Saturday, April 17, 2010

Roses and China

We bought flowers again, on the same day. Keisuke got home with a big bunch of red roses. I think he really loves me. Or roses where on sale. Or both.

Tomorrow I am leaving for two weeks of work in China, the longest I have ever stayed away from my family. I will miss them terribly, but have also promised myself to really, really enjoy full nights sleep and being able to do what I want to do, when I want to and as long as I want to. And then, work, too, of course.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Fishing and frog hunting

Yesterday Kai brought three friends home after school and mummy was really busy serving them all with snack and juice and trying to keep all happy and fights to a minimum. For some reason there were hundreds of tiny, tiny frogs jumping around the garden and going frog hunting turned out to be a success. Fishing anohter, but not from the pond luckily. Afterwards we released all frogs back into "nature" again.

Frog hunting.

Hana, Kai, Hosea, Elliot and Yuuki.

Yuuki's baby sister Chi-chan also came along but decided to stay inside with her mum.

Black board

The latest change at home is the new kitchen wall black board. Kai and I painted it together the other day and it is now really popular, with friends visiting or every day after dinner.

Monday, April 12, 2010

The communist electricity bill

Every month, the electricity bill lady comes to collect the money and to hand over the invoice. Normally it is about the same amount, but as soon as it gets warmer, or colder, or more humid, and we start using aircon or heating or keep the dehumidifiers running a lot, it goes up up up.
And no wonder, because the more you use, the more expensive every KwH gets, following some "the more you can afford to use, the more you are paying" kind of great communist logic.

(then I check websites like this one out, and dont really think everything is that great at all)

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Lazy Saturday morning

This morning kids slept until 7.30. Then they went downstairs. By themselves. It took only about three minutes until someone shouted papaaaaaaaa, but still... might this be the start of something new?!

Then, I can hardly believe it, but the figs on the neighbour's tree are almost ripe again. This tree must be a mutation. Imagine if they were edible.
.

Friday, April 9, 2010

... as you are so ugly

In Vietnam, there are so many things you can't say, or do. Like complain, or get angry. A smile can mean friendliness, as well as anger, or shame. In so many senses it is a very "high context" society where a lot of signs and hints and double meanings constantly have to be read. For most of the time I have no clue.

Then, when it comes to looks and shapes of people, it is totally ok to be as direct as can be. As our former helper said to me when I met her in the store after a couple of months. "Anna, you look nice. You are fatter." Or as the colleague of an aquaintance of ours told her: "Your kids are so cute. So strange, as you are so ugly." Really, what do you reply to that... with a smile?

Busy restaurant kitchen. And it's got absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the post.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter brunch and påskkäringar

In Hanoi easter passes completely unnoticed and we had actually forgotten all about it as well. Until travelling aunt Anita reminded us (also informing she and uncle Arne would arrive on Good Friday) and our Swedish friend Jenny invited us to easter brunch, including kids egg hunt. We even dressed up Hana as påskkäring.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

By the lake

Lake side pic-nic, Hanoi style.

No shoes on the carpet!