Another Day in Hanoi (aka the day my glasses attacked me)

I haven't blogged in a while about life in Hanoi, which was my intention when I began this blog, so I thought I'd give you a run down of my Saturday here in Hanoi.

I started my morning by going to my favourite cafe in town. And it was booked out. Now, it's always been popular, but never so much as I can't find a seat!! Times, they are a'changing. I actually heard a tourist on the way up going "it's great that the latest lonely planet explains it in so much detail, because last time I was in Vietnam, I couldn't find it". Great for some maybe- but I wanted a seat! :s

My weekly spa treatment involved my hairdresser explaining that I needed colour on my roots because my hair was "no colour", which is actually something I've been saying all along. It's kind of Ash Blonde when it's freeflowing. I wonder if there's an option on any of those visa forms that says "no colour" when asked to list "hair colour".

Speaking of spa treatments. Dear god, the facial lady almost broke my nose today. I know you have to be tough with my skin, but it's also MY FACE! I think as she was about to tear the end of my nose off (perhaps not realising there is no bone- only cartilage) she may have mis-understood my "can I have a massage" to mean "can I have a Michael Jackson". This was all going on while the lady next door was instructing her "waxing specialist" how to wax (about the 5th time I've heard it, having directed twice myself).

I bought 3 pairs of prescription glasses today for 50USD. Not a bad deal, but definitely the price has gone up since I first came here. And considering the lady was adjusting it to my head and some plastic part (no idea where from, considering they are so clearly authentic Dior like the arm of the shoulder states) flicked into my eye and had my ear tearing for about 5 minutes. Awesome.

So after all this, I decided to go get a coffee at Highlands coffee just off Hoan Kiem Lake, on Hang Gai, and sat upstairs in the super cool area. Unfortunately, the pebbles on the wall actually were coming off the wall and falling and hitting me on the arm, head, leg, wherever. I thought I might've been on candid camera, but as far as I know, I wasn't, so I drank my latte and headed out.

Finally, I just got back from seeing the latest Tom Cruise "Valkyrie" movie, about 3 months after it was released, and am now depressed! Of course, nothing to do with the movie, more about the phones going off, sound going off, picture vanishing for a period of time, then, adujsting the reel so it fitted onto the screen, subtitles in the middle of the screen.. the fun of trying to see a simple movie here. And what a great genre of movie to bring your 2 to 10 year-olds too, as we found many of the vietnamese who saw it did.

And alas, the day is over. Am I spoilt? Yes indeed- not many can say they spent their Saturday's in a similar way. Now who knows what Sunday will bring, and indeed, next week, where I have organised 66 13-year-olds to go trekking in the Vietnamese jungle with myself and 5 other teachers. Well wishes appreciated.