special guest

This a special post for Brent's family and friends...

I met Brent on the airport upon my arrival in Hanoi on Thursday the 2nd, we both flew from Seoul. We chatted a bit and waited for our bags, me a bit anxious, my bag wasn't showing up... We realized we were both staying in Vietnam for three months and expected to stay in Hanoi's backpackers hostel, though I would only join there on the Monday.

A little bit about me, since you are on my blog... I am a French photographer pursuing a long time dream to go to Vietnam and some personal photographic project. You can see below some photos and you will always be welcome to come back and leave comments, though it's written in French...

So since a week Brent and I are friends, hanging out on some days, shopping, walking around, have drinks at the Bru Bar (beer for him, Mojitos for me) and try to discover places to eat amazing street food and relaxing coffee shop to work at, Brent would write and take notes and I over photos and contacts...

Brent is a cool dude ! 

So as a photographer you guess that he has been appearing on a few photos of mine, since the dude doesn't carry a camera on his trip (who would do that, no camera in Vietnam ?!). So I proposed him to give you a special feature here. 

I leave him the keyboard for comment : 

Hello family and friends in the United States.  Comment allez vous bon peuple de France?

I met Julie in the Hanoi airport, some 25 miles north of the city at about midnight, having traveled for 60 hours with no sleep.  I'm sure I looked pretty haggard and terrifying and half-crazed while I introduced myself at the baggage claim, but she was kind enough to chat with me while we both worried about our bags; however, when I tried to speak a bit of French with her, she got this look of horror on her face as I butchered her beautiful language.  Soon we said goodbye, and I told her that I'd keep an eye out for her in Hanoi.  Several days later, after I tried the black scorpions at a seedy back-alley restaurant and then after I got ill behind the Catholic church - which I never told her about - I bumped into her on a little side street near my hostel.  I said 'hi' again and again I must have looked pretty pale and scary, but she was kind enough to invite me to coffee, and by coffee I mean 'beer,' and we've been friends ever since.  But today is a sad day because I'm heading south to Hue, and Julie is staying in Hanoi to work on her excellent project.  So au'revoir, Julie.  Don't take any wooden nickels.  And don't eat anything with more than 4 legs.

Brent.

so now the photos ...