We finally caught up with Chappie, the last move Calvin was in.  Not my cup of tea, really but Calvin was clearly visible in several scenes, notably in the background while Hugh Jackman and Dev Patel had a flaming row.   It was an interesting take on the whole robot thing, but Science Fiction will never really appeal to me.

A couple more interesting food treats.  We went to a restaurant the other night and both ordered duck; mine was roast duck with vegetables and cashews and Calvin had a duck curry.  This is the Vietnamese version,  mild, and made with coconut milk.  As usual my mountain of beans, beansprouts bok choy and carrot atop noodles arrived with a surprisingly large amount of duck concealed at every chopstickful (there is usually just a couple of slim slices of meat) and the cashews were everywhere.  Calvin also found his curry jampacked with duck pieces and dinner was very satisfying, with a complimentary profiterole and iced tea for the princely sum of  $3 each,   On the way home we estimated that between us we had eaten the best part of an entire duck.

On another day, we were out at lunchtime and stopped for some simple  meat and noodles, which came with what was termed, in delightful Vietnamese English, a muntaint of crisps - freshly cut and fried for each client.   Fresh, hot potato crisps are excellent.

Later that same day (we estimated on our return that we had been wandering for some 6 hours in the heat), we stopped at a restaurant for an icecream, and I had what was possibly the best grenadilla icecream I shall ever eat (until my next visit to that restaurant)   Calvin had a similarly delicious mango coup in a stemmed glass.

 We are learning that here, as in every other expatriate community, there is a network which you have to plug into.  We have found the 'pub quiz' which operates on Wednesday evenings at the local Australian sportsbar.  It is general knowledge and operated by a Swiss guy whose English actually sounds Irish.   Anyway, we came second on our first try.  The deal at the bar is that one of the local beers is discounted by 50% for the night and pizzas are 2 for the price of one.  We may take part occasionally for the hell of it.

Similarly, on Sunday evenings at the beach, there is one restaurant/bar where the expats hang out and any musician who comes along and wants to play is welcome.   The first time was a bit noisy because there was a keyboard synthezer, two electronic guitars and a drummer, but last week there was a power cut, so there were two regular guitars, a singer and a harmonica.   Much more my style.  It begins about 5 p.m. and we leave around 9p.m.   This is not a late town (because most people have to start really early) and has closed down by 11p.m.

Interesting sidelight on wildlife attitudes.  I do not quite know what to make of it.   We met a man along our street (lane)  who was chivvying a rather handsome snake with a stick.   He was obviously not afraid of it, although one could not say the same about his dog, nor did he want to capture of kill it.  He simply wanted it off the street, so when he had manoeuvred it near a drain, it obliged and disappeared down it.   It was a lovely creature about 1.2m long in light grey green with a pinkish blush under the 'chin'. .
Either he is a devout Buddhist (do not kill) or knew it was harmless.   Very different from attitudes in Africa, at any rate.

Similarly, the other evening it rained and a toad took refuge under the 'carport' in our courtyard.  He was the size of a tennis ball (but then he had puffed himself up) and tiger's eye in colouration.  The landlord's daughter who was tending the plants at the time, found it amusing that we were interested in him at all.

I have decided that Hoi An water is possibly the softest in the world.  The tiniest amount of bodywash on my scrunchies is like having a bubble bath - it takes ten minutes to sluice off all the froth.   And one of those shampoo sachets which airlines hand out - that does two washes easily, so much lather does it make.

In addition, I think this must be one of the most pollution-free environments too.   With only mopeds, electric bikes and cycles on the street, there is no emission problem.  Each shop and business organises a kerbside fire, in a firebucket, every night as they close up, to dispose of the day's rubbish, and our dustbin is emptied with thrice weekly regularity and presumably sent off to burn somewhere.

Although chickens and dogs wander freely, at least in residential streets, I have never seen dog or chicken poo anywhere.  Pavements are swept each morning by the businesses they front, and the park is hosed each day.   You never see litter in the streets, even though vegetables are sold on the roadside.  Plastic bags are given out with gay abandon, but none blow in the breeze where you walk.
Most mysterious, and gratifying

We have just finished a rather momentous weekend.  April 30th was the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (very important to Vietnamese) May lst was Workers Day (very important to Communists) and May 2nd was full moon (very important to Buddhists).   To add to all this, there was an International Choir Competition in Hoi An with choirs from 17 nations taking part from 29th April to 2nd May.

On the evening of the 30th, there was an openair concert by 5 of the choirs, which we attended (it was free) which took place in the square outside the Information Centre.   So we heard offerings by the Australians, the Indonesians, the Malaysians, the Philippinos and a school choir from Hanoi.

This last was most interesting, since it consisted of 70 children aged 6-15 accompanied by 3 different sized bamboo flutes and was obviously a folksong in which the children did wonderful imitations of bird calls and their fluttering, by using their fingers.  Very impressive, and different.

Of course, the Australian choir was a big one about 35 people - Far Eastern choirs lack basses and baritones and therefore are usually much smaller - 10-15 individuals.  And, like their traditional orchestras which lack anything in the Bassoon, Double Bass range, their work sounds a little thin, although accomplished enough.  The Indonesian choir was particularly fine, I thought, with the soprano soloist weaving her voice in between the choral singing, to great effect.

Apart from the nations mentioned above, there were choirs from China, Japan, Korea, Singapore

I got lost among my International choirs and omitted, Lao, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Belgium and Finland.  We were treated to a street impromptu rendition by these last, of the Vietnamese National Anthem, which delighted everyone.

This has been a momentous weekend since April 30th was the 40 Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (very important to Vietnamese), May lst was Workers Day (very important to Communists) and May 2nd was Full Moon (very important to Buddhists)

Next to our building is a fenced area which seems to be a defunct vegetable patch.  Someone came with a machete the other day and cut it all down.  I presume it will be cleared later on.

This has revealed a new neighbour -a lizard, definitely Agamidae, possibly Agaminae, with their typical rough skin.  He is about 13cm long, of which at least half is tail, kinked where it was once broken, and he is a sandy colour except for his forequarters and head which are orange.  This colour seems to vary at times and goes from a dull brick to a real flame colour.   He has long thin legs and very long toes and can leap at least three times his own length in pursuit of a fly on the wing.

Under his 'chin' is a black patch and his nape is adorned with a row of blunt prickles.  He spends his time patrolling the wire netting which is the fence, on which some kind of creeper still clings, so we are able to watch him every morning from the kitchen window while we make breakfast..