That's How We Vietnamese Roll: Hittin' The Streets

You really need an open mind in Hanoi because it is so very different to what we know at home. I'm intrigued by the way they do things and am amazed at the OH&S systems that must be in place..... or not

For example: Where did the idea for tiny furniture come from?

Do Vietnamese people get sick from eating meat that has been sitting out all day or is it just the tourists?

This was the first and only glove that I've have seen on the streets on Hanoi.

And she draws a pretty good crowd at lunch time.

Why isn't this practice socially acceptable in Australia? I'm not sure it it is grey hairs or nits that she's searching for there, but clearly this is a service that people need!

See? ⬇

How adorable is this little fella? His eyes are pleading with me though and I don't know if it was because he was hungry or perhaps he was lonely and needed a human companion or maybe it was because he had been forced to wear this pink vest? I'll never know.

(nb: dog could also have been girl, but still..... there's no excuse)

This puppy lived next door to the vet wearing pooch and when I asked his owner if I could take a photo he said "yes, he will bit." I'm sure that got lost in translation somewhere.

I love that his bottom teeth are caught on his upper lip.

One of my favourite sports as a child was badminton. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my sporting prowess as a child, I was the Under 8 runner up champion for badminton in Geraldton. So naturally it piqued my interest when I spotted these two chaps riding and chatting with their baddy racquets in stow.

Then, as coincidence would have it, we walked away from those gentlemen and into the park where I promptly stepped on a shuttlecock. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me that I need to dig out my old racquet from the shed.... the same racquet that saw me to second place back in 1978.

We stopped for lunch and though we'd try some more local delicacies.

The girls having a go at the chopsticks - Chris has mastered it quite well.....

The jury is still our on Marie's 'stab it' technique!

Our lunch was all made lovingly by this guy ⬇ on his hotplate on the street.

And we give him the thumbs up as well - cause it was 'ngon'

After lunch, we were back on the street .....

There are chaps shining shoes...... in an unrelated story Marie was approached on the first day by a man who was very concerned about her footwear. You see, Marie wears a removable orthotic in her sandal. The man thought that her shoes were broken because he could see that the top wasn't stuck to the bottom (very observant I thought) and he had hold of her foot trying to glue it down before we'd really worked out what he was doing..... hilarity ensued as you can imagine. Well, when Jen joined us later that day we passed another man who was on the look out for footwear challenged people and grabbed Jenny. He had taken off her thong (that's a flip flop people) and was miming that he was going to add what could only be a heel. Jen didn't really know what was going on thinking that she had something stuck on her shoe and that he was helping her..... again, hilarity ensued once we explained that she would be teetering around Hanoi with heeled thongs!

These little ladies are very crafty. She is a donut seller and before Chris knew what was going on, she'd placed her hat on Chris' head and insisted we take a photo. She would have asked for money afterward, but since I wanted a donut anyway, it was worth it.

This building was a surprise - St Josephs Church

Construction began back in 1886, which I find, quite frankly, unbelievable! I'm still amazed at how old buildings were built back in the days without cranes and electric machinery. We walked past a reno site yesterday and they had some makeshift scaffolding and a bed sheet hammock underneath it to catch the falling blocks of cement - just above the footpath!

The architectural style resembles Notre Dame de Paris. It was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in Indochina.

It is the oldest church in Hanoi.

I guess I don't think too much about Catholicism in Vietnam, but apparently there are nearly 4 million Catholics here.

We found a unique little shop selling the most beautiful vases and plates etc....

A lot of the shops, especially in the Old Quarter sell the same things - quite touristy, but this was very different..... so we made a purchase!

Whilst the ladies were shopping on "Silk Street" I thought I'd make like a local and sit on the side of the road and take some pics.

Here's a sample.......

It's crazy, but I haven't seen a single helmut on a child as yet. Good that he's got his face mask on though. At least that part of his face will be protected if he falls.

Rules? There are no rules!

I think because there are just so many people here personal space is a luxury not afforded to many. Whilst I was sitting on the side of the road - clearly taking photos, this chap came and parked his motorbike right in from of me.