Today's Random Update

It's been a busy week since coming back.  Long days at work, a bit of jet lag, getting back into a routine and karaoke!  (I'll get to that later).

With so much going on, I'm afraid I've been deficient in posting this week, but it's not for lack of material.  To compensate, this morning's blog will feature a couple of things I had intended to write about during the week, but never got the chance.

First off, Thursday morning's breakfast.  Chi, being her usual incredibly thoughtful and generous self, brought breakfast to the office.  It looked like a brain had been set on my desk, but after a quick bite, I realized it wasn't. 

It's actually banh bao, which literally means "covering cake", and is appropriate since it's a white, doughy dumpling surrounding whatever's inside. 

In this case, pork, egg and vermicelli noodles were tucked inside.  And, yes, it was delicious.

I actually think we've had something like these before while passing through the Bangkok Airport.  In the lounge there, they have the same white dumplings, though smaller, with a sweet pumpkin filling.  And anyone who knows me knows how much I like anything "pumpkin", and I think they're especially good.

So that was breakfast.

On Friday afternoon, we decided we needed something sweet to eat after lunch.  There's usually quite a smorgasboard available from the fruit ladies who line Xuan Dieu midday, so we had lots to choose from. 

We decided on pineapple today.  It's probably the fruit you see most frequently for sale on the street. 

Those for sale streetside are of the "mini" variety, however, and are about the size of a mini-smurf football.

As you can see, she has quite a few to choose from. 

Once you make your selection, she takes her handy machete and then shaves off the peeling.  Better still, she then craftily cuts out all those annoying divots that pineapples have and, in the process, creates these little yellow works of art.

Afterward, she bag's 'em up and away you go, amazing sweetness in a plastic bag!

Ok, it's Saturday morning and that means I've got to get to the office.  It's a work day here, you know!  :o/