The Home Depot

Since my week's have been getting busier, I thought I'd go back through old pictures I've taken, but haven't yet had a chance to post.  Often I'll be out and about and just snap a quick photo of something in passing, not really having any idea how it might fit into the blog.  So today's posting theme is "home repair" and consists of some random shots I've taken over the last few months.

Where home repair (and retailing in general is concerned), Vietnam is still 40 years behind (and that's not necessarily a bad thing).  The vast majority of business is done in mom and pop shops, usually run out of the first floor of their own homes.  There aren't any big box stores to speak of (with the exception of "Big C" which looks like a Costco, except tackier - Sam's Club, maybe?).  Even the FiviMart Grocery store is only about the size of a 1970s super market (not that I'm old enough to know what one of those might have looked like).

So it's always interesting to walk down the street and look inside at the various businesses which line the road.  There seem to be an inordinate number of "home repair"-type businesses, several of which can be found here in Tay Ho.  They're the equivalent of the Vietnamese Home Depot.  Same, same, but different!

Good luck finding a #6-1 5/8 inch coarse phosphate-plated steel bugle-head phillips drywall screw in there!

Of course, buying something here means you've got to get your purchase home.  And that leads to this:

And this:

And this:

Can anyone say "home delivery"?

Tonight I'm attending Ms Hoa's going away party (she's moving to the Netherland's to get her Master's Degree next month).  Hopefully I'll have good stories and none of which will involve karaoke!