So the winter holidays in Vietnam aren't too different from normal everyday life. With this country being mostly Buddhist, Christmas isn't a big deal. People don't really take work off and people don't worry about exchanging gifts. LUCKY FOR ME, I am a westerner at heart and was able to beg a week off for holiday travels with my sister. But before that...I still had some days at work...
Below is a video of my co-workers imitating my laugh. I still get teased constantly about having a loud laugh for a "lady" and they blame my singleness on the quality and quantity of laughter I have on a daily basis. Riiiight...well, you know, I'm loud and proud dammit!
One of the things I love about the Hanoi airport is that because of logistics, people generally still gather to pick up their loved ones at the exit gate. It is such a "love actually" scene. This is me waiting for my sister to arrive in Hanoi for her winter vacation.
So I finally ate soy-saucy stir fried silk worms. Actually, not that bad though can't say I want to eat it all the time.
I go shopping during my lunch break with my co-workers and their friends/family a lot. I usually don't end up with anything but sometimes I just like to fool around with the funny fashion you find...
I FINALLY HAD KIM MA KEM XOI!!!!
(and yea, it was pretty good)
In honor of my sister and my friend's brother's visit to Hanoi, we threw a large karoake party...
Just an average meal of "my van than" in Hanoi. :D
So my office decided to decorate for the holidays! This is us shopping and the awesome door decoration we spent all afternoon on. HA! If only you saw the just as lovely digital xmas card we sent to our research partners at the CDC/UCSF/WHO. LOOOOL!
So my first stop on Christmas Eve was Ha Long Bay with my sister and housemate. Ha Long is pretty hard to describe in words as it is just amazingly amazing! HAHA, I have the richest vocabularly no? Well, it's probably one of my favorite places in Vietnam and a world heritage site as well. You laze around a boat, enjoy the views, kayak, and look at caves. Not a bad way to spend Christmas...especially when you get to hang out and become friends with the cute bartender.
Dude is steering the boat with his feet! Such a boss.
Um, but it was cold at night, so we had to bundle up.
Just a view of the lovely countryside on our ride home from Ha Long.
Not featured in pictures was a quick stop at the Christmas party my Australian friends organized. It was pretty damn elegant and catered to the nines with ham, turkey, chicken, bread pudding, potatos, etc. It was pretty sweet catching up with my "old expat pals" and then sneaking off from the party to watch "A Christmas Story" and snuggle it up. Hmmmm, this Christmas was definitely a win. Now off to Sapa!
