Another week in Hải Phòng

Wednesday 22nd

On the road again...back to Hải Phòng!  This time with a big box of Isagenix as well as our bags. But we usually travel in the middle of the day so there's always plenty of room.

I was back in time for NPCEC. This week our lesson was about Nick Vujicic - the extraordinary evangelist who was born without either arms or legs...such an inspiring man. I wanted to challenge them to see excuses for what they really are and to dare to dream big and never give up.

Wednesday night, so we joined in at ABC Club as usual, and Hiếu organised some friends to give us a ride.

 

Yep, she's very relaxed now!

Thursday 23rd

Another NPCEC session on Nick Vujicic and more lively discussion. Afterwards, a bunch of us went to the Valley for a drink. Jordie has discovered Mango smoothies and she's in seventh heaven!

 

Easy company, lovely time.

Friday 24th
Decided it was time for Jordie to experience bánh cuốn for breakfast, so we walked down to QueAnh's place in Cat Bi Street.

 

It was half eaten before we remembered to take a photo!

It's fascinating watching her Mum...she's like a machine!

I wanted to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables, so we headed for the market. QueAnh doesn't usually do the marketing, but she kindly offered to join us and be our translator.  So off we went. As we headed deeper into the market, we passed stalls selling meat....all parts on display...heads, feet...the lot.

Jordie found it pretty confronting, so we didn't go as far as the seafood section...too many dead and live things to walk past before then.

So we did an about turn and headed back the way we came...back out into the open.

 Ahhh ...........that's better!


Tonight we walked over to meet Gene in her hotel room. Her friends Bona Lee and Raquel, both Filipino teachers at QSI, and Bona Lee's sons, Psalms and Abiel, came too. When we arrived, Gene's bed was covered in toys and Halloween paraphernalia.... She brought a whole suitcase full of toys over with her from the States...just to give away to the kids she knows here. Apparently this was just what was left after a month of giving things away!

 

Jordie got to take her pick, so she selected several goodies.

We walked to Ayrang - the Korean Restaurant on Văn Cao - for dinner, and had a private room upstairs... one of those with a sunken floor under the table.

Too busy eating to remember to take food pics!... but we had a feast! Will arrived from Hà Nội after the others had taken the little boys home, and he happily polished off the left-overs. 

 But yeah....we ordered too much food!

Will is here for the weekend - to catch up with Gene and his friends. He booked into the Star Hotel down the hall from us.  Dumb as, though...there are 12 empty rooms on our floor and they put him in the room right next to Graham and Lee's bedroom!

Jordie and I shared a taxi with Gene and went home, while Will and Katie headed off for a night out - Julie's Bar and Duck Noodle.  Hardly surprising that when they came home they woke Graham and Lee....not happy Jan! Apparently Will wouldn't stop singing.