Greetings from Hanoi

The Vietnamese coastline, as glimpsed from the plane

We arrived in Hanoi yesterday after a short one hour plane ride. Expecting to be accosted by waves of heat, we were instead greeted by overcast skies and warm, balmy weather. The weekend here so far has been an odd mixture of dazzling sunshine, blue skies, gray skies, and raindrops the size of hailstones. We experienced this almost right away. After stopping at Craft Link, a non-profit organization that sells crafts made by indigenous minority peoples, we ate lunch at the Koto Restaurant. Koto is another non-profit place, a restaurant that is staffed by young adults who grew up on the street. Koto acts as a training ground to help street children learn skills that they may be able to use in the job market (as well as for life). The portions were Western-sized, and the kids (our age, actually) were polite and vigilant in their work. I've heard of these places back in the states--bakeries where the pastry chefs are homeless, etc--and it's really neat to see one here in Vietnam. It always saddens me to see people begging on the streets here in Vietnam, and I feel guilty for not dropping a bill in their palm or hat. Koto and Craft Link offer ways for people to give aid to others less fortunate, and receive something in return. I can't say I still don't feel a twinge of guilt, however, when a beggar with one blind eye thrust his cap at me today...

Tourists in the rain

But on to more pleasant things. As soon as we stepped out from Koto, rain began to fall. I love and both dislike the rain here in Vietnam. When it rains, it pours--literally. It's nice because it gives respite from the heat, but it's not so nice because it's hard to go out in the rain. The rain began to pick up speed as we debated what to do, and just as it started to fall more forcefully, a woman appeared selling disposable rain ponchos. I quickly snapped one up for 5,000 dong, and not a moment too soon--as soon as I slipped the plastic-bag like material over my head, the raindrops grew to the size of tiny pebbles. It hurt! If I hadn't known it was rain, I would have thought they were hailstones. Armed with our plastic bag ponchos and undeterred, we followed our tour guide across the street to visit the old University of Literature. The University here is where Confucian scholars back in the Le Dynasty studied. The place is a beauty--soaring scarlet wooden gates beckon hoards of tourists hiding under the multi-colored hues of umbrellas. We passed through a small courtyard where scholars used to gather to chat and practice their memorization and music skills. The Star Gate is a portal to the Mirror Pond, in which we spotted tiny turtles with moss-covered shells and the usual goldfish. Stone turtles carrying heavy stellas bearing the names of scholars who had successfully graduated lined the sides of the pond, the architecture on both sides reflections of each other. Past this area was the Confucian Temple. I'm not sure what was in the last area of the complex, for we had to leave before I could explore it.

The drive to the hotel revealed Hanoi as a beautiful city, quite different from Saigon. It's interesting how the three major cities of Vietnam--Saigon, Hue, and Hanoi--are all unique reflections of the distinctive regions they play capital to. Saigon is a bustling metropolis, filled with billboards and overcrowded streets choked with a smog of motorbike dust. Hue is quiet and sleepy, filled with cultural relics that surround the city with an ancient ambiance. Hanoi is an odd mixture of both. There is the busyness of Saigon combined with the timelessness of Hue. Driving past Hoan Kiem Lake, where Le Loi was rumored to have returned the magic sword that enabled him to defeat the Chinese invaders back to the giant turtle that gave it to him, we glimpsed the pagoda-like silhouette of 'Turtle Tower.' Lover's Lane divides West Lake and its partner into two--an alleyway dotted with gnarled streets and stone benches where people sit resting or hawking goods. We drove through wide streets built by the French during the colonial era when they blasted down the tiny, cramped streets they hated to build roadways which would apparently prove more useful to independent, modern Vietnam and its clusters of motorbikes. Our hotel for the weekend, Boss Hotel, is located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. This is a place filled with small streets lined with the miniature, store-front businesses that you see everywhere in Vietnam. Each street is known to sell a particular item: for example just today we walked through 'Shoe Street'. Take a look and you know why: piles of sandals line the sidewalk in front of storefronts, shelves with sparkling high heels and muted leather formal wear stack the insides of shops. Crouching outside of some stores were men and women making shoes. We witnessed a woman nailing together wooden heels with shiny lacquer designs and a man stitching together rubber sandals.




After our first day arriving in Hanoi, today we visited the Ho Chi Minh Memorial complex. A sprawling area overlooking Ba Dinh Plaza, the place is a must-stop for the Vietnamese. Uncle Ho, as they call him, lies in preserved state within the imposing, Soviet-style mausoleum. There was a long line filled with both native and foreign tourists who were waiting to see the father of modern Vietnam. I was expecting to see a more wax-like figure, but after seeing Uncle Ho's body, I'm inclined to say that I think it's the real deal. An old, wispy man lay within a glass-walled coffin, his hands crossed lightly on his chest. His skin looked pale yellow and soft, as if one touch would collapse it. He looked almost like one feigning sleep. I was, to be honest, more amazed at the fact that here was a preserved human body that had been embalmed for decades more than the fact that this was Ho Chi Minh's body. It's interesting to see how some countries preserve their revered leaders: The Soviet Union and Lenin, Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh, and China and Mao.

One Pillar Pagoda

That day was blistering hot, and after the Mausoleum we visited the old guest house where Ho Chi Minh used to stay out (he preferred the Vietnamese-style house over the bright yellow French governor's mansion), the HCM museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda. We ate lunch at an interesting place. The restaurant was very large and all the food was cooked outside in little stalls that mimicked street food eateries. After the before mentioned shopping trip down Shoe Street, we retired back to rest until dinner. A few of us went out to indulge in Hanoi's nightlife, but I was tired and went back. Tomorrow will begin bright and early--5 AM sharp for a morning stroll down Hanoi streets.

8-14-09: Hanoi, here we come!

I woke up at 1:45am today. I don't know why, but my body has a propensity to wake me up at crazy times when I'm excited. Today, the cause of this excitement is our trip to Hanoi. We leave in about 5 hours, and we all couldn't be more enthused. Dr.Biggs and Co Hom Ang have informed us of many things that can be done in Hanoi with (sadly) such little time, hopefully we can get as much done as we can in our little window of time...

School Spirit in Hue

I went to a restaurant called Little Italy. I didn’t have exactly have Italian food, I had a cheeseburger. It tasted great! I am a big fan of In and Out back home, so this is the closest that I can get to eating one of their burgers. As for the restaurant, it is pretty fascinating. There are writings all over the walls. The writings are from various patrons from all parts of the world. On one wall, patrons posted their currency. On another wall, the first aid kit was vandalized by a foreigner’s name. And of course, I had to leave my legacy there. I had a hard time finding a spot since all the spaces were taken. Eventually, I found a spot close to where I was seated. It was on some tiles close to the ground. I don’t think it is exactly noticeable though. Just in case you can’t read the writing on the wall here is what I meant to say: UCLA MSW 2010 (the year I am graduating from my social work program). And of course, I had to put on a cheer my team with “GO BRUINS!”

Translating Connections

Travel Study/ study abroad programs bring people together in a way in which the stereotypical dormitory on a college campus cannot accomplish. Other than the program itself, the individuals on these adventures away from home initiate dialogue, which develop friendships abroad and eventually, make their way back home.

The unfamiliar surroundings and faces that remove us from our elements, place students in the same boat, so to say, while in a new and exciting place without those stable strongholds we are accustomed to. The bonds we have created over a short period of time will last long after our five-weeks encountering Vietnam and each other (based out of my own experience in other travel study programs). The small and big acts of kindness amongst people are refreshing after spending too much time in a competitive university, where I have at times awkwardly sat in a classroom of peers, who do not necessarily like to “make friends.” The friendships and connections go beyond just the students and faculty in the program.

Like other students have mentioned, for the most part people have taken very kindly to us and welcomed us into their culture. From playing cards with our motorbike business men across the street from the hotel (who wave and smile to us every morning) to our Vietnamese translators from Hue, University who graciously take time out (unpaid) of their lives to assists us in our studies and experiences in Vietnam, we as students are privileged to have such an experience.

My facebook status read “I’m sitting on top of the world, on the other side of the world… if you have a chance to study abroad, don’t pass it up.” The experience, along with the friends acquired, has become the symbolic capital, which cancel out the fees I shelled out for the program.



To be continued… “The Motorbike Diaries”

Everyone knows us!

When first arriving to Hue Professor Biggs and Co Hong Anh told us that everyone knows everything about each other and word spreads very quickly. In theory, I understood what they meant but not until I started to explore around the city did I feel their words. For example, we went to find clothes that didn't make us feel like we were constantly sitting in a sauana. While we walked up the steps into the clothes shop, a man sitting on his bike and smoking a cigarette next to the steps looked at us with an expression of "Who are you?" As we walked in I could feel his gaze following us into the store. We learned to brush these stares off beacuse frankly, we stand out like Godzilla in Japan. When we were looking through clothes, I heard the man ask outloud to the lady in the store nextdoor "Who are those people?" in Vietnamese. She responded back with a tone of, "How do you not know?!" She said,"Sinh vien o khach san Thanh Noi!" Which translates into, "The students staying at the Thanh Noi hotel." When I heard that, my eyes almost popped out of my head and my jaw practically dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe it. It was only our second day in Hue, and this shop was pretty far from the hotel, yet word spread so quickly about us. I turned to my friend who spoke Vietnamese too, and she had the same suprised look as me. The phrase "Sinh vien o khach san Than Noi!" seemed to have stuck because everyday we hear it, whether it's walking around or driving past the people sitting on the sidewalk selling stuff. And yes, we hear it even when we're driving because Vietnamese people are not quiet or discreet. Personally, I think the fact that everyone knows us and knows that we're foreigners worked to our advantage. The locals are very warming to us through their smiles if we drive by, or by asking us a million questions when we're walking by. What I find most helpful about being known by the locals is that I'm able to ask them how much certain items should cost so I don't get ripped off. It makes me smile to see how excited the locals get when we ask for help and how much excess unecessary information they give us to make sure we understand. This type of sincere and welcoming environment is something that could never be found back home in the states. I know for sure that I will be very sad when I leave Hue because I'll feel like I'm leaving all my aunts and uncles.

A Friendly Encounter

It was my third day in Vietnam, and Professor Biggs arranged a cyclo tour for the afternoon. It was interesting to see everyone gather in the lounge because there were so many different personalities interacting with each other. After Professor Biggs gave the word to walk outside, the students were greeted by over 20 cyclo drivers. One particular driver was looking at me with a big smile. He was a short man, wearing a beige hat, collared shirt, long pants, and sandals. He shouted “oi,“ and began to walk towards me. I gave a crooked smile, and in politeness I extended my hand to greet him. The individual aggressively grasped my hand and violently shook my arm up and down. After ten shakes, which is seven more than usual for me, I attempted to pull my arm away; however, he grasped my hand even tighter and escorted me across the street. I’m sure it was an interesting sight to see a tall American being dragged across the street by a tinier man. We walked up to his cyclo and he kindly asked me to sit down. Apparently, my driver forgot we were holding hands and we had a brief moment where we were just staring at each other. The whole time I was thinking to myself, “why is he smiling so much?” After I glanced at my hand, he laughed and finally released his grip. After a few moments of awkward silence, my driver asked me for my name. I said, “my name is Charles, what is your name?… Ian… Ti-yen… Tin?” It took me another three times to pronounce Tien correctly. Around that time everyone settled down and was prepared to go. The cyclo drivers pushed off the curb and the group began to tour a small portion of the city. Tien didn’t know much English, but he did his best to explain some historic structures. At one of the stops, Professor Biggs said it was one of the hottest days in Hue. I felt bad my driver had to push a relatively large individual around the city, so I asked Tien if he wanted a ride to the pagoda. He chuckled and said ok. I found out it was quite difficult to steer the cyclo. The passenger needs to stay completely neutral in order for the cyclo to go straight, but Tien constantly leaned to the left to talk to me. I couldn‘t understand a word he was saying because I was panicking, trying to keep the cyclo on the right side of the road. I was using all my strength to turn right to compensate for Tien’s weight on the left. We actually drifted off towards oncoming traffic (fortunately mopeds can dodge runaway cyclos). Tien didn’t know the seriousness of our predicament because he was not looking at the road, he was looking at me… he just kept smiling. Fortunately, one of the other drivers yelled at Tien to sit normally and I was able to regain control of the cyclo. At the end of the tour, I exchanged a few words with Tien and said goodbye to my smiling friend.
The next day it was around lunchtime and the students were getting ready to eat at a nearby restaurant. I walked outside, and I saw Tien waving at me from the front gate. I walked up to greet him and I found out he rented mopeds and bikes to guests at the hotel. In fact, some student were able to rent mopeds from his friends in the morning. Since Tien worked outside of the hotel, I had the pleasure of talking to him everyday. It became second nature for me to shake his hand before I left the hotel. Dennis, Angie, and Sonny (3 other students) also developed a friendly relationship with their cyclo drivers, and the four of us decided to sit outside and converse with the drivers. Angie was the only Vietnamese speaker, and she did a great job translating for the rest of us. I was able to show a few card tricks, and we played a game similar to thirteen. That day we made plans to go fishing, and eventually we were invited to his eat at Tien's house. So cheers to my first friend from Vietnam.

Eating Hue

Seafood by the beach in Hoi An

One thing we learned about Hue and food is that many Vietnamese dishes originated in Hue due to the enormous appetites of the Emperors. This of course means that Hue is a city of good eats. As students living in a hotel for five weeks, we eat out every single day. A breakfast buffet is provided courtesy of the hotel, and is actually pretty tasty. They have a different noodle soup every day (like pho or bun bo Hue), a spread of local fruits, fried banana crepes, etc. Yet, it's when it comes time to scrounge around the city for lunch and dinner when things get interesting, food-wise.

The Che Lady in Hoi An: Her che, or sweet dessert soup, contains agar jelly, grass jelly, basil seeds, and a dash of ginger flavoured syrup. A refeshing street-side sweet for a hot day ;)

Exploring the local neighborhood reveals a plethora of places to eat. Most of these are family operated cafes which spill over into the street. And of course, there is the street food. Every night, Mai Thuc Loan street comes alive with the smells of street-side grilled duck, noodle soups, nuoc mia (sugarcane juice) venders, and com tam (broken rice dishes). On one of the first nights we enjoyed bun rieu (crab noodle soup) from a street side stall which was evidently good and popular from the amount of people scoffing down grub from infant size tables and plastic stools. Street food here is the cheapest of all good eats here in Hue. They usually cost less than a dollar for one good sized bowl of hot, steaming noodles. Another day we had a hot bowl of pho, crouching over our bowls to the sound of motorbikes buzzing past.

Our first two weeks we chowed down on local grub, but soon enough the pinings for a good burger or fried chicken got the better of us, and we taxied through the citadel to Truong Tien Plaza to enjoy Ga Ran Kentucky (or KFC, as it's called back in the states). KFC is different here. They have less choices, but different types of food: for example, KFC here in Hue serves soft serve ice cream and seafood choices. The service is pretty fancy, too--you order and then the cashier, like a waiter, brings your food to you in a clean white dish. Food at the Big C supermarket isn't bad either. Tonight a few of us enjoyed Thai-style hotpot in the canteen (thanks, Sonny!):

"Saigon Pizza" from Little Italy: the interesting ingredient are the sweet Vietnamese sausages

The backpacker district also contains international grub, albeit more expensive than the local eats. There's Little Italy, which we've all frequented several times. The restaurant has an expansive menu featuring everying from burgers to spaghetti and of course, pizza. It's pretty darn good pizza, too (not to mention they have free delivery!). Yesterday we visited La Carambole, a restaurant whose sign brags about being mentioned in Lonely Planet and the Michelin foodie guide. They serve a plethora of local and European dishes such as banh khoai and savory crepes with aubergine and cheese.

Banh Khoai

Coming to Hue, I've learned to like plenty of new dishes. I'm especially partial to the rice-flour glutinous types, such as banh beo, banh nam, and banh loc. Thanks to Co Cuc and Co Thao from cooking class, we can bring a taste of Hue back with us when we go back home. However, it just won't be the same as eating in Hue.

Some rice flour dishes: banh nam (left) and banh loc (?) (right)