I started writing this blog post the first day I arrived in
Vietnam… that was twenty days ago and here I am still working on finishing and
publishing my very first in country blog entry!! The last (almost) three weeks
have been an absolute whirlwind of new experiences, new people and even new
emotions. At times I have been elated and other times I have felt completely
overwhelmed by the whole experience. Much like when I wrote my very first blog
entry a few months ago I really am not entirely sure where to begin…so I guess
this time I will simply start at the beginning;
It was 10am on the 1st of September as I boarded a flight to
Hanoi from Changi (Singapore) Airport my mood was less than great; Having
already flown 8 hours from Sydney to reach Singapore, followed by a 10 hour
layover (arriving at midnight) at Changi Airport with little sleep (and a bout
of food poisoning thrown in for good measure) I have to say by this point I was
simply over it all- I was tired, queasy and desperately craving sleep, instead
of feeling enthused my mood was one of trepidation and even a bit of apathy.
Fortunately once I boarded the flight I found pleasant
distractions that tempered my gloom somewhat as we set off on the final leg of
our journey to Hanoi, Vietnam. A young Singaporean girl seated next to me (who
was so adorable and minute in stature) kept me entertained and fascinated as
she spoke to me about her schooling and read the paper aloud to her mother- I
couldn’t help but be intrigued watching a six year old girl having somewhat
educated and informed discussions about topics such as the ‘paralysing impact
of recent typhoons’ in south-east Asia and the differences between government
in Singapore and Vietnam. This was really my first significant interaction with
‘locals’ since I had left Sydney and by half way through the flight my mood had
improved dramatically as I continued to interact with my young neighbour. As we
neared Northern Vietnam my mood improved even more as I gazed out the window
and was greeted with a sight that I can only characterise as quintessential
Vietnam. Through a haze of luminous clouds with fairy floss texture I laid eyes
upon endless fields of green, many appearing to be rice paddies , interspersed
with clumps of buildings built so close together it was hard to define where one
ended and the next began. As we moved inland a river emerged (possibly the Red
River Delta- I’m not sure though), scattered throughout the landscape with more
and more towns emerging along its banks. By this stage my trepidation had been
replaced with excitement and fascination- this whole experience suddenly felt
much more tangible and compelling as I witnessed for the first time the nation
I will call home for the next five months. Before I knew it the landscape I was
admiring from afar was drawing ever closer as we headed in for landing at Hanoi
International Airport.
Upon landing at Hanoi International Airport I was struck by
the very stark contrasts between where I had come from and where I was about to
go. Heading through immigration the mood of the officials was focused and
unyielding; stepping forward to present my passport I was met by a stone faced
official who examined my passport, stamped it and returned it to me without
once directly acknowledging me (or anyone else) or even changing his expression.
Once through immigration we headed to the baggage carousel to grab our bags. As
I watched bags circle endlessly around the rickety old carousel I began to
become acquainted with the first of many cultural differences that exist
between Vietnam and Australia. Security was lax at best and many locals had
checked their baggage simply in large cardboard boxes wrapped in endless layers
of tape. Once I had grabbed my bags I set out to find a bottle of water (which
seems to cost on average 20 cents a bottle here- so cheap!). As I approached
the counter I came to the realisation that I had no clear way to communicate
with the cashier and only a loose grasp on the currency system. Whilst not
particularly difficult or overwhelming this was certainly one of many not so
subtle reminders that I was now a long way from home- and things I usually take
for granted like talking to a cashier, or crossing the road would now be
challenges to embrace and/or overcome… After grabbing our luggage and
precariously navigating our way through the airport car park I and thirty other
volunteers piled onto a bus bound for Hanoi city.
When first arriving in Vietnam’s northern capital Hanoi
inevitably the first thing that people notice is the traffic! To say that
traffic in Hanoi is insane is an understatement!! Motorbike riders and cars
alike swerve and honk their way through the maze of often narrow streets with
little regard for other road users and perhaps even their own safety. Road
rules are more guidelines than actual requirements, the near deafening
cacophony of honking horns which replaces all normal driving practices such as
yielding and indicating drones on throughout the day and well into the evenings
and even driving on the correct side of the road is a concept that is only
sometimes understood, particularly by cab drivers. And of course it would be
highly remiss of me if I failed to mention the insane amount that locals are
able to carry on motorbikes or at times even bicycles; families of four or five
people on a single bike, entire palates of coca cola, floor rugs stacked at
least a meter high, construction equipment of every variety (chipboard, glass,
guttering) - the methods used to transport people and objects alike in this
country never cease to amaze me!
The first time I went wandering through the streets of Hanoi
with other YPWB volunteers it took us the better part of an hour to work up the
nerve to step out into the never ending stream of traffic to reach the stalls
and shops that waited a terrifying twenty metre walk away on the other side of
the road and it would take several days before I no longer contemplated my
seemingly eminent demise every time I stepped out into oncoming traffic.
Eventually though the culture shock of navigating or being driven through the
traffic of Hanoi became slightly less confronting experience for the most part,
except for the time our taxi did a U-turn which put us 20 feet away from an
oncoming bus on the wrong side of the road when I was almost certain for a
moment that we were all going to die! Despite the chaos however the traffic in
Vietnam is really a somewhat fascinating sight to behold and throughout my week
in Hanoi I could not help but marvel at it even if I never quite felt at ease
amongst it.
The first three days of our orientation in Hanoi we were
more or less left to our own devices and spent our days and evenings exploring
the endless sights, sounds, tastes and smells (pleasant or otherwise) that make
Hanoi such a vibrant city. We visited sites like the Temple of Literature, the
old quarter (quite possibly my favourite part of the city with its eccentric
personalities and constant busyness), the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (well the
outside anyway- it was closed the day we wanted to see it) and night markets
and on more than one occasion found ourselves completely lost; I enjoyed
wandering around fascinating markets and back streets that we would have no
idea how to find again. There are so many fascinating things to see, do and buy
in Hanoi but personally I found the most enjoyable experiences the ones that
involved interacting with the locals or simply watching the locals as they go
about their daily routines. In the evenings we explored the many culinary
offerings of Vietnam; freshly baked pastries, pho (beef and noodle soup that is
one of Vietnam’s best known meals), roast chicken (served with the head still
attached) and many other weird and wonderful concoctions made their way onto
our plates. Overall the food in Vietnam is for the most part wonderfully fresh
and highly affordable ($2.50 AUD can buy you a very filling meal here) however
at times the food preparation process can be uncomfortably transparent and
wandering through food markets can at times make your heart sink as you witness
the cruelty with which animals are often treated such as eight to ten chickens
in single carry cage or large fish being kept alive with a bucket and a hose in
street markets. After three days of wandering, exploring and getting to know
other volunteers we knuckled down and attended a three day crash course in how
to teach English as a second language. Before I knew it the orientation had
drawn to a close… on the last afternoon of our training we sadly parted ways
with the other volunteers, met our host mentor Thuy, were presented with stunning
bouquets of welcome flowers and Linda
and I were bound for Nam Dinh city, the place we are calling home for the next
four months…
As this post is getting ridiculously long I have decided to
make it a two part entry in order to not completely overwhelm or bore you with
my unending stream of consciousness… Part two coming soon! (In the meantime I
have included pics of Hanoi, Nam Dinh and my lovely students at Le Hong Phong
secondary school for you all to check out!)
