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Published: July 10th 2013
Hanoi
from the top of The SofitelAfter completing a year of teaching in northern Vietnam, I have had one of the most interesting years of my life. Not only did I unexpectedly fall in love with Ha Noi, I have met amazing people, lived like a king, and picked up British vernacular. Ha Noi is the charismatic capital of Vietnam, where you can explore and achieve your dreams but can also have a lethargic effect. If there is a lack of self motivation, you can find yourself stuck in a rut. On the contrary, if you have aspirations, Ha Noi is a great avenue to explore them. People are doing great things. I even got work as a photographer and sold photos at an auction!
I would love to share my Ha Noi with you all. If anyone is interested in going, the following are some things my friends and I have observed, ranging from unenthusiastic to comical.
Vietnam is the land of the cheapest beer in the world! Even I can’t pass up that deal and I very much dislike beer. 25 cents a glass in the Old Quarter, other parts of town you can get 5 liters for 100,000 VND. It comes in
Long Bien Bridge
where you can buy corn and corn hair... a cleaned out petrol container. WARNING: be prepared to drink you beer with ice!
Side walks are not used for walking. If they are not filled with vendors or parked motor bikes, then during rush hour they are used as an extension of the road. Motor bikes pop up the curb and zig zag in any available space. And all the honking… you get immune to it and soon you can block it all out; unless your in a small alley and even though you have made eye contact with an approaching motor bike, they will still honk. It’s like, I freakin see you, no need to blow out my ear drums with your horn. Thanx.
I remember thinking it was weird that whenever the Vietnamese ask about your birthday, they calculate it by the year. In Vietnam, once babies are born they are already 1 year old. Furthermore, everyone turns a year older during Tet (Chinese New Year), yet they still celebrate their actual birthdays. It’s all mind boggling. Also if you are out celebrating your birthday, in Vietnamese tradition you (the bday boy/girl) pay for everyone.
If you get sick, for sure, with out a
the city line
along the Red River Delta, there is land used for farming. My friends and I call it banana island and it's really fun to explore by motor bike. Be ready for an off-roading adventure. This is the view as you come across Long Bien Bridge into the main part of Hanoi. doubt the Vietnamese will tell you it’s because of the weather. During really warm days, I’ll come into class sweaty and hot and the solution I’ve been told is to cover up more… how would that keep me cooler?? Yes let me put on a jacket… Oh and you shouldn’t show your shoulders but completely see thru shirts are acceptable.
My level of expectations of toilets has deteriorated exponentially. If the floor is dry, has toilet paper and flushes that sounds first class to me! And let’s not even mention toilets at border crossings. For some unknown reason they are seriously the most vial toilets ever, like shit on the floor gross.
There is a chicken heaven and it’s called Ly Van Phuc, otherwise known as Chicken street. It’s an alley dedicated to the barbequing of mostly chicken and glorious bread, all drenched in a home made honey glaze. No one does it better than chicken mama!! Trust me, we’ve tried! She is the last on the left hand side but not all the way at the end of the street. Also there is really good “Korean” bbq and street noodles. The BBQ one is on Hoang Hoa
Tham st across from the petrol station and the noodles are on some street in the Old Quarter. Banh my trung pate is a brekky favorite that cost 17,000 VND or like 85 cents. It’s fried egg with pate on a baguette, garnished with cucumbers, shredded, dried pork and a bit of sweet chili sauce. oh and the classic bun cha is the BEST you can get. Bun cha 34 on Hang Than street has epically big portions and delicious spring rolls, but make sure you get there before noon unless you wanna queue up for a while. There is also a very sweet, garlicy one right off Xuan Dieu street. If you're looking at Highway 4 restaurant, to the right is a little crooked alley. Right down there is the best bun cha; only open during lunch time though. I can go on and on about Viet food and the best place to get what…
Spitting and picking your nose is socially acceptable in public. Blowing your nose is advised to do privately. Apparently that’s not okay, which I found apparent because when I first moved to Hanoi I suffered from a 3 month long runny nose, probably
Truc Bach Lake
right next to the famed West Lake, Truc Bach lake also has swan boats and along the edge, really good food places for pho chien, frog or garlic fries due to the air quality. Oh and most locals don’t bother with deodorant…
Don’t look at the ingredients of packaged food. I did and I found that my spring rolls had cat’s ear in them. Then I posted on FB about it and promptly was informed by a friend that that was a translation of a type of mushroom! You may not have a local to correct your clear misunderstanding of the meaning of cat’s ear. And on that note, there are so many funny translations of things even on big adverts, names of restaurants, and t shirts.
Motor bikes are more expensive in HCMC. And don’t do the HCM trail during winter. It DOES get COLD in the north.
TNH or thenewhanoian.com is the spot to be online if you wanna find something in Hanoi; a job, a party/event, sell something, buy something, get a real-estate agent to show you apartments. You name it. It’s like craigslist.
What kept Hanoi so interesting is that you never know what around the corner, both figuratively and literally! Life is ever changing here, with people coming and going but also and especially in the small allies. One time
obsesions
with onesies, but also the night can never be complete without a kebob! I came around and there was a refrigerator being put on a motor bike, taking up the whole alley. Or there’s children playing or a truck trying to go down a street that was clearly NOT made for 4 wheeled vehicles.
All in all I can go on and on about the peculiarities of Hanoi. It’s not a place for everyone but for me and the choice group of people, we really made a lot of memories there. You can get away with a lot and get away with doing nothing. It’s up to you.
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Theresa Forrey
non-member comment
Ha Noi
I love your blog on Ha Noi honey. It comes across just as you say.