I knew I’d be leaving Hanoi soon, though—I’m writing this from Can Tho—and mustered up the energy to drive to Hoan Kiem for what was our last meal together before the upcoming week. I really couldn’t have picked a better spot. I’ve been dining at Angelina for several years now; its atmosphere is unbeatable and its food, while at times hit or miss in taste, is always meticulously prepared and presented. The staff is also top notch.

It’s likely we’ll continue to spend most of our time this month and next at my home or doing things not at all close to the city center, so it’s moments like the following for which I feel so fortunate. Food and people make a beautiful pair.

I’m still trying to find my sea legs when it comes to cooking in Hanoi because so many of the ingredients that I would normally have access to in the United States aren’t available here. Either way, I don’t think I’ll ever be as good a cook as my dad was.

Most of what I plated tonight came from cans. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll never need canned anything and will learn to make my meals from scratch. Until then I’ll do my best with what I have and enjoy the good memories from spending part of my childhood with pops.

It’s amazing to think that instead of moving into an apartment or house when I first arrived I decided to instead spend 18 months living in a guesthouse. It was an interesting—to say the least—experiment in patience, privacy, and the mixture of business and friendship.

When I made the decision to leave the guesthouse and move into my apartment in a district that’s 30 minutes away by taxi from Hoan Kiem lake, I knew that it was the end of the QH chapter of my life. I’ll certainly stop by every few weeks to say Hi and check in on the guesthouse, but things and people change, and a year from now I’ll likely hardly stop by.

That’s the way things go sometimes, I guess. For now, though, I’ll gladly take pleasure in knowing that without the gang at Quang Hiep Hotel my life would have been half as happy during the last year and a half. I’m fortunate to have met everyone there, and it gives me joy to know they feel the same way.

Here’s to the kitchen gods…

I instead opted for one dozen cupcakes from Westlake Cupcake, a small Hanoi outfit run by two fellow expats since mid-point last year. My first experience with Anna and Mia’s cupcakes was good. This year’s experience with them was beyond incredible.

It’s times like these when my self-imposed exile from the land of chocolates and sweets makes me shed a tear. I ended up sharing a few small bites of the cupcakes with my Valentine—who was overjoyed beyond measure—and sending her home with the rest to share with family and friends.

In my estimation today was, all in all, perfect. I gave cupcakes and received a hand-drawn card with an empty photo frame that will soon be filled with a lovely photo. Simple, but meaningful. That’s always been what makes me happy.

I bought the Boutons de Rose (n° 1) not for myself so I’m not sure if it’s good or not, but the Vanilla (n° 15) is fantastic. I have a weak stomach (but I like sweets), so what I usually do with the tea—only when alone, of course—is brew a big pot of it, add a tiny bit of Equal and skim milk to it while hot, and enjoy. I know that adding fake sugar and skim milk to premium quality tea seems idiotic and ridiculous, but the stomach wants what the stomach wants.

So what is a WordPress Meetup? Basically, it’s people in a community getting together — meeting up — who share an interest in WordPress, whether they be bloggers, business users, developers, consultants, or any other category of person able to say, “I use WordPress in some way and I like it, and I want to meet other people who can say the same.” (Jane Wells)

There’s no better time than now, then, to begin participating in what I hope will this year become a healthy and active Hanoi WordPress Meetup Group. The aim of the group is simple: to find and connect WordPress enthusiasts who either live in Hanoi or may be passing through for a visit.

Any WordPresser—blogger, designer, or developer—is welcomed. The ultimate goal is to create and foster a network, big or small, in which we as WordPress lovers will thrive and grow together. In short, if you live in or will visit Hanoi and you’re a user of WordPress—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—then this group is for you.

On signup to the Hanoi WordPress Meetup Group you will be asked four important questions:

1. How long have you been using WordPress?
2. Are you primarily a WordPress user, developer, or designer?
3. What would you like to learn about WordPress?
4. What would you like to teach others about WordPress?

These questions do not take long at all to answer but they will greatly help us all figure out suitable topics of discussion for meetups, which I envision taking place once a month. Because the group will be small at its outset—I’ll consider a 6-person first meetup a massive success— finding venues for meetups around the city will be quite easy. As the group grows and becomes more stable, we’ll work on finding a more constant space for meetups within Hanoi.

We’ll decide on topics of discussion later, although I imagine a first meetup being mostly introductory. Less important is what we discuss at first than just getting to know each other and creating a network in Hanoi, which up until now has been largely nonexistent.

I’m excited about this and would like to begin meeting up as early as March. If you live in Hanoi (or will be in town) and use WordPress, then join the group!

Before living in Vietnam I had never heard of IRN-BRU Sugar Free but I’m so glad I found it. There is a serious lack of diet soda variety here (I’ve only been able to find Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi) compared to the United States. I prefer clear sodas, like Sprite Zero and Diet Ginger Ale, but I also love Diet Dr. Pepper. I’d be a happy man if they were available here.

I’ve also become a crazy fan of Kettle Brand organic nut butters because I rarely—as in once every several months—eat beef or pork and sometimes find myself tired of all the fish I eat.

None of this is cheap by any means. On average I may spend between 500,000 VND ($23.96 USD) and 1,700,000 VND ($81.46 USD) per trip to the store, but a lot of that depends on if I buy something “special”, like the Maple Joe Sirop d’érable, which costs an absurdly expensive 346,000 VND ($16.58 USD).

The prices don’t bother me because they’re offset by the fact that these days I rarely—as in once a month, if even that—order delivery food. Since December 19th I’ve ordered delivery once, mainly because I now live far away from the city center and have my own kitchen.

So there you have it, the groceries I buy in Hanoi when I’m not eating rice, fish, and vegetables.