In Which I Make an Acquisition

Actually, I've done more than just shop in the last day and a half. That's just the most exciting thing.

This afternoon, we arrived in Hoi An (cute, relatively small, too many tourists and 300 tailor shops). After a very late lunch and a brief stroll around the old quarter, I wandered into a tailor shop. Okay, that makes it sound casual. Our tour leader took us to her preferred shop and explained that they normally gave her a kickback, but that she'd be giving it back to us. I kind of believe her.

Anyway, in about an hour or so, I got measured and photographed (clothed) and picked out fabric for a suit (Italian wool cashmere blend), coat and two shirts (Egyptian cotton, because I was too cheap to spring for Italian cotton). All of these tailor made clothes will set me back less than $300 and will be ready for fitting tomorrow at noon. If only I still had a life that required suits...

Morning in Hue was good. A little bittersweet, maybe. We took a tour of the royal compound, complete with Vietnam's Forbidden City. Unfortunately, 90% of the buildings were bombed during the war, so the Forbidden City exists only as a scale model.

We're staying in Hoi An a bit longer than necessary (3 nights in Hoi An, compared to 2 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). I'm not complaining, though: not only do I want to give the tailor sufficient time, but this is apparently a great place for cooking classes, and I'd love to learn how to make pho and fresh spring rolls. I imagine that in my new life as a graduate student living on a fixed income, I will actually spend some time cooking something other than cocktail party fare...