Saturday, August 8, 2009

Sunday Morning Coming Down



Took our morning coffee at Highlands Coffee ( 3rd floor) and watched and listened to Sunday morning in Hanoi.  

Some thoughts and observations after a full day and a half:

-  Pedestrian beware!  No one stops for footlings.  One just looks for a small opening in the traffic, steps off the curb and begins the art of The Hanoi Two-Step.  P is getting quite good at this;  I bravely (?) take P's hand, pretend I am a horse with blinders. 

- Forget a multi-lane street with nice double yellow dividing lines;  everyone is on their own nilly willy.  No road rage, just incredible-to-witness-maneuvering.  It will be a while before we are able to participate in this kaleidoscope.  Not for the faint-hearted.

-  Have seen many quintessential mopeds with a family of four laden with various goods.  I keep trying to take a pic but by the time I get my camera out, it's over.  Will continue to try.

-  Many older women with impossibly heavy loads of goods dangling from the opposite ends of a small wooden slat balanced on their elderly shoulders.  I feel like such a wimp.

-  Saw a toothless Grandma chasing a scrawny chicken down the street, dodging traffic.  Too amazed to whip out camera.


Great sign next to a woman shining shoes.  In case you can't fully read it: "can do, suc khoe".  

-  Walked for hours yesterday, drank many bottles of water and hardly peed.  We sweated like the 'Deliverance' boys were after us!  Could not have filled a specimen cup of my life depended on it.

-  So far, Hanoi makes me happy.  

O.

7 comments:

Eileen said...

....and the adventure begins! Love being at the window.

Ophelia and Peter said...

Thanks Eileen, an adventure for sure.

Al Christensen said...

I wonder if modern young Vietnamese women will grow up to be like their load-carrying, chicken-chasing, cone-hat-wearing grandmothers.

Steve said...

It looks sooo great!

And especially seeing it through your eyes.

Shem the Wrench said...

more, more, more!!!!!!!

Teresa said...

I love reading your observations which bring back many memories for me of Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur -- your descriptions are great visuals. I'm happy that Hanoi is making you happy.

Love,
T

Yen said...

:D. I am very interested in your writings and reviews of Hanoi. Come on with your fantastic work! I ran into your blog via newhanoian, I am a member of this site. It's very nice to read your blog and I keep doing it, so keep observing, keep taking photoing and keep blogging.
Best wishes to you both.
Yen
P.S: If you have any difficulties in terms of language or anything else relating to the VN life, contact me and I am eager to help;
My Mail: sunflower_vt282@yahoo.com or minhyenvn@hotmail.com.