Do and Don't in Hanoi #1

Today I have an idea: why don't I make a list that help you know something should and should not do if you come to my city - Hanoi. I'm aware that there's plenty of guide books already, but  advice from a resident like me could be more updated and helpful for you.These suggestion from what I want to do everyday: Where to eat, how to order, how to avoid some crisis or conflict... in a quite chaotic city like Hanoi.

The first thing is traffic. I think most travelers are scared of traffic in Hanoi. So it comes naturally to the  #1 in my Do & Don't list.

DO:

- Cross the street where has traffic light and crosswalk. Sometime it's not useful, because some naughty vehicles still go under red light! However, you have not any better choice.

- Cross the street where has bridge for pedestrian. There few crosswalk bridges in Hanoi.

- If you see any Vietnamese prepares to cross the street, catch up and follow them immediately. Everyone in Hanoi is congenitally genius in crossing the street!

- If you don't see any sign that the vehicles are about to slow down to allow you go across, you simply wait for another chance. If the traffic is too crowded, it means they have to go slowly and it's become the chance for you!

- Go further to find the way to cross the street.

- Get a taxi. The price for a very short distance is cheap. Of course you must watch if driver cheat you to get much more money than real cost.

- Catch a motorcycle driver ("xe ôm"). If the distance under 2km, the price is around 20,000VND (~1USD). Almost drivers are friendly and enthusiasm.

DON'T:

- Stop in the middle of the street suddenly. I know you will be very, very frightened by traffic, but normally the traffic will slow down and give priority for pedestrians to cross the street. You feel the traffic could hit you at any time, but they will avoid you if you walk fast and confidently.

- Move without steady speed. You shouldn't run suddenly. Drivers may lose their speed control.

- Feel so scary or angry. Vietnamese are usually friendly with foreigners.

- Hesitate to ask Vietnamese people. Not so many Vietnamese speak well English but they know body language enough to show you the way. Except some women carry the burden in Old Quarter or around Hoan Kiem Lake. They are cheaters! (They will give you to try carry the burden, take photos and ask you money without your agreeing).

- Forget a map. If you have a map, you can show your wanted place and ask people which way to get there. And you will be sure it's hard to lose your way unless you go to the place out of the map :-).

Have a good walk!

Trinh Cong Son & Bob Dylan: 2 difference planets

Here's a new book about Trinh Cong Son who is a famous songwriter of Vietnam, but in a kind of comparison with Bob Dylan who is the man-you-know-who. The book includes original essay name Is Trinh Cong Son's Bob Dylan of Vietnam? by Prof. John C. Schafer (retired, Univ. Humboldt, California, USA), now translated into Vietnamese by his wife - Mrs. Cao Thi Nhu Quynh.

Mr. Schafer taught Comparative Literature in Humboldt, and he has been in Hue, Vietnam where he taught English in 1960s. He has written a number of thesis, essays and articles about Vietnamese culture and Trinh Cong Son. But this book is the first one in Vietnam.

From a very  popular statement: "Trinh Cong Son is Bob Dylan of Vietnam" since late 1960s, and when Bob Dylan have a tour around the world "The Never Ending Tour" which came to Vietnam in only night last year with a message from organizer that "to tribute to Trinh Cong Son," Schafer have willing to discovery whether 2 composers are likely each other.



According to Schafer, we have so many myths but not true. Firstly, that statement is not from Joan Baez, one of muses of Dylan when he's young, after she came back from Vietnam where she share the under bombing condition of North Vietnamese in Hanoi in December 1972. She never went to South Vietnam, where Trinh Cong Son lived at that time.

Secondly, Trinh and Dylan write some songs call for peace, but when Trinh has a lot of anti-war songs in whole Vietnam war time, Dylan write a few protest songs in his debuting time. And Dylan didn't like joining any movement which Joan Baez often encouraged him.

Lastly and most important, Trinh wrote under light inspiration of Buddhism, while Dylan is a Evangelicalism and even composed many religious songs. Two this differences religious let them go to two difference directions. While Trinh Cong Son has a soft philosophy full of forgiveness and love on the themes of broken heart loves, Bob Dylan many times criticized women who get in affairs with him though he betrayed them.

The book also includes the introduction of Prof. Cao Huy Thuan (Univ. of Picardie, Paris, France) and close with a short epilogue which he read in a Trinh Cong Son-remembering concert of singer Khanh Ly who is the legendary voice of Trinh's songs. 

Shopping at the street markets

Nowadays, shopping at street markets still plays an important role in lifestyle of Vietnamese people. The way which they do shopping at street markets expresses how they live in their normal life. In fact, street markets are the face of popular trading in Vietnam.

Vietnamese people find that shopping at street markets has many advantages. Many people go shopping by motorbike, so it is very easy for them to stop at any stall or kiosk without parking their motorbikes. On the other hand, many street markets are next to residential areas, and people feel very convenient to go shopping on foot within a very short distance. They can choose their suitable meat, vegetables or something like that, negotiate the cost and then decide to buy or not. The time people manage their shopping there is very short, because salesmen and customers do not need a receipt for very daily things such as food. Furthermore, the food which is sold in street markets is fresher and cheaper than in supermarkets. If you are a tourist, you will see a colorful picture of Vietnamese life and will learn about its culture when you go through a street market. Shopping at street markets is very flexible, so in a dynamic and developing economy of Vietnam, it is the best choice.

However, shopping at street markets also has some disadvantages. Some street markets invade the pavement and even the traffic lanes. In rush hours, many people come home from work, they go shopping at street markets and contribute to traffic jams. The street markets are dirtier than supermarkets and the salesmen rarely care about keeping their stalls clean. Especially, the food is not always inspected with regard to hygiene. There a lot of pickpockets and cheaters in street markets but the victims cannot complain to anyone. The goods which are sold at street markets don’t have very high quality. Many fake goods are sold there but salesmen never admit that. Worse, some salesmen have very bad behaviors when customers do not want to buy after checking or complaining. Although there are many bad points, Vietnamese people still bear them.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that shopping at street markets in Vietnam has a long tradition in a rural country. People still go shopping like they did many centuries ago. If you learn about Vietnamese style of shopping, especially shopping at street markets, you will know about Vietnamese lifestyle really, really well.