A few tricks to survive in Hanoi:
Cross the street, any time you want, waving at the scooters, taxis and cars -- whatever you do don't stop moving. Ignore the street lights, since everybody ignores them anyway.
Travel in a taxi, without car seats and without worrying. Drivers are usually very safe, so believe in your destiny. Of note, 280 people were killed and about 360 were injured in road accidents during the Tet.
Always bring the WRITTEN address of where you want to go. Take Taxi group or Mai Linh taxis if you do not want to get cheated.
Otherwise, smile, say Xin Chào (allo), Cam On (merci), tạm biệt (aurevoir) and right now,
Chúc mừng năm mới (bonne année).
Vietnam is really wonderful. We will try to take pictures and videos of the "real life" for you soon. The food is also quite good and fresh. Hopefully one of us will have time to take cooking classes before we leave.
On another note, I know we cannot compare children, but I have to share the difference in experience:
Noah was 6 months old and had a feeding disorder, drinking only 4 ounces at the time and not sleeping (no nap, waking up 6-8 times a night). He hates milk products besides ice cream. In Vietnam, he is now starting to eat cheese, Yeah!
Kamea was 23 months old. She apparently has hepatitis B or C. She definitely has strabismus and quite a temper. She eats well but has her preferences. She still drinks "lait maternisé" with a bottle. She sleeps fairly well but will wake up at least 2-3 times a night, whining because she wants mommy and/or her pacifier. She has learned to bang her head against the crib to get my attention. She has temper tantrums and screams as soon as I leave the room, even if I warn her ( a little bit like Noah at 10 months, separation anxiety+++).
Noah is a showman. He likes to please others and is caring (see photo of him feeding Kamea). He is emotional and close to his feelings. He his black or white, no grey. Everybody likes him and he has a personality that draws other people to him, even in Vietnam. Currently, he is quite jealous of his little sister, who is attention seeking, but that will pass.
Kamea is mischievous. She knows, already, how to manipulate her daddy with her side looks and smiles. She knows what she wants. She learns fairly quickly. She is quite a tom boy for the moment, climbing, throwing, etc....
Noah is very delicate physically, still wearing 12 to 24 months old clothes at 4 y.o. He has the most awesome skin I have ever seen. Soft, just the right color. With long hair, everybody would think he is a girl.
Kamea is also delicate, but less than Noah. She has broader shoulders and already wears 18-24 months old clothes. She is paler than Noah and she has quite a few scars from scratching, mosquito bites and scabies. She also has shaved hair ( we think because of lice), which confuses people in terms of her gender.
Here it is. Our children are wonderful in all their different ways and we are proud parents!
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