meanwhile...

Oh right, I have a blog. Good thing I didn't make that New Years' resolution to write here every other week because I'd be feeling really guilty right now. Some of my fellow SALTers have the excuse of little internet access or funky connections, while here in Hanoi I'm on a wireless connections all day every day at work. Truth is, this winter has been a bit rough and I find myself staring at a blank page thinking, "what can I write that people would want to read?"

The cold, damp winter that overstayed its visit has finally been shooed out the door by Mr. Humidity and Mrs. Heat. This is the month where windows drip with condensation and towels never dry. Some weeks ago I thought I'd be all cool and artsy and hang up some roses to dry. I guess I forgot that "dry" isn't in vocabulary usage here, for my lovely roses have sprouted fuzzy, white and green hair and have now been laid to rest in the waste bin.

I've had the fun of hosting and/or meeting several visitors lately, including Tim and Dale from The Mennonite (check out Tim's blog here), friends I met in Indonesia at the Indigenous Spirituality conference, and, most recently, my parents. It's refreshing to see Hanoi through their eyes and realize how far I've come in navigating traffic to ensure survival, conversing in Vietnamese (I even set up our Vietnamese-speaking driver on a date with a friend of mine), eating with chopsticks correctly, and understanding some underlying values that lay the foundation for once-unfamiliar customs. See future blog posts for first-person accounts from my parents (hear that mom and dad? you now have people waiting for your entries).

I guess the big news for me is that I've decided to attend Indiana University (Bloomington) this fall for a dual MA in ethnomusicology and journalism. Part of me (most of me actually) is really excited for this next turn in the pilgrimage, but part of me is dreading moving yet again--to midwest suburbia at that. I'm thinking of putting an ad in the "wanted" section for a home that reminds me of Hanoi: "Looking for crowded, narrow, loud apartment. Honking motorbikes, crowing roosters, barking dogs, and a locked gateway are requirements. Bonuses include nearby walking peddlers with singsong cries, street vendors with $1 lunches, fresh fruit markets year-round, and potted green plants gracing every courtyard. Only basic facilities and furniture needed, but these include rice cooker, wash basin, mattress pad, mosquito net, gas stove top, electric hot pot, and TV playing movies with monotone, emotionless Vietnamese overdubbing. Please call with openings at +84947404086. Loving host family should be included." I'll be waiting.

Ok, xin chào for now. Pictures coming soon (but no promises).