Millionaires & Movie Stars

Have you ever wondered what a million dollars looks like? 

Well, it looks like THIS:

Okay, so it's not a million DOLLARS, per say, but it's really fun to say things like:

 "I have a million dollars in my hand!" and "We are MILLIONAIRES!!!" 

The currency in Vietnam is "Dong." 

(Please tell the 12 year old boy living inside your head to stop giggling so loud) 

It's pronounced "Dom." While a million dong sounds like a lot of fun--and it fun to say--it's only $50 US. A little goes a long way here, but I can promise that you won't see us buying any Rolls Royce's with this kind of cash anytime soon. 

I'd like to buy a hotel on the Boardwalk AND Park Place!

I think it looks a bit like Monopoly money....don't you?

Today was our second day of work. It was pretty uneventful, just a few meetings, briefings and such, which was fun because we had the opportunity to meet more interesting people at the Embassy. The highlight of the day was going to lunch with my new colleagues. We went to a....Japanese restaurant(I swear, I will have Vietnamese food one day!) and I had a sushi lunchbox which was 80% decent and 20% questionable. As we were leaving the restaurant, one of the waitresses came up to me and said "you look.....look like....like....like Britney Spears!"

WHAT.

I smiled and said thank you and walked out. I told my colleagues outside what they said and they laughed. Apparently, all blondes look the same. I am thinking that anyway....It must be the hair....

but just for funsies, I took a picture to compare:

This is me in my new office. The fluorescent lights do NOTHING for me.

My assistant V gave me a lanyard made in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City to hold my badge. 

She is so sweet and has so much energy! I am going to have a lot of fun with her.

I digress, back to Britney....

As you can see.....

Britney and I have similar hair....and that's it. 

I told this story to another colleague at the Embassy and she was surprised that the waitress didn't ask me to take a picture with her. Apparently this happens a lot, especially with blonde or curly haired people. We will see how long I am here before that happens. You know I will keep you posted!

That's all for now! We are slowly overcoming jet lag(slept in until 5:30 today--wheee!), we love our apartment and new colleagues, and we are slowly getting used to the madness that is Ha Noi. You will see when you come visit(hint, hint), it's a beautiful bunch of crazy.