Wiles, an American, has worked in Vietnam for several years representing one company that sells ships and another that makes them. Patrick Corcoran, 30, also American, has lived in Vietnam for the last seven years, half that time in Hanoi, most recently managing a warehousing and logistics joint venture that handles imported goods. Coincidentally, their fathers served in the same unit 30 years ago in the south, during the war. Now both plan to return to the US by Christmas, but they refused to say goodbye. Instead, along with Hanoian Luu Tuan Anh, 32, they pooled some cash and opened a Hallmark Card shop. "We’re not greeting card guys, it’s just something we wanted to do, so we did it," says Corcoran.

The shop is thin and clean and filled with racks of cards, with novelties against the back wall. If one could shut out the Third World din coming from a few yards away, he just might think he is in an American card shop.

Their experience of finding this (or any) location was a bit more complicated than calling a mall director. "We drove around on our motorbikes every weekend for three months," said Corcoran, who said that Hanoi has few spaces to rent. "Then we found the spot we wanted. But trying to explain the greeting card business to our landlady was next to impossible. She wanted to know how much they cost, and what they were. ‘Won’t work. Nobody’s heard of greeting cards,’ she said. If a shop fails, it would bring her bad luck. And it freaked her out to be sitting there drinking tea everyday with two foreigners speaking in Vietnamese. Then one day her Viet Kieu son showed up and, ‘Mom, I know Hallmark cards. Go with it."

The three renovated the shop and traveled to the US to set up accounts with Hallmark and several well-known novelties companies.

Since opening in late June, they’ve been spending a lot of time on market research. Like watching a shy college girl slyly open a can of cashews, only to watch a snake spring at her.

"They never focused on fun before, says Corcoran, who seems to be the novelties man. "They see the sea slippers (a slippery toy) and say, ‘what is this? I can’t hold onto it. We say, yeah, that’s the whole point. They get it. Now we’re sold out." The shop also sells 3-D puzzles, birds with whistles, and even a $40 Hallmark bear.

But the customers, mainly students – the shop is a short walk from four universities - come mostly for the cards, which sell for between 10 and 20 thousand dong and are in English, which Corcoran says adds cache. "They like the complicated, poetic cards, and the slang ones," he said. There are some translations, and a dog-eared English to Vietnamese dictionary at the check-out counter.

"It’s hilarious to see them gathered around the dictionary, suddenly saying, ‘No, that’s too gushy!' They’re not used to strangers seeing their personal feelings, so they blush, like they’re buying a condom." The store stocks 1,500 cards and many are bought for weddings, teachers’ day, and opening days. Also popular, says Anh, are informal cards, especially ones with slang. According to Corcoran, "Thinkin’ of ‘cha' is one of our big sellers."

Drawing on their past relationships and experience, the trio also distributes cards in a number of mini-marts and drugstores in Hanoi, where they’ve set up racks. Corcoran said that their next step could be to start a Hallmark franchise in Vietnam.

Like it or not, for now Corcoran, Wiles, and Ahn are just three guys running a card shop. However, Corcoran points out that history has already been made. "We’re the guys who brought Whoopie Cushions to Hanoi."