Happy Birthday to my wife Hiền today. Here she is 34 years ago at the Saigon Zoo:
We had a party on our roof deck last Sunday night, inviting Hiền's cousins that live in Ho Chi Minh City. We brought in bún thịt nướng (barbequed pork strips), nem nướng (barbequed ground pork balls), and chả giò (deep fried spring rolls) from our favorite local street stand (as usual, noodlepie is the definitive source on Vietnamese food). We also brought in bia hoi (fresh beer) in a five-liter jug, and a variety of sodas. We set it all up on a fresh refrigerator cardboard carton (since our landlord just installed a new one).
The cousins all had a good time, and of course they spoke a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese all night, so I can't report much on the discussions.
The evening breezes on the roof deck make this the ideal place to be in the evening to cool off.
