I know this because she has posted several pictures of herself on Facebook. In the vast majority she is posing, for the want of a better word “provocatively”, in a bikini. These are not pics where she’s been snapped taking a swim, they’re reclining pouty shots.

A respectable lady in her mid twenties. She’s well educated and has a good job. I am guessing that many of the people she is friends with on Facebook are, like me, work associates.

More interested in the why of it, than the subject matter, I sent the link to a mutual female friend who has worked here a while.

I thought she’d give me a forthright view.

She didn’t disappoint:

Where I work every employee has a photo of themselves as their background.

Have you ever been on holiday with a big group of Vietnamese? All they do is take photos of themselves. Even really shy, normal balanced ones start bending over like Readers’ Wives Do Cao Bang every time they see a new rock, tree or piece of ground.

But why?

A little discussion later and we agreed that this wasn’t to impress people of the opposite sex. It wasn’t a proud-of-your-body/girl power thing either.

This, we decided, was just what young Vietnamese women do when they see a camera. They don’t take pictures because they are at the beach. They go to the beach because they want to take pictures.

Taking photos is an obsession further fuelled by the growth of social media and mobile phone cameras. Also by Vietnam’s so-called internet “hot girls” and the media’s endless obsession with beauty pageants.

It’s also a culture where, by sheer weight of numbers, the young have more power to shape societal norms than virtually anywhere else in the world.

It’s yet another factor to chuck into the mix when absolutely failing to come up with any precitions as to just what Vietnam will turn into.

This country moves just too fast to pin down.

A lot of people seem to find my blog by Googling “Hanoi weather” but although I’ve lived through all the seasons twice I’m still a little hazy on it all.

I have, of course, asked local people but they too aren’t exactly clear in their recollections. All in all it’s very difficult to get a specific idea of what to expect.

But what I do know is this – December to March it can get quite cold, regularly down below 15 degrees centigrade and I’ve know it as low as seven. Okay so not exactly the North Pole but remember there are no heaters.  Typing in gloves can be tricky.

Towards the end of this time – often as early as the Lunar New Year (Feburaryish) it all gets very damp.  So damp that it’s hard to tell if it’s raining or not. So humid that you’re more likely to get wet on the inside than the outside of your waterproof jacket.

Yesterday I noted mould on my toothbrush.

April onwards I know it starts to get hot with three four days at a time over 40 degrees centigrade. It’s weather where you just have to hide yourself away and it goes on and on before it even starts to cool in late September.

Somewhere in the middle of that is a wet season, not to be confused with the early dampness.  Then others refer to a stormy season which happens a little later. But no on seems exactly sure when that starts.

But who knows what we are in for? We got summer weather right the way through most of the winter this year and last year Vietnam saw some of the biggest storms on records – albeit it mostly in the central regions.

Today?

Well today felt like the first day of spring. The pictures may not look like it but there was a definite blue hue in the skies and a warmth to the air that was different to the humid clammyness of late.

Much like Hanoi itself the awkward unpredictability of the weather actually seems to add to the fun.

But, all the same, long may it stay like this.

Oh and when is it best to visit Hanoi?  Hey, it’s all good.  Come when you can.

Like most people I’d choose November but better to suffer extreme temperatures or brief downpours than miss out altogether.

Pics were taken today – see here for the full set.

It’s freakishly and rather worryingly warm in Hanoi right now.

I should be wearing four or five layers and I’m sweating in one.

It’s disturbing but, then again, it’s beautiful out there.

I’m back in Hanoi and while fighting off a cold it was a joy to get out today.

In the very centre of town there is currently something akin to a flower festival. The whole of Dinh Tien Hoang, which runs alongside Hoan Kiem lake, has become a quite spectacular garden. It all feels very reclaim the streets.

It’s hard to shake off recent events detailed in the last post but, if it’s not too crass a statement I’ve never felt luckier to be alive and I’ve never been as determined to make the most of each day.

Today, what started as typical grey January morning had me peeling off layers by lunchtime when the sun eventually came out.  Hanoi, once more, reached that level of sheer gorgeousness that leaves me utterly humbled.

There are enough people out there who just don’t get Hanoi for me to realise that its beauty isn’t what you might call either classic or even traditional, but on a day like this I can’t help but see it everywhere and in everything.

Oh and the Hoan Kiem turtle even made an appearance.  (See here for the first time I saw it).

There are Hanoians who have spent their whole lives here and never seen this gargantuan, centuries old beast.  I feel truly blessed and it’s hard not to believe what locals tell you – that seeing it is a sign of good luck.  Right now I feel like I have more of the stuff than anybody every deserved.

More flower pics below.  The rest of today’s shots here.