Moving on up!

We have moved into our new apartment. The area we are in now is so very different than before. In our little section of the city we have found a place to live for a while and be happy.

It is so funny to think of what makes us happy now than what made us happy before. Having a sidewalk to walk on (most of the time), a few foreign consulates around for a bit of security (not our country of course), a restaurant that serves incredible breads and sweets (expensive, but it makes me happy) and a home with a dryer, a normal shower and a comfortable bed. What luxury!!!

Our neighborhood varies in its title depending on with whom you speak with. It is either Hai Ba Trung or Hoan Kiem. It is a bit fancy simply due to location and some very nice apartment buildings and swanky cafes. You will still find poverty, simplicity and the dirty right next door and I am fine with that. I do not want complete refinement and a bunch of Westerners everywhere. We can get our expensive French jam for $7.00 at the same time that we eat our local street lunch of Bun Cha for $1.50. I like that. Also, there are more coffee shops per square foot than any place in Seattle….unbelievable.

Our building is small and on a fairly quiet street (hard to find in Hanoi). Only four apartments stacked on top of each other, one per floor. We are on the top. Lots of light with block-out curtains and air conditioning for when it gets horribly hot again. The guest bedroom will become my studio and an area I can go to create. Our view is from the fifth floor and enough to see the contrasts of the city. We still hear the chickens and there appears to be a little dog day care center with all the high pitched yapping. I will take that over the cats attacking each other every night…anyday.

We have a security man in our building, but not what you would expect. We are pretty sure he lives at the end of the entrance hallway by the elevator. He has a couch, T.V. and a small bathroom that doubles as a kitchen….incredible. So far he is here 24 hours a day. His name is Mr. Thu, speaks no English, sweet as pie and all of 98 lbs. I do not know how affective he would be with a criminal intrusion, but it is a small sense of security and I know that he wants us safe. It is just bizarre to come and go and have him sleeping on the couch at times, by the elevator, and not wanting to disturb him.

I am continually amazed by all the contrasts here. My eyes have been opened wider to the joys, the beauty and the kindness of the people. There will always be the ugly to go with the pretty and I would not want it any other way.

NOTE: The photo is a view from our window that show the contrast of extreme new next to the old.