18 October

    

On a modern terrace in the heart of Hanoi, we take a breather from the past week in the bush in the studio of Tung. Our view is in such electricity-node again, you see everywhere in Vietnam.
On top of it are the speakers that offers us the familiar communist glee.
The community antenna is placed just on a little roof of a house. Radiation danger? No problem!
On the terrace the sockets are directly fed from the street pole. It really looks like tapping electricity.
The drink we take is okay, but not very terrific. At the other side of the street one squeezes juice from cane. This happens at many, many places. The iced juice tastes ever so much better. You can buy it for 10.000 Vietnamese Dong; twenty-five eurocents!

19 – 20 October

We are really recovering from the first week. In a kind of old-fashioned pub with classic rock music, we are drinking a delicious ice coffee.

 

At the 20th of October Tung drops by very unexpectedly at our hotel and invites us for a beer at 11.00 AM! He brought an acquaintance and someone we met before at the studio.
Very cosy; we saw another and brightened Tung. Refreshing!

21 October

The last night we were asked to relocate in the hotel. There is a double booking. No problem; the new room is much cheaper.

                                                       

But it’s no more than a strapping broom cupboard. We lack the view, the little fridge and the shower is washing over the toilet. Very clever, but we will get used to it quickly. And cleaning the bum we do with water, all the Vietnamese way! That’s great; we also will do it at home this way.

At the airport of HCMC we are waiting for our luggage. Clothes and art are both just transported. No control at all and there is a lot of rust and iron in it. Evidently no reason for superstition. Going to Hăn and Tù!!

22 October

At Hăn and Tù’s place its’ very cramped. We are sitting like real elephants at a little table.
There’s only one boiling ring and a very small kitchen, but the cooking is marvelous. Every day we are eating three times tasting something new. A real treat!

              

In the house of Tù also his brother and a nephew are living in. Hăn lives in her own apartment together with two friends. We are not assumed to go and visit her; it’s not necessary because we share much time together.