"covers everything but hides nothing!" is how my canadian lady friend in hanoi puts it when referring to the ao dai, the traditional dress worn by vietnamese women. "and these women? they're so tiny they're not human at all!" bully for her. with her... er, ample girth and big bones and a fair amount of unwanted avoirdupois, she can only dream about slipping into those slinky, form-fitting wisps of cloth that easily transform the vietnamese into ravishing beauties.

hanoi, like its people, is also a beautiful ... (more)