Unashamedly Religious

In many parts of the West its rather taboo to express one's faith in public; so, it has been refreshing to see people here quietly go about expressing their faith in public, yet in an unobtrusive manner (except, perhaps, for the fire hazard of the mini bonfires which are lit on the sidewalk-as seen in the photo to the left) and without conflict between those practicing different faiths. Nearly every taxi cab driver has a statue of Buddha, Lady Buddha, Jesus or Mary on their dashboard. It easy to find people burning incense every morning and offering prayers for a successful day's business. And several nights a week its common to find people praying outside of the Notre Dame cathedral in the center of the city. What I find even more interesting is that many Western tourist take photos of these expressions of faith and somehow romanticize them, yet they can hardly stand public expressions of faith in their own countries.

Gourmet Foods from France!

Given France's colonial history in Vietnam, it isn't difficult to find French influence in many places around the city, as well as in many other parts of the country. And though I adore Vietnamese food, French is my favorite so I was pleasantly surprised to find a handful of gourmet groceries carrying amazing cheeses and other gourmet treats from Fauchon, imported from France! http://www.fauchon.com This month also happens to be "French month" at our local gourmet grocery, Annam Gourmet Market, which means free wine and cheese tastings every Saturday as well as specialty crepes and discounts on most French products. The best part... its about a 5 minute walk from our apartment.