Letter from Vietnam

EKB's southeast Asia bureau chief files this report:

VN treats me well, even the weather.... I thought the rainy season might be pretty uncomfortable but so far it's not at all bad. It does rain and when it rains it can come down with a vengeance--straight down with a roar but it generally lasts only 20 minutes or so. If you keep an eye on the sky you can usually get to shelter before it comes down.

But there is no avoiding the flooded streets. I didn't count on this part, but many streets don't have adequate drainage so they flood quickly and at depths of four or five or more inches. So even when you duck the downfall, you're in for a challenging motor bike ride home if you hope to avoid the mammoth puddles.

Interestingly enough, too, it's cooler now than in the winter. In the low 80s or 70s but not as humid as I imagined. Maybe it's because it tends to be windier. When the sky clouds over, usually in a very localized way, the wind picks up and then the rain comes down. Maybe its a combination of the wind and rain that makes it cooler. My VN teacher said it is hotter in Hanoi this time of year than in HCMC which surprises me. Generally when I am in Hanoi it is distinctly cooler, so much so that you want a jacket when you go out in the morning.

I did, by the way, hear some slightly hopeful news on one of the CNN business news programs that said the economy was looking a little better. Sage Buffet thought we might be out of the woods by the end of the year. Wouldn't that be great. For sure that would take a little steam out of the tea pots.

Take care