Good news

Martin just called and said the ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow at 3 p.m. (That's Wednesday - I think we're a day ahead of the U.S.) So, he wants us to be ready to go out the door at 12:40 in the hotel lobby. That's easy for him to say. Everytime we go down there Max eyes the jewelry store and the ring. Today, he thought perhaps the man would go down to two. Two what, we ask?

After Martin called, I immediately went to get the diaper bag ready. What shall our little Princess of Peace wear for her big ceremony? I've heard that there's often not time enough to put the babies into the cute little outfits that we've picked out for them to wear, but in the off chance that there is, I've selected not one, not two but THREE outfits. Not to sound too Bergdorf Blondes about it but the truth is I don't know how big she is or what size she is wearing.

My number one outfit is an adorable Baby Gap white dress with colorful animals embroidered around the hem. Remember that one, dear sister Annie? It's a hand-me-down from my Sassy Seattle niece Sophie from years ago. One I found in a box you sent me for Max before we knew s/he was a boy. I know I should have returned it to you after you had Hattie (my new niece who was born in January and will be kissing cousins with Baby Girl McCall) but I liked it so much I didn't. Isn't that awful? Well, you still have my crib mobile... Sisters.

By the way, the diaper bag we will be sporting is a lovely striped one from the Fleurville collection, makers of top-of-the-line baby gear. Not only is it snappy, it's cleverly designed and spit-up proof. In addition, it's made by my dear friends, Steve and Catherine Granville so I thought I'd put a plug in for their company. Not to mention the link to their awesome collection of baby bags. www.fleurville.com. It's the least I could do considering they gave me a free bag! In all truth, I always carried one with Max and found it to be just perfect. I like things that can be cleaned easily.

I've stuffed the diaper bag with the three outfits (all light crispy cotton b/c it's so bloody hot), diapers (I'm hoping stage 2 swaddlers by Pampers will work), two bottles, some bottled water, wipes, two cloth diapers, bibs and a pacifier. Oh, and the little stuffed puppy dog my sister Suzy gave Max to give his sister when he meets her. I'm sure I'm forgetting something and will soon find out tomorrow.

Gift bags are wrapped and ready to go so now we just wait. This is becoming a familiar theme here in Hanoi, no?
Actually, I think we've been making excellent use of our time. This morning, we went to the Museum of Ethnology on the outskirts of town. It's a fascinating museum, highlighting the dozens of ethnic peoples in Vietnam, who for lack of a better description are akin to our native Americans or the Maoris in New Zealand or the aborigines in Australia. Many of the ethnic people here are familiar to us from our visits to the Hill Tribes in northern Thailand, like the Hmong and Lao people. They live in the hills of northern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and parts of China. Unlike most of the world, they don't recognize arbitrary borders made by countries.

They have very simple lifestyles and make amazing textiles. Like, I want one of everything. The older and more antique the better. One could walk around the outside of the museum to explore the "outdoor display" of replications of their villages and huts. It was fascinating and we could have stayed longer if it wasn't so bloody hot. I'm glad we're doing some of these touristy things now b/c I don't know how much heat the baby is going to tolerate. Then again, she's never known air-conditioning....

Tom and I were both blown away by the displays regarding the Communist times from the early 70s to late 80s. People lived on rations and were given coupons to obtain things. They had live video footage of an elderly woman who described her apartment. They had a two rooms that she shared with her husband, mother in law, son and his wife and other son. In addition, it was not uncommon for city dwellers to also have pigs and chickens in their apartments for extra food sources. And this family considered themselves lucky! Jam, cigarettes, and MSG were only occasional luxuries. The glimpse into these lean times made us really appreciate the good life we have living in America and I'm not a flag-waving patriot but I will say I sure am glad to be an American. Even today, the red flag with a bright yellow star on it waves everywhere. Not sure how the Socialist regime affects daily life because things sure do seem to lean towards capitalism from my narrow perspective.

Anyway, we also happened upon a water puppet show which is a wonderful thing and Max just loved it. Picture four guys who are invisible behind a bamboo screen, manipulating brightly colored wooden puppets with bamboo poles into stories and old tales. Lots of loud music and I don't know what was harder to understand = the Vietnamese version or the English translation. We also happened on a children's science/discovery room but sadly, we didn't find that til it was 15 minutes before closing. Max made a few ink prints with wooden blocks but we didn't have time to do anymore.

Note to families who are awaiting travel and will be traveling with toddlers: the children's discovery center is open from 8:30 to 11:30 only. Afternoons it's closed. Also, do not go in the heat of the day. Go early. It's a wonderful place to take children, a bit of a hike out of downtown Hanoi - near the West Lake area - but well worth the haul. There are several water puppet shows a day and kids can even try doing the water puppets in a miniature theater with different animals on poles. Max fell in love with the fish and we ended up spending $35 (a fortune in Vietnam!!!!!) to buy him one at the museum's craft store. It's his big souvenir from the trip and we were feeling a bit soft.

And a note to shoppers: the museum store is a wonderful place to shop. Very reasonable prices though no bargaining and very nice quality objets. In other words, a nice gem amidst the sea of crap along the streets of Hanoi. The store is called Craft Link and its' great for shoppers, like me, with a conscience. It's a not for profit organization seeking new markets for traditional artisans. There's another location near the Temple of Literature at 43 Vanmieu Street. I plan to dash over there in the morning before we leave to get our baby. I'm trying to get most of our Christmas shopping done while we're here which is why I packed an empty duffel. I think now I should have brought two.... I hope my little girl is a shopper just like Mommy.

After the museum, we decided to have a nice lunch and went to where else but the Sofitel Metropole. I love that place. Too bad it's too cost prohibitive to stay in. It's also too much really to eat at too which I guess is why there are swarms of Japanese tourists there. I had fresh spring rolls (I think I've eaten them every day since I've landed in Indochina). They're very low fat and extremely refreshing in this oppressive heat. I was tempted to have the pineapple basil sorbet afterwards but was too full. Tom, Max and I raised our glasses to Donald and Michelle in honor of their recent engagement. I'll try to send a photo to you guys of that.

Max and Tom have just gone for a swim in the hotel pool. It's on the third floor and Max just loves it though the temperature makes Betty Crothers' pool seems like the Arctic. I think today was in the high 90s - and coupled with the humidity it's just a big fat sweatfest. It's little wonder the expats here take their vacations in the summer. Hanoi in the summer can be dusty, dirty and stinky hot but it's a city. For Asia, it's not bad but then again we hardly leave the French Quarter with occaional forays to the old part of town.

That's it for now, folks. Stay tuned for tomorrow when Baby Girl McCall gets a name. I'm figuring Tom and I will have two hours to work it out on the trip to the orphanage before meeting her......