I am going to be a little "chunkette" when I return home!

Last night I was moaning to Phil -- while talking to him on Skype-- that I had nothing to do on Saturday. whine-whine-whine.

So here is my day of "nothing to do".
I woke up at my usual 4:50am, made coffee and sat in bed and did my email. At 5:30am I left the room and went to my Tai Chi group. It was pretty dark out--but the temperature was very comfortable with only a long sleeve shirt on.

Class finished at 6:40am and I left and headed over to a morning market that has great fruit and all types of other things - such as live chickens, ducks and dogs for sale. All are for eating and I feel really really bad to see those cute little doggies being sold for food!. They also have all types of fish, bugs, larva and other nasty things you can buy. I avoid that side of the market and buy four mangos, a big bunch of bananas, a bag of clementine oranges and a watermelon. I think I spent about $4 for everything.

I wandered home, ate breakfast and did a few loads....whoops, I mean buckets of laundry--by hand of course!

At 10am I decide to head into "downtown" Hanoi. I am getting pretty comfortable with the public busses here, so I decide to be brave and take a different route into the city. It worked! I ended up right in the middle of the old quarter --but it took a ton of time....this bus wandered here and there and I didn't get off the bus until around 11:30am. The busses are pretty amazing. I can go most any place for 3000 dong...or 30 cents!

I want to buy some DVD's to watch --so I head up to my favorite DVD store and end up buying the new complete series (all years-all shows) of The Sopranos. I also bought Season 4 of Weeds, Pride and Prejudice (for one of my daughters) and the soundtrack from Mamma Mia on CD. Total cost for everything was 250,000 dong or about $15.

Leaving the DVD place I decide I am hungary and end up in a small restaurant that specializes in spring rolls. This is where the chunkette" title of this blog entry comes in! I place an order for one spring roll--which turns out to be really 10 rolls. I also order a big ol' Tiger Beer...and my bill comes to $3.35. Of course I eat everything!!!

I wander out of the restaurant and head towards Hoan Kiem Lake--a small but beautiful lake in the center of Hanoi. As I stroll around the lake, I spot an ice cream spot! Wow....ice cream! I veer into this place and order a scoop of coffee ice cream and a scoop of mint chocolate chip. I also have an espresso. So now I am sitting on the banks of the lake on a beautiful day...enjoying ice cream and coffee while watching the world stroll by. It is fabulous--but somewhat expensive...costing as much as my lunch--about $3. Again....think "chunkette".

After I finish the ice cream I head towards the "Hanoi Hilton" the prison that John McCain and other Americans were interred in during the Vietnam War. They have preserved a part of the prison and it is very sobering. They have an original guillotine that was used to chop off the heads of many revolutionaries during the period when the French was in control of the country. Folks....this was the real thing --- blade, bucket for the head, everything intact! It was pretty nasty looking-and made quite an impression. I also saw McCain's flight suit and other clothes he was wearing when he was pulled from a lake in the center of Hanoi in 1967.

I leave the prison museum and next door find a grocery store. Wow...they have all kinds of American food! I buy peanut butter and spicy Doritos! Again--another reason why I am not losing weight!!!

I decide I have had enough activity for the day, so I head home on the 32 bus (30 cents) and arrive back on campus about 3:30pm. As I was walking down the alley towards the student housing area I stick my head around the corner to see if the lady who cuts hair is around. Yup...she is there, so I end up getting my hair cut, a shampoo and a head massage. It was wonderful and I almost fell asleep--except two old Vietnamese ladies stopped by to chat with the hair cutter and they kept poking and prodding me and my chunky body. The Vietnamese are very, very skinny! My haircut and massage cost $1.80 and I tip her $1.25. She almost faints dead away and doesn't want to take the extra money. I thought it was worth the tip, so I smile and leave. Needless to say, she was very happy.

On my way back to my room, I realize it is almost 4:30pm....Volleyball time. So instead of heading to my room, I wander over to the volleyball court and play 3-4 games until we can't see the ball anymore due to darkness. So, finally hours after I leave my room, I pack up my stuff and head home, arriving here about 6pm.

So...after whimpering to Phil that I had nothing to do....I managed to fiddle away the entire day wandering around Old Hanoi. I think I am into the stage where I am very comfortable here now. I can negotiate the busses. I know where to shop and where to eat. I can buy food at the market from the little old ladies. Basically, I feel pretty much at home now.....and it only took 3 months!

I just want everyone to know that I am eating my way through the last three weeks. I need to make sure I get my fill of Vietnamese food.....and ice cream......and spring rolls.....and ..... and...... and..... and.