Since I went to the Vietnam Army Museum on my recent visit to Hanoi, I figured it would be a good bookend to visit the PLA’s Museum.
Also, there’s a di tie stop right THERE so why not visit!
Say what you will, the PRC’s leaders love their convertibles…
Unlike the museum in Hanoi that had a lot of photographs and some hardware displayed for context, the PLA museum in some ways, seems more like a display of war booty. When you first walk into the great hall, you see hardware. Lots of hardware.
Inside the building, it seems almost church like.
Naturally, the stuff inside is all PRC made weaponry. Their first V-2 knockoff. Locally made versions of the MIG-19 and MIG-21. Various tracked vehicles. Missile launchers. Heavy machine guns. And even SUVs. And one with a cannon on it. And all of this is just the main hall. On the FIRST floor!
I WANT THIS! It would make driving in San Francisco soooo much more interesting!
A MiG-21, I mean a “made in China” F-7
On either side of the main hall, there’s an outdoor courtyard with, yep, more hardware! This time, most of it is war booty mostly captured during the 1945-49 period. Lots of American armor, tracked vehicles and some aircraft. Also two PRC made patrol boats that wouldn’t fit in the main hall.
This is a P-51D Mustang with a PLAAF roundel on it. Strange.
An F-86 Sabre probably captured during the Taiwan Straits Crisis
If you aren’t already overwhelmed and you make it to the second floor of the main hall, there’s display cases full of pistols, rifles, assault rifles and all sizes of machine guns and bayonets. If it was used on mainland China, chances are that it’s represented here.
Besides the weapon displays, there’s separate exhibits on the third and fourth floors about the PLA’s involvement in the Korean War and of its actions during WWII. Educational.
Not bad for a museum that gets its own subway stop. No cafe on the grounds though. There IS a McDonald’s across the street though.
Seen on the Square
Seeing how I was in Beijing and I had a few hours to kill, I took the di tie to Tiananmen West and walked through the square to Tiananmen East and then headed off to dinner.
As soon as you come out of the station, you can see the new Beijing Opera House AKA National Grand Theatre taking shape.
Quite controversial and round!
It looks like it will roll over and eat the Natural History Museum!
Remember, Tiananmen Square is still the largest public square in the world. It serves as Beijing’s backyard. People fly kites, hang out, smoke, ride bikes here.
Tiananmen is still a good place to fly a kite
A very tall and official looking flagpole…
…guarded by a PLA honor guard.
During the long drawn out “lower the flag” ceremony, demonstrators jumped the line and tried to unfurl banners. They were immediately and roughly wisked away by these PLA troops. Twice. And no, I didn’t get any pix. Are you nuts??
Signage has always been an interest of mine. And Beijing has lots of interesting signs.
I understand most of these signs but…
What does this mean? No farting cars? No backfiring cars?
798 Space
Woke up late and made it out to 798 Space in the Dashanzi arts district in Beijing. It’s an old factory complex that was abandoned a few years back and taken over by artists, galleries and cafes.
Art expresses ideas and feelings. Art can also give you direction.
If you can’t figure out what these mean, best not go inside!
After wandering about for a bit, my fren and I found the Old Factory Bar. They have decent coffee, good music and most importantly, FREE Wi-Fi!
Nice lazy day…
All about Bia Hoi
Where are all these people going, quick quick?
Why they’re heading to Bia Hoi Corner, a part of the Old Quarter where three streets converge and there’s a bia hoi stand on each point.
Now what is bia hoi? Well, it’s a locally produced brew that gets distributed daily to the various bia hoi stands in Hanoi. It’s a local tipple, costing the grand sum of 2000 dong (that’s 12 cents US). That’s right, 12 measly cents! Cinguliar charges that much to receive an SMS! You can find that much in your car underneath the seats. You can find that on the street back home (cuz 12 cents dun buy much). But in Hanoi, it can purchase one cuppa bia hoi!
So how does one try? You approach, grab a chair to sit on and motion for “one”. Whoever’s on duty will pour you one and charge you. If you sit for a while and fit in, you can easily run up a tab of 10,000 dong! 5 beers at 2000 dong each. Break the bank can! It seemed on my visit (twice in one day) that bia hoi stands are the centerpoint of the neighbourhood.
Besides seeing more close calls that any other intersection in Hanoi (maybe they’re thirsty and thinking about getting a drink?), there’s street theatre. 7 times I was approached to buy overpriced bootleg Lonely Planet guides. Twice, I was approached to purchase some fried donuts.
And once, the Hawker Control unit (AKA shakedown squad) came by and made a LOT of people scatter.
The man who owned the stand I was drinking at motioned me to move my bike from in front to the sidewalk across the way. Good customer service! Try finding that in San Francisco where some places seem in cahoots with the parking nazis! In the end, I spent a total of 5 hours that day at the bia hoi stand. The first 3 hours, I stumbled upon it and enjoyed. Then a few hours later, I wound up there AGAIN with a couple of blokes from the hostel. How much did I spend? 26000 dong. That’s a buck sixty four! What a deal!
Joyful Anarchy with Motorbikes
Wealth = mobility and Hanoians luurve their motorbikes! For the last two days in Hanoi, I was one of them. For the sum of US$10/day, I hired a Honda 125cc bike (helmet and gas not included) and puttered around much of the city.
I decided to take the splurge after a day of walking around the old quarter and wanting to see more. Also I was not a big fan of walking or trying to ride the bus. First reaction of most of my frens was “are you insane?” Here’s a short clip of Hanoi traffic and how to ride in it.
Replace 7/8 of the bikes in the video with urban assault vehicles and reduce the driver skill level by 9/10ths and you’re in San Francisco! Goods get transported on them. Families go out on them. People eat on them. Mobility, yeay! (take THAT Muni!)
And as for crossing the street, what worry? Just pick an opening, make eye contact and walk at a constant speed. We will see you and ride around you. Don’t make any sudden changes in your path, OTW you may be hit…
Peace Dividend
On the grounds of the Army Museum in Hanoi is the usual collection of war booty, equipment and exhibits. There’s also a coffee shop that serves light meals and all sorts of coffee. It’s very popular with young Hanoians, more popular than this museum memorializing “the American war”.
So there’s a gaggle of girls having green tea smoothies with their motorbikes parked nearby in the shadow of a MIG-21. That’s the peace dividend.
First Meal in Hanoi. Lunch!
Hey y’all! I’m having pho for a late lunch.
Here’s the pho:
It wasn’t too bad. The broth was a bit more “beefy” than what I’m used to. Not as “zingy”. The noodles were the flat vermicelli type. The beef was well done compared to the self cooking rare beef strips that come with the steaming hot broth. Not bad for a first meal.
Special Occasion!
I’ve got four frens that all turned 40 within the month of March. Typically, for most people, that’s a cause for self-reflection and the beginning of the mid-life crisis (for any wisecrackers out there, there’s no Porsche in my future). Here in the reality-distortion field that is San Francisco, it’s just another special occasion, to rally the troops and to eat and drink well!
The pre-party began on Friday night where six of us assembled at the party venue for wine and steak. Bone in Rib-Eye! And some very fine reds. And last minute party-planning.
Hellboy cuts return! MMMMMMMEAT
After a salt and pepper rub and a thin coat of olive oil, off it goes into the All-Clad!
This is where wine, mushrooms and jus go. Reduction!
Dinner!
The next night’s highlights (besides the attendees) included a BV Tapestry Flight. Bottles from 1996-2003 were to be opened and tasted. We opened. And tasted.
Part of Saturday’s flight
The wine flowed…
…and was drank
Good wine and happy people
Just so you don’t get the wrong idea about these parties, they ARE family friendly. For the first two hours.
Jeon and Son, Solicitors
Christine and a new fren (so shy lah)
This is more par for the course!
Kawaii ne? She wants to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Good for her!
From the left, David, Garren, Wal, Mark. March brats.
Typically, you knew the evening was winding down when karaoke began.
I’m singing i’m singing
Actually, our parties end like this, in a mugging!
When the evening started, this was empty
Unlike the previous parties, this was quite tame. Only about 2/3 of the usual suspects showed up, there was actually more wine at the end of the party than at the beginning and no one wound up barfing in front of the house. Also, there was no X-rated kissing and cleanup was almost Japanese in efficiency. Hopefully, since cleanup was easy this time, there’ll be another party here soon!
Filler, nope. Good food, yes!
Definitely! This was the meal this evening at the California Culinary Academy. They have a restaurant where you can dine while the chefs in training “practice” on you. When I say “practice”, I mean cook for you. Look out! Food ahead!
This was so good, I forgot to take a pic of it before I started eating!
It was a medium/medium rare NY steak and lobster tail with a hunka smashed potatoes in the middle. Looks pretty too.
Dessert was a combo plate. Looks good and devoured quickly.
Oh yeah, there was rabbit food at the beginning, but since I wanted to rave about how good the meal was, I left this first part for last.
Rabbit food, how exciting…I mean HOW EXCITING!!
California Culinary Academy
625 Polk Street
San Francisco CA 94102
Kanako’s Sendoff
She’s heading home to Tokyo, lucky gal!
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