I've been absent from Hanoi and not following this thread for quite some. yet, Hanoi has a special place in my heart, so here I am, back in Thang Long ("
ascending dragon", if I remember correctly. Seems this was true 1000 years ago, and certainly now).
I checked out the quality advice in this thread, and went to 17 Saloon yesterday, around 7-8. The place was virtually empty, except for a dozen staff girls closely following my every move. I don't usually enjoy massive attention, so I grabbed my phone to find the address of the other place, Relax Bar, and walked there.
Looked around, nice place. I probably prefer the decor at Relax bar to 17 Saloon (now I'm talking about furniture).
Nice mix of Viet and foreign clients. Manager seems to be a Viet lady, maybe 35 years, red leather jacket. I order a beer, soon I'm joined by an "Em oi".
I order some more, we talk. She's cold, I give her my silk and cashmere scarf, she's excited, dissappears to the bathroom for a long time (I guess to admire herself. She was really quite beautiful though, much more so than the other girls in the room.)
[I start to realise this may have been mistake No 1: The scarf was a gift from my mother. I don't think she'll be happy if I "lose" it...]
Thinking about it now, in this bitterly cold weather, for those who would might wish to enjoy some warmth of a human body , maybe going with the most beautiful girl is not the best choice - if the physical warmth is what you're looking for. She probably knows she's good looking, and that her eyes can wield more drink-buying power than other girls' hands...
We talked more, nothing too exciting, somehow I felt a little bit stupid in that place, and say something like "this place is a bit like a bia om". [obvious mistake no 2, or 2 1/2, I think]. I say "no of course I did not mean it like that".
She wants to borrow the scarf. I say ok, until tomorrow, order some tea, tip her and pay (drinks were more overpriced than the beer, tea was almost reasonably priced), and did my best to avoid the ugly massage ladies outside.
Summary: I liked her, the place was ok, the drinks not too overpriced. Still a somewhat ambiguous experience.
Today I call her, if she wants to meet me at Vincom. 1 hour befor we're supposed to meet I get a message "because raining I stay home. See you late".
She still has my scarf.
Hm. Seems I'm back in Vietnam again.
