The Mighty Quynh

Uh, yeah, what it says. Dad booked our flights to Vietnam for February (Têt celebrations). Since I’ve been wanting to get laser eye surgery for a long time and I’ve been crappy about prioritization until recently, I’m now making it my goal to have it done before the trip.

This is going to cost a lot and I have precious little time to save. Death and birthdays are the only thing I’m going out for in order to save money. I’m not budging on that… Mostly.

And in related news, NY Times had an article on the traffic in Hanoi (my co-favorite city, next to Madrid). The traffic is pretty brutal, but you get the hang of crossing the street pretty quickly. There is a method, and traffic goes kind of slow in truth. I remember being on a highway at night where policemen simply stepped in front of traffic to pull vehicles over. This was not a road in the city, but a large (for Vietnam) highway. The congestion and low speed limits allow for this kind of stuff.

I find crossing certain streets in Amsterdam more difficult. It’s a real life version of Frogger where you have to contend with the tram lane, car lane, and bike lane, each with its own pace. The bicycles are the most dangerous by far, of course.