Playing Tourist

Obviously I schemed to make arrangements to run away to explore the city on my own. The friends sent a car for my use. After I strolled through the nostalgic and almost traditional prints of Nguyen Duc Loi's photographs and lingered at a gallery, I had time for a coffee and a 30-minute spot of shopping. It was very festive in the city, with the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and the city's celebration of 1000 years on 10 October 2010. All very auspicious.

The bamboo dragonfly which is perfectly balanced, is the ubiquitous souvenir from Vietnam. My office buys them in the dozens for our guests and clients. It's fun and colorful. There're plenty of those hanging precariously along the ledges of the cubicle walls, but never falling off. We've had enough I think. There's even a stash somewhere in the cabinets.

I've little interest in the lacquerware, ceramic, paintings and sorts. The silk and cotton stuff attract me. But I'm very particular about the shops I buy from. There is a huge difference in the handiwork and how delicate a embroidery pattern is. Not all products are hand-sewn. Strangely, alot of the cheaper ones are machine-made and roughly hewn. I'm not interested in browsing for cheap buys at the markets. There're table-cloths and table-runners, the sorts that I regularly stock up on.

For clothes, design is also imporant. I prefer a mix of traditionalist and modern. That's where the designers come in. I like Tan My and Khai Silk. I had earlier ordered jackets and dresses, so it's a breeze to come in for a final fitting before the shops send the final versions to the hotel. Quite painless.

I've forgotten about the silk sleeping bags that are so popular. I bought a number. I can think of so many friends who generally dislike hotel beds and always bring a sleeping bag wherever they go. This silk version is light and can add a tad of luxury anywhere. :D