Yesterday, we didn't do much of anything big because we had the day off. I went to check in at the embassy and see what it was like and where it is. The US embassy in Hanoi is in two different buildings. As Burcu commented yesterday, United We Stand. The embassy does have a library with books, movies and magazines that isopen to US citizens and the public. We can't check things out, but anyone living in Hanoi for more than six months can, so we could go get movies with our roommates! Also, we all went out as a group to get cell phones, which was a big ordeal, but worked out in the end. I am now the proud owner of a seriously old school flat phone. But hey, it works!
I found yesterday's lunch on the streets and ordered it before realizing that it was a Donner Kebab, which is a really popular street food in Europe (I believe it originated in Turkey, but don't quote me on that). It's a big, rotating hock of meat (lamb and beef) with cabbage, cucumbers, creamy sauces and chili sauce. I didn't see the sign for what it was until it was already in my hand at which point I realized that it wasn't even close to Vietnamese food, but it was exactly what I wanted and what I needed. What a satisfying sandwich!
This morning, I got up a little early to go for a jog with some of my classmates. I'm pretty sure we looked like crazy people because people don't really run in the streets in the city, but we were only on the streets for a little bit and then got to a small lake that we can run around. One has to run horseshoes around this lake because park of the rim is underwater, but it's a great little place, and it's so nice to be moving. I am a sweat monster all the time, but particularly this morning during my run. It's not that it was excessively hot, but just that the humidity of the air meant that all the sweat stayed on me. Anyway, it was a super short run but a good start to much more running.
We had our first Vietnamese language class today. To say that understanding a tonal language is difficult would be a gross understatement. We spent an hour and a half repeating back tones to our Vietnamese professor. It was grueling. Thankfully, I have my roommate Ngan to practice with me.
I ate a Bahn My today. It's this crazy sandwich that is sold all over the streets. I would tell you what's in it, but I have no idea. There was definitely pate, cucumbers and chili sauce, but then there was also some mystery meat and this gelatinous, pink substance. I don't think I want to know what that was. It was a very tasty sandwich!
We had another orientation after lunch to talk about our classes and get some course overviews. I was geeking out the whole time. We are taking trips into the field and learning about things that fascinate me like NGOs and INGOs and HIV/AIDS and so many other things. I'll be able to say more when I am actually in those classes, which will begin next week. Just know that I am totally jazzed about my classes.
We looked in the English version of the newspaper after class and found a free performance in town for this evening. We went to see a contemporary dance performance that featured both Vietnamese and European dancers. The theme of the first piece was Fireflies. It began totally dark and one by one they turned on little flashlights and danced around. It was so amazing! I love that moment in dance where there are only two dancers on stage and everything seems to slow to a crawl until the dancers touch. As soon as they touch, it's like they come alive again. So amazing.
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