January 1, 2009

New Year's Eve - Hanoi, Viet Nam

New Year's Eve Dinner Party - Al Fresca's

NEW YEAR'S DAY

It was an adventure day! We hired a driver and very nice van for the day ($50 USD) and he drove us to the Silk Village and Market. While there, the driver Tong, insisted on watching our kids while we shopped. That is very customary here. Especially with the men - they are always coming up to the babies and making silly faces and sounds - even at restaurants, etc. More than I have ever seen before - the Vietnamese men just love, love, love children, and acting like children apparently. It is sorta like their license to be silly. Tong strolled the kids around, played games with them and even when my overly protective mama-bear would kick in and I'd go back to check on the baby, Tong was making silly sounds and baby Brian was laughing! Brian just loved Tong.

Driving back from the Silk Village - Naptime!

I was told that the Vietnamese people would be overly sweet with the babies, and it is true. They are awesome. The bellman here just loves cooing and clucking at him. The desk clerks all rush to make googoo eyes at him when we get out of the elevator. "Boy, boy?" they say, as they point to their own groin area. Ha. Oh yeah - all boy. :)

Whole families on scooters - sometime 5 people (2 parents three children) Astounding.

At Al Fresca's restaurant last night the waitress held baby Brian and cooed to him, carrying him around and playing with him for about 15 minutes so I could eat. That too is customary here, and Brian just loves flirting with the "girls".

So the Silk Village factory and sights were awesome. Like a throwback in time to the 1850's or something. I bought a lot of beautiful, delicate, intricate silk items. Silk boxer shorts were $1.00 USD. I was gonna get a pair for each of my bros (Brian's uncles), but the largest size XXL here is about a 34 waist. That rules all my bros out I believe. :) Sorry boys.

If I could've found a King size deep purple quilted silk comforter and sheet set, I'd have bought that too - but it would have taken them a couple of weeks to make that. I did get two silk single size sleeping bags - so, so soft and silky - $9USD each. I'm not a girly girl frilly kinda woman, but after browsing the silk stores here, I wanted lingerie!

After the Silk Village tour, we went to lunch at Al Fresca's (again)- did I say Sangria's to die for? They were excellent. Then we wandered into the streets of Hanoi during the flower festival. There were tens of thousands of people partying in the streets here today for the flower festival. We walked all around the Hoan Kiem Lake (where McCain got dunked and dragged) and I said a prayer of thanks for our patriots who fought here. (The roads and sidewalk paving here still looks like a bomb zone!)

(In my post-election consolation email to Senator McCain, I let him know that I would pray for him and remember his service and patriotism while I was here. The lake seemed like the appropriate place to do that.)

The flower festival - tens of thousands of partying Vietnamese!

Flower girl on bike

KFC - Hanoi. I am not kidding. Ain't it great Colonel?

Brian was just a little a dream in his stroller. We were out from 10am - 6:30pm and he was a trooper! He just smiles at people and cries predictably - wet, hungry or tired. He is a very laid-back child, but full of love, squeals and smiles! His top two teeth are just starting to cut, so he is knawing on everything like Annie-dog does on the Thanksgiving hambone. He had three male care-givers in the orphanage, and it is apparent to me that he loves being held by men. He finds his way into the crook of their arm, and he seems comforted there. He is finding that "burrow" place in my 'bosom' now, and it is so warm and sweet to feel him nestling there. Then he reaches out and grabs my breast without warning and I about catapult him unintentionally. Hehe. Boys will be boys after all.

Tomorrow morning at 10am we have our US Embassy Visa interviews, and hopefully afterward will be done with all formalities here in Viet Nam. I am trying to get flights changed to go home on Saturday or Sunday! We find out tomorrow if that is possible.

I miss my Jordan biscuit. She and her friends (oh yeah - and their parents and Dede...) had a New Year's Eve party last night at Molly's and Anna's house. They had lots of fun and Dede said her hearing might be permanently impaired after 8 1/2 Asian babes (Lauren is the half) squealed and giggled during their party for 5 hours til they dropped. I hope we get to do it again in a couple of weeks for Chinese New Year's celebration!

Asian Babes - New Years Eve 2009

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2009 is everything that your wildest dreams cannot even contain. Blessings to all!