Hanoi, the Beginning

Twenty-one hours later, our bus pulled into our Hanoi guesthouse at 5AM. After a day or so of catching up on sleep I was really able to delve into the streets of Hanoi. Compared to Saigon, Hanoi is cooler in both temperature and fashion. The style here seems to be some derivative of Euro-chic, with cockatoo haircuts, distressed denim, and graphic tees. Additionally, many of the college students living in my district seem to spend their free time at “gamer cafes” playing World of Warcraft rather than piling into coffee shops like in Saigon.

            Hanoi has plentiful lakes, along which most of the tourism and exercise occurs. The other day I went for my very first run in Vietnam, (or exercise for that matter). A few friends and I walked to closest lake/pond to jog around the perimeter. Afterward I practiced my Yoga with some meditating elderly. As usual, a group of onlookers gathered, but this time they seemed to be exceptionally close. I stood up to find a group of middle-aged woman surrounding me. One took a firm cupping of my bum and the others began to smack it! They grabbed my waist, arms, and legs and cheered, hooted and hollered at me. After the full body exam, they proceeded in asking me mundane questions about my age, country of origin, and such. Strangely, this didn’t even faze me as much as it should have. The Vietnamese have often grabbed my cheeks and declared me a beauty, stroked my skin and praised my “whiteness”, and called me a “doll” or “dep qua!” (so beautiful!). Although the scrutiny and stares can be quite awkward, I have never felt so beautiful! 

            My fourth course in Vietnam (in addition to Photography, Vietnamese, and Culture) is an internship. My group of classmates chose varying jobs at think tanks, motorbike repair shops, and farms, but I was able to land a job teaching dance and art to elementary students! Yesterday was my first day as Miss Olivia. My classmate Sheri and I taught a group of 70 eager kids. Sheri instructed Irish Step Dancing and I taught Hip Hop for two hours. Afterward we moved onto drawing for another two hours. Although exhausting, the students were so happy to be learning from us.

            Hanoi’s downtown district has chic boutiques, interesting alleys, and beautiful views of the lake. Just last night, Josh and I entered a seemingly small café in hopes of coffee or dessert, but instead found ourselves climbing flights of a spiral staircase leading to an elusive lounge with stunning views of the city. It seems as though each nook of the city is filled with something new to explore; I can’t wait to see more.