I arrived

Thanks to Susan, who got me to the airport on Monday, I and my two huge suitcases (one with clothes, one with yarn and books) arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport Wednesday morning still on crutches, which I used to my advantage to get bulkhead seats and one trip in a wheelchair in Seattle. The wheelchair guy in Tapei looked at me and decided I was getting around well enough on my own so I got some exercise. The flights went fine, the food was amazingly good (China Airlines), and James would have loved the cute flight attendants. I had plenty of time to start and finish "The Unwanted," a fascinating autobiography by an Amerasian boy in Nha Trang after the war (thanks for recommending it Kathy!). He was one of the people on the roof of the Saigon embassy in 1975 trying to get on one of the last helicopters out. He didn't make it to America for years.

It was good to get here and see Bill. Hanoi agrees with him. I got my introduction to Hanoi traffic (everything Bill said it was) on our way to the apartment -- a very tiny but nice place overlooking West Lake and across from a lot of little shops with everything you need. If what you need is interesting looking fruit, noodles, beer made that morning, and fish. That night we want to a wonderful restaurant in an old French house, and then to Hoan Keim Lake for ice cream.

Every morning we go downstairs for breakfast. There are a lot of American families staying here while they finalize their adoptions of some beautiful babies, so there is a lot of noise out on the playground all day. Yesterday we met an American ex-marine who was here in the 60s. He now lives in Bangkok with his wife (from the Phillipines) and has started a software company that hires Vietnamese developers. He has spent a lot of time all over Asia and it was interesting to hear his perspective on doing business in the different countries.

Thursday, Bill went to a meeting at the Press Club so I tagged along and explored the area a little. Mostly, I sat at bench across from the Opera House. It was built by the French in 1911and is supposed to be beautiful on the inside. Ho Chi Minh declared the August Revolution on its front steps in 1945. While I was sitting, I was offered opportunities to purchase many things, but being new to town spent all the dong Bill had given me within the first five minutes with a bookseller. I already had the first three books he showed me (a travel guide, phrase book, and a history book), but he finally showed me one I hadn't packed that he said I had to have. So I figured he must be right and bought it. It was a copy of a copy of a copy and I'm hoping it has all of the pages. Then I figured out that I had spent all of my lunch money, so it was a long wait for Bill.

Friday, we went to lunch with Dr. Mai (on the right) and Ms. Duc.
Dr. Mai runs ITI-Vietnam and Ms. Duc is on her staff. We went to a wonderful restaurant, Quan An Ngon, and sat outside under a huge tree. The dining area is surrounded by booths of the best (formerly) street vendors in Hanoi.

We had food from all over the country --spring rolls, thin pancakes with grilled pork, grilled shrimp. I forgot about the cholera epidemic going on now in Hanoi while we dug into the greens. Oh well. I still feel great.

Dr Mai and Ms Duc are really appreciative of the work that Bill's doing for them. And they seem to be enjoying his high level of enthusiasm. It was great for me to sit and watch him work. He said that I am going to be his assistant, although now we are haggling over a title, salary, and business cards.