Unexpected Downpour

Today is a free day for the group. I left the hotel around eight a.m. to try to find a notepad. The Old Quarter of Hanoi is much more peaceful in the early morning. I still had to make my way dodging people and motorbikes, but the constant honking was absent and I had room to breath. Then it started to rain. At first it was just a mist, but it quickly turned into a downpour. I had fun running between awnings, carefully planning my next move in an attempt to stay dry. I found a bookshop and bought a notepad, a couple of pens, a Vietnamese-English dictionary (~$1) and a bunch of Vietnamese children's books (~$2). I also found a luggage shop with a decent rolling duffel for about ten dollars. My luggage is nearly full and I can tell I will need the extra space soon.

Know One Teach One
We had dinner two nights ago at KOTO (Know One Teach One), a restaurant near the commercial district of Hanoi. Entering KOTO feels like stepping through the looking glass into a trendy Seattle restaurant. The difference is that all the labor at KOTO is done by street kids. The goal of the restaurant is to provide vocational training for disadvantaged youth and so that they will have the skills to work in high end restaurants anywhere in Vietnam. Look to the end of this post for pictures of our night at KOTO.

Getting the Word Out
Last night after dinner Roger and I spoke briefly about brainstorming ideas for marketing Kids First Vietnam more effectively. I think he would like to tap into the ideas behind open source and social networks. A quick search turned up change.org, a social network focused on improving the world. I will play around with it more when I get home, but it looks promising.