Hanoi update 10-31-11

Hi All,

As I often start these updates; nothing much new here. This time I'm not kidding. It is Monday night and many things on the horizon but not much for now. So, you ask, why the update? The answer, because I have the social life of a garden snail but do have access to a free computer.

So, tonight I will submit the interesting story of my air conditioner. For those of you who do not know, or have not reviewed your notes recently, HSCV rents two nearby houses in Ha Noi. The smaller one, three stories and two bedrooms, houses the HSCV office and a bedroom on the third floor. The room on the second floor is where the HSCV office staff works. Both the office and the bedroom have air conditioners. I, of course, because of the air conditioner, occupy the bedroom on the third floor. Very comfortable. But last spring the air conditioner in my bedroom became infested with mice. I am not a squeamish person but the little buggers were noisy. They did not seem to come down from the air conditioner but made sleeping a bit difficult. Much mice poop on the floor. I advised our landlord, who is a good guy and a good friend, of the issue. He immediately came over and thoroughly cleaned the air conditioner. The mice loved it. Much more activity and poop. When I left last spring I told him the mice had to be eliminated before I came back or we would have to move.

Now he seems to have taken care of the issue/ No more mouse poop on the floor but now I have ca millions in the air conditioner. I think these are really good things. Very helpful creatures that eat bugs. But every once in awhile I hear a clucking sound. I think it is from the ca millions, but not sure. If any of you know please advise if I am correct. If you know something bad please keep silent. I am an old man and need to sleep well.

But one important thing. Today we visited a family where a 13 year old girl lives. Her father is out of the picture and she lives in a filthily 8' by 10' room with her mother and a female friend of her mother. The mother has had a stroke and cannot work. They all share one bed. We have invited her, Linh, to move to the GFH. We also invited her mother to visit but she advised she could not control her bathroom issues and declined to come. But Linh visited today. She is, of course, very scared. But I think she will become girl number eight at the HSCV GFH. I will report further later.

HSCV President, Chuck Devet.