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".