| Mopeds by the hundreds driven by everything from devils with glowing red horns to faeries with sparkling wands and illuminated wings. the streets are jammed with bicycles,mopeds and people walking as Hanoi celebrates the mid-fall festival night. its a combination of new years eve,Halloween, and Christmas all in one. streets are loaded with stalls selling every kind of toys,candies, rice moon cakes and colorful lanterns are strung everywhere. families are strolling about buying toys ,food and costumes for their children who are dressed in masks,or have ornaments sticking out from bands on their heads or hats. people are lighting fires of paper money on the street on in alters in front of their homes or shops, and teenagers are running about chasing each other and spraying cans of foam,confetti and bubbles at everyone. after 10 days in the mountains Hanoi is a buzz of activity and a shift to the senses. in the morning 2 young college age kids come up to me and ask if they could practice their English. we sit for 2 hours conversing about our lives and teaching each other. people pull up to me on their cycles or mopeds and ask me if i want a ride. when i answer in Vietnamese "no thank you i want to walk" they almost fall over in surprise. they then give me this "you got me " smile ,laugh and ride away. a Westerner in Vietnam is often an attention center. its hard for Vietnamese to leave the country(too expensive for most) so the tourists are often their only source of outside exposure. they are so curious about us and want so badly to converse and be seen with Westerners. they are almost proud that we want to spend time with them and learn about their country. when you can or try to speak a little of their language or express any interest, you make a fast friend. |
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