Bush in Ha noi
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 14:07:38 +0700
From: "Nhu Miller" <trantnhu@gmail.com>
Subject: [Vsg] Bush in Ha noi
Bush is coming to my street tomorrow. He's attending a service at
the Cua Bac (Catholic) Church on Nguyen Bieu and Phan Dinh Phung.
Nguyen Bieu is normally a bustling, busy street -- which leads to Truc
Bach Lake. Since this morning (Saturday November 18) the entire street
has been in lock down. All the stores are tightly shuttered. No street
merchants wandering around. All cafes and food shops closed,,
No buses lumbering through anymore. As I write this, the street is
completely quiet. Bush is not coming until tomorrow morning, but
in preparation, the neighborhoood has been warned to stay indoors --
and not peek out. The cat may not look at the King!
I left the US two years ago to get away from Bush and now he's
coming to my street in Ha noi. Arghhh!
T.T.Nhu
Chuck Searcy <chucksearcy@yahoo.com>
date Nov 17, 2006 11:24 PM
subject Re: [Vsg] Bush in Ha noi
Nhu,
My house is only three blocks from my office so I'm in a pedestrian "safe zone" and can walk around the area. However, it took Van Anh, who lives out at Ciputra, two hours to get to the office yesterday because of security blockades. And she said everyone was warned not to look out their second floor windows or they would be shot. (She was joking, of course. Right? Tell me she was joking.)
I assume you won't be attending the Sunday morning service?
Chuck
Peter Hansen <phansen@ourladys.org.au>
date Nov 18, 2006 12:38 AM
subject RE: [Vsg] Bush in Ha noi
Cua Bac is the Church of the English-speaking Catholic Community in Hanoi. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the only place where an English-language Mass is celebrated regularly in Hanoi. It’s also Hanoi’s shrine to the 117 martyrs, whose canonization caused such a fuss in 1988. The choir at Cua Bac is made up of local Catholics; the normal celebrant is a lecturer at nearby St. Joseph’s Seminary. Unlike the equivalent community in TPHCM, which meets at Vuon Xoai in District 3, there is little opportunity for pastoral care or community building amongst the expatriate community. Shame, because it’s a very pleasant place to go to church. Nguyen Bieu is indeed a lively street, whilst Phan Dinh Phung gets my vote for Hanoi’s (Vietnam’s?) most beautiful.
Incidentally, one of Hanoi’s Protestant Churches is not far away, just the other side of the old walls. I wonder why a Protestant President wouldn’t go there to say his prayers?
Peter Hansen
Tuan Hoang <thoang1@nd.edu>
date Nov 18, 2006 8:23 AM
subject RE: [Vsg] Bush in Ha noi
To Peter's question, I read in the Washington Post that Bush will attend a joint Catholic-Protestant service.
Perhaps the location was chosen for size?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/17/AR2006111701617.html
Nguyen Nguyet <minhnguyet80@yahoo.com>
date Nov 18, 2006 10:56 PM
subject Re: [Vsg] Bush in Ha noi
I can add that each family in these streets will receive 1 million VND (~70USD) per day for 3 days because of his visit.
Best,
Nguyet