Things we take for granted (in no particular order)

1. Fresh, clean water
2. Books
3. Education
4. Running water
5. Organized, safe traffic
6. Relatively low pollution
7. My husband (Richard)
8. Our iPods, iPads, iPhones etc (Jed)
9. Money (Leo)
10. Good roads
11. Comfy beds
12. Access to health care
13. The opportunity to travel and see the world
14. Our dog Chops (Jed)
15. Our family
16. Each other
17. Friends
18. Lots and lots and lots of other things

No resolutions, folks, but we are going to try to be more grateful for lots of things in our lives.
Happy New Year!!!!
Love you to the moon and back.........

Keep your hands on your Dong

When our friends from Bali arrived in Hanoi they were told there was a wave of petty crime in the city and instructed to keep their hands on their dong at all times. The were awfully relieved to find that dong is the currency in Vietnam. Nevertheless it did become our catch cry during our time in Hanoi.
We were warned about petty crime too but were not subject to any scams or theft. Apart from a few cranky old ladies (let's face it you can find then anywhere) Vietnamese people were welcoming, friendly, helpful and patient with us. When we tried to order food or cross the street people always did their best to accommodate us. When I was out by myself and trying to cross particularly busy roads I would suction myself onto a group of locals and step out onto the road with them with a look of calm and confidence that belied my inner terror. They would kindly ignore me and sweep me along with them or give me a small protective nod or smile.
Our last day was spent with Jed and Rich heading off to the military museum this morning and then we hit the streets with our friends for a last farewell Hanoi street food hit.
Thankfully, after a safe and happy time, we left the city a little more relaxed about our dong than when we'd first arrived.