(PICTURE: I started off on Doi Can. Then I moved a little east. Then I was near Dong Da Lake towards the south of this map. Now though, I'm totally off the map.)
As I mentioned the other day, Huyen and I had to move to a new apartment for our last month in Hanoi. For those keeping score at home, this is the SIXTH neighborhood I've lived in in Hanoi. Sure, I've lived in some longer than others (two weeks, three months, one year, one week, one year and one month respectively) but they've all been quite different. This new neighborhood is pretty cool. I've got a small lake right outside my front door which is surrounded by cafe (the drawback of this being a lot of mosquitoes). This area of town is also known for its hair salons. There's literally about twenty in the alleys surrounding my place. There's also a little market and some good food stands to explore in the mornings. It's also right near my gym which means I've got no excuses to not work out my last month here.
It's funny but I'm now living on more or less the edge of Hanoi. My street isn't even on some Hanoi maps. I remember a couple years ago, I met some people who lived basically where I'm living. I remember thinking, "Why the hell would you live so far from the center?" Well, I now get it. It's kind of cool being in a totally random neighborhood. It feels, well, like the real city.
