Vietnam...ups, downs and all arounds.
The sun rises with the introduction of the many roosters around the city of Hanoi screeching their “Cockle doodle doo”. You forget that you are in a city of over eight million people when for a brief moment you feel you are in the countryside. The many caged birds begin to sing and there is nothing lovelier, though soon to be drowned out. It is now 7.30am and like clockwork, the loudspeakers all around the city have the same lady speaking Communist propaganda, followed by elevator music. It used to be strange, but now find it comforting, welcoming, like a David Lynch “good morning” chant. The morning symphony of Hanoi is completed with the yapping of many little dogs and the deep bark of a large dog. This is my morning every day and it does not disturb me one bit.
Life inside my home is an oasis. It is an escape from the chaos of behavior and noise outside. It is my quiet, my chance to contemplate my day and pray to my new friend and god called ‘air conditioning’. In the past I would avoid this machine whenever possible, but now it has become the difference between misery of hell and the ability to exist in harmony.
Our apartment is surrounded by windows which allows an enormous amount of natural light to come in. We also have a great view from any viewpoint. Under normal circumstances this would be a pleasure to behold every day, but sadly rarely exists. The heat is so stifling here that our apartment has become a greenhouse, a sauna, a wonderfully furnished and spacious torture box. The huge chocolate brown drapes are kept closed permanently to reduce the heat …slightly. It has become the most wonderful penthouse basement apartment. For the few months of winter when everything cools down, the drapes can once again be pulled and the light allowed in. I look forward to those days again.
My home is my escape from the chaos and madness of what is outside. If the heat is overbearing, it is simply too much and like a bear I hibernate where it is safe and familiar. When I need to step outside it becomes vital to prepare yourself mentally and physically. Hanoi is not for the weak or the unaware. There is no such thing as a casual walk unless it is very late at night or early in the morning. The excessive honking, lack of rules and social etiquette has taken a long time to adjust and honestly still is my biggest challenge living here. I will overcome.
Walking in this city is not recommended. It is my choice. Hanoi is like a super large village since so many people from the village come here for opportunity. There are very few rules followed and when the village life meets the city life, it is like water and oil mixing. There are many obstacles, unpredictable surprises, assaulting noises and visuals and to the ‘Westerner’, rude behavior. The Vietnamese are not trying to be rude. The locals simply have never had the education of the many social manners we do or the ridiculous amount of rules that we live by. Yes, I now must admit that living here has made me realize how uptight we are in the Western world and I do not mind breaking many of the rules and now fear when I return to the U.S. what trouble that may put me in.
I am approaching one year of living in Vietnam. I am smarter, wiser and hopefully a better person because of it. Living abroad always makes you appreciate what you had and frankly I do not miss much. Every place has its good and bad and it is human to seek comfort and security. I never want to put myself in danger, but life is not worth living if all you ever have is comfort. I need to grow as a person and learn the realities of the world. A movie, a book or a great story is wonderful, but nothing compares to experiencing life with all the senses stimulated. When they say that life is more about the journey, the process or the path than getting there… well, it is true. You will not know you have arrived unless you remember how you got there.
