and not a drop to… shower with
it’s been raining for the past 2 days, apparently the worst since 1984. and by murphy’s law, I of course live on what seems (to me) the worst-hit part of the city. this video is from early in the day, when I first tried to get to work: it only got worse later. nowhere to stand without being submerged, and … Read More
learning vietnamese
my third lesson today, and it was vocab overload.
teacher giáo viên …… Read More
breakfast weekend
I found a housewares store on the new hanoian that’s semi-near my house, so I set off late morning yesterday to take a look (similar to ikea stuff, the place is called uma in case you’re interested). all this to say,
nobody doesn’t like bún chả
it may distress some of you to know that food isn’t good all the time in hanoi (and there are nasty rumours saying that all *good* vietnamese cuisine, and certainly what we know overseas, comes from the South)–however: there is not a single person who doesn’t love bún chả. I admit I first heard of bun cha while bored on … Read More
fried bananas
and fried plantains, 3000 dong each. Doi Can street, Hanoi. (ed: 4000 dong as of November)
bamboo field trip
the company I work for partners with a French NGO to do the field work in Thanh Hoa–and this weekend 10 of us, from both organizations, went on a field trip to see some of the bamboo workshops in that province. so after work on friday, we set off towards Mai Chau village in Hoa Binh province to spend the … Read More
hanoi, SE of hoàn kiếm lake
you know when you’re in the french quarter when: (the opera house. yes, I could have taken a nicer photo, but why not include the xe ôm driver?) arrived in Hanoi on tuesday, started work on thursday, and am staying in a guesthouse until I land a place to live–which looks like might take a few weeks. but it’s the … Read More
hallo oslo
in oslo on holiday before heading to hanoi. the city is quite walkable (small, with a population of about half a million), pretty, and yes, cold (ok, maybe I’m just complaining, but it’s about 15 degrees here). can you imagine actually having civilized public transportation? get this: stops for both trams and buses have signs indicating how many minutes … Read More
bye beaucourt
I’ve moved! 4 years, 7 roommates, and countless summer sublettors. new address to be determined. somewhere in hanoi.
tibetan street vendors
…distinguished by the distinctive saffron cloth used to display their wares. (shots taken on a lazy afternoon by west 3rd ring, beijing)