Bellydance in Vietnam

Not what expect in Vietnam, and yet, my wife found it. In fact, she found the only troupe, Bastet Douat (Worshippers of Bastet), begun by Ara Huang, a Korean-born dancer, who single-handedly brought the art-form to Vietnam. Ara is very enthusiastic, and excited to learn new material, as are her students. Twelve showed up for my wife's impromptu workshop in the afternoon.

In fact, Bastet Douat (and my wife) performed that evening at 1001 Nights at 28 Dao Duy Tu. The restaurant looks like a small coffee shop, but has a surprise second floor performance venue decorated in the Casbah style, with thick rugs, cushions, low tables, fabric draped from the ceiling, and large water pipes (hooka, shisha) to complete the picture. I'll post photos on our return (missing the necessary cord), but the dancers were quite good, dancing choreographies in the Egyptian style, and everyone had a great time.

There is a curfew for businesses of midnight, and this was my first time out past midnight in Hanoi. So it is appropriate that it was also our first time trying street food. Wonton soup, no ill effects. The funny thing is that the business did in fact stay open past 12 a.m. However, they closed up the front to be less apparent to patrols. Out of sight, out of mind. As long as businesses "respect" the curfews, i.e. do not openly flout the rules, they can stay open as late as they want. This has led to a tradition of lock-ins at popular bars. The proprietor closes doors at midnight, but the party goes on.

One of the fun parts of the evening was spending time in the company of so many polyglots. I speak Chinese passably and my French is rusty but serviceable (though my German while never good, has shriveled up and died), but many folks at the table spoke at least two languages with conversational fluency or better. One spoke four tongues with ease (English, Greek, French, and Vietnamese). Amazing ability, due of a combination of circumstances of birth, necessity in life and work, and a desire to communicate at at high level. I think this last is what makes the difference as an adult (children pick up languages without thinking). Many people spend years working in foreign lands without ever learning how to speak to people who live there.

Continuing my tradition of misreading maps ("Surely we're going south. I'm certain of it."), we got as far north as Dong Xuan market before finding our bearings, and turned around. It is amazing how fast you can cover distance without people in the way. Saturday night in Hanoi doesn't spill out into the streets late (unlike New York). Just a few families and friends sharing a drink or a cigarette on the stoop, garbage collectors, and folks going home. Made it back in record time.