We went to have pho for dinner last night (a noodle soup with meat- very tasty amd very cheap) and just outside the window was a typical sight- a group of people sitting on tiny stools around a makeshift bbq cooking various fruits and corn. There was a little boy with them, maybe 2 years old, i think he was the cutest thing ive ever seen. He kept making faces and smiling at me- his expressions reminded me so much of my nephew Owen :)
We've been really getting to know the area around where we live. Hugo discovered some really cool coffee shops behind our apartment on the block so we are going to try some of them out over the next few days. There is so much on offer here its sometimes hard to choose just one place.
We ventured out yesterday to a shopping centre called The Garden. We knew roughly where it was on the map but didnt know what to expect. as the taxi got closer, the land became emptier. There was new construction everywhere and lots on every side being prepared for new builds. As we approached the shopping centre, the buildings looked very Euopean- it was as though we could have been anywhere! And yet the shopping malls havent yet taken off. They are very quiet and still have many vacant shops. I imagine it wont take long for that to change with a fast growing middle class. They are shiny and new, in stark contrast with what Hugo then showed me around the area he went exploring the other day. It certainly doesnt take much wanderingto realise that we are actually in southeast asia. Every person stared, almost in disbelief. It made me wonder if most people dont often travel outside their district. Although we are in a big city, people still live a countryside life. Dirt roads and paths, primitive shops, makeshift everything. Its such an amazing sight. And when they stare, its as if they had never seen westerners in real life. Yet when they smile back, its so genuine.
I have attached some pictures of our journey yesterday, a collection of thing s seen out the window....
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