The next morning, we attended the Giving & Receiving ceremony, at which the government of Vietnam officially granted us custodianship of Thông. The care center director and Thông’s nanny were there to wish our new family well and bid an emotional farewell to Thông.
We spent the next week in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, finishing up paperwork and risking our lives every time we crossed a street. Vietnam doesn’t seem to believe in stoplights or traffic signs; it’s pretty much a libertarian’s driving paradise.
We also had little luck finding a playground. But we did see the Saigon Zoo and visit the local video arcade, where Thông’s true auto racing/martial arts/Power Ranger streak showed through.
