Arriving at 10 pm in Hanoi, we are amazed that there are no custom forms to fill out and nary a word spoken or question asked by the young, uniformed customs official who swiftly stamps our passports. Gathering our bags chock full of Nizos, Lomos, D-19 and Tri-X, we head out to the terminal and are greeted by our dear friend Thi, the doyenne of DocLab and the person who has made this dream trip possible. A past teacher at EPFC and a fantastic filmmaker, we can’t wait to see the life Thi has built here with her family over these past five years. But first, time to find the sweet apartment we’ll be staying at, beside West Lake. After unpacking, we take a midnight stroll through the narrow streets. The air is cool and moist, the neighborhood already enchanting us…
