Badminton played with your feet, Washers that are dryers too.

March 29, 2008

Catching up and House Keeping

Last night after work it was off to the Vietnamese Folk Opera. Eric and I walked from our apartments, about 20 blocks, to a theatre district that is on a large central park that reminds me of the Central Park in New York. A number of colleagues attended as well, Dr. Thuy, head of Infectious Disease Intensive Care in HaNoi and her husband who is an educator and Cuong who I had only meet today from the 09 center and his girlfriend, his class mate and his wife and child, so a large group.

The theater was new, nice and comfortable and there were 8 musicians, 8 singers (4 women and 4 men). The music was very ethereal with unique instruments, several stringed with only 1 or 2 strings but that were played with bow or slide and seemed to be able to produce harmonics with more than one note even with only one string. I was fascinated by this music that does not have a tonal structure like the west. Also one of the songs seemed to have an 11 beat repeat. Certainly not a simple ¾ or 4/4 kind of structure. Unfortunately about half way through, the jet lag began to set in and I could not keep my head from nodding. It is interesting that you can feel quite awake and then sit down and off you go. I will try to go back when I can fully appreciate this. After this it was off to a juice bar to sit and talk in small groups. Oi ep, or guava juice for me. As is always, you are complimented on knowing any Vietnamese at all. My host is able to speak English, French, Japanese and Russian in addition to his own language. The Russian is from the Soviet time in Vietnam.

Cuong asked what I planned to do on my days off. I said that I thought I would sleep in but did mention visiting Ha Long bay and the Perfume Pagoda. At this he told me that his family was going to the Perfume Pagoda on Sunday and invited me to come. I will be leaving very early in the morning to go and will fill in with more details after I get back.

I slept in late. The apartment comes with a combination washer dryer. I do not mean one on top of the other but that the same machine does both. First washes and then it turns into a dryer. Can only do 6Kg of clothes but did use the washer and dry also using a drying rack. Eric is still at work and I did what I could but then took off on a walk. St. Joseph’s Cathedral is downtown and somewhat worse for wear. I went over a few more blocks north and there were all kinds of markets with foods once again that are kind of unusual for westerners. There were tubs with shrimp and fish still swimming around so that they would be fresh for the customer. I also walked by the Children’s Palace and a monument to a great Confucius scholar. In front of him some young me were doing some impressive break dancing while others play badminton with their feet. They kick the shuttlecock and it is like hacky sac but as badminton. Amazing.

I am going to study some more Vietnamese and go to bed early for my visit to the Perfume Pagoda.