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Yes, this is a biased review as I am the director... but there are a hell of a lot of very talented people involved in this production - singers, actors, musicians, designers... So it will be a fantastic HITS show, not to be missed! and it is all for charity.
I just got back from rehearsals and am all excited about the show and wanted everyone else in Hanoi to know!
If you came to the Kick Off Party at the Green Mango, you will have had a small taster of things to come.
Tickets will be on sale by the end of next week... but remember if you come to the Sunday show, it is a different time!!!
Come and support HITS and REACH, and have a great night of entertainment.

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posted about 3 weeks ago by Elliewelliesj
about the venue: Cochon D'or

I used to live around the corner from here, and when I first arrived in Hanoi i found it particularly difficult to find good quality meat (and couldnt quite work out the deal at the markets)
Now that I have been here a while, and yes I can choose to get up early and fight my way to the market and bargain over the bits of meat... I still find myself preferring to call Couchon D'or and get some lovely chicken breasts delivered to my door. Yes it is lazy of me, but it also costs the same whether I buy it in the shop or get it delivered. I can buy a few, pop them in the freezer, along with some lovely chippolatas or some good British sausage, and be set for the week.
The shop itself is a small but lovely deli, with a few western treats too.... the staff are incredibly friendly and speak Vietnamese, English and French. It is true that they try to upsell a lot, sometimes pushing you towards the most expensive meat or to buy 3 slices not 2 etc.... but I never feel forced and so dont mind this.
You can pick up a full price list from the shop, and should you want - never visit again but simply call and order. They have always been very reliable.
Looking at their list now, and it may be old (July), I can see they sell various types of sausages, ham, many pates and terrines, cold cuts, dried and smoked meat, pastrami, smoked fish, offal, beef, chicken, lam, veal, duck etc... They also do jam, pasta sauce, baked beans...basically a lot of stuff. It isnt cheap cheap, but it also isnt terribly expensive either... and sometimes it is just worth it when the supermarket is out of anything decent and I got up too late and didnt want to face the market.

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posted about 3 weeks ago by Elliewelliesj
about the venue: Vietnam Quilts

I was recently stumped as to what to buy my friend who has just had a baby... then discovered that Vietnam Quilts make the most gorgeous and uniquely Vietnamese baby quilts. It was the perfect present to bring back from Hanoi to my friend in the UK. And even more special to be able to tell the story behind the quilt and Vietnam Quilts enterprise. (accompanied with a really interesting DVD about their work)
The shop itself is full of luxurious and colourful quilts, really good quality and some amazing designs. But they dont just make quilts...I found myself admiring the bags too, and cute Christmas decorations, cards, table runners, and a very comfortable looking hammock.
I will definitely be coming back for more presents to send home for Christmas, and for my winter quilt!

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posted about 2 months ago by Elliewelliesj
about the venue: Le Pub

Went here for the first time today...was excited upon reading the menu and seeing some tasty treats on offer. Was also hoping to soak up the night before.
Our waiter seemed very unsure about our order but refused to write it down, then came back to announce that my drink was "finished" (I ordered a healthy carrot, orange, pineapple and honey juice "cocktail" - no alcohol) and then proceeded to suggest a lemon cocktail complete with vodka as an alternative. Mmm not at 11am thank you! I opted for the safe option of fanta instead - no confusion then!
When the drinks finally arrived, the waiter had managed to screw up my boyfriend's drink instead!
After that the food turned up - my boyfriend's breakfast burrito was fine (although much prefer Kitchen's burrito) but my bacon, camembert and cranberry sandwich was interesting. The filling was quite nice I have to admit, although not plentiful, but the bread was rock hard. It didnt look toasted and wasnt hot, it must have been incredibly old and toasted once before in a past life. We were able to complain to our waiter by demonstrating its rock like quality - to which he just laughed. So we gave up and I ate what I could from the filling.
I did point it out to the girl who processed our bill at the bar, and to be fair she gave me a 50% discount on the sandwich in question (!) and she was very apologetic.
Its a shame as I had heard good things about Le Pub, but perhaps only as a place to drink or test your wits at the weekly quiz. However I definitely wont be going back to eat...

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posted about 2 months ago by Elliewelliesj
about the event: H.I.T.S. Kick Off Party @Green Mango by Hanoi International Theatre Society

What an amazing night it was - full of such talented people...yes yes so it was my event, but I can totally review it as all the performers were fantastic, the Green Mango did a fabulous job hosting the night and the whole night was a huge success.
Definitely worth keeping an eye out for the HITS "Blood Brothers" production in December if last night was a taster of things to come from HITS.

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