Morning. 

Two things.

We are in the middle of the mid-autumn festival.  I’ve read about it and expect the streets of pop up shops, kids toys and general junkies, and then stages filled with traditional dance and performance.  Well, there was a lot of little pop ups fulfilling the expectation, but the performance . . . . Julia was in heaven!  The stage that we were close to (and there are at least three stages) was a performance contest with singers and back up dancers doing a version of K-pop. Julia loves, loves, loves K-Pop.  And excuse me if I am unaware of a vibrant V-pop industry, but my information about pop music in general is from Julia.  Perhaps now, I will hear more V-pop during our days.

The music and performances were fun.  It took us awhile to find the right perch to see it from and when we did, we found screaming girls and young people who were singing along with some of the singers.  

So . . . so far, we’ve found karaoke in Hanoi and now k-pop.  This is an unexpected journey.

This morning we are eating in a very western restaurant that I found through my travel Vietnam Facebook group.  I should have taken pictures.  I had a very healthy avocado toast, Julia pancakes, eggs and bacon, and Ed something like chili with poached eggs on top.  It was what we all wanted after the unfamiliar food of traveling.  I love the pho and noodles and pastries that we’ve been eating, even the VN pancakes, but at some point, at least for me, the longing for some familiar sets in.  I asked the Facebook Vietnam travel group and I got some unpleasant responses—some catty, some longing for VN food and critical that I wanted to eat western.  Someone mentioned Lifted (101 Hang Ga St Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi Vietnam), for brunch. 

Yum.  Very good!