On Saturday my brother-in-law drove us to Big C Long Biên, a large shopping mall. The security guards at the entrance check the temperature of everybody, but masks are not mandatory. Since we are supposed to be careful for 14 more days, we wore them inside. We ended up buying a lot of plastic boxes.… Continue reading Shopping
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Medical Checkup
Yesterday I went for a medical checkup which is mandatory for further paperwork. My wife booked a slot at the spacious and luxurious Vinmec Clinic in Hà Nội. The whole checkup cost 2’800’000.-VND (around 111.-CHF). The day before the appointment, an online questionnaire must be filled in with information about any risk of contact with… Continue reading Medical Checkup
Recycling
Obviously recycling is something we should do, but it’s not mandatory here. After 12 years in Switzerland it looks extraordinarily simple: just one garbage bin, that’s it. For those who want to recycle (we do) it’s rather simple : just leave the papers/cartons/plastic/glass/aluminium separate next to the garbage bins, and people pick it up during… Continue reading Recycling
Water Supply
First night in this new flat: there were no glasses. And the tap water in Vietnam is not safe to drink, you should boil it first (the kettle was already provided in the kitchen). You can just rinse your mouth. So how did we drink? Hopefully we had 2 mugs and a bowl in our… Continue reading Water Supply
Housewarming Barbecue
Upon arrival, the landlord greeted us and took a long time to walk us through the various appliances, hidden valves, circuit breakers and all the secrets of this brand new flat. He makes himself very available. My wife bought a papasan sofa and I do like it. So comfortable. I could only get to try… Continue reading Housewarming Barbecue
Freedom!
So many things happened on our first day out that I could just find time now to give an update. On Friday April 9 at 2PM local time in Hanoi we were allowed to leave the hotel. Hence they really count 14 days by the hour. Better to take it seriously, because in Singapore a… Continue reading Freedom!
Last Post from the Inside
Yes, we’re eager to get out this Friday. As a parting gift I’ll salute the courtesy of The Ann hotel in Hanoi. There was a slight mistake in our breakfast order and we received a complimentary tray with a bottle of red wine, fruits and chocolate. You won’t see the latter. I did take the… Continue reading Last Post from the Inside
How is that Website Built?
Updates 2021-04-11 Added video hosting Hosting and CMS I’ve gotten a few questions hence it’s simpler to answer as a new post. This website uses the WordPress.org CMS hosted at Planethoster. hosting: Planethoster. With their “World” service you get for 6€/month as many websites as you want on the same server, unlimited space, and 8… Continue reading How is that Website Built?
How did We (Almost) Make it?
Here is a summary of what helped us most stay sane for 14 days strictly spent inside (Yes, for those who do not know, in Switzerland lockdowns always allowed people from the same family to go out and have a walk in the countryside anytime. Hopp Schwiiz!). One of the most common biases is to… Continue reading How did We (Almost) Make it?
Are we Turning into Cats?
Spending time behind the windows, looking outside at the street, nearby buildings and passersby. Plenty of time to sleep or take a nap. Getting food without even having to cook or shop for groceries. Wait… a real cat would truly hesitate whether to stay inside, or have a walk outside. That’s the feline dilemma. But… Continue reading Are we Turning into Cats?