Bizarre.

From my journal on May 19:

"Today can only be categorized as absolutely bizarre.

We rode another night train and arrived in Hanoi around 5:30 am - walked around the strangely empty city without motorbikes - stopped into a pagoda service and Catholic mass - wondered if the people realized that the hymn they sing sounds horribly mournful to Western ears - stopped in for some tai chi and communal street aerobics - encountered multiple towels that can only cover about one shoulder - had a very awkward lunch complete with fish body, skin, eyes, and extra eggs, as well as a few chicken heads - again was attempted to be set up with a random Vietnamese man at least thirty years old - started off on an innocent "walk" through the rice paddies that transformed into the need to take off my mud-soaked shoes and instead trek for a very very long time barefoot in the alternating sensations of squishy mud and sharply painful rocks - had another awkward meal in which the presence of French fries was more redeeming than ever before - participated in a "cultural exchange" where many singers graced us with their lovely tonal and entirely unintelligible vocal skills.

New favorite song: Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh!"