Ha Noi. It was really hot today. Getting up in the morning was tough. Walking to the school was worse. Perhaps it was not helped by the stomach bug! Suspect it was the watermelons left open in the restaurant. I should have known but took the risk. Ironic. Well. Life ain't fun if one does not take risks, right? Wrong if you are having stomach cramps every few minutes! But I must say that the melons were really sweet!
Been in Ha Noi for almost 2 months now. What a ride! Fascinating city with lots of character and historical anecdotes. Spent a lot of initial weeks walking around the city. The people are generally warm and friendly. At least those I met since my arrival are. Understanding and speaking the language help tremendously, of course. On the other hand, the noise and pollution are big minuses.
Perhaps things would improve in the near future.
But it would be a tough struggle. For example, it would be a huge challenge simply to manage the number of motorcycles on the streets.
I am not sure whether one should cry or laugh when you discover that crossing the roads in Ha Noi is an act of faith. My Vietnamese friends tell me to trust that the motorcyclists would avoid us when we cross the road. That is what I call blind faith but it helps to be brave. Really brave. Really really brave!
I am quite adept now but still there were several "near-death" experiences.
Taking a motorcycle ride is another Vietnamese speciality!
No helmets and moving at high speeds. Not much respect for traffic regulations. Leave it to you to visualise. On the plus side, taking the motorcycle taxis (or Xe Om in Vietnamese) is cheap and fast. But you should be prepared for the exhausts coming from the other vehicles on the streets as well as the expected close shaves.
Well. Another day. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
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4 comments:
Be careful when crossing the roads. Watch out for motorcycles! God Bless!
Hey. Great to see that you have taken the leap of faith, not just when crossing the road, but starting your blog. Keep it going and I have promptly added your blog to my rss reader.
What a great way to keep tab of you in Hanoi. Take care and watch out for the traffic there!
its good that you are keeping a blog, reminds me of stanford days....that was how i kept myself sane and kept in touch with friends. Hang in there. Hugs.
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