BBQ, Violin Concert, and VIETNAM!

Michael and I have both been keeping pretty busy. Last weekend, April 24th, we went to a barbeque with some of Michael’s co-workers. It was a great time. Tsuruta-san, the host of the party, went to a special meat store in Yaita (about 45 minutes from Utsunomiya) to buy meat for yakiniku, while us and some others were in charge of veggies and drinks. In the states, usually someone preps all the stuff or goes and buys the goods needed for the party or potluck style, but the past couple of times we’ve gotten together with a small group we first meet up and then go grocery shopping together. It’s kind of cute, but kind of funny watching a group of 5 or 6 people trying to decide which mushrooms to buy and how many. After we got to Tsuruta’s house, we prepped the food and then began the barbeque. We had two grills going and everyone took turns to throw food on the grill and cook. It was a lot of fun. On Sunday, we went to a violin concert for my teacher’s daughter, Miki. It was Miki’s final performance as she is preparing to get ready for college exams. She is a very talented violinist that has played since she was 4. My favorite song was typewriter. Thanks to the Ichihara’s for inviting us to such a wonderful event.

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This past week, Michael and I went to Hanoi, Vietnam for a few days. Since Michael’s parents were born and raised in Vietnam, we have always wanted to go. We decided to go to Hanoi even though his parents are from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Vietnam is a spectacular place. This was my first time going to a second world country and it was a very eye opening experience. Michael has been to Thailand, so he has seen a similar environment to Vietnam. Nonetheless, Vietnam has opened our eyes to a new perspective. As we got off the plane and headed towards the hotel, we see endless fields of rice, motorcycles, scooters and cars driving along the road in all sorts of crazy ways, cows roaming the side of the ride, people just hanging out and passing time on the side of the road, etc…. It was sensory overload! We finally got to our hotel and it was about 6:00pm, so we checked in and headed for a place to eat. We asked the front desk for a recommendation and she told us a nice place called Quan An Ngon. It was pretty busy and they had a good assortment of food. I opted for pho and Michael had com thit nuong (pork chops). We also ordered a couple of appetizers and some da chanh (lemonade). Our bill came to $16! This was the first realization of how cheap things were in Vietnam. Since we left our apartment at 6:00am, after dinner we called it quits. The next day we headed for some of the major tourist attractions, starting with Hoan Kiem Lake. It was a beautiful lake around the Old Quarters area. We strolled a bit and then ended up in Old Quarters and began to do some shopping. It is unbelievable at how cheap everything was. I was quite fascinated with the kitchenware and home décor, while Michael was fascinated with everything else. Old Quarters in an area with about 40 streets going every which way, each street is known for selling a certain type of item. For example, there was a street for shoes, hardware, kitchenware, bags, belts, etc…the list goes on forever. Which in the midst of all that hustle and bustle, there were also a million food vendors, people riding around on bikes selling things, people pushing carts, etc…It was all so intriguing. Michael and I were particularly fond of the food vendors. We found this lady that was set up next to the side of the street making Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepe/pancake filled with shrimp, pork, and beansprouts. This lady changed our lives; it was maybe the best thing we ate in Vietnam. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find her again. Between the shopping and eating, we would hop into cafes to sit and enjoy some delicious ca phe sua da (Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk) and fruit shakes. Vietnamese people enjoy relaxing and people watching at cafes or on the side of the road with a small plastic seat or on their motorbikes/scooters.

The third day, we took a cruise on Ha Long Bay. It was a 3 hour car ride from Hanoi, but we went through a tour since I have no Vietnamese language skills and Michael’s was very basic. Our tour guide, Hoa-san, was awesome. She was very easy going and told us a lot about the history and people in Vietnam. Even though the country has reunited there is still and probably will continue to be some animosity between the north and the south. We got to the wharf around noon where we boarded a boat to begin our 3 hour tour of Ha Long Bay. First we were served a delicious seafood lunch, while cruising our way towards the symbol of Ha Long Bay, the two rocks that represent a man and a woman. Afterwards, we docked at a cave and went in for a tour. It was pretty amazing all the details that were hidden within the cave. Finally, we made our way back to the dock and headed back to Hanoi. For dinner, we ate at a French/Vietnamese fusion restaurant. After dinner, we went to a water puppet show. Yes, it’s exactly what you think, puppets that are in and above the water. Very interesting, it told stories of Vietnamese history and culture. Unfortunately, it was in Vietnamese, so I didn’t really understand most of it.

The last 2 days, we spent some more time going to various sightseeing spots, such as the history museum, the mausoleum, ride around in a cyclo, etc. I could go on for days about Vietnam, but I think you all would rather see it through pictures. I tried my best to capture a lot of what represents Vietnam, the people, and the culture. Ok, there are tons of pictures of Michael and I too, but enjoy!

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