too heavy, hop a cab to the hotel OR go later. I figure since it's not sunny, humid, and 42 degrees, this may be my best chance to see Hanoi without the unbearable heat.
I take 2 quick rights heading out of the hotel, into a direction I had not yet pursued. The streets were busy already amidst the normal din of honking of horns from passing vehicles. These people seem to need to blow their horns, maybe it increases their gas mileage. Even when there is no looming obstacle to announce one's arrival, beep beep goes the horn anyways. It's a cacophony of horns somewhat reminiscent of a symphony of birds chirping with delight as they chow down on some repast.
The streets get narrower and are mainly populated by sidewalk stands selling everything ... and I do mean everything. Vendors are pushing a wide selection of animal innards and a cornucopia of really varied and colourful fruits. I was told by Claude yesterday that no matter what these people eat, there is always the familiar spinach-like greens steamed with garlic on the table. The clothing stores abound as well as footwear establishments probably selling stuff made in the region but mostly China.
So my foolish assumption is that I will be able to enjoy Hanoi in 35 degree overcast low humidity; that is short lived as less than an hour later, the seemingly ideal conditions do to this stupid ferenge what the 42/humid does to me too. I climb in a cab to get back to the Horison and say "ayn koh kway kuong" which I was led to believe is "how are you?". For all I know it could have been a phrase from Monty Python's famous dirty Hungarian phrasebook that first aired in 1970. Back in the bunker at the hotel, hiding from the heat rather than armed insurgents.
I take 2 quick rights heading out of the hotel, into a direction I had not yet pursued. The streets were busy already amidst the normal din of honking of horns from passing vehicles. These people seem to need to blow their horns, maybe it increases their gas mileage. Even when there is no looming obstacle to announce one's arrival, beep beep goes the horn anyways. It's a cacophony of horns somewhat reminiscent of a symphony of birds chirping with delight as they chow down on some repast.
The streets get narrower and are mainly populated by sidewalk stands selling everything ... and I do mean everything. Vendors are pushing a wide selection of animal innards and a cornucopia of really varied and colourful fruits. I was told by Claude yesterday that no matter what these people eat, there is always the familiar spinach-like greens steamed with garlic on the table. The clothing stores abound as well as footwear establishments probably selling stuff made in the region but mostly China.
So my foolish assumption is that I will be able to enjoy Hanoi in 35 degree overcast low humidity; that is short lived as less than an hour later, the seemingly ideal conditions do to this stupid ferenge what the 42/humid does to me too. I climb in a cab to get back to the Horison and say "ayn koh kway kuong" which I was led to believe is "how are you?". For all I know it could have been a phrase from Monty Python's famous dirty Hungarian phrasebook that first aired in 1970. Back in the bunker at the hotel, hiding from the heat rather than armed insurgents.
Hot sauce
So I'm at the Tex Mex joint and have an interesting problem. I need some hot sauce but I am 12,000 kilometres from home, I speak close to no Vietnamese and the staff less English. My initial forage into hot sauce explanation land goes terribly. I ask for a pen and try to draw a chili pepper. I did not know they looked like 2 lines and a tail. Better idea, I remember slices of red chilies sitting in dishes from time-to-time when I am at lunch. Yah ... let's draw one of those. I make a few concentric circles and try to draw the seeds. That goes well too. I text Trangslator and the return is "tuong ot". By the time that text arrives I am done my meal and ready for the humid-a-walk back to the hotel. I have visions of asking for tuong ot and someone running out of the kitchen and pouring a vat of monkey brains over my table 'cause I've just asked for monkey entrails :).
The check out at the shirt store today was an event in itself. It took about 15 minutes and involved no less than 3 clerks. There were many high-level discussions about who knows what and I had to meticulously sign the visa slip twice. Amidst a huge amount of fanfare and speeches, a fly-over, and a 22-gun salute, I was finally presented with a reward ... a bag of 3 shirts. Let's say the net profit of these shorts for the store was $60 ... the person time involved delivering the check out process and procedure probably cost twice that, for a net profit of -60 USD.
The check out at the shirt store today was an event in itself. It took about 15 minutes and involved no less than 3 clerks. There were many high-level discussions about who knows what and I had to meticulously sign the visa slip twice. Amidst a huge amount of fanfare and speeches, a fly-over, and a 22-gun salute, I was finally presented with a reward ... a bag of 3 shirts. Let's say the net profit of these shorts for the store was $60 ... the person time involved delivering the check out process and procedure probably cost twice that, for a net profit of -60 USD.
Erev shabbat
I left work about 4:45 after a very very very busy week. I had meetings a lot but not as much as last week. The Trangslator took me to a very nice, large, and new shopping centre to shop for short-sleeved shirts. I bought 3 very nice ones, probably more than I wanted to pay, but hey ... I have some cooler shirts now. I cabbed back to the Horison and cooled off then headed out for challah and borscht. I stopped and picked up a new SIM card hoping my receiving of SMS was related to Vinaphone. Low and behold, with VMN and Viettel I can now receive text from the outside world. I will now have to either buy an alarm clock or rely on my hotel's wake-up service. I am just glad I am not staying with Jerry, who pissed off the wakeup guy and I bet I'll miss the start of my marathon :).
The Tex Mex joint I went to was lovely. The staff were very friendly and I know they were giggling about stupid ferenge. The enchiladas were OK, they did look like enchiladas which was a good start. I would go back there. There is a little strip of food emporiums a few hundred metres after doing a right then quick left heading out of the Horison.
I looked at the bills for the shirts I bought and it looks like I paid for 4 shirts but only got 3. I will ask someone at work to decipher the Vietnamese on the bill when I get to work Monday. It was very hot and humid tonight and somewhat unpleasant still to be outside. I delivered my "MoF should have me on a full-time contract" letter today to Mr. Tri and it should be interesting to see if they want some arrangement. I would commit to being here 8-12 weeks a year if they bite. If they wanted me full-time on the TABMIS project that would get me out of the contract game again in Ottawa and I would be back to working from home. Interestingly enough I have already pointed out to Mr. Tran Anh that I am 11 or 12 hours behind Vietnam depending on the season, which is such a bonus for DBA personnel. They are working when you are in bed and vice versa.
So we are all cheering for South Korea still I hope so I can be in Seoul for the final and they can be in it. Canada was eliminated from the group of 16, to be expected in the World Cup.
The Tex Mex joint I went to was lovely. The staff were very friendly and I know they were giggling about stupid ferenge. The enchiladas were OK, they did look like enchiladas which was a good start. I would go back there. There is a little strip of food emporiums a few hundred metres after doing a right then quick left heading out of the Horison.
I looked at the bills for the shirts I bought and it looks like I paid for 4 shirts but only got 3. I will ask someone at work to decipher the Vietnamese on the bill when I get to work Monday. It was very hot and humid tonight and somewhat unpleasant still to be outside. I delivered my "MoF should have me on a full-time contract" letter today to Mr. Tri and it should be interesting to see if they want some arrangement. I would commit to being here 8-12 weeks a year if they bite. If they wanted me full-time on the TABMIS project that would get me out of the contract game again in Ottawa and I would be back to working from home. Interestingly enough I have already pointed out to Mr. Tran Anh that I am 11 or 12 hours behind Vietnam depending on the season, which is such a bonus for DBA personnel. They are working when you are in bed and vice versa.
So we are all cheering for South Korea still I hope so I can be in Seoul for the final and they can be in it. Canada was eliminated from the group of 16, to be expected in the World Cup.
Further induction into Vietnam
So I am at a meeting today with a handful of people from MoF. At the start of the meeting there were 4 of us and one-by-one two other women trickled in. As the meeting broke, one of them pointed out to me that I had once addressed her as "Sir" in an email. Naturally, I am having difficulty figuring out which names are male and which are female. I apologized to her.
So later in the day, I check with the world's best translator, my buddy Trangslator, asking her for the name of that lady. Her response ... "I do not know". Now I do not feel so bad.
Claude from PA called and we met for lunch after I went to the World Bank to drop off some paperwork for my contract. We went to a nice multi-cultural Vietnamese restaurant near the "O" building. Claude has been living here for 12 years with his family. His command of the language here is astounding. I asked him if the locals just get used to the heat and was told they complain bitterly about it as well. I thought, after growing up here, they would be used to it and somewhat immune.
By the way the "O" building I keep seeing when cabbing around the town. It has one very large converging and the same diverging letter "O" etched in the marble facade. Of all things I am going to a jazz club Saturday at 8PM. Who would'a thunk?
So later in the day, I check with the world's best translator, my buddy Trangslator, asking her for the name of that lady. Her response ... "I do not know". Now I do not feel so bad.
Claude from PA called and we met for lunch after I went to the World Bank to drop off some paperwork for my contract. We went to a nice multi-cultural Vietnamese restaurant near the "O" building. Claude has been living here for 12 years with his family. His command of the language here is astounding. I asked him if the locals just get used to the heat and was told they complain bitterly about it as well. I thought, after growing up here, they would be used to it and somewhat immune.
By the way the "O" building I keep seeing when cabbing around the town. It has one very large converging and the same diverging letter "O" etched in the marble facade. Of all things I am going to a jazz club Saturday at 8PM. Who would'a thunk?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Vrooom vrooom
Out of curiosity I stopped at a dealer and priced the scooters that I spend time dodging all over town. They start at 11,900,000 dong which is a mere 610 USD. If I were here for longer I would so get one used.
Rock and roll
Heard from my Sweet Thing as well as Lindsay about the earthquake in Ottawa. I would love to get my cell set up to receive text messages from outside Vietnam so I could find out this sort of stuff rather than when I happen to check my email. I am not sure what the fix is yet if there is one.
I am starting to figure out what if anything special I may do this weekend. I know I must keep in mind my tolerance, however low it may be, for the sweltering humid heat that is on almost all the time during these months in Hanoi. I have sampled some new fruits at the office during the work day. The mangosteen as well as the lychee are my two favourites so far. They have a pear-like fruit here whose name I cannot remember plus something that is a bit dryer than but reminiscent of our grapefruits.
I am starting to figure out what if anything special I may do this weekend. I know I must keep in mind my tolerance, however low it may be, for the sweltering humid heat that is on almost all the time during these months in Hanoi. I have sampled some new fruits at the office during the work day. The mangosteen as well as the lychee are my two favourites so far. They have a pear-like fruit here whose name I cannot remember plus something that is a bit dryer than but reminiscent of our grapefruits.
2 steps forward and 3 back :)
Oy yoy yoy. I have prided myself on being able to figure out what to call people based on their business cards. Just like we do in Canada, it seems the 3 names on the card are first/middle/last. Just when I believe I have that mastered. I encounter a gentleman who needs to be called Mr. {2 last names not just the last!!}. I am sure I will figure out out eventually.
I returned to the hotel as mentioned about 6:15 last night and embarked on a walk, one of many to remember. I headed out of the hotel, did a right then a quick left onto the side street that runs by the hotel. I sauntered through the normal sea of parked motorcycles and was still in what appeared to be the bathroom/tile/flooring sector of Hanoi. It was the same in Addis ... if one wanted a screwdriver, the first place to find was the "screw driver" sector. Stainless steel is very popular here as well as just about any plastic pipe from 2 cm up to 6 cm in diameter. I will have to remember where to go when I am laying some drainage system in my hacienda.
I expected a call from the IBM guys from work which I got about 7. I cabbed it back to the hotel and we chatted in the lobby for a while. We then headed out to an Indian restaurant which as it turns out is close to the World Bank and Hilton. Food was lovely and very spicy which ferenge loves. I was back at the Horison by 9:30 and watched part of he South Africa/France football game which FRA lost.
I noticed when I get in a cab and say "Horizon Hotel" nobody knows what I am talking about. When I get in and say "Hoareesun" they nod and we start the journey. This is something I already know ... pronunciation is most of the game. It reminds me of Dudley from the UK who heard me once use the word "no-men-cla-ture" and commented that the proper pronunciation is "no-men-clature" where the last "a" is soft and the last 2 syllables run together.
I met with the DBA staff most of the morning and will do so again at 2PM. A word on my buddy the translator ... her name is Trang so I call her "Trangslator". She does not know, but some friends of ours know that when Mikowaby refers to you with a nickname it is a sign of his fondness and liking you. She attends most of the meetings I have with MoF personnel. I have to remind myself to pause after every 10-12 seconds to give her the time to catch up. She is very knowledgeable in the IT jargon though needs some alternate wording for something from time-to-time so she ensures the translation is correct. I told her as well that when I return to Canada I will find myself pausing to allow someone to translate :). Tonight ... nada planned though will probably end up watching World Cup at 9PM. I contacted another ferenge from PA and if I hear back from him, we may get together since the USA is playing.
I walked for 10 minutes for lunch then quaffed a nice noddle, vegetable, and tomato soup. I am not sure what was floating in the broth; it could have been monkey testicles for all I know (and do not want to know thank-you!!).
I returned to the hotel as mentioned about 6:15 last night and embarked on a walk, one of many to remember. I headed out of the hotel, did a right then a quick left onto the side street that runs by the hotel. I sauntered through the normal sea of parked motorcycles and was still in what appeared to be the bathroom/tile/flooring sector of Hanoi. It was the same in Addis ... if one wanted a screwdriver, the first place to find was the "screw driver" sector. Stainless steel is very popular here as well as just about any plastic pipe from 2 cm up to 6 cm in diameter. I will have to remember where to go when I am laying some drainage system in my hacienda.
I expected a call from the IBM guys from work which I got about 7. I cabbed it back to the hotel and we chatted in the lobby for a while. We then headed out to an Indian restaurant which as it turns out is close to the World Bank and Hilton. Food was lovely and very spicy which ferenge loves. I was back at the Horison by 9:30 and watched part of he South Africa/France football game which FRA lost.
I noticed when I get in a cab and say "Horizon Hotel" nobody knows what I am talking about. When I get in and say "Hoareesun" they nod and we start the journey. This is something I already know ... pronunciation is most of the game. It reminds me of Dudley from the UK who heard me once use the word "no-men-cla-ture" and commented that the proper pronunciation is "no-men-clature" where the last "a" is soft and the last 2 syllables run together.
I met with the DBA staff most of the morning and will do so again at 2PM. A word on my buddy the translator ... her name is Trang so I call her "Trangslator". She does not know, but some friends of ours know that when Mikowaby refers to you with a nickname it is a sign of his fondness and liking you. She attends most of the meetings I have with MoF personnel. I have to remind myself to pause after every 10-12 seconds to give her the time to catch up. She is very knowledgeable in the IT jargon though needs some alternate wording for something from time-to-time so she ensures the translation is correct. I told her as well that when I return to Canada I will find myself pausing to allow someone to translate :). Tonight ... nada planned though will probably end up watching World Cup at 9PM. I contacted another ferenge from PA and if I hear back from him, we may get together since the USA is playing.
I walked for 10 minutes for lunch then quaffed a nice noddle, vegetable, and tomato soup. I am not sure what was floating in the broth; it could have been monkey testicles for all I know (and do not want to know thank-you!!).
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
And on the second day he worked
... and worked and worked and worked. Lots to do today at work. I was getting ready to leave about 4:45 and Mr. Hanh mentioned something about a meeting that we were going to have with someone regarding the interface that the TABMIS system (I am working on) has with other systems. This sharing of data is very common and to be expected in large corporate financial management system. I understood that someone was coming down to see us and should stick around.
About 20 minutes later when nobody had shown up yet, I asked Trang to check with Mr. Hanh to see if the wait would be much longer. As it turned out Mr. Hanh was simply asking me if I would be able to meet with someone, and did not need me to delay my departure to have a late meeting today. I am glad I checked with Trang or I could have been there until midnight (my bad not his :)). I am off for a stroll around bustling Hanoi, dodging the organized chaos, and will probably watch the late World Cup match at 9PM.
About 20 minutes later when nobody had shown up yet, I asked Trang to check with Mr. Hanh to see if the wait would be much longer. As it turned out Mr. Hanh was simply asking me if I would be able to meet with someone, and did not need me to delay my departure to have a late meeting today. I am glad I checked with Trang or I could have been there until midnight (my bad not his :)). I am off for a stroll around bustling Hanoi, dodging the organized chaos, and will probably watch the late World Cup match at 9PM.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Another day another dong ...
The heat wave has broken and it will only get to 35 today instead of the 40's where it was all last week. The breakfast at Horison was great and I headed off to the office too early. Room 702 was still locked when I got there, even though my badge did open its door yesterday after lunch. A colleague rescued me and I worked in an adjacent office until the door opened.
I had a few emails with Naomi regarding hotels in Seoul and she will be sending me some URLs and I will book. I want to be close to her and hope she will not be working Monday so we can hang. I would like to see her school and students so I hope we can fit that in.
I had the best sleep of my trip so far. I watched Portugal thrash PRK last night and felt badly for the PRK supporters. I struggled with the name of the country indicated by "PRK" and then it was obvious ... Democratic People's Republic of Korea aka North Korea.
Every morning at 7:30 then again at 4:30 in the afternoon, Westminster chimes ring in the building indicating the start/end of the work day as well as the turning on/off of the air conditioning. It reminds me of the Fungham's clock I purchased from Shirley Mac in the 70's that died and remained unfix-able 15 years later.
Tonight I have no plans. I will go over to the World Bank to give them some money for my entry visa letter at noon to save the drudgery of the return trip in rush hour. I will probably walk after work and just grab a cab back to Horison when I have had enough of the heat ... what heat! It's only 35 :). I uploaded pictures to Facebook and will do more. They are not very Mac-friendly at work so I will leave my Eeepc here and take the Apple back to the hotel. The work is feverish and today or tomorrow I will contact Mr. Tri and ask his advice on dealing with all the requests for stuff to be done that are flowing in.
I will contact Parminder in Tanzania to see if he will still be around when my Sweet Thing is there in October for some work through the college.
I had a few emails with Naomi regarding hotels in Seoul and she will be sending me some URLs and I will book. I want to be close to her and hope she will not be working Monday so we can hang. I would like to see her school and students so I hope we can fit that in.
I had the best sleep of my trip so far. I watched Portugal thrash PRK last night and felt badly for the PRK supporters. I struggled with the name of the country indicated by "PRK" and then it was obvious ... Democratic People's Republic of Korea aka North Korea.
Every morning at 7:30 then again at 4:30 in the afternoon, Westminster chimes ring in the building indicating the start/end of the work day as well as the turning on/off of the air conditioning. It reminds me of the Fungham's clock I purchased from Shirley Mac in the 70's that died and remained unfix-able 15 years later.
Tonight I have no plans. I will go over to the World Bank to give them some money for my entry visa letter at noon to save the drudgery of the return trip in rush hour. I will probably walk after work and just grab a cab back to Horison when I have had enough of the heat ... what heat! It's only 35 :). I uploaded pictures to Facebook and will do more. They are not very Mac-friendly at work so I will leave my Eeepc here and take the Apple back to the hotel. The work is feverish and today or tomorrow I will contact Mr. Tri and ask his advice on dealing with all the requests for stuff to be done that are flowing in.
I will contact Parminder in Tanzania to see if he will still be around when my Sweet Thing is there in October for some work through the college.
Day one
I got to the office about 8:45 after leaving the Hilton around 7:15. The room was ready at the Horison so I unpacked before heading to the office. I was told Horison is 2 minutes from the office which was an exaggeration ... it was 1 minute :). I was brought into a meeting where I discussed the stuff I was going to do with the MoF IT team. They seemed to be pleased with what they heard. I went up to room 702 about 9:45 and was set up to begin work.
The morning was occupied by housekeeping and getting started on a more detailed workplan. Mr. Tri was interested in what resources I needed from MoF and on what days. I was told they break for lunch from 11:30-1:00 after starting at 7:30AM. They quit about 4:30 which was fine with me. I had a meeting with the IT team and IBM about 3PM and we discussed some stuff I needed from them including a rapid clone which will be ready noon'ish tomorrow.
I left the office just after 4:30 even though Mr. Hahn mentioned that I can stay later than 4:30 if I want. I rushed over to the bank amidst the Monday afternoon version of organized chaos called Hanoi rush hour. I met with Quyen and Tuyet and covered the way the contract would go down so as to get my full 14 days of professional fees. I have to go back tomorrow at some point to give Tuyet 40USD and get a receipt for my landing visa. Just when I thought I was able to get back to the hotel at a nice hour, I ended up at the Bank, returning to my digs about 6:15PM. I am now watching Portugal and North Korea play football.
I am not doing anything tonight so will eat at the hotel which is very nice and a whopping $65 cheaper than the Hilton. By the way, lunch of lamb and chicken pieces with green leafy vegetable and rice was a massive 1.10USD. Ferenge especially liked that :)
The morning was occupied by housekeeping and getting started on a more detailed workplan. Mr. Tri was interested in what resources I needed from MoF and on what days. I was told they break for lunch from 11:30-1:00 after starting at 7:30AM. They quit about 4:30 which was fine with me. I had a meeting with the IT team and IBM about 3PM and we discussed some stuff I needed from them including a rapid clone which will be ready noon'ish tomorrow.
I left the office just after 4:30 even though Mr. Hahn mentioned that I can stay later than 4:30 if I want. I rushed over to the bank amidst the Monday afternoon version of organized chaos called Hanoi rush hour. I met with Quyen and Tuyet and covered the way the contract would go down so as to get my full 14 days of professional fees. I have to go back tomorrow at some point to give Tuyet 40USD and get a receipt for my landing visa. Just when I thought I was able to get back to the hotel at a nice hour, I ended up at the Bank, returning to my digs about 6:15PM. I am now watching Portugal and North Korea play football.
I am not doing anything tonight so will eat at the hotel which is very nice and a whopping $65 cheaper than the Hilton. By the way, lunch of lamb and chicken pieces with green leafy vegetable and rice was a massive 1.10USD. Ferenge especially liked that :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The City of Hanoi Vietnam
It was front and centre today 'cause of the tour I had lined up. Interestingly enough, the vendor who runs the tour I took is, of all places, based in Vancouver BC :). I met Junie in the lobby about 8AM and we headed out in an air-conditioned Isuzu. The first stop was the Ho Chi Minh museum. It is made up of a number of buildings of which the most famous is the mausoleum. The weather was a balmy 38C and humid by the time we got there and the line-ups were already HUGE. I told Junie I did not want to spend all morning queuing, so we passed on the tomb and headed for the museum.
They sure love Ho Chi Minh here. The museum was littered with sculptures, pictures (mostly black and white), and artifacts from the North Vietnam that existed during his life (1890-1969). There were the recognizable red flags with the familiar yellow star everywhere. There were reliefs of his face, sepia-like images of him, lots of pictures of his meeting world-wide dignitaries, and just about anything one could possibly cram into a museum as a tribute to their most famous figure. The museum featured some 3-D brass reliefs of events during his reign and the struggles they had with the French and the South.
I found the most revealing sculpture was a couple pf broken links in a very large metal chain. Each ring in the chain was about 1 metre by one-quarter metre. There were 3 links and the far left and right link were fractured. It seemed to be symbolic about the strife that was carried out by/perpetrated upon the Vietnamese by "neighbours" as well as the USSR and the USA in the period starting in the mid 20th century in particular. There was one of Ho Chi Minh's houses on stilts. I thought that was to protect it from flooding, but was told it was to keep the wild animals (of the killer variety) out of the leader's living quarters.
We then visited a cultural museum, starting by walking around the grounds that had a multitude of small structures typical of the sparsely populated provinces of the country. There were structures as well on stilts and with roofs made from mud and straw. We watched about 30 minutes of a puppet show. The stage is quite elaborate, actually being a house-like edifice with an Asian typical coloured facade. The puppeteers are in water about a metre deep and the puppets come through the curtain or rise out of the water. The music was familiar and I could not follow what the narrator was saying even though she spoke first Vietnamese then English. After we left the show, we went into the museum and wandered in awe for about 30 minutes.
By this time the mercury had crept up a few more degrees and I was sporting a noticeable line of beads of sweat so welcomed the trip to a defunct prison hoping it would be indoors and cooler. This was a popular hangout where enemies of the state and other assorted un-desirables were incarcerated. Life in these dwellings must have been rough, and there were lines and lines of leg irons where the inmates were shackled almost all the time. One of two guillotines used during those times had been preserved in the museum. On the upper floor there were pictures and pictures of unfortunate souls who did not survive their sentences. There were also many black and white pictures of the times. Naturally I especially latched onto some of the anti-war protests from North America during the 60's.
Lunch was next and I think there was cilantro in the mix so I did not eat much. The café was busy and very nice just like most local establishments I have frequented since my arrival. We relaxed a bit then walked to a temple around the corner with a plethora of Buddhist worshipping altars populated by gatherings of locals paying their respects. I was starting to fade by now, and had lost close to three litres of body fluids as the mix of humidity and heat was unbearable. It was now about 2:30PM so I decided I had had enough. We talked a bit about hotels and I mentioned wanting to move to the Horison, a lot closer to my office than the Hilton where I have been since last Monday. Junie offered to take me there.
I am moving in tomorrow, and will drop my bags off on the way to the office. The rate started at $125++ per night but was down to $120 with no ++ by the time we left. I received a text from Junie saying she had pulled some strings and the rate was now down to $115 no ++ and the internet fee had dropped from $2 per day to $1 as well. I came back to the hotel and cleaned up and packed then watched World Cup.
I spoke to my Sweet Thing and will crash. I think I finally got a good night's sleep last night and hope that continues.
They sure love Ho Chi Minh here. The museum was littered with sculptures, pictures (mostly black and white), and artifacts from the North Vietnam that existed during his life (1890-1969). There were the recognizable red flags with the familiar yellow star everywhere. There were reliefs of his face, sepia-like images of him, lots of pictures of his meeting world-wide dignitaries, and just about anything one could possibly cram into a museum as a tribute to their most famous figure. The museum featured some 3-D brass reliefs of events during his reign and the struggles they had with the French and the South.
I found the most revealing sculpture was a couple pf broken links in a very large metal chain. Each ring in the chain was about 1 metre by one-quarter metre. There were 3 links and the far left and right link were fractured. It seemed to be symbolic about the strife that was carried out by/perpetrated upon the Vietnamese by "neighbours" as well as the USSR and the USA in the period starting in the mid 20th century in particular. There was one of Ho Chi Minh's houses on stilts. I thought that was to protect it from flooding, but was told it was to keep the wild animals (of the killer variety) out of the leader's living quarters.
We then visited a cultural museum, starting by walking around the grounds that had a multitude of small structures typical of the sparsely populated provinces of the country. There were structures as well on stilts and with roofs made from mud and straw. We watched about 30 minutes of a puppet show. The stage is quite elaborate, actually being a house-like edifice with an Asian typical coloured facade. The puppeteers are in water about a metre deep and the puppets come through the curtain or rise out of the water. The music was familiar and I could not follow what the narrator was saying even though she spoke first Vietnamese then English. After we left the show, we went into the museum and wandered in awe for about 30 minutes.
By this time the mercury had crept up a few more degrees and I was sporting a noticeable line of beads of sweat so welcomed the trip to a defunct prison hoping it would be indoors and cooler. This was a popular hangout where enemies of the state and other assorted un-desirables were incarcerated. Life in these dwellings must have been rough, and there were lines and lines of leg irons where the inmates were shackled almost all the time. One of two guillotines used during those times had been preserved in the museum. On the upper floor there were pictures and pictures of unfortunate souls who did not survive their sentences. There were also many black and white pictures of the times. Naturally I especially latched onto some of the anti-war protests from North America during the 60's.
Lunch was next and I think there was cilantro in the mix so I did not eat much. The café was busy and very nice just like most local establishments I have frequented since my arrival. We relaxed a bit then walked to a temple around the corner with a plethora of Buddhist worshipping altars populated by gatherings of locals paying their respects. I was starting to fade by now, and had lost close to three litres of body fluids as the mix of humidity and heat was unbearable. It was now about 2:30PM so I decided I had had enough. We talked a bit about hotels and I mentioned wanting to move to the Horison, a lot closer to my office than the Hilton where I have been since last Monday. Junie offered to take me there.
I am moving in tomorrow, and will drop my bags off on the way to the office. The rate started at $125++ per night but was down to $120 with no ++ by the time we left. I received a text from Junie saying she had pulled some strings and the rate was now down to $115 no ++ and the internet fee had dropped from $2 per day to $1 as well. I came back to the hotel and cleaned up and packed then watched World Cup.
I spoke to my Sweet Thing and will crash. I think I finally got a good night's sleep last night and hope that continues.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The new(er) city
I ran into Jim Dener in the lobby, another World Bank guy that was at the meetings this week. We made plans to head off to one of the many small lakes all over Hanoi. We were told to take a cab to a silk store near the lake that did not take long. Jim wanted to go to the store which we did first then walked and walked. We stopped at a small restaurant for a nice Vietnamese lunch of tofu with tomatoes and a beef with potato dish, all with steamed rice. It was lovely. We then walked some more and bought a few curios at a small souvenir outlet. I think we were in a newer part of the city as the roads were much wider and the buildings more modern.
I think I may have figured out how to run around Hanoi in this oppressive weather ... cab it somewhere for 3-5 dollars, walk for an hour to an hour and a half, then cab it back to the hotel to cool off. Then later, once one has lowered the body temperature and the perspiration has dried up, do the same between one and two hours later.
By the time I was back from the walk with Jim, I was completely soaked and so welcomed the air conditioning at the Hilton.
I think I may have figured out how to run around Hanoi in this oppressive weather ... cab it somewhere for 3-5 dollars, walk for an hour to an hour and a half, then cab it back to the hotel to cool off. Then later, once one has lowered the body temperature and the perspiration has dried up, do the same between one and two hours later.
By the time I was back from the walk with Jim, I was completely soaked and so welcomed the air conditioning at the Hilton.
The heat is on
I met Ron and Bruce for breakfast. I was introduced to a friend of theirs who is a local and had a short visit. I then headed out on my trek. The setup I used to protect my valuables worked well. I turned right then a quick left as I left the Hilton and found myself in a waking-up bustling part of Hanoi. The only shops open were small grocery corner-store outlets and they were already ramping up for yet another warm and humid day. I took the first right fork in the road and quickly found myself buried in busy narrow streets that reminded me of basse ville in Quebec City. The best skill one quickly learns here is to watch out for and dodge the sea of scooters. I named the traffic here "organized chaos" to the delight of a local.
I walked and walked for about 2 hours, passing busy food outlets cooking a wide assortment of soups and other fare. The sidewalk vendors sold everything from apples to yellow crusty sea food. The breads and vegetables they were vending looked exquisite. I saw lots of famous Vietnamese wicker hats that look like lamp shades, pointed with the sides of the hat forming a wide circle at the height of the wearer's ears. I saw lots of 2-sided basked contraptions supported by a rod on the carrier's shoulders. There were eviscerated chickens with their feet sticking up in the air begging you to chow down on that delight. A number of stalls had small aluminum shallow buckets with fish swimming feverishly around what little room they had.
Some of the fruit was purple and prickly and I am sure quite delectable. Some streets were only wide enough to allow 2 scooters to pass and there was a veritable ocean of crazed scooter drivers everywhere. I was greeted by one out of every 100 people with a warm smile and nod or hand gesture. I ended up on some very large streets and then my sandals started to irritate my upper toe so it was time to pack it in. My arms were beaded with sweat, and I purchased some sun block from a local apothecary.
I grabbed a cab back to the Hilton and ended up discussing the destination with the dispatcher. The ride back was a whopping 32,000 dong or $1.75 so I gave my navigator a tip rounding the fare up to about 2 USD. I booked a day trip for tomorrow, 6 hours starting at 8AM around Hanoi and including lunch. The tomb of Ho Chi Minh is on the schedule so I will carry long pants and a shirt with sleeves to get into that famous building. I went to the pool when I got back and lasted about 30 minutes. The water must have been close to 95 degrees and that would have probably even been too hot for my ST. There is some World Cup on today. They are into day 9 of the tournament and already Argentina seems to be on top. Messi has no goals yet but lots of shots.
I am meeting Bruce and a friend in JJ's about 7:30 for dinner. I will watch some Sopranos and read this afternoon and venture out for a quick bite early afternoon.
I walked and walked for about 2 hours, passing busy food outlets cooking a wide assortment of soups and other fare. The sidewalk vendors sold everything from apples to yellow crusty sea food. The breads and vegetables they were vending looked exquisite. I saw lots of famous Vietnamese wicker hats that look like lamp shades, pointed with the sides of the hat forming a wide circle at the height of the wearer's ears. I saw lots of 2-sided basked contraptions supported by a rod on the carrier's shoulders. There were eviscerated chickens with their feet sticking up in the air begging you to chow down on that delight. A number of stalls had small aluminum shallow buckets with fish swimming feverishly around what little room they had.
Some of the fruit was purple and prickly and I am sure quite delectable. Some streets were only wide enough to allow 2 scooters to pass and there was a veritable ocean of crazed scooter drivers everywhere. I was greeted by one out of every 100 people with a warm smile and nod or hand gesture. I ended up on some very large streets and then my sandals started to irritate my upper toe so it was time to pack it in. My arms were beaded with sweat, and I purchased some sun block from a local apothecary.
I grabbed a cab back to the Hilton and ended up discussing the destination with the dispatcher. The ride back was a whopping 32,000 dong or $1.75 so I gave my navigator a tip rounding the fare up to about 2 USD. I booked a day trip for tomorrow, 6 hours starting at 8AM around Hanoi and including lunch. The tomb of Ho Chi Minh is on the schedule so I will carry long pants and a shirt with sleeves to get into that famous building. I went to the pool when I got back and lasted about 30 minutes. The water must have been close to 95 degrees and that would have probably even been too hot for my ST. There is some World Cup on today. They are into day 9 of the tournament and already Argentina seems to be on top. Messi has no goals yet but lots of shots.
I am meeting Bruce and a friend in JJ's about 7:30 for dinner. I will watch some Sopranos and read this afternoon and venture out for a quick bite early afternoon.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The early bird ...
Slept the best I have since I arrived. I am up and just about at 'em. I am going to meet Ron and another chap for breakfast then head out. I need to protect my money, cell, and camera so will probably take my vest. I know I am going to regret that once it heats up but I cannot figure out what else to do. I may try my pouch with money and cell phone and carry my camera strapped to my wrist ... thoughts :).
Hot town summer in the city
So we met with a Vice Minister and the MoF people all day until about 3:50PM. I wore a tie as I was advised to do when talking with senior government officials. The day was long and we covered a lot of ground. After the meeting I went to a budget team meeting with Bank people then to the MoF data centre at the Treasury building. This 15 days working for MoF are turning out to be more technical than anticipated. Some of the database reporting and setup issues that have surfaced over the past 6-8 weeks have taken centre stage more over the first four days I am here.
I am hoping to be up early tomorrow and get out before 7AM. It gets uncomfortably hot here by noon. It's supposed to be 41 and cloudy Saturday, dropping to 30 by Monday and about 28 degrees overnight all weekend. I have no plans for the weekend except I will probably watch some World Cup. I may be moving to another hotel over the weekend, but more than likely that will not happen until early week. I must but some short sleeve shirts. I bought a nice striped one last night size XL (43-44) and it was too small. That reminds me of how difficult it was to get ferenge-sized clothes in Addis.
When at the meeting all day, it seemed that every other word that came out of the Vice Minister's mouth was "Looking forward to Mr. Michael's looking into this too." Realistically they have needed an Oracle resource here for at least 2 years and maybe more to serve as a sounding board/reality check for the vendor who is doing the DBA work under contract. I have been even more fascinated by the local dialect, and have noticed a number of people inserting a very high-voiced "duc" into their sentenced haphazardly as they speak. I am wondering if it is their version of our interjecting "and ah" or the odd "ah" into our speech. I still have really only mastered thank-you in Vietnamese.
I have been told to take a city tour and want to go see the Hanoi Hilton where US prisoners were put up during the Vietnam war. I have been told that historical remnants of the war are all but gone from Hanoi but still very much a part of the landscape in the south (Ho Chi Minh City aka. Saigon). If I were to come back here again, especially with a Sweet Thing, I would consider flying out of HCMC by taking a 30-hour train-ride down the country from Hanoi.
Vietnam facts
Population - 84 million
Length - 1,600 km
Width - as little as 40km
Languages - Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, Khmer, local languages
Religions - Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian, indigenous beliefs, Muslim
The Red River delta lowlands in the north are separated from the huge Mekong Delta in the south by long, narrow coastal plains backed by the forested Annam highlands. Hanoi, the capital, is the main city on the Red River and Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, is the main city on the Mekong.
Independent for almost a thousand years, Vietnam fell prey to French colonialism in the mid-19th century. During Japanese occupation in World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh formed the Vietminh, an alliance of communist and non-communist nationalist groups. Armed struggle won independence in 1954 and led to the partition of Vietnam.
For two decades non-communist South Vietnam, aided by the U.S., fought North Vietnam, backed by China and the Soviet Union. American troops withdrew in 1973, and two years later South Vietnam fell. In 1976 the country was reunified under a communist regime.
To replace support lost when the U.S.S.R. dissolved, economic policy encouraged a free-market system as well as trade with the West. Vietnam saw dramatic economic progress throughout most of the 1990s. In 1995 the U.S. resumed diplomatic relations. Economic growth stalled, however, with the Asian financial crisis. A stock exchange was launched in 2000, and Vietnam has seen increasing levels of foreign investment.
I am hoping to be up early tomorrow and get out before 7AM. It gets uncomfortably hot here by noon. It's supposed to be 41 and cloudy Saturday, dropping to 30 by Monday and about 28 degrees overnight all weekend. I have no plans for the weekend except I will probably watch some World Cup. I may be moving to another hotel over the weekend, but more than likely that will not happen until early week. I must but some short sleeve shirts. I bought a nice striped one last night size XL (43-44) and it was too small. That reminds me of how difficult it was to get ferenge-sized clothes in Addis.
When at the meeting all day, it seemed that every other word that came out of the Vice Minister's mouth was "Looking forward to Mr. Michael's looking into this too." Realistically they have needed an Oracle resource here for at least 2 years and maybe more to serve as a sounding board/reality check for the vendor who is doing the DBA work under contract. I have been even more fascinated by the local dialect, and have noticed a number of people inserting a very high-voiced "duc" into their sentenced haphazardly as they speak. I am wondering if it is their version of our interjecting "and ah" or the odd "ah" into our speech. I still have really only mastered thank-you in Vietnamese.
I have been told to take a city tour and want to go see the Hanoi Hilton where US prisoners were put up during the Vietnam war. I have been told that historical remnants of the war are all but gone from Hanoi but still very much a part of the landscape in the south (Ho Chi Minh City aka. Saigon). If I were to come back here again, especially with a Sweet Thing, I would consider flying out of HCMC by taking a 30-hour train-ride down the country from Hanoi.
Vietnam facts
Population - 84 million
Length - 1,600 km
Width - as little as 40km
Languages - Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, Khmer, local languages
Religions - Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian, indigenous beliefs, Muslim
The Red River delta lowlands in the north are separated from the huge Mekong Delta in the south by long, narrow coastal plains backed by the forested Annam highlands. Hanoi, the capital, is the main city on the Red River and Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, is the main city on the Mekong.
Independent for almost a thousand years, Vietnam fell prey to French colonialism in the mid-19th century. During Japanese occupation in World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh formed the Vietminh, an alliance of communist and non-communist nationalist groups. Armed struggle won independence in 1954 and led to the partition of Vietnam.
For two decades non-communist South Vietnam, aided by the U.S., fought North Vietnam, backed by China and the Soviet Union. American troops withdrew in 1973, and two years later South Vietnam fell. In 1976 the country was reunified under a communist regime.
To replace support lost when the U.S.S.R. dissolved, economic policy encouraged a free-market system as well as trade with the West. Vietnam saw dramatic economic progress throughout most of the 1990s. In 1995 the U.S. resumed diplomatic relations. Economic growth stalled, however, with the Asian financial crisis. A stock exchange was launched in 2000, and Vietnam has seen increasing levels of foreign investment.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A friendly lot ...
Naturally the people here are wonderful. As of 3:20PM Hanoi time today, I had sat through 19.5 hours of meetings without dozing off and there will be a national holiday in Vietnam as a result. I nodded off very briefly from 3:20:04PM until 3:20:05PM spoiling my run. Paddy it sounds like a rough life you are living. Sean, do not polish the guitar too much as it will fart a lot :). Thanks for getting the autoharp. I forgot to call, sorry.
We met mostly MoF people Tuesday and there were some heated discussions about many things. The mercury was only 37 and it was very humid. We were at the Treasury building for the morning. We stopped at a local dive for a traditional lunch with the dishes chosen by Quyen (pronounced "Quinn", or more correctly "Koo-yen" with the "oo" and "y" melded together to make the "w" sound).
The afternoon was at the WorldBank building. I decided to brave walking back to the Hilton by myself and got outside and freaked after crossing the street. I went back up to the 8th hoping to find Bruce or Ron and Bruce told me he would be 2 more minutes ... I guess they were Aussie minutes as he came down in 30 :). As soon as we went outside, he pointed at the tan building across the street and around a very soft corner, and exclaimed that was the HIlton :). Once back at the hotel, I did email and a few other things on the internet, then down to the sports bar for World Cup. We went around a few corners and down an alley to a place where Bruce and Ron ate. We watched some World Cup at this joint during dinner.
Wednesday started early, and we were at the Bank building by 7. We piled into a van and drove for 75 minutes or so to one of the provinces. We met with people there for the morning then went for lunch, their treat, close to their offices. Updated list of what I do not eat here ... snake heads and snails. I am sure the list will grow. The fruit here is astounding especially the dragon fruit; it is white, the consistency of watermelon, and has black specks in it half the size of caraway seeds. We spent the afternoon again at the Treasury building and did not break until close to 6PM (again).
Thursday was a little later, our not having to be there until 7:15AM :). We went to the PMU (Program Management Unit) location for the morning, then had a nice local buffet lunch before yet another grueling session in the PM. I came back to the hotel and sauntered around a bit near the hotel. I did not want to wander too far and get lost.
I watched Argentina thump Korea and then headed off to the room. I will probably move to the Horison a week today which is $75 cheaper and within walking distance of the Treasury where my office will be by then. Here's the deal, and I need help from Paddy and Sean and anyone else who cares to assist:
Hilton --> $176 Horison --> $100 both with breakfast
Transportation to office Hilton --> $12 per day Horison --> short walk
Internet Hilton --> included in room Horison --> $8 per day
Sports bar to watch World Cup Hilton --> great Horison --> have to check
So the summary is that the Hilton is $188 per day and the Horison $108 for a difference of $80. Should I stay at the Hilton or the Horison for the last 14 days or eat the extra $80 for a over $1,100 out of my pocket. MoF will only re-imburse me for the cost of the Horison or equivalent. You know, once I do the numbers, it appears to be obvious, waddya think?
We met mostly MoF people Tuesday and there were some heated discussions about many things. The mercury was only 37 and it was very humid. We were at the Treasury building for the morning. We stopped at a local dive for a traditional lunch with the dishes chosen by Quyen (pronounced "Quinn", or more correctly "Koo-yen" with the "oo" and "y" melded together to make the "w" sound).
The afternoon was at the WorldBank building. I decided to brave walking back to the Hilton by myself and got outside and freaked after crossing the street. I went back up to the 8th hoping to find Bruce or Ron and Bruce told me he would be 2 more minutes ... I guess they were Aussie minutes as he came down in 30 :). As soon as we went outside, he pointed at the tan building across the street and around a very soft corner, and exclaimed that was the HIlton :). Once back at the hotel, I did email and a few other things on the internet, then down to the sports bar for World Cup. We went around a few corners and down an alley to a place where Bruce and Ron ate. We watched some World Cup at this joint during dinner.
Wednesday started early, and we were at the Bank building by 7. We piled into a van and drove for 75 minutes or so to one of the provinces. We met with people there for the morning then went for lunch, their treat, close to their offices. Updated list of what I do not eat here ... snake heads and snails. I am sure the list will grow. The fruit here is astounding especially the dragon fruit; it is white, the consistency of watermelon, and has black specks in it half the size of caraway seeds. We spent the afternoon again at the Treasury building and did not break until close to 6PM (again).
Thursday was a little later, our not having to be there until 7:15AM :). We went to the PMU (Program Management Unit) location for the morning, then had a nice local buffet lunch before yet another grueling session in the PM. I came back to the hotel and sauntered around a bit near the hotel. I did not want to wander too far and get lost.
I watched Argentina thump Korea and then headed off to the room. I will probably move to the Horison a week today which is $75 cheaper and within walking distance of the Treasury where my office will be by then. Here's the deal, and I need help from Paddy and Sean and anyone else who cares to assist:
Hilton --> $176 Horison --> $100 both with breakfast
Transportation to office Hilton --> $12 per day Horison --> short walk
Internet Hilton --> included in room Horison --> $8 per day
Sports bar to watch World Cup Hilton --> great Horison --> have to check
So the summary is that the Hilton is $188 per day and the Horison $108 for a difference of $80. Should I stay at the Hilton or the Horison for the last 14 days or eat the extra $80 for a over $1,100 out of my pocket. MoF will only re-imburse me for the cost of the Horison or equivalent. You know, once I do the numbers, it appears to be obvious, waddya think?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Initial impressions
So my journey ends in Hanoi about 4:15PM Monday. Even though I had a struggle with Cathay Pacific since my visa letter from Vietnam was dated the 15th, it was a piece of cake in Hanoi. I gave them my 25 USD and off I went. I took a cab to the hotel which surprisingly took over 30 minutes. As we approached what appeared to be the Hilton, the driver pointed to a few buildings a number of times as if stupid ferenge knows better than a cab driver. He asked for 30 USD but I was wise as Tuyet had told me it should be between 14 and 16 USD. I gave him 20 and got a receipt. I did check with the doorman who said it should be no more than 20.
The Hilton is nice ... I want to watch World Cup after I settled and was told ll the seats were reserved for the 8:30 game. I watched a bit of the game then ran into Bruce from Canberra who turned me on to this work. A new guy named Ron from DC showed up and we went to an Italian place for a bite. I had wolfed down a pizza at the sports bar named after my sister-in-lay JJ :).
The place was great and I had a Pelli; it was nicely air-conditioned and we gabbed for a bit after they ate. Back at the hotel I did some internet stuff then crashed about 11PM. I had deliberately slept as little as possible on the flight from Toronto, hoping that would ease the 11 hour time change. I did not sleep well and got in about 4 hours all night. I was up at 6:30 to take my second cold shower. The first was when I arrived and I complained to the front desk that I had no hot water in my shower and they promised to fix. I proceeded into the shower Tuesday AM and ...
I noticed on the wall the indicator for hot and cold showed H on the right and C on the left, whereas the handle on the unit was the standard way around. Lo and behold, I pushed the controller to the right and had hot water. Stupid ferenge :).
Tuesday was a full day. I went with Ron and Bruce to the World Bank building after a levely full breakfast, arriving there about 8AM. We met Quyen who I am working for at the Bank and were driven to the Treasury for meetings. The meeting room was air-conditioned nicely but really not enough to keep me "happy". I stayed awake for the whole morning participating in a dynamic discussion with MoF people. We went for a traditional lunch chosen by Quyen and spent the PM meeting at the World Bank building with IBM then IBM/Oracle. I was back at the hotel by 6:30.
I watched a bit of football, then went for dinner again with Bruce and Ron. We went back to the Hilton, I called my Sweet Thing, then headed to JJ's for more World Cup. CIV and POR were playing; I proudly figure out POR was Portugal but was stumped by CIV ... Cote d'Ivoire I was told. Stupid ferenge. I retired about midnight and slept better.
Initial feedback ...
- very very modern compared to Africa
- people are lovely
- weather is challenging in summer (yes Vietnam has 4 seasons) as it climbs to a very humid 40 degrees sometimes
- food is a treat as long as I avoid the snake heads and snails
- traffic is bad but not as bad as Ethiopia
- there are 2-3 scooters for every car and they litter every thoroughfare
- most people work 8-4:30 here and the air conditioning goes off in most buildings at 5PM
- it is impossible to tell how old the natives are as they do not seem to age like we do in North America
- do not refer to the country using the last 3 letters of its name
- do not call North America the "west" as the locals see themselves as western in many ways, and would rather be associated with being a "highly developed" country
Cam oen for reading my BLOG :)
The Hilton is nice ... I want to watch World Cup after I settled and was told ll the seats were reserved for the 8:30 game. I watched a bit of the game then ran into Bruce from Canberra who turned me on to this work. A new guy named Ron from DC showed up and we went to an Italian place for a bite. I had wolfed down a pizza at the sports bar named after my sister-in-lay JJ :).
The place was great and I had a Pelli; it was nicely air-conditioned and we gabbed for a bit after they ate. Back at the hotel I did some internet stuff then crashed about 11PM. I had deliberately slept as little as possible on the flight from Toronto, hoping that would ease the 11 hour time change. I did not sleep well and got in about 4 hours all night. I was up at 6:30 to take my second cold shower. The first was when I arrived and I complained to the front desk that I had no hot water in my shower and they promised to fix. I proceeded into the shower Tuesday AM and ...
I noticed on the wall the indicator for hot and cold showed H on the right and C on the left, whereas the handle on the unit was the standard way around. Lo and behold, I pushed the controller to the right and had hot water. Stupid ferenge :).
Tuesday was a full day. I went with Ron and Bruce to the World Bank building after a levely full breakfast, arriving there about 8AM. We met Quyen who I am working for at the Bank and were driven to the Treasury for meetings. The meeting room was air-conditioned nicely but really not enough to keep me "happy". I stayed awake for the whole morning participating in a dynamic discussion with MoF people. We went for a traditional lunch chosen by Quyen and spent the PM meeting at the World Bank building with IBM then IBM/Oracle. I was back at the hotel by 6:30.
I watched a bit of football, then went for dinner again with Bruce and Ron. We went back to the Hilton, I called my Sweet Thing, then headed to JJ's for more World Cup. CIV and POR were playing; I proudly figure out POR was Portugal but was stumped by CIV ... Cote d'Ivoire I was told. Stupid ferenge. I retired about midnight and slept better.
Initial feedback ...
- very very modern compared to Africa
- people are lovely
- weather is challenging in summer (yes Vietnam has 4 seasons) as it climbs to a very humid 40 degrees sometimes
- food is a treat as long as I avoid the snake heads and snails
- traffic is bad but not as bad as Ethiopia
- there are 2-3 scooters for every car and they litter every thoroughfare
- most people work 8-4:30 here and the air conditioning goes off in most buildings at 5PM
- it is impossible to tell how old the natives are as they do not seem to age like we do in North America
- do not refer to the country using the last 3 letters of its name
- do not call North America the "west" as the locals see themselves as western in many ways, and would rather be associated with being a "highly developed" country
Cam oen for reading my BLOG :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
Where to start ...
Ok, before I even think of this post, I know Steven, I should have known better, and now do. The Ottawa-Vietnam debacle started bright and early Sunday morning. It went very smoothly until not long after the dialogue with the Air Canada lady in Ottawa started. "You are going to Hanoi? I cannot send your bags there and give you boarding passes for Vietnam without seeing your visa". Vietnam handles visas somewhat differently than most other countries. One cannot show up un-announced at the airport and request a visa. If you want to get a visa at the airport, it has to be pre-arranged which is exactly what the WorldBank lady did for me. I thuis did not have a visa letter from the immigration people to show Air Canada.
The attendant offered to ship my bags to Hong Kong as Canadians do not need a visa to go there ... the rest of China, yes, just hot HK. So she tagged my bags to HKG with the understanding that I had to pick them up there. The flight to TO was quick as usual then I had a 3-mile dash to the gate to load for HKG. Anyone used to landing at Pearson is familiar with the trek from the gate to the customs area (a mere 2-mile jog). The international gates that serve the likes of HKG are even further. The plane is boarding as I arrive, which reminds me. When in Ottawa, I heard a response to a question I asked Air Canada which is seldom heard. I asked for exit row to Hong Kong and actually GOT IT! Seat 31-J to boot with the bulkhead a good metre or so in front of me. That was sweet.
The 15.5 hour ride to China was long. I slept very little and watched two or three bad movies to pass the time. I was in shpilkas all the way wondering how I was going to orchestrate getting my bags, checking in again, and getting onto the flight to Vietnam all in 1h40m. I asked one of the flight attendants for advice and was glad that I did.
He told me to go to the Cathay Pacific connections desk (the owner of my last flight segment) and ask for assistance. I was served almost immediately and during the discussion was told they would fetch my bags from the Toronto carousel. I like Cathay Pacific already. Then it started ... what sort of visa proof do you have ... uh, a printout of a few emails that's all. Not good enough I was told as the departure of the 2:55 plane neared more so. I phoned Tuyet from the Bank and she got a copy of the visa authorization letter faxed to the connections desk and lo and behold, it was over :) Ya right, another debacle began.
The letter was dated June 15 and I am there June 14. I spoke to Tuyet a few more times and it appeared impossible to get the new letter to Cathay Pacific by the time the doors closed to Vietnam. About 15 minutes later, I noticed the guy at the desk filling in some forms. As it turned out, he was willing to put me on my confirmed flight to Hanoi if I signed a release absolving Cathay Pacific of any responsibility were immigration in Vietnam to turn me away. I was shunted to the front of the connections security checkpoint and ran to gate 164 only to finf the flight had not started boarding yet. Off we go to Hanoi and getting the visa was bada-bing bada-boom.
I will make posts to the BLOG tomorrow about my first impressions of Hanoi and the evening I had with Bruce (from Aussie) and Ronald (from DC). I am staying at the Hilton until the 24th then who knows where ... imagine, I am staying at the Hanoi Hilton ... sound familiar to any baby-boomers out there :).
The attendant offered to ship my bags to Hong Kong as Canadians do not need a visa to go there ... the rest of China, yes, just hot HK. So she tagged my bags to HKG with the understanding that I had to pick them up there. The flight to TO was quick as usual then I had a 3-mile dash to the gate to load for HKG. Anyone used to landing at Pearson is familiar with the trek from the gate to the customs area (a mere 2-mile jog). The international gates that serve the likes of HKG are even further. The plane is boarding as I arrive, which reminds me. When in Ottawa, I heard a response to a question I asked Air Canada which is seldom heard. I asked for exit row to Hong Kong and actually GOT IT! Seat 31-J to boot with the bulkhead a good metre or so in front of me. That was sweet.
The 15.5 hour ride to China was long. I slept very little and watched two or three bad movies to pass the time. I was in shpilkas all the way wondering how I was going to orchestrate getting my bags, checking in again, and getting onto the flight to Vietnam all in 1h40m. I asked one of the flight attendants for advice and was glad that I did.
He told me to go to the Cathay Pacific connections desk (the owner of my last flight segment) and ask for assistance. I was served almost immediately and during the discussion was told they would fetch my bags from the Toronto carousel. I like Cathay Pacific already. Then it started ... what sort of visa proof do you have ... uh, a printout of a few emails that's all. Not good enough I was told as the departure of the 2:55 plane neared more so. I phoned Tuyet from the Bank and she got a copy of the visa authorization letter faxed to the connections desk and lo and behold, it was over :) Ya right, another debacle began.
The letter was dated June 15 and I am there June 14. I spoke to Tuyet a few more times and it appeared impossible to get the new letter to Cathay Pacific by the time the doors closed to Vietnam. About 15 minutes later, I noticed the guy at the desk filling in some forms. As it turned out, he was willing to put me on my confirmed flight to Hanoi if I signed a release absolving Cathay Pacific of any responsibility were immigration in Vietnam to turn me away. I was shunted to the front of the connections security checkpoint and ran to gate 164 only to finf the flight had not started boarding yet. Off we go to Hanoi and getting the visa was bada-bing bada-boom.
I will make posts to the BLOG tomorrow about my first impressions of Hanoi and the evening I had with Bruce (from Aussie) and Ronald (from DC). I am staying at the Hilton until the 24th then who knows where ... imagine, I am staying at the Hanoi Hilton ... sound familiar to any baby-boomers out there :).
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Summer in the city
I checked the weather in Hanoi for the week ... by Friday it is supposed to be 40 degrees. I hope it's an Addis Abeba-like 40 (dry) rather than Ottawa-like (humid). I had expected weather like this in Addis until I found out it's on a 2,800 metre hill. As I mentioned many times in that BLOG, the weather in Ethiopia is ideal for my Sweet Thing.
I am so looking forward to scoring some more steady work in Ottawa. I want to sleep in my own bed with my ST, and do the things I like to do around town. I want to be a "normal" person for a while, even though the jaunting around the globe I have been doing lately may be the envy of friends and family.
It takes over 19,000 Vietnamese dong to make up the almighty US dollar. At that rate, using North American prices, my Hyundai would have cost close to 250 million dong. Imagine a 133,000 dong fancy lahté at Starbucks or a 500,000 dong souvenir t-shirt at Vietnam Apparel.
I haven't quite figured out how this sun thing is going to work on my flight. I leave Toronto at 10AM for a 15-hour flight to Hong Kong. The clock goes ahead 12 hours during the flight, so I imagine it will get dark by half way through the flight? I picked up my basic need-to-know Vietnamese already ...
I am so looking forward to scoring some more steady work in Ottawa. I want to sleep in my own bed with my ST, and do the things I like to do around town. I want to be a "normal" person for a while, even though the jaunting around the globe I have been doing lately may be the envy of friends and family.
It takes over 19,000 Vietnamese dong to make up the almighty US dollar. At that rate, using North American prices, my Hyundai would have cost close to 250 million dong. Imagine a 133,000 dong fancy lahté at Starbucks or a 500,000 dong souvenir t-shirt at Vietnam Apparel.
I haven't quite figured out how this sun thing is going to work on my flight. I leave Toronto at 10AM for a 15-hour flight to Hong Kong. The clock goes ahead 12 hours during the flight, so I imagine it will get dark by half way through the flight? I picked up my basic need-to-know Vietnamese already ...
- thank-you is 'cam on' (the "on" is very abrupt and the "o" more like "un" in "un-popular")
yes is 'yaa' (with a very short and abrupt "d" in the front)
no is 'khong' (and the "o" seems close to a short "u" sound)
hello is 'chiow' (the "i" behaving like the consonant "y")
how are you is 'yaa kwea khong' (funny that seems to contain the word for "no" :))
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hit the ground running
Interesting how a post to this BLOG, without my even realizing the significance of this cliché, makes reference to ejecting one's self from slow-moving helicopter or parachuting from a plane, not to mention other reported sources for this figure of speech. I was fascinated by the stuff I read about Ethiopia before going there, and these links did the same for me about Vietnam:
History
Than Hnien News
Vietnam News Agency
Saigon Daily [now called Ho Chi Minh city ... see below]
Hanoi weather
Most famous (?) war protest song
The former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was officially renamed Ho Chí Minh City on 1 May 1975 shortly after its capture by the North which officially ended the war.
History
Than Hnien News
Vietnam News Agency
Saigon Daily [now called Ho Chi Minh city ... see below]
Hanoi weather
Most famous (?) war protest song
The former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was officially renamed Ho Chí Minh City on 1 May 1975 shortly after its capture by the North which officially ended the war.
Let's cheer for South Korea
Officially it's Republic of Korea (ROK) but we all call it South Korea. I will be in Seoul on Sunday July 11 when the World Cup final is being played. So wouldn't it be sweet if they were in the final, better still WON! So for now, all together ... South Korea ROKs :).
I am going to watch England play the USA at 2PM. I tried getting Dudley about this but we have not hooked up. South Africa is 5 hours behind Hanoi, and 7 hours behind Seoul, thus game times where I will be are as follows:
1:30PM --> 6:30PM Hanoi / 8:30PM Seoul
4:00PM --> 9:00PM Hanoi / 11:00PM Seoul
8:30PM --> 1:30AM Hanoi / 3:30AM Seoul
FIFA meant nada to me before my adventure in Ethiopia; Addis Abebe meant a lot to me for this, just one of many reasons.
I am going to watch England play the USA at 2PM. I tried getting Dudley about this but we have not hooked up. South Africa is 5 hours behind Hanoi, and 7 hours behind Seoul, thus game times where I will be are as follows:
1:30PM --> 6:30PM Hanoi / 8:30PM Seoul
4:00PM --> 9:00PM Hanoi / 11:00PM Seoul
8:30PM --> 1:30AM Hanoi / 3:30AM Seoul
FIFA meant nada to me before my adventure in Ethiopia; Addis Abebe meant a lot to me for this, just one of many reasons.
2.5 world country
| Even though Vietnam is sometimes referred to as a 3rd world country, I have been told to expect a much more mature and western-like society in many ways. I am looking forward in particular to the following ... 1- Running water in bathrooms 2- Internet that is close to the west 3- Bank machines that are close to always online 4- Mostly paved streets meaning the air quality is better since there is not so much dust stirred up by vehicular traffic 5- Government admin systems electronic rather than paper driven Hence, my expression "2.5 world country" ... |
A little sketchy
The details for my arrival in Vietnam are a little vague but I have contact information as required. I was told by the WorldBank that I will need to give customs people in Hong Kong a visa number so they will let me proceed to Hanoi. I am to call a woman named Tuyet from Hong Kong if I have any problems. I just managed to decipher the email signature in one of her latest correspondences and spoke with her for a few minutes.
I learned a lot from my trip to Ethiopia for eight months. I am taking a lot less stuff 'cause there were clothes I took to Addis that stayed in the closet all that time. People keep asking me if I am taking my guitar ... not this time. Bakes thinks I will buy one over there ... he knows me better that I do. When I arrived in Addis on August 7 last year, the mechanics of getting into the country were fine, but I never did hook up with Dr. Paul. I ended up in a taxi and we called one of his drivers and met outside what turned out to be Deker Inn where I stayed. A few words about the "climate" at MoF in Hanoi (courtesy of Bruce Pollock):
For day-to-day work, business dress without tie or jacket, always carry a tie for meetings and have a jacket (doesn't need to be a suit) for meetings with vice Minister etc. Visits to other ministries is usually tie and I often also take a jacket but it will be hot and locals usually forgo even a tie in this weather.
Power usually have a variety of plugs but the Gov people have adapters. You can usually get a multi-country adapter on international flights or airports and there are more and more multi-plugs on powerpoints or power boards. Hotels can usually lend adapters. Because of the weird plugs in Australia, I have to use adapters everywhere and don't recall what they use in Addis. To be safe, get a multi-country adapter on the way over.
Do you know where you will be staying? I'm at the Hilton Opera and will get there Sunday evening about 8pm. We have a meeting at the Bank office at about 8.30am and the first formal meeting is 10am, I think. I'd advice taking a jacket to the first meeting, just for the all-important 'impression'.
I learned a lot from my trip to Ethiopia for eight months. I am taking a lot less stuff 'cause there were clothes I took to Addis that stayed in the closet all that time. People keep asking me if I am taking my guitar ... not this time. Bakes thinks I will buy one over there ... he knows me better that I do. When I arrived in Addis on August 7 last year, the mechanics of getting into the country were fine, but I never did hook up with Dr. Paul. I ended up in a taxi and we called one of his drivers and met outside what turned out to be Deker Inn where I stayed. A few words about the "climate" at MoF in Hanoi (courtesy of Bruce Pollock):
For day-to-day work, business dress without tie or jacket, always carry a tie for meetings and have a jacket (doesn't need to be a suit) for meetings with vice Minister etc. Visits to other ministries is usually tie and I often also take a jacket but it will be hot and locals usually forgo even a tie in this weather.
Power usually have a variety of plugs but the Gov people have adapters. You can usually get a multi-country adapter on international flights or airports and there are more and more multi-plugs on powerpoints or power boards. Hotels can usually lend adapters. Because of the weird plugs in Australia, I have to use adapters everywhere and don't recall what they use in Addis. To be safe, get a multi-country adapter on the way over.
Do you know where you will be staying? I'm at the Hilton Opera and will get there Sunday evening about 8pm. We have a meeting at the Bank office at about 8.30am and the first formal meeting is 10am, I think. I'd advice taking a jacket to the first meeting, just for the all-important 'impression'.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Here we go again ...
The third (actually second) venture into far-off places. Leaving for Hanoi Vietnam on Sunday the 13th to work for the Ministry of Finance. Staying there until Saturday July 10 at which point I am off to Seoul to see my Naomi (a.k.a. Naomi). I have learned quite a bit since my departure for Addis Abeba on Friday August 7 last year.
Stay tuned ...
Stay tuned ...
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