The New Hanoian

Greetings New Hanoians. September came and went with aplomb. With 300+ of you showing up throughout the evening on the final day of the month, the September Meet Up of New Hanoian members at Ya Beirut was a smashing success. Both the New Hanoian crew and the owners, management, and staff of Ya Beirut appreciated the many thanks we received from departing meet up goers, but it's really you who should be thanked. Your enthusiasm and zest for all things Hanoi is what makes this community so vibrant and gives us all the opportunity to continue bringing you top rate events and activities. All you do is much appreciated. In fact, let's get on with just how well appreciated it is with some user contribution prizes for the last two months....

Atomic + Five = Fusion

First on the list of TNH members in need of some recognition is a user that hardly needs an introduction (if you've been on the site for long at all), but for whom some free stuff is long over due. From his earliest days on the site, Atomic has been a voice of wit and insight. He started off roaring through the Ask A.N.H. pages with loads of answers, and has since left his mark on the review pages as well. In appreciation of his efforts, he and five friends will be off to Truc Bach Lake for a full evening spread at the newly opened Fusion cafe and lounge. If you haven't lavished your neighborhood Atomic with flattery of late, now may be the time, as those in his good graces will be treated to a full dinner and wine, followed by rounds of cocktails and shisha in Fusion's comfy new environs. Time it right, and the six of you could be having dinner as the sun sets over West Lake, followed by lounging on the cushioned upper floors while getting nicely toasted around the shisha and taking in the night's belly dance. You'll all have Atomic to thank for it, and his always appreciated contributions.

Spa La Madera's Foot Reflexology for hanoimonkey and friends

Next up is a contributor who blistered the review pages to the tune of more than thirty reviews for August and September. For a relatively new arrival to Hanoi, that's quite the way for hanoimonkey to announce herself to the community. While all that exploring of Hanoi must have been rewarding, it could also be quite draining. Lucky for her and a few friends, we have a bit of revitalization in mind. Hanoimonkey and three friends will be dropping in on Spa La Madera for their full foot reflexology treatment. Those aching feet will be getting a relief that isn't just found in any side street foot massage joint. Their operations center on environmentally friendly use of local products and traditional Vietnamese relaxation techniques. For your particular treatment, they'll be using the ancient technique of "inching" where they stimulate thousands of pinhead sized reflex points on the feet that correspond to your body systems and organs, helping to relieve stress, improve circulation, and facilitate the natural healing process of the body. We aim to keep our key contributors in tip top shape. Spa La Madera's combination of classic techniques and modern comforts should do the trick.

The arctictis Sextet go for Thali at India Palace - Dakshin

Finally, we have a contributor who took a slightly different route to this esteemed status. While not pouring out a huge quantity of reviews and posts, arctictis was certainly a presence. Few reviews and answer posts for the period received such enthusiastic community response. There's no doubt that we appreciate those members who take the time to cover wide ranging territory, we also cannot deny the importance of having such high quality contributions...whatever their number. If you haven't read some of arctictis' reviews, do yourself a favor and have a look. It's writing like that that is sending a group of six off for lunch on the banks of West Lake at India Palace - Dakshin. Arctictis and five friends will have their choice of beautiful Autumn days in which to stroll into India Palace - Dakshin, select a floor to take in the views of West Lake, and then choose which of their specially prepared lunch Thalis to enjoy. They'll get a first hand look at what a modestly priced lunch in the West Lake area can really add up to, all on the house, compliments of arctictis' flair for the review.

With two months of reviews and other contributions to pour through, we here at TNH central never had a more difficult time narrowing our selections down. It was really a banner time for the site and the whole community. Many worthy contributors were left out, but they'll be high on the list for next month's batch of prizes. We'll have that list of goodies coming to you in a couple short weeks. In the meantime, there's an event that you all need to have marked on the calendar:

Regurgitator - Live in Hanoi

On Sunday, the 12th of October, the harding working folks at C.A.M.A. have a day of music lined up for you that you really don't want to have only heard about after the fact. Australian electro pop punk sensation Regurgitator are set to bring their signature sound to Vietnamese audiences for the first time next month, breaking their Asian tour to play a one-off show in Hanoi on Sunday October 12. Supported by Tiger beer, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, and C.A.M.A., the band will be joining local acts Ngu Cung, My Favourite Uncle and Holy Red Cross for a truly international night of rock n roll. Tickets will only be available on the door (VND 30,000 each) and numbers will be limited so come early to enjoy the support bands and make sure you catch the main act. Whatever your musical tastes, get out to the American Club to soak up an evening of outdoor live music. The more we attend and support these events, the more of them that will come to this city in desperate need of more live music. Don't miss out.

We'll see you all there,

The Staff of the New Hanoian