You could say it's really a village in here and we feel like we are starting to be part of it. This morning, Sunday morning we went down for a coffee with the 'ladies' who sit at the front door way of the alley on this day. We have been slowly getting to know everyone over the past few weeks and they are getting to know us. We have been surviving on the small amount of Vietnamese we know, Phil knows WAY more than me since he was keen and took some lessons early on.
They wanted to know where we work and where we were from. We showed them pictures of the girls and they told us how old they were and how old their children were. Below is a picture of Phil sitting with his coffee. Beside him is a disabled woman who lives in the alley and often sits at the entry way. Usually very quiet but will say hello if you say hello to her.
Then Ms Nga, who speaks English and lives next door to us is the next house, popped in for a juice. She started translating and the questions started! So now they know most of the answers to the questions they were wondering about. The lady in front of Phil to his right told us the story of her husband being killed when a bomb exploded in the park across the road, that was in 1967. That is amazing thinking of it being so close to where we live. We aren't sure how she then ended up with a daughter born in 1975?
This is her daughter...I've been trying to get a photo of her for a couple of days because her hair was never right...etc....sounds familiar? She speaks a little English so has been very useful as a rule.
Below is a picture of the set up from the breakfast/lunch restaurant the usually starts the day off every other day of the week. They usually have a few people lined up along the alley on stainless steel tables with plastic chairs.
They cook a number of things, fish and pork with some soups on offer as well.
This is the disabled guy below cooking the breakfast food, quite a popular place, there are usually around 10 or so people eating when I got through at around 9am. In the wok on the left are whole fish being cooked. He's married to the lady in the picture above who had to have her hair right for the picture.
Then there is the lunch restaurant. Set up below
And one of the many children that hang out during the day with their Mums.
and finally
the night restaurant.
These are all run by different families but all using the same space...it's quite an enterprise!
There is also a shop, of course, in the alley. It sells most things including phone recharge cards for our mobiles...nice and easy to get at most times of the day. Pretty well just at someone's front door.
We also have people who wander into the alley and call out with what they have to sell. I have seen a knife sharpening guy down the alley, a bread lady and unsure what this lady was selling today from her bicycle.
And the one below has some soup and tea and things for sale. People can just walk out of their houses and buy whatever she is selling. She will sit there for awhile.
Some people don't have much space to live, this Mum and baby are usually sitting on the concrete floor here of a day or on the step. You can see a bed to the right of the door as well where the kids are often laying and playing. Gather there are some rooms upstairs.
So the little guy can do high 5's and low 5's and was doing them with Phil.
The cream painted room in the middle of the picture below is where one family lives, Mum, Dad and 2 children. It is just 1 room and they are always hanging out there. The balcony has a wash stand, so a private bathroom for them. I imagine this is their area and the rest of the family lives downstairs as well. Fairly commonplace situation.
This is a shot from the street, we live after the red building. The lady in the orange with the hat sitting down on the footpath is our rubbish lady. She gathers up everyone's rubbish all day long and puts it in the orange bins on wheels.
So this is Phil looking....fabulous? Modelling for you in front of our front door. We have an electronic key to roll up the front roller door every time we go out and in. Guess it keeps things safe.
So during the day the preparation begins for the night time restaurant that gets set up on the front footpath in front of the alley. The girls are starting to do the prep below.
The kitchen is very busy of a night, this is what we pass every night on the way out.
Looking the other way. It's tiny but they put out a LOT of food, it's a VERY popular restuarant.
This is one of our favourite girls, she so cheeky.
And the last little one who missed out on a photo which I presented to everyone else but her...just went down tonight and got this so I can give her a photo too!
The boys spend their time hanging out in the cool of the alley while all the excitement is happening. This is one of the Grandads of the alley.
Finally us enjoying the food, BEST FRIED RICE we've ever eaten...I know big thing to say!
This is the main waitress at the restuarant, she's just lovely, but really switched on.
This is the motorbike guy, he wants to marry Hannah since he's seen her photo. He takes the motorbikes from the customers and parks them...for a fee. They are parked all the way up the alley, sometimes we can hardly get in the door for bikes!
So....that is our life in the Alley at 96 Le Lai...feel like we belong!
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