"One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires"

"But Kelsey, its like Vietnamese people in America saying 'I can't believe they didn't decorate for Tet.' " - Bayley

I had been complaining that there was a serious lack of Halloween in Ha Noi. I mean, Japan has embraced the spooky fun, why not Vietnam? I think the Vietnamese would love having a reason to dress up. But my belief that Halloween would be willingly embraced does not make it happen, and as such we've had 90 degree weather with humidity and not a single cobweb, skeleton, ghost, pumpkin or scarecrow in sight. (By the way, Cairo has also made the effort and embraced Halloween, I can attest to this) This has made me a little nostalgic and more self-aware because now I know how much I actually appreciate this holiday previously believed to be a random excuse to indulge my energy and want for candy. Benay and Ann both reminded me of my Dorothy costume days (junior year in high school through senior year of college) and how much zeal I had for trick or treating and haunted houses all around.

Anyways, Hanoi must've heard my complaints because yesterday we got some serious Halloween weather.

As I bemoaned to Judith, I am the type of person who is NEVER prepared and NEVER has it together. No, I'm on time and usually know where my keys, walley and ipod are, but I'm never the person with the organized purse, advil, lip gloss, extra money, umbrella and band aid at the ready at all times. People I know who ARE like this? Mainly Emily and Judith. But I am especially this way with the weather. Maybe it's the years of growing up never having to check the weather or change my attire based on temperatures or weather patterns, I don't know. All I do know is that I never use my umbrella, I ALWAYS make the WRONG shoe choice for the weather, I never have a coat and generally the weather and me just go wrong.

Let me give you an example: Sophomore year of college, constantly chose my rainbows when it was raining or still wet. Always a bad idea and I always knew it, I just didn't even think about it until I was outside slipping everywhere and without time to go back to change. So Sophomore year one day I slipped and wiped out on the bricks in front of Village B, leaving me with a 1.5 inch scar on my knee. Map was with me, he helped me limp to my 2nd of 3 classes with blood dripping down my leg.

Another example? Our stormy Halloween yesterday. Now while Jackie and Judith have galoshes, I do not. I did not even bring a raincoat to "rainy" Vietnam. What was I thinking?? But continuing on, I come downstairs in the morning and decide today is a good day to wear my black Jack Purcell's (the thin flat sneakers that are little more than one piece of fabric stiched together with a slice of rubber) because I'm not going to the gym afterwards. I roll my bike out of the garage only to find that it's wet and raining slightly. I put on my poncho (I DID buy that here, a great accomplishment for me) and my helmet and journeyed off. Now, I don't know about you, but I am not accustomed to water running all down my face and in my eyes, nose and mouth except when I am a) swimming b) surfing or c) in the shower. But yesterday morning, I had a full on 35 minute face wash. Complete with my glasses getting doused with water constantly and fogging up with cascades of water. I could not figure out why I was getting so much wetter than my Vietnamese co-commuters but then was distracted by the chutes of water running off my poncho onto my socks and shoes. OH! Did I also mention that I chose to wear Jackie's cute black skirt that rides all the way up my thigh when I drive? Yeah. Around Hanoi Towers I check if my lame poncho has a visor, like everyone else I see. It does, it was flipped up under my helmet. I fix this, only to have the light turn green and have to go before I clasp the helmet. At the next light, barely able to grip the accelerator and hand brake because my hands and the handles are SO WET, I decide my glasses are actually hampering my vision because of the water and take them off. Again, green light. So I end up holding them in my right hand (Horrible call on my part) and causing myself even more trouble accelerating and braking. So here I am, helmet not attached, glasses in occupied hand, wet slippery shoes with no traction shifting and braking, water streaming down my face and legs, careening through the busy streets of Hanoi trying not to die.

And at lunch I walked to Old Quarter in my sandals because my sneakers and socks were still soaking and found upon my return that nasty crap from the street had splattered all over my legs and the back of Jackie's black skirt.

And that was the worst part of my Halloween. But it was a change from the normal, which to be fair, I was craving. After work was comprised of dinner and a movie and a trip to GLoria Jean's where they had 4 skeletons and devil horns for the employees.

Happy Halloween Vietnam.