things I will never get used to and things I will never forget...

things I will never get used to;

seeing puppies in cages on the way to becoming dinner
having to remember to put toilet paper in the bin and not the toilet after a wee
being high beamed by cabs at night - they think it will encourage me to get in
people smoking while I'm eating in a restaurant of cafe
creatures I've kept as pets being looked upon as food
the sight of live birds being hung upside down by their feet on sale at the side of the road
snake wine
the little girl who picked her kitten up by it's neck, the bony bit not the scruff
excessive bamboo shoots in any dish
the 'another day' attitude - mostly because I'm only here for three months and pretty soon there won't be another day
rooms with tiled floors in a place that gets really bloody cold in winter - a rug would be good

things I will never forget;

the cheeky smiles on the faces of the kids
the grace of the young women - even the old ones have their own gnarled beauty
the way nothing is wasted - it's all salvaged and used again
riding a bicycle on Hanoi roads - scary but actually safer than Sydney
the wonderful people I've met
the au dai
every dragon I see on every pagoda - simply stunning architecture
showing a deaf baker how to make pastry and seeing how quickly he got it 
how everyone jumps to help when someone drops their load off a motorbike - whether it's altruistic or just to clear the way is unimportant
the strangers who smile when I practice my creaky Vietnamese
coconut kem (ice cream)
eating essence of water bug in my pho cuon dipping sauce
being able to wear whatever you want and not be worried about looking like a dick
being old in this country rocks - just call me chi
watermelon that is tasty sweet and juicy - ditto for pineapple
fresh herbs with everything
West Lake, Hoan Kiem Lake - especially at night
drinking at the bia hoi with Mr Hung in a busy intersection of the Old Quarter watching the world go by
being able to live on $10 a day - that includes eating out

to be continued.......

I had no work today so I went for a walk.  It's cold now so the swan boats are all tethered till things warm up.

swans with the crest of a chicken?