This week, raving about Lady Gaga, the Hanoi Bike Shop and our Scottish Ambulance crews who go the extra mile.

Lady Gaga

Sunday nights are about snuggling up and take-awaying down. Homeland is usually about as wild as my evening gets. However, this last Sunday, I prepared for a monster night out. I had tickets to get my rave on with Lady Gaga.

Halfway through her ArtRave: The Artpop Ball Tour, Gaga told us, that despite having been in Dublin and London in the last 48 hours, she wasn't tired. This was actually a wee bit of an understatement, whatever you might think about our first Lady of pop, she works her butt off - not simply through endless twerking - for your buck.

The energetic show was a surreal cacophony of pop, profanity and preaching to the (largely) converted. Lady Gaga's fan base, her 'little monsters', who dress in her image and throw gifts at her feet are as mad about her as she is bonkers. She dedicated most of the songs, in one way or another, to them. There was a touching moment when a young guy from Baillieston threw a letter on stage saying that he had lost his Mum, when he was just 16 years old, and his happiest memories were singing Gaga's tracks with her. She dedicated her next song - Born This Way - to him as he perched beside her at the piano.

Underneath the crazy costumes and mad-cap wigs, there is a performer of serious skill and integrity. Her message of creative freedom and equality is a positive and important one, and seems genuine, even if it can come across as a bit Zoolander-esque at times.

Later in the show, she called out those who were only there for the hits, suggesting they should get their coats. But to be honest, it took the a medley of the classics Just Dance, Poker Face and Telephone to really get the Hydro raving. Perhaps because some of us (ahem!) were only really masquerading as little monsters!

Hanoi Bike Shop

The Hanoi Bike Shop was the first restaurant in Glasgow to start pedalling Vietnamese food. Opening two years ago in the old Stravaigin II, it was an Eastern departure from the folk behind the Ubiquitous Chip and the Gibson Street Stravaigin. Since then, it's become a popular haunt for hungry West Enders and global celebrities alike: Beyonce popped in for pho when she was in town earlier in the year.

Wandering down Ruthven Lane on a blustery autumn night this week, The Hanoi Bike Shop is certainly the most enticing of restaurants, with fairy lights and a cosy glow from inside. I felt warm before the first taste of Ca Ri Ga curry hit my lips. The menu is welcoming on the wallet too, with dishes starting at about £5.

The food arrives when it's ready, so we ordered an overzealous mix. In addition to the curry, we opted for Bo La Lot - minced beef in betal leaf, which is a stimulant and could explain my enthusiasm for everything, here on in… Slow Cooked Ox Cheek Stew (Bo Ma Ham) and Sweetcorn and Coconut Fritters, I'd given up on the Vietnamese names by this point (I'll blame the betal leaf!). And, because it wouldn't be Anglo-Asian cuisine without them, we added in some prawn crackers and a peanut and chilli dip. I'd quite happily have eaten large spoonfuls of the dip on it's own for my tea.

I've never been to Vietnam - tried once, didn't get in… but that's a story for another time - so I can't vouch for the Hanoi Bike Shop's authenticity. However, it's a tasty culinary adventure and worlds away from many of the other eateries near Byres Road. Will I be back? Pho sure!

Scottish Ambulance Awards

This week, I presented the Scottish Ambulance Staff Awards for the west of the country in the Glasgow City Chambers. It's a fairly new event to thank and celebrate those in the front line of our patient healthcare. Just before I left, my husband hilariously told me to 'break a leg'!

I always feel very lucky when I'm asked to be involved in these kind of awards. It's both humbling and inspiring to help recognise folk who do hard and difficult jobs and rarely get a big enough pat on the back. It struck me, that in particular, our ambulance crews often have to go the extra mile for us, whatever the distance is on the clock.

A recent survey showed that out of all healthcare practitioners, Scottish folk would most like to be treated by paramedics in their homes. That shows just how much importance we place on this emergency service. So, I just wanted to say well done and thank you to not just those who were nominated and won awards on Wednesday night, but all our ambulance service men and women.

Wee Bird Recommends

Coming of age this year, the annual LGBT festival Glasgay! turns 21 this year. With events from now until mid November there's something for everyone, from art, music, comedy, theatre and film to clubbing. Wee think some of the highlights are: Scott Capurro at the Stand, Slope at the Citizens Theatre and Cry Baby at GFT.