Life Around the Lake

Whenever I tell someone I live by Truc Bach Lake, they always comment on how nice the area is. I couldn't agree with it more. Some Hanoians still call this area a village. There are residents who have lived here for many, many years. It's also a popular area for foreigners. The apartments here are not cheap; most start at US$2,000.
If you recall in one of my earlier blogs, John McCain fell into this lake when he was shot down in 1967. Below are pictures of some activities around the lake.



Women doing Tai-Chi in the morning








A street vendor selling bananas on her bicycle. There are usually at least half a dozen such vendors in the morning, selling all kinds of tropical fruits: pineapples, dragon fruits, pomeloes, guavas, oranges (with a green skin), jackfruit, etc.







Another group of vendors selling flowers on the sidewalk. Vietnam grows a lot of flowers.








Someone selling porcelain plates, bowls, pots, etc.









Another group of vendors on the sidewalk selling vegetables and fruits. On my side of the road where I took this picture is a market with stalls selling meat and vegetables and other grocery items.








There is even a gym (sort of) by the lake. There are only 2 barbells. One of the bars is actually made of bamboo. I come here to lift weights after my run. It's no 24-Hr Fitness or LA Fitness but hey...it's free. There is a bunch of local guys who just hang out and chat in the morning.





Someone selling food. I think it's porridge.
In the evening, there are outdoor cafes' around the lake selling drinks. There are also many restaurants serving hot-pots in the evening.








Paddle boats shaped like swan. They are popular at night with young couples.








There are many restaurants and bars catering to foreigners around the lake. Here you see a pub







Where there is a lake, there is water. This guy is adding to the water level in the lake. Unfortunately, the locals dump all kinds of stuff into the lake. It's one of the most polluted lakes in Hanoi. In spite of that, there are people fishing in the lake. I hope they don't take it home for dinner or sell it.





To my American friends and family: Happy Thanksgiving!
Some of my friends in Vietnam have heard of Thanksgiving but of course, they don't celebrate it here. Some restaurants offer Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day but I don't think I miss turkey that much. But I miss the candied yam and pecan pie.

Bát Tràng

Bát Tràng (pronounced "Bot Chang") is a small village next to the Red River, about an hour from Hanoi. It has been around for about 700 years and is most famous for its ceramics. Everything in the village revolves around ceramics, whether it's pots, tea sets, or decorative pieces, etc.
On the left you see some big vases displayed at a store.

We understand from our host that robbery was rampant in the early days so the villagers built narrow streets so that it's difficult for the robbers to escape.

Some more beautiful pots being displayed outside another store.

We tried our hands on making pottery. I don't think anyone would buy these. It's a lot more difficult than it looks.
You can also do "paint on pottery" yourself.

There is a market in the village with probably close to 100 stores selling different kinds of ceramic stuff. Here you see some beautiful and colorful vases, pots and other decorative ceramic pieces.

Vientianne, Laos

I had a business trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week. Since the flight between Phnom Penh and Hanoi stops in Vientianne, Laos, I decided to stop there to see what the place is like. Also, my good friend, Ralph, was also going to stop there for a few days on his travel around SE Asia.
Laos is an interesting country. After years of war, it is finally settling down to focus on development. Like Vietnam and Cambodia, it is now trying to catch up economically with the rest of the world. A lot of aid money from the World Bank, IMF, and other NGOs' is helping in its development.

Vientianne is the capital of Laos. It is a relatively small city, compared to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh. I'd say it's around the size of a Glendale, Arizona, for those of my friends who live in Arizona. It's population is only about 200-300,000. The city lies next to the Mekong River, which is like the Mississipi River, for SE Asia. The people here are quite laid back. The food here is okay, a little like Thai food. Laotians like a lot of sticky (or glutinous) rice.

One thing you notice a lot in Vientianne is the abundance of Buddhist temples or structures. The first picture on the left is that of Pha That Luang, which is the most important national monument in Laos and a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty.
The next picture on the left is a temple next to Pha That Luang.
The third picture is that of Patuxal, which looks like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You can climb to the top and have a great view of the city.

If there are a lot of Buddhist temples, there must be a lot of Buddhist monks. I saw three of them walking along the street and grab them to pose with me. These monks are quite young, probably in their early teens. I understand that Laotians join the monastery so that they can have a real education. It's like going to school... they learn all the regular subjects like science, math and English. Unlike the priesthood, you don't sign up for life. Some enter the monastery for 6 months, a year or a few years.


Next on the left, you see a stupa. I don't know what it's called but it's next to the US Embassy. A stupa is a Buddhist religious monument that is supposed to contain Buddhist relics. They are very common in Buddhist countries and can take many slightly different forms. Usually it's a tall pointed structure with some kind of mound at the bottom.





This trip was quiet and relaxing. We walked around the city a lot just watching the people, the temples, and the shops. We also saw many foreigners; some working here and some travelling. You can get a room in a guest house for as little as $5 a night. Many backpackers like to stop here because it's cheap and not as crowded as in places like Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City.
One place I like to visit in the future is Luang Prabang, about a 10-hour bus ride from Vientianne. Luang Prabang is Laos' most popular tourist spot and is on UNESCO's World Heritage list, which means its historical architecture is protected.

Fall in Hanoi

The temperature started to drop the last 2-3 weeks. Last week I started to see people wearing jackets, especially in the morning and evening. My friends tell me that this is the favorite season for most people in Hanoi.

One common complain among foreigners living in Southeast Asia is the heat and humidity. You hear that in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and even Ho Chi Minh City. It's hot and humid all year round.

Hanoi is different. It has four seasons. The temperature in the winter drops down to as low as 10C or 50F. That is not cold by most American city standard but it's cold for this part of the world. The high recently has been in the low 80s' and the low has been in the high 50s' (in Fahrenheit)

Keep in mind that the most common mode of transportation is motorcycles. My friends said that it's much colder when you are riding towards the outskirts of Hanoi, past farmlands.

Some my friends are also getting sick because of the change in the weather. Sound familiar?

Today is Halloween. Do they celebrate it here in Vietnam? Some of the restaurants and bars do but not the general population. I was surprised a lot of people here are familiar with what Halloween is. No trick or treating for the kids, however.

Cây Khế

Cây Khế is where we come for our coffee or tea breaks.
We nicknamed this place Cây Khế because of the tree you see in middle of the picture on the right.
This is the courtyard of an old French villa, quite common around Hanoi.








Cây means tree. Khế is star fruit, shown in the picture on the right. It is a tropical fruit that is sweet but sometimes a little tart if it's not very ripe. If you cut it cross-section wise, it has the shape of star, hence the name star fruit.





This story is not about the tree. It is about coffee or tea breaks.
One of the things that strikes me about Hanoi is the common sight of Vietnamese sitting at places like this drinking tea, coffee or any type of refreshments. Most of these stands are just on a sidewalk with a few tables and many 12-inch high stools. Sometimes you will be sitting next to a parked motorbike and people will be walking around or through your friends. Sometimes you are literally next to the road.

In the picture on the right, you see some of my friends drinking tea or coffee.


While you are drinking your tea, another enterprising person will come by wanting to polish your shoes. He or she will let you temporarily wear a pair of slippers and take your shoes away. In a few minutes, he or she will return with your nicely-polished shoes. Cost? 5,000 VND or about US 25 cents.
On the right is one of these shoe-shiners.



Sadly, last week Cây Khế closed. The property was sold to a developer for, I heard, US$5 million. Not surprising considering the boom that is going on in Vietnam. You have to sell a lot of tea or coffee to get that kind of money.

Winnie's Wedding

Being in Asia means it's easier for me to attend family functions. This weekend I took a 3 1/2 hour flight from Hanoi to Singapore for my niece, Winnie's wedding.
The wedding process is quite different from what we have in the US. Instead of a church ceremony, there is more emphasis on respect for the elders.
Unlike an oath that you take during a church ceremony, they pre-registered with the government for the marriage.
The first picture on the left shows Winnie and Wai Heng, after the tea ceremony.

In the morning, the groom comes to the bride's home with his groomsmen. He is met by a "barricade" put up by the bridesmaids. The bridesmaids would not let the guys in unless they "qualify" themselves. They are put through some taunts and pranks. These are usually harmless pranks like making the groom's party sing and dance but I understand sometimes they can get a little out-of-hand. After about 15-30 minutes, the groom is allowed in and goes to the bride's room to meet the bride.

The first thing they do is worship the ancestors. Then the couple pays respect to the bride's parents and the groom ask for permission to take the bride home. After taking pictures with family and friends, the groom takes the bride home. This part of the ceremony is attended only by close family members and friends.




Here is a picture of the smiling couple as they get ready to go to the groom's house and pay respect to his parents and family.
This involves a tea ceremony whereby the newly-weds serve tea to the elders - parents, uncles, aunts, etc. This is an important part of the process because honoring the elders is such a big part of the Asian culture. You may have noticed that the bride's dresses are different between the first and the rest of the pictures. The white wedding dress is what she starts with. The orange traditional dress is what she wore for the tea ceremony later. In the evening she would wear a couple of other dresses for the big wedding dinner. This was held at a hotel with about 300 guests.
One big difference between the Asian and American wedding tradition is that in the US, the bride's family usually bears most of the wedding costs. In Asia, the bride is married into the groom's family and therefore, the groom's family typically bears most of the wedding costs.


Lastly, I have to throw in this bonus picture of me holding my niece, Suzie's 4-month old son, Callum. Callum is part-Chinese and part-Scottish and the family has just flown in from London the day before. He was so good-natured and cute that everyone wanted to hold him.

New Design for My Blog

I decided to change the design and the front page of my blog because I was getting tired of looking at Camellia Hotel. Now that I've been in Vietnam for 3 months, I thought it'd be appropriate to display one of the most beautiful areas of northern Vietnam on my front page.
I welcome any comments or suggestions for topics.
Thanks for letting me share my experience with you.