I’ve been reading through the PH forums and the Canon EOS 450D is now widely available in Manila 
looks like we even beat the release of the XSi in the US and pinoy dslr newbies and avid photographers are grabbing it off the shelves. I’ve also seen this being sold here in Vietnam but the Japan version, Kiss X2. Surprisingly, it’s more expensive here than what we have back home where it’s bundled already with a 1Gb SD card. Sounds like a good deal to me!
Aahh.. breathing mall air! at least we now get a bit of it from the newly opened Parkson Mall here in Hanoi. This opened around two weeks ago and it’s becoming popular for the Hanoians as more branded stuff come in to the city. I guess the only time we’ll be visiting Vincom Mall is to watch movies but for now, Parkson is the place to be. Saigon is still the shopping capital of Vietnam as you have the Diamond Plaza, Parkson, Zen and many more. But I’ll take what we have in Hanoi right now and once the family is here, we can do our malling duties but it’s going to be real quick since it’s a small place.
Nothing beats the Malls in Manila though as Parkson doesn’t have dedicated shops for each brand and it’s more of like our Rustan’s in the Philippines. Considering the price of real estate here in Vietnam, don’t expect Henry Sy to put up an SM here..
As usual, I was on window shopping mode only and they’ve got pretty good lines here such as Giordano, Lacoste and CK (soon to open), Geox, Ecco, Adidas, Nike, Roxy, Hush Puppies, etc. Not much for the kids though so we won’t be buying anything for kiddo here. Here are some more pictures inside and the foodcourt gives you quite a selection from Singapore, Thai, Japanese dishes and you get a good view of the busy streets too!
Aaah.. the sweet smell of a developing country is now more evident. Foreign investors keep coming in and the best way to take part of it is with the recent opening of PizzaHut in Hanoi.. Yey! One of my all-time faves back in my high school days with the Eat-All-You-Can craze! The wife and I actually had a couple of dates there sharing our bacon cheeseburger pizza and as always, I finish the pizza crust for her, we ordered our usual rootbeer and after that, it was back to conquering the mall! SM North Edsa pa lang ang uso dati eh.. hehe
PizzaHut has been around for quite some time especially in HCM. Thank goodness they’re not forgetting about our beloved Hanoi city. Kudos to the owners for.. a little plug-in.. “making it great”! I had to try it of course after being deprived of western food that I’m accustomed to eating back in the home country. The place had good ambience, clean and it’s actually the best PizzaHut I’ve seen for quite some time… well these are the things you would expect anyway for a newly opened resto.
The resto is modernly designed and the waiters can speak some English too just to make sure they get your order right. They serve more than pizza just like in the Philippines and now have different kinds of pasta, appetizers, soups, a bit of seafood and more!
Now what did I order?
This won’t be a regular weekend meal for sure
Xe May (ˈmō-tər-ˌbīk). This is now my official transportation here in Vietnam. I used to ride a Xe Om (motorbike taxi) but I just got tired of being a passenger in the mercy of an unknown driver. Not to mention the hassles of negotiating the fare and the inconvenience of finding one during late hours in the office.
I rented this bike in preparation for Tet last February since I anticipated public transport would be scarce. Anh Loc and I went to a place inside the Old Quarters and I got a good deal for a Yamaha Nouvo! It’s fully automatic and I’m used to riding one by being a passenger for 6 months! I was initially going to get a SYM Atilla which was a typical scooter here but the Nouvo was just too good to pass up. Got a good price for it since I’ve rented it for 3 months and it now takes me anywhere within Hanoi Have Helmet, will Travel!
I remembered the first time I drove a motorbike and it was a small scooter back in Taiwan. My A-ma (grandma) let me drive it by myself on the streets and I remember her smiling as I drove away. Take note that this was way back in the late 80s or early 90s (couldn’t remember) and I only circled one block and almost threw myself off the bike by hitting the brakes too hard on the intersection. It was scary but exciting. Hyew! That was the last time I rode a two-wheeled motorized vehicle…
..until now! Thanks to some lessons from Anh Loc, I’m officially a biker in the busy, chaotic streets of Vietnam Within just two hours of practicing –how to zigzag, accelerate, emergency brakes, turning while leaning, small u-turn.. I graduated with honors..at least I thought so. Safety is still the top priority — Helmets on, side mirrors aligned, check the brakes and off we go! Some interesting things you can do or see on the streets of Hanoi that I normally wouldn’t be able to without my trusty Xe May..
…Books on the streets
…Cows on the streets (moo!)
..I finally found Nan1 HA!
..National Heroes monument. It’s awesome at night.
..Kids after school.. uuuy.. HHWWPSSP!
..getting a new badminton racket.. with free string!
..Teens hanging out at night with their bikes. Yes, they were in front of me during a stoplight in an intersection.
..nuff said.. if Brad and Angelina rides a Nouvo.. that’s the bike for me!
The only way to get around and experience Vietnam is through a motorbike.. I’m glad I finally got to drive one myself and like I said in my previous posts.. I’ve been converted
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