The noise in Hanoi:
I should have elaborated a little bit on the noise level in Hanoi. To say that it is deafening would be an exageration, but to say that it is ever present would not be far from the truth.
I was told that Hanoi was the quieter of the two cities (between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), so I cannot immagine what the noise level in HCMC is like ..... its a is people work here regardless of the time of the day, dont get me wrong, the shops do close, but construction never seems to. Every night seems like a very very very busy Saturday night here and there are always people out and about. Sometimes I wonder if they ever sleep. Needless to say, sleep is at times an issue.... (however I have seemed to have become used to the noise now and have no troubles falling asleep.... though I sometimes miss the noise of Sirens in the night.... which is really wierd here.... there seems to be no real police service, though I have been told that the army and the police look the same... so maybe all those soldiers are in fact cops....).
As soon as I have charged my camera batteries (something I keep forgetting to do) and have some decent pics, I will post them... as far as house pictures go... well as soon as we have one we will show them to you.... unless you want pictures of a hotel that looks more like a construction site.... (we dont quite get it but we beleive they are trying to build a lift in the hotel.... its gonna be one small lift when its done.... or maybe extra rooms).
Communication here is often an interesting "challenge": having learned how to say thank you (Cam on) and soup (pho) as well as hello/goodbye (chao), I feel like I have mastered the Vietnamese language .... that is until I keep getting those condescending smiles that lame dogs get when they limp by and idiotic tourists often get when they are trying to fit in.... maybe learning the numbers might help instead of using my fingers like a five year old....
Everytime I see a dog around here I cant help but think "Ah, how cute! they chained their breakfast to the pole so it wont run away" - that said they do eat dogs, and Kien, an old friend of Jodies (who has been very helpfull to us and is a really nice guy) has promised that he will take us to a "dog only" eating parlor .... I am hoping I can get a good taste of Chiuaua or something .... (talking of something I thought I would never eat, we had pidgeon the other night..... I was assured that it was a country bred thing...but I kept on getting flashbacks of Pidgeons piled on top of each other near Victoria Station .... urgh ..... sewer birds... anyway, tasted like duck).
Anyhow, I think I should get back to work now.....
cya all
A & J
(p.s. we are going to try to find an appartment where we can have guests staying (stai tranquillo Fede) so you can all come and visit, however, WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT PEOPLE WE PERSONALLY KNOW! SO IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG AND WE DONT KNOW YOU, YOU CAN FORGET IT!!!!!!!)
I should have elaborated a little bit on the noise level in Hanoi. To say that it is deafening would be an exageration, but to say that it is ever present would not be far from the truth.
I was told that Hanoi was the quieter of the two cities (between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), so I cannot immagine what the noise level in HCMC is like ..... its a is people work here regardless of the time of the day, dont get me wrong, the shops do close, but construction never seems to. Every night seems like a very very very busy Saturday night here and there are always people out and about. Sometimes I wonder if they ever sleep. Needless to say, sleep is at times an issue.... (however I have seemed to have become used to the noise now and have no troubles falling asleep.... though I sometimes miss the noise of Sirens in the night.... which is really wierd here.... there seems to be no real police service, though I have been told that the army and the police look the same... so maybe all those soldiers are in fact cops....).
As soon as I have charged my camera batteries (something I keep forgetting to do) and have some decent pics, I will post them... as far as house pictures go... well as soon as we have one we will show them to you.... unless you want pictures of a hotel that looks more like a construction site.... (we dont quite get it but we beleive they are trying to build a lift in the hotel.... its gonna be one small lift when its done.... or maybe extra rooms).
Communication here is often an interesting "challenge": having learned how to say thank you (Cam on) and soup (pho) as well as hello/goodbye (chao), I feel like I have mastered the Vietnamese language .... that is until I keep getting those condescending smiles that lame dogs get when they limp by and idiotic tourists often get when they are trying to fit in.... maybe learning the numbers might help instead of using my fingers like a five year old....
Everytime I see a dog around here I cant help but think "Ah, how cute! they chained their breakfast to the pole so it wont run away" - that said they do eat dogs, and Kien, an old friend of Jodies (who has been very helpfull to us and is a really nice guy) has promised that he will take us to a "dog only" eating parlor .... I am hoping I can get a good taste of Chiuaua or something .... (talking of something I thought I would never eat, we had pidgeon the other night..... I was assured that it was a country bred thing...but I kept on getting flashbacks of Pidgeons piled on top of each other near Victoria Station .... urgh ..... sewer birds... anyway, tasted like duck).
Anyhow, I think I should get back to work now.....
cya all
A & J
(p.s. we are going to try to find an appartment where we can have guests staying (stai tranquillo Fede) so you can all come and visit, however, WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT PEOPLE WE PERSONALLY KNOW! SO IF YOU ARE READING THIS BLOG AND WE DONT KNOW YOU, YOU CAN FORGET IT!!!!!!!)
1 comment:
Hi Alberto. You don´t know me but I finished the MSC in Dev Economics a year before you did. Congratulations for having the enough courage to do something in development. I am still thinking that I have comfort in London, amongs the council houses and the sirens. I took the liberty to include a link to your blog in my own - though you will not understand a word from it, I suppose. Regards
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