Feeling a bit crook today

I went for a walk this morning and ate a "local" style eatery. The first one I rejected because I saw the girl at the food bar pick her nose and roll her booty into a ball between thumb and forefinger. The place I chose was full of Vietnamese locals all eating the one dish that was the specialty. I'll stick to the more expensive places in future.

Last night
T had a 4 person "ladies" night with champagne, wine and lots of beautiful cheeses. Another teacher and I got a cab together, intending that it drop her off near her home, and then take me into old area where I live. We didn't see any MaiLinh cabs (recommended company) so we took one of the many others that were stopping to vie for our trade. Well the guy in the cab wanted 3 times the normal fare, and C. insisted he switch on his meter. He was a bit strange, and then a few mintues later C. told hom to stop and let her out near to where she lived, so I got out too. Boy was he angry; he was swearing at us and saying that he did us a favour by picking us up, and that he was a good man and we were bad people. So, I think it was a good call to get out when we did.

We walked on a bit past the Australian Embassy where there were a lot of MaiLinh cabs across the road. I took one of these homes. And it did cost only a third of what the other nasty cab driver wanted. Of course though, after I got out of the taxi, I walked up my street in the wrong direction, and was wondering where the hell I was, until realised I was in my own street but at the wrong end.

This morning again
I bought some more credit for my phone from a lovely old lady in a shop. I couldn't read how to put the credit on my phone, and neither could she. My eyesight is either incredibly bad, or it was printed in very small print. I'm told the cards are printed with English and Vietnamese instructions - I couln't tell either way. Anyway, the old woman got a young security man outside to put the credit on my phone. Then he turned the card over and looked at how much credit I'd bought. He was taken aback at the high amount of money. I felt embarrassed. It was only $15 worth, but it's a lot here!!!

Yesterday I was hassled by the same a pregnant woman selling T-shirts who usually likes to hassle me. We were getting near to my alleyway entrance and I didn't want her to know where I lived, so I ducked into this relatively expensive hotel to get away from her. I bought a banana smoothie there for $5; they are usually only about $1. Probably would have been cheaper to have bought the T-shirt from her. Below is the restaurant in the hotel.


Then I noticed that the glass floor had fish under it, which were congregating in an open area where they were probably fed.


Some photos of a noodle making enterprise in the street that runs parallel to Hang Dao.


Scenes as I was walking to T's apartment yesterday.






Walking to school. The school is across the road (polics monitor this road so it's easier to cross). However motorbikes use the footpath to get to the front of the traffic queue; giving pedestrains a fright as they pass.



I can hear drums and whistles out in the street; maybe a parade??? Can I be bothered to go out and look? take a video??