Things Overheard at Caravelle

Last night, Russell (my mom's former professor colleague), took me, Emily, and his Vietnamese friend, Vinh, out for a drink at Caravelle, a hotel that can best be described as the Gansevort of Vietnam. Over a cocktail on the 9th floor roof deck (while small women wearing very short red dresses serenaded us to American songs), we learned the following:

• The owner of our hotel is the current judge on Vietnam idol. This is especially awesome for me because there is a piano in the lobby that I can play while waiting for breakfast
• Most streets in Ho Chi Minh are named for people who expelled foreigners
• "Em" means either "child" or "loved one" depending on the context
• Vinh's favorite American artists are Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Jessica Simpson, and The Beatles
• Food to try while we're here (or more specifically food I will try while Emily sticks to her daily loaf of bread): Ca Kho - fish cooked in fish sauce in a clay pot, Canh Chua - hot pot with fish or chicken, and of course, the local staple, pho (pronounced fe).