Last night while strolling in the streets, we came upon a new sight.   At one road junction, there is a  sort of peninsula formed by two streets, and on it, there are usually people gossiping, or a few musicians,  and it seems a centre for social activity.

Yesterday, there was a big crowd, an orchestra of local instruments (5 in number) and a man and woman engaged in what looked like a patter song, intoned rather than sung, until I noticed that the audience had small wooden paddles, about the size of a paperback, on which were inscribed three symbols each, and each one different.

Presently, between the singers and the band were hung larger paddles, rather like cricket bats, on which were also inscribed 3 symbols.   I realised I was watching something between a fruit machine and bingo.   If your paddle had one symbol from each of the 3 large bats, you won.   When that happened, and there seemed a bewildering variety of possible symbols, there was a fanfare from the band, a man blew a whistle, and a silk flag waved.  Then the paddles were collected, resold and it all began again.

The streets are always alive at night, because although the Vietnamese usually eat at home, they come out afterwards for sweets, cool drinks and sociability.  On An Hoi, there is a large sculpture park beside the river, and it all happens there.   Near the fancy bridge into the old town, there are the breakdance youngster, with a boombox playing hip hop and they always draw a good crowd.

Further along at the little kids who kick a ball, or play complicated games or pretend to be cyclomen.
Cyclos are bicycles with a two-wheel peramulator in front for the paying passenger.  They are rather expensive.  There is a miniature version of this which kids (or rather their parents) can rent by the hour and a proud 9 year old will be seen riding around with his 4 year old sister as passenger.

Near our end of the island, which has fewer restaurants and hotels, the riverbank is colonised by tiny tables and chairs where the young hang out, drinking fizzy drinks, flirting and chatting.  If it is an all boy group, they may smoke and drink beer, but if girls are present, then it is a milkshake and no smoking, since Vietnamese women do neither.  There are always a couple of card schools going and sometimes a whole family, including small children will be taking dessert and catching up on the day.
It is really the best time of day, no high temperatures, a slight breeze off the river and romantic lighting from street lights.

Everyone is extremely well-behaved.   Our local restaurant, 100 yards away from the flat, has a large concrete standing beside it, and this hosts a wedding about once a week.  A kind of marquee is erected and plastic chairs are decorated with covers and bows,   By law, you can only take three hours for such an affair, because the loudspeaker is really loud.  There is always a boy pop singer, sometimes a girl also and they sing soulful songs but no-one dances or joins in, but sits decorously, in best costume, and listens respectfully as if it were church.