Friday afternoon, we ate an early dinner and took a little food for the journey. We were dropped off at the Hue train station and this time we had a car with soft seats and air conditioning. You can see how much nicer it is. Tan and Loc left the train to go back to Ninh Binh and I continued on to Ha Noi to meet my old friends, the Nguyen family.When I got in to the Ha Noi train station, Nam's family picked me up. We all became friends four years ago and havec been corresponding every since. His father is an artist who works for the national television service and his mother is a 5th grade teacher.
First, we went to the most famous restaurant for pho in Ha Noi. It is many years old and still run by the same family. As I walked in, I saw the cook dishing out the bowls of pho, a soup that is thick with rice noodles, vegetables, and beef. A perfect way to start the day in Viet Nam because it is light on the stomach.
This is a good picture of Nam Vu, 5, Mr. Nguyen, and Nam, 15. We are all excited because Nam has been accepted to the most prestigious high school for languages. Out of over 4,000 applications, only 165 students are accepted each year. He will spend three years there preparing for his university examinations. His major will be English and since he can choose to work on another language, he is considering also working on French.
Because it was so hot, we all went to West Lake, the biggest lake in the city. This is where Senator John McCain was shot down during the war. The two pools (wading and deep) were very clean and very clear. It is part of a resort complex and it was very inexpensive to get in.
On the left is Nam. At right is a man from Australia who now works in Ha Noi. We had a good chat together.
After a good swim, we went into downtown Ha Noi and had lunch at one of the best restaurants. It is known for its beautiful Vietnamese decor and for having food from all over the world. While we waited for our table, Nam Vu showed off his English skills.
You remember the beautiful painting of my father that Nam's father did. Here is the Thank You card my father sent with me.
Little Vu and Nam are opening their presents. I got Vu a Boogie Board, a special slate that is used with a stylus. After writing on it, one push of a button and everything magically erases.
Nam Vu loved working with his Boogie Board. He is an amazing kid. He learned how to read at 4 and he is 5 now. His mother is teaching him English, and I could ask him to translate from the written Vietnamese. He is truly gifted, but still a kid.
This is Mrs. Nguyen's cousin and his son. His son is taking his examinations for college this week and is nervous. There is only one test and the score from that test determines which you can go to. Some students don't score high enough and they can only go directly to work.
Of course, I had to get Nam something so that he would work hard in school, and he was excited to get a Stanford hat. He had ideas about going to Harvard, but I'm trying to dissuade him. But in the end, no matter what university he goes to, he will do well in life.
Mr. Nguyen's drawing of me on Vu's Boogie Board. Is my nose really this big?
We went to the Nguyen's house and had coconut water with ice. Man, that was refreshing.
On the second floor of their house, they built a classroom for Mrs. Nguyen to teach English. There are 20 computers that the students can use along with many books and games. She calls the school Dynamic English, because the students can learn anything they want and in any way they want.
When you get off of the big streets in Ha Noi, the way gets very narrow. In fact, when we finally got to the Nguyen's house, the street was barely wide enough to get the motorbike through. Here we are traveling out from the house and you can see how hard it is to drive. But it was oh so much fun!
From Ha Noi, I took the bus back to Phat Diem. Oh, the stories I have about the bus. I didn't take any pictures, but next time I definitely will. It felt good to see old friends and make new ones, but there is always something special about coming back to the familiar.
