Anne's blog travel 06-07

Friday February 9th 2007

It's funny when you hope to see someone and suddenly they appear on your path...I took a morning off from running on the hard pavement tiles around the lake this morning just to give my back a rest from the pounding. So, of course I didn't see Ton as I normally do. I wanted to talk to him about possibly going out to the provinces and seeing some areas with him. I've never seen him anywhere but at the lake in the morning and even I've gone there a couple of times in the day to see if I could catch him to talk about doing a trip out but never found him there. But this afternoon as I'm walking some busy street, he pulls up on his motorbike. "Hey, I didn't see you this morning at the lake!" he says. "I was lazy" I say "my back needed a break." "So" he says "you've got time, why don't I organise you a trip somewhere?" He tells me he's busy tomorrow going to the perfume pagodas with an Australian guy or couple (I forget) but free Sunday or whenever. So tentatively I talk about Monday. Mondays in Hanoi, all the museums are closed but outside the city it's normal life. We'll confirm around the lake. I'm thinking if it all goes well and it's fun, might even do something else with him on Wednesday as if he has something to suggest. And then Thursday is my last day here already as I fly out Friday.

At the gym today I talk to one of the lovely woman who works there. She shows me a fruit tree which they have put in the entrance which bears tiny mandarines. "This tree is very lucky." she tells me to explain that it brings good luck and so with the New Year (TET) approaching people are setting those around. I notice later in the streets that many of these small trees have been put in front of businesses and shops.

This morning having Bahh Khut (pronounced Baan Hop) I meet a woman who is studying commerce in Australia and only back in Vietnam for three weeks. Of course her English language skills are great so we speak for a moment. He name is Co (pronounced euhr). In Australia she is doing a homestay in Sydney. I ask her how she likes living in Australia. She tells me it's fine. "You know" she says "it's different. People there don't talk much to others. I live with people and it's "hello, Goodbye"...not much more than that." And somehow I know what she means after being here. I tell her about my experiences here with students and young professionals coming to practice their english with me around the lake and can't imagine anyone approching me like that for any reason in Australia (and certainly not Sydney). And all the experiences I've had sitting down with ladies around food when neither of us can speak a word of each others' language but we've still had so much fun and always managed to communicate. She tells me that even she has to explore Hanoi again (having been away for 18 months )as so much has changed. But, she tells me, it's in the daily exchanges that you find Hanoi. Not in the touristy places.

There are many people I know I'll miss when I leave this place. But more than anything, it will be a general feeling of human kindness and hospitality, a genuine interest in others...

Bye for now