The Hanoi Hilton

Yes, I stayed at the Hanoi Hilton, but of course not THE Hanoi Hilton. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should brush up on your history. Anyhow, I’m back from Hanoi…first a bit of explanation of the city, then on to the exciting stuff…

When you land in Hanoi, you encounter pockets of villages encircled by vast rice patties. Eventually buildings start surrounding the road until you’re in the heart of the city. The houses are very vertical; the nice ones tend to be at least four stories tall. Traffic lights are of no use, just mere suggestions to drivers and hints to the pedestrians as to when traffic may ease up enough that the exhaust heat from the motorbikes won’t blast their knees and calves. People walk – NEVER HESITATE – through the constant flow of traffic at a steady place. The cars, Vespas, and bikes that all share the road just go around you. Everyone beeps to make you aware of their presence, but no one crashes. The sidewalks are teeming with parked bicycles and motorbikes, so much so that the pedestrians are left to battle the traffic on the streets, depending on how busy the path. Vendors fill the spaces not occupied by walkers or parked vehicles. Shoes, food, shirts, bags, cameras – they’re all pouring out onto the sidewalks to compete with the existing chaos. It’s great.

I went to see Ho Chi Minh’s body (they have him mummified in his own mausoleum) and spent an afternoon touring the city in a cyclo (a cart pedaled from the rear by a bicycle), until it started to pour so hard that you couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of you…I have great pics of it that you can see upon my return.

Now to the not so great part of my trip. I got the flu near the end of my trip. After three days of it (we were back in Singapore by this point), my aunt and uncle insisted I go to the clinic. Doctors here give you medicine for everything, and I was given pills to make me stop throwing up. Needless to say, those didn’t stay down and I had to go to the hospital the next day so they could get me hydrated. Hospitals here are great. They’re quick and efficient, and doctors only see one patient at a time. I spent no more than 20 minutes total at either of my visits. They gave me a shot at the hospital (who knows what it was), which made me feel better instantly.

I now officially have seen every square inch of Singapore thanks to my little hospital trip. I’m well and eating again (as most of you know, food is a big deal to me). I’ll be back in the States 10 days from today, so that’s it for trip updates. The rest you can hear from me when I return.

Where Has All The Gucci Gone?

It's been almost a month here...a few highlights from Singapore thus far:

Singapore is a place that sells high fashion, but EVERYONE dresses in casual clothing. (I fit in quite well). All of the big designers' shops are here, and people are always in the stores buying their stuff, but I never see it on anyone. It's a big mystery to me.

Taxis are everywhere. Most people use them instead of owning a car. (Tax on cars here is 200%). I ride in one at least once a day, and every single time I think I'm going to get in an accident. Drivers here see nothing wrong with slamming on the brakes or being an each away from one another. Yesterday, my taxi driver fell asleep while we were waiting at a spotlight.

Most drivers here like to listen to American music from the 80s. Lots of Richard Marx, and I think I've heard "Desperado" over 50 times since my arrival. For those of you in Minneapolis, there's a radio commercial here about as annoying as National American University. It's for a school called SAE, and the jingle is "SAE - where school meets cool." It gets stuck in my head constantly.

Movie theaters here have assigned seating. When you buy your ticket, you select a seat. People here make sure they sit in THAT specific seat, no matter how many people are in the theater. There were a bunch of people who came in after the previews had started during my movie, and they all used their cell phones as flashlights to find the correct aisle and seats even though the theater wasn't even 1/2 full.


The food is indescribable, and it helps that my aunt and uncle have done their best during their time here to find the great places , so I don't have to do much work to get great food. Last night we had some amazing Mexican, and tonight we're actually having pizza. Most meals, of course are Asian, and my chopstick abilities have come in handy. Some of my new favorites include Ox Tail Soup, Laksa, and Satay.

Life here is great. Very different from home, but it's an extremely welcoming atmosphere.

"Hello" is Singaporean for Hello

I've made it safely to Singapore, and yes, it's a little bit hotter and humid than in the Midwest. I like it though, seemingly more so than those who live here permanently. Any public building you walk into is air conditioned so heavily that it is necessary to bring a long-sleeve shirt to wear inside, while outside it is well over 90-degrees.

There's a nice balance here between greenery and skyscrapers, and it's definitely as clean as everyone says. From what i've encountered, citizens are expected to know and follow the rules. There aren't big task forces sweeping the neighborhoods to make sure you're not chewing gum.

I haven't had a chance to explore too much yet - my body is taking a few days to adjust to the 13-hour time difference, but I have gotten to see a fair amount. Tomorrow my uncle's going to give me a tour on his motorbike, and from there, I'll be off on my own to explore.