Photos from Hanoi

Sunset over Hanoi

Flower vendor

Typical lunch time street scene

Ok - by far the weirdest thing we saw today. This Santa on a bike was in the middle of a display on Catholicism in Vietnam. Nothing I ever learned at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic church!

Sweet Hung

Insanity adventure while half a world away from home and Western medicine!!! Did I mention that Jim and I have different views on childhood safety?

Water puppet theater

My favorite photo of the day. Lily was standing on a tree stump and posing when Hung jumped up to hug her and ham it up for the camera.

Clowning around

Bun cha

Happy together - does it show?

Today we got up late and went to the Museum of Ethnology which is kind of like the Vietnam version of Williamsburg. This is a good museum that displays information about the different ethnic minorities and makeup of Vietnam. Lots of pottery, instruments and costumes. The real thrill for the kids was the display out side of what looks like traditional Native American homes on stilts. Marshall was really surpised about how similar cultures are around the world. Some of the information he learned last year about Indians and his own Cherokee heritage helped him understand the information presented today. Jim and I wanted to check this museum out because we really wanted to see the Hmong portion. We are fairly certain this is Lily's heritage. The Hmong are found primarily in North Vietnam and South China. So many more people in Hanoi than HCMC have asked whether Lily is from Vietnam. She rightly and proudly says "No! Guangdong, China!" Hung had a blast running from display to display. On the way there, he learned the word "Taxi!" and shouted it over and over every time one passed. Jim and the kids climbed up an odd ladder to see one of the stilt houses. I stayed on the ground and took pictures. The compund also has a "water puppet" theater which we think is an art form fairly unique to Vietnam. We did not see the show today but may go back next weekend to catch it. The grounds housed a craft gallery which showed the history of the puppets and also block printing and embroidery. We ate lunch at a nearby reatuarant that provides training for disadvantaged kids in the hospitality trades. It was the best meal we have had in Vietnam so far. (For those who are wondering what Vietnamese food is like, if you live in our area, Ben Thanh on 62nd Ave. is as good as anyting we have had here. Go check it out!)

Speaking of meals - I made the mistake of sampling a nut or a fruit (I am not sure which) from a street vendor yesterday. I've been paying for it ever since and we are running out of Imodium. Hung told a waitress today that his new family "eats a lot!" Yes - we probably do compared to what he is used to. He was well groomed and was well taken care of but he is skinny, skinny. He has been eating all of us under the table. Several yogurts a day, noodles, rice, fruit, veggies - you name it. We went to the minigrocery at the hotel this afternoon. Marshall was up in the room doing homework. Hung grabbed me and motioned to buy the Sprite and kept putting his hand above his head. I thought he meant Sprite would make him grow. When we got up to the room, he ran to Marshall yelling "Ahn, Ahn" (which means big brother) and pulled on his shirt making the
"are you thristy?" sign. Then he ran back to the kitchen, grabbed a can of Sprite and brought it to Marshall with a big smile. He had been trying to tell me we needed to buy Sprite for big brother. We are so proud and amazed every day by this beautiful child. Such a gift, just like Marshall and Lily.