Friday, January 19, 2007
Friday January 19th 2007
Hanoi of course still and for a while -
It's funny what I'm going through each day here. My journey is as much inner than outer. No, probably more inner than outer. It's taken a while for me to find my feet. I mean yes I can function pretty much everywhere but functioning is not really a goal in itself. Getting to a new country is always the same for me. I find myself watching, observing, feeling and seeing what I get from the outside. I haven't been able to communicate with too many people yet which has made it harder because then you need to trust what you read which isn't always true either. Or rather someone else's opinion.
Hanoi, books say it's the gem from the north operating at a relaxed pace. Well, it seems full on to me. The constant noise from the horns of scooters, the masses of people everywhere, the constant solicitation from anyone wanting to sell you something. It never ceases. Well, yes the noise ceases between 11-12pm to about 6am. There are no windows in my room but I know pretty much what time it is by the level of noise I hear outside.
I go out today in search of a few things I need to buy. I want a shoulder bag so I don't need to always hold my bag with my hand and also I want some gloves and a warm scarf and perhaps even a sweater. So I head up Hang Ngang street where shops indoor and out line both side of the streets until I hit Xiao market which is a huge building with many stall holders. From what I've been told bargaining is "de rigueur" (expected) and in fact you will be respected for the price you can bargain down to. This is not my Forte but I'll give it a go. I find a bag eventually and bargain down the prices from 130 000 Vietnam Dong to 110 000. Yes, the currency here is worth very little so one US$1 is worth 16 061 Vietnamese Dong. So I think I paid something like just under US$7 for the bag. Then I find a pair of gloves and I do much better with the bargaining. She wants 25 000 Dong, I tell her I'll give her 15 000, she says 20 000, I say 18 000, she insists on 20 000 but I tell her I'll think about it and start walking away and of course she agrees then to 18 000. And right there I can't believe I've just bargained a pair of gloves from about US$1.60 down to about US$1.12. But hey it was fun.
I walk away without a scarf or a sweater. Maybe tomorrow. I find a small road side spot which is serving food so I eat there on a plastic stool. A couple of Vietnamese people seeing me eat with the chopsticks bring me a spoon but I continue eating with the chopstick. Actually some of the best food you can eat in Vietnam is probably served like that on the side of the road. Of course you can go to proper restaurants and pay 6-10 times the price but it's not as fun.
From there I come back through the many streets around the Old quarters. I stop in a small gallery/shop and find a lovely 20 year old young woman who speaks english very well. Or the best I've come across. Her name is Ha for Hanoi. Her mother is from just south of Hanoi and her father from just North so they called her after Hanoi. Hanoi means the city in the bend of the river. She tells me about lackered painting which is typically Vietnamese and we talk about that for a while. Then we just talk about life. She is in third year of accounting and loves to work in the shop so she can practice her English with foreigners who come in. She tells me about some great little places to eat Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) and Cha ca (fish soup I gather). We talk about everything from Chinese Astrology to Vietnamese Culture. She makes me promise to come back to talk with her and I'm sure I will. Off through many streets to a Market I heard about to buy some fruit and nuts. I also spend some time with some women there looking at different scarfs and notice the prices there are so much cheaper than in shops. Again I'm talking about a couple of dollars for a warm scarf. But I'll be back tomorrow. On the way home I try one of the small Pho places along the road just down from where I live. I pay about a third of what I paid in a proper cafe yesterday and the food is noticeably better.
And it's dark by the time I make it back to the Hotel. It's not so daunting to be out at night anymore. You just have to keep your wits about you and your eye on your bag or pockets. Otherwise it's become second nature now.
Just another day in Hanoi doing not much but seeing a lot of it by foot and thoroughly enjoying it.
Bye for now
Hanoi of course still and for a while -
It's funny what I'm going through each day here. My journey is as much inner than outer. No, probably more inner than outer. It's taken a while for me to find my feet. I mean yes I can function pretty much everywhere but functioning is not really a goal in itself. Getting to a new country is always the same for me. I find myself watching, observing, feeling and seeing what I get from the outside. I haven't been able to communicate with too many people yet which has made it harder because then you need to trust what you read which isn't always true either. Or rather someone else's opinion.
Hanoi, books say it's the gem from the north operating at a relaxed pace. Well, it seems full on to me. The constant noise from the horns of scooters, the masses of people everywhere, the constant solicitation from anyone wanting to sell you something. It never ceases. Well, yes the noise ceases between 11-12pm to about 6am. There are no windows in my room but I know pretty much what time it is by the level of noise I hear outside.
I go out today in search of a few things I need to buy. I want a shoulder bag so I don't need to always hold my bag with my hand and also I want some gloves and a warm scarf and perhaps even a sweater. So I head up Hang Ngang street where shops indoor and out line both side of the streets until I hit Xiao market which is a huge building with many stall holders. From what I've been told bargaining is "de rigueur" (expected) and in fact you will be respected for the price you can bargain down to. This is not my Forte but I'll give it a go. I find a bag eventually and bargain down the prices from 130 000 Vietnam Dong to 110 000. Yes, the currency here is worth very little so one US$1 is worth 16 061 Vietnamese Dong. So I think I paid something like just under US$7 for the bag. Then I find a pair of gloves and I do much better with the bargaining. She wants 25 000 Dong, I tell her I'll give her 15 000, she says 20 000, I say 18 000, she insists on 20 000 but I tell her I'll think about it and start walking away and of course she agrees then to 18 000. And right there I can't believe I've just bargained a pair of gloves from about US$1.60 down to about US$1.12. But hey it was fun.
I walk away without a scarf or a sweater. Maybe tomorrow. I find a small road side spot which is serving food so I eat there on a plastic stool. A couple of Vietnamese people seeing me eat with the chopsticks bring me a spoon but I continue eating with the chopstick. Actually some of the best food you can eat in Vietnam is probably served like that on the side of the road. Of course you can go to proper restaurants and pay 6-10 times the price but it's not as fun.
From there I come back through the many streets around the Old quarters. I stop in a small gallery/shop and find a lovely 20 year old young woman who speaks english very well. Or the best I've come across. Her name is Ha for Hanoi. Her mother is from just south of Hanoi and her father from just North so they called her after Hanoi. Hanoi means the city in the bend of the river. She tells me about lackered painting which is typically Vietnamese and we talk about that for a while. Then we just talk about life. She is in third year of accounting and loves to work in the shop so she can practice her English with foreigners who come in. She tells me about some great little places to eat Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) and Cha ca (fish soup I gather). We talk about everything from Chinese Astrology to Vietnamese Culture. She makes me promise to come back to talk with her and I'm sure I will. Off through many streets to a Market I heard about to buy some fruit and nuts. I also spend some time with some women there looking at different scarfs and notice the prices there are so much cheaper than in shops. Again I'm talking about a couple of dollars for a warm scarf. But I'll be back tomorrow. On the way home I try one of the small Pho places along the road just down from where I live. I pay about a third of what I paid in a proper cafe yesterday and the food is noticeably better.
And it's dark by the time I make it back to the Hotel. It's not so daunting to be out at night anymore. You just have to keep your wits about you and your eye on your bag or pockets. Otherwise it's become second nature now.
Just another day in Hanoi doing not much but seeing a lot of it by foot and thoroughly enjoying it.
Bye for now
# posted by AdeC @ 3:02 AM 
Comments:
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Bonjour Anne,
J'ai une énorme grippe, aussi je n'ai pas poursuivi ma lecture sur Hanoï. J'aime mieux te lire toi. Jusqu'à quand demeures-tu à Hanoï? Est-ce que tu écris d'un café ou de l'hôtel? En te lisant ce matin, j'ai eu une énorme envie de me retrouver en ta compagnie! L'autre jour, je suis allée dans le site internet de cette superbe maison que tu as visitée!
Bisous
J'ai une énorme grippe, aussi je n'ai pas poursuivi ma lecture sur Hanoï. J'aime mieux te lire toi. Jusqu'à quand demeures-tu à Hanoï? Est-ce que tu écris d'un café ou de l'hôtel? En te lisant ce matin, j'ai eu une énorme envie de me retrouver en ta compagnie! L'autre jour, je suis allée dans le site internet de cette superbe maison que tu as visitée!
Bisous
Salut Colette, J'ai decide de rester a Hanoi pour le mois complet ie jusqu'au 16 Fevrier. Au depart je comptais voyager tout autour mais le prospect de faire ca ne me tentais pas vraiment au fond. J'ai prefere choisis un endroit et y rester pour un moment. Demain je vais voir un spectacle des water puppets pas tres loin de mon hotel.
Pour l'instant l'internet est gratuit dans l'hotel mais je n'arrive pas a me connecter avec mon ordinateur avec la connection sans fil. Par contre ils ont deux ordinateurs a la disposition des clients alors j'ecris de la.
Je te souhaite de te remettre tres vite de ta grippe et gros bisous.
Annexx
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Pour l'instant l'internet est gratuit dans l'hotel mais je n'arrive pas a me connecter avec mon ordinateur avec la connection sans fil. Par contre ils ont deux ordinateurs a la disposition des clients alors j'ecris de la.
Je te souhaite de te remettre tres vite de ta grippe et gros bisous.
Annexx
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