Above, posted more pictures of street food, in case you think all we live on out here is Pho. Its good, but gets boring....

We decided on Fri night to be brave, be daring and venture out instead of our usual retreat back to the hotel to crash out after our long arduous week of 8am-6/7pm EVERYDAY...This time to a French training restaurant for disadvantged kids. What is surprising about Hanoi is that one you think you have found the address you were aiming for, it turns out you haven't and then turn a corner up another unnamed street - and there you go! Et Voila! Alberto opted for a Spanish set-menu which at $12 a pop compared to our usual $4 max for two people street-food - is pushing the boat out! What a crazy cat! I took some Vietnamese fish dish and washed it all down with a hot chocoloate. Yes, despite the heat, sitting outside on balcony without a/c, spotlights overhead and surrounding minature jungle. I have been craving it, sorry... (I may not be in the UK, but my bodyclock just knows theres a change in seasons going on, I'm sure).

.......Still, Hanoi is HOT. The next adventure on the 'Wave' no.3 took us to a little know quarter of Hanoi known as Food Street, we had missed the crowds and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the litttle surrounding streets and also took great pleasure in the menu and establishment - proudly serving bulls testicles, penis and other lesser known parts of its anatomy, passing the birds or baby chick soup aside (although it looked good, if a little difficult to eat, crunchy) - Alberto and I opted for noodles.

Saturday night Alberto and I hooked up with the Italian crew in Hanoi, numbering 30 or so in total, we probably met about half of them on Saturday night at the one Italian resturant in Hanoi which boasts a wood oven and serves 'half decent' Pizza. And I think we must have met nearly all of them last night at the Ambassadors, or Deputy, soiree last night.... The house was a Castle or Castillo! Very, very nice.... The Italian expatriate community remain true to their roots, very friendly, relaxed and all dressed swankily for the ocassion. Alberto and I made a slight 'faux pas' in that we were dressed a little less formally (having been told the night before it INFORMAL)....However, we are interns. Although, when Alberto found out I had been telling people this - he told me never to do this again. We are Economists. Ok........

Anyhow, was a great night, the Italian Ambassador is cool..... (Much better than the last British one I can remember, who's idea of a Xmas party involved prayers and the National Anthem whilst picking at your mince pie, thirsting for another drop of mulled red stuff)... Yes, when he was casually driving away from the party, he had one arm casually dropped, dangling out of the window.... (No rolex, so no worries doing that along the streets of Hanoi).... At first, I thought perhaps it was to make it more convenient, had he wanted to regally wave at passers by....But no, he's just too damn cool for this city....

Oh, one more thing. In one sitting area of the house with big widescreen digital all singing all dancing, you name it, TV - the screen was froozen with what looked like a man raising his arms with his mouth wide open as if shouting loudly, the colour was a light to dark blue. I thought, 'oh, maybe the DVD had got stuck or something' - but actually it was deliberate as the man in the picture was, yes, you've guessed it - the Ambassador! Apparrently at one not so recent gathering for the World-Cup....