Women's Day & Food

Today is Vietnam Women's Day. Women are treated to flowers and small presents at work and home. I was given a bouquet of flowers and shampoo (hopefully not because they thought I needed it ...). The hard part is, but I am not particularly shocked, I was the only one given a present in the office even though I have 2 other female colleagues. You can't not accept it, but I feel a bit guilty at the same time since they weren't given anything. It is pretty common for foreigners/guests to be given special treatment and I am definitely given special treatment all the time, no matter how many times I say it is not necessary. It was very similar to when I was in Beijing when they made special food for me in the cafeteria and put me first in line when there were already people waiting.

I probably eat best at lunch. There is a lunch fund (City of Ottawa should consider that!) and we eat together everyday and we either go for bun cha, which is a noodle soup with pork, or have rice with meat and veggies. I loved bun cha the first time, but I probably had it at least 10 times since and I admit it's losing its appeal. But the part I like is when we get take-out. There are lots of nearby small eateries, that they walk the food over on a tray with dishes and chop sticks. It's not pre-packaged and you aren't using disposible utensils, so we barely have any garbage after we're done eating. Someone from the restaurant just comes back to pick up the dishes. We should spread that idea to Canada or at least do tupperware.

I found the best sandwich shop for Vietnamese subs, my roommate Kate does not share my love for them, but maybe she'll change her mind when I take her to this place at Xmas. They are only 5000 dongs which is about 30 cents Canadian. Eating locally and street food is very cheap - I know it doesn't sound very appetizing, but street food really means to eat on the street, there are lots of little tables set on on the sidewalks and you sit on even tinier stools, and they bring out the food from the kitchen since there isn't any room to sit inside. Once you want to sit at a proper table or have Western/European food it is a bit more expensive. I find the street food a lot tastier and it's more easy going sittin' at a street table.

My favorite beverage is the fresh juice, which is unbelieveably cheap, I don't know why it has to be that expensive in Canada. I have fresh mango juice almost everyday and we usually go to sugarcane juice after ultimate. It is litterally costs cents to have juice with no preservatives or artifical flavour, all they usually do is just peel it and blend it up.

In about 15 hours I am participating in a charity run/walk tomorrow morning. It's organized by the Asia Development Bank and it's to raise scholarship money for disadvantaged and disabled Vietnamese children. It is around West Lake, which is what Hanoi is famous for. It's 13km in perimeter and I haven't gone running since I have been here, I haven't been up that early since I've been here, plus it's suppose to be between 24 and 33 degress and my favorite, it is suppose to be really humid. I asked if there would be water stations and the organizer told me that they have motorbikes that drive around the lake dropping off water to the runners. I guess I could always just hop on the back of one if I am really desperate ...