Yay for travel posts to help us remember the details. Most days, though, we usually stick around Hanoi.
A typical day is not quite as exciting as a travel day. We take tiếng Việt lessons for 3 hours, twice a week at the college of Vietnam Language and Studies, a branch of the National University. This tonal language is difficult yet remarkably enjoyable to us. Beats sudoku for the brain any day.
I can procrastinate from studying in any language, in any country, at any age. (Yes, right now…)
Our view from the 4th floor classroom is the men’s dorm.
The hallway to our classroom.
Doug’s violin shop is 15 minutes by motorbike away from our apartment. He works everyday, if he can. His shop, aka small studio apartment, is in the same alley as our favorite grocery store, Naturally Vietnam, which sells responsibly produced food.
Happy worker. He posts occasionally on his Violinisto website.
We also read a lot. Most online news sites are available, although sometimes they get blocked. Like the BBC. When we’re not depressing ourselves with US and world politics, we each have our current favorite topics. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about systemic racism. This book by Seattle author Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race, is my current favorite. Here’s a comic review of it, too. Doug’s favorite is Jeriah Bowser’s Elements of Resistance. Just in case you wanted some reading ideas.
Recently we attended a mesmerizing show called Lang Toi – My Village at the historic Opera House. This acrobatic presentation of rural life using traditional music knocked our socks off. The short video link is worth watching.
Hanoi Opera House, built in 1910.
Sometimes my tutoring takes me to the edge of Hanoi. High rises are being constructed constantly. The haze is from the burn preparation of nearby rice fields.
All big buildings have underground parking garages that look something like this. This cost 3000 vnd to park. 13cents.
Most of our days include this late afternoon ritual of seeds and coffee. And sometimes an orange. Which is green.
Sitting on our balcony, looking west over hồ Trúc Bạch.
We will be on Lopez Island for the summer. Come visit and we promise to make one of our favorite meals, bun cha.
Do these violins say made in Hanoi by skilled American worker?