Alice in Wonderland

- Is your name Alice, like "Alice in Wonderland"? ...And your name Michelle, like in the song "Michelle"?

These were my questions to Elise and Michelle on the day we had Mắm hotpot (of course, "Elise" is not "Alice", but "Michelle" is exactly "Michelle" in the Beatles' song). And just few days after, i had a chance to watch the movie with our group at Cafe "Lối Về"...

That was a nice evening as we met some new interesting friends. Vinh took his wife there also, a graceful lady. We met Max's friends from Couch Surfing (a volunteer-based worldwide network connecting travelers with members of local communities, who offer free accommodation and/or advice, similar to Hospitality Club), Tâm and Nans. "Minh Tâm", her name, means "bright heart" in old Chinese-Vietnamese, and she is really shining, with her cheerful smile and heart. It was such a synchronicity that she remembered we had met before in a magazine shop where she works in the morning as a part-time job.

Nans is from Toulouse, France. He has come to Vietnam to visit his girlfriend in Hanoi and has been travelling slowly throughout our country since last December, by hitchhiking, canoeing along the coast line and bicycling! He has interesting stories along the journey, meeting many people from Couch Surfing. We were impressed that he could differentiate between Vietnamese North and South's accents as he recognized Nhung's voice from the North...

I quite enjoyed the movie. Another coincidence that i had just watched Mia Wasikowska (Alice) in Jane Eyre not so long ago when i was at home in HCMC. Love Jane Eyre, my great sympathy to this strong and faithful lady.

Beethoven: For Elise (Für Elise)