January 8, 2006 - page 3



For lunch, a small group of us ate at a restaurant called Koto, which provided employment to the underprivileged. It felt good that on my first full day in Vietnam I was not only having a good meal, but also assisting a good cause. I was pleasantly surprised that such social welfare measures existed in Vietnam, although I'm not really sure why I didn't think there would be such programs. As my first dish of Vietnamese food, I had Bun Bo Nam Bo, which was beef, peanuts, and vegetables served over rice noodles with a light sauce. I also had hot green Vietnam tea and it was all delicious.

After lunch we visited the Vietnamese history museum for a guided tour and then went back to the hotel to go our separate ways for the evening. A large group of us went to the Old Quarter for shopping. For over an hour we wandered the streets, which were named for the wares being sold on that particular street (such as Silver Street), going in and out of shops. This was a little overwhelming, as it introduced us to Vietnamese culture by submersion. I spent much of my time fending off shopkeepers and trying not to get mowed down by motorbikes. Despite being overwhelmed, it was an excellent opportunity to interact with the people and get the hang of moving about the city.

The scheduled portion of our day concluded with a performance of Hanoi's famous water puppets, a traditional art form that originated with North Vietnamese harvest festivals. The performance highlighted important aspects of Vietnamese culture and history and was accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music. The show was fantastic and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see such an important cultural event.

Still feeling exhausted, I'm calling it an early night, hoping by tomorrow I'll be adjusted to the 12-hour time difference.