Saturday we visited the Ethonology Museum...

(I'm sorry but, LOL)

Ear piercings have never really seemed threatening to me before, but I feel these BEAST sized plugs scream 'yeah, dare to mess with me?'. I definately wouldn't mess with her.
Or, erm, him?
Oh, and sorry to mention it, but how pleased is that lady to be topless?...

(...and likewise with this dude!)

Please love this. A ruler to measure...can you guess?

 

 

Our little expedition turned out to be this wonderful (if moderately hilarious) juxtaposition of vietnamese artifacts alongside...

loved up brides and bridegrooms having their photos taken!

Weird, I know.

Rented dresses and untrained photographers galore, but still, quite lovely to witness -

 how fabulous is this contrast please? 
old and new Vietnam, side by side.

Brushes, buttercups and bairns on a bike.

Family outings (saves money on petrol I guess!), riding side-saddle, stacking the bicycles high with flowers or fruit. 

Most bikes I see make me want to whip out my camera...here is but afew - 

enjoy!

Cinema.

So I went to the cinema yesterday. Don't worry, I didn't attempt to tackle a film in vietnamese...yet. Though, I was proud of my ability to purchase a ticket AND sprite.

You see, my little trip-ette was in order to check the screen, the sound, the general ambience...

 

 I decided I needed to make sure the cinema was good enough for HP.

 

This weekend we went up into the hills to stay at the Belvedere.

a pleasant hotel near Tam Dao.

It prides itself on staying 'in the clouds 365 days of the year'.
Well, there was definately no shortage of cloud...or rain, or thunder, or lightening,

or, funnily enough, butterflys. 

or, erm, stalls selling strength-juice; with scorpions, snakes, geckos and all. Just one sip and you'll be Brad Pitt, (or, in my opinion, quite ill).

The labourers of Hanoi

One thing that I have really noticed since arriving here is how hard everyone works. 

It's like I can actually see this developing country in transition...and the pace in which it's happening makes me think it won't take long till they've caught up with the rest of the world.

 Also, the scope of work that you see on a day to day basis is incredible:

what about the collection of clay,

 or the cutting and gutting and cooking and selling of fish,

or the making of mosaics,

(I apologise that this photo isn't up to scratch...but please can you just appreciate the splendour of this absoloutely huge kiln - as if this sort of thing exists!)

 Oh yeah, and talking of doing things on a big scale; get a load of these people laying down new pipes!

 

Wait, actually, perhaps not everyone is working so hard...

  

As always, I feel obliged to end with something pretty, well I think it's pretty anyway.

West Lake, in photos.

These require very little explanation... 

the weather was lush one night, golden light and all, so I took some photos, they turned out pretty nice.

A little bit of football on a sunny evening. Please also clock that its about 35 degrees. 

I don't understand how anyone can move in this heat, never mind run...

apparently the guy on the right, the one of the ground, agrees.

Earlier, the sun wasn't as spectacular, I admit, but fishing was everywhere. And it always is here. I run in the morning; there are people fishing (as well as swimming in the (quite disease-filled I'm sure) lake). Walk in the evening; there are people fishing.

 

What massi fish - don't pretend like you're not impressed.