I have arrived!

much to say about the beautiful city of Ha Noi but internet is limited and time is precious. forgive me if i bounce back and forth between dates and stories but i will write when i have time of my adventures and experiences along the way.

for now i have to tell you- i arrived to Ha Noi Monday evening June 15th to find 3 women waiting for me at the gate with a sign that had my name. what a wonderful surprise! they helped me find my way to the hotel. we caught a taxi who drove us into the center of the city and stopped at a corner grub hub where 2 of the women and i went in to eat some pho ga (chicken pho). the taxi waited for us- isnt that interesting? The 2 women who shared a meal with me are named Anh and Hung. The work for the community trying to connect people with disabilities to resources. What an awesome pair- those two! in less than 30min we had already shared much of our core beliefs and our shared passion to work with, for, and within our communities. by the way- there are 54 minority groups in Viet Nam and i forget how many provinces- maybe 60+ if i recall.

Ha Noi is a very busy city. i liken it to the streets of the garment district in los angeles or the border at San Diego/Tijuana- the way the streets are set up to sell items and there are buses, taxis, motor bikes, bicycles, and cars driving every which way. What is different about it though is the people- there seems to be a calm about the air even though the city is super busy. i was awakened this morning by what sounded like opera singing. i heard a male and female voice. the night was extremely humid! i opened a back door i have to the balcony and listened to the singing until i fell back to sleep. at 530am almost like clockwork and on cue- i was awakened by the hustle n bustle of the people going to market, driving to work, and getting on with the day. it was super fantastic to sit and listen to the sounds of the city. i showered, washed my clothes (i dont want to get too behind in dirty laundry) and tried to dry off and dress quickly enough to get my clothes on without getting stuck to them- again the humidity was almost unbearable.

i made my way down the street after all of that commotion in trying to get some clothes on and found a lake down the block. Hoan Kiem Lake- right in the middle of the busy city, how about that! of course by this time, just about everyone has gotten through half of their day and i saw very few people still exercising and resting along the lake's edges.

i am still trying to find some place to eat too- i wandered around the lake and took a few pictures (those are forthcoming as soon as i find a way to upload them- this computer isnt letting me) and was caught in a heavy downpour! i found a tree to wait it out and was greeted by a young gal named Toan who insisted on selling me an umbrella and raincoat and viet/english conversation book. after working her down from 150,000 VND for just the umbrella which i really needed and 9USD for the book, we finally settled on 12bucks for both. did i get a good deal? i am positive one of us did and it was NOT me! as i've been reading this travel book profa. curry and kathy gave me, i notice that the monthly average income for people here is $50USD. that gal doesnt have to work for at least 2wks i swear! anyway i am glad i have the umbrella!

the rain let up for only a second and now it is coming down with all its might. it is BEAUTIFUL!! i do need to find some breakfast and then make my way back to the hotel to call Anh who said she would take me to the northern part of central vietnam to visit some plantation areas of ca phe and rubber trees. i just happened to roam past this building that said free information and internet. but i am being a total internet hog now so i need to cut it off.

let everyone know i arrived safely and hopefully there will be more stories to come. TROI DAT OI, toi thich pho Ha Noi..... oooo oooo looks like the rain is letting up a bit so i best run out and keep trying to find my way. hugs n love fm the grand ol' county of Viet Nam :o)