Good morning Vietnam

It's a bright, clear morning in Hanoi and I'm letting my husband sleep in on our first day of our honeymoon. Jeff pointed out to me yesterday that we're just shy of being married six months. I know we're not very traditional people, but I still can't believe it's taken us six months to get to the point where we have longer than a weekend to relax and celebrate this marriage. Yet considering how hard Jeff's worked these past 10 months and all that we've done to make this work, I feel like this is so much more than a honeymoon. This is a reward for all those months of separation, the sacrifices we made back home, all the long nights and weekends Jeff spent working, being good sports.

So my husband sleeps as this city wakes up. We're staying in the heart of Hanoi, right near the Hoan Kiem Lake, somewhere between the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. There's a parade marching past our window because, as luck would have it, we're here during Vietnam's National Day, marking 60 years of independence from France. Last night, as Jeff and I walked around the Hoan Kiem Lake, there were literally thousands of people out clogging the streets. Since we didn't know any better, Jeff and I thought that this must be an exceptionally busy night in a bustling city. But then we noticed really well-designed posters and banners commemorating the occasion. These posters are very cool, with typography and imagery that recall the Futurist movement, as well as old propoganda posters.

I want to go outside and see the parade now, so I'll continue this later.