July 23, 2006

The day is alive!!!

In fact, I have the feeling it’s been alive without my knowing for longer that it should have been. Had it been Saturday morning, I might have let the day slip away a little more, but Monday morning it is, and work starts today. The lady beside me is a rock in the morning. And of course she is! Next to sleeping, a woman’s next greatest skill has got to be pretending that she is sleeping.

I’ll let her sleep for a while and survey the morning by myself for a while. Coffee, shave, shower. The morning rituals. Though a little short of that since I’ve always been a little lazy to stick to them. So, up it is, into the bathroom. A little tired and groggy this morning, and I guess a one hour time difference from Singapore is a bit too soft an excuse, so I’ll remember to pour myself a smaller glass of wine on Sunday nights.

Shower done. The lady likes to wake up to the smell of coffee, but never before 7am on a working day. So the wise, experienced, or perhaps burnt, man in me knows to get the timing for coffee preparation down to the minute. Sounds like she has me under her thumb, doesn’t it? Well, maybe she has, but the rewards are great. The joys of the simple pleasures in life. – the morning smile she gives me as the smell of fresh coffee and my kiss on the forehead awakens her.

I check the time, to see if it is in fact close to her coffee time, and immediately learn one of my first lessons of life in Hanoi. The sun gets up early here! It’s 5.30am.

Being 2 degrees north of the equator, Singapore does not experience the large variations in daylight hours that countries in more northern or southern latitudes experience, so waking up with the sun is something I’ve become quite accustomed to over the last 8 years. Here in Hanoi, that is obviously going to have to change. Made tougher by the fact that the curtains don’t quite hold back all the sunlight.

Having said that, early as it may be, there are a lot of people out and about. I can hear the life already. Horns are tooting, engines are running. Later I am to learn that the parks are already a hive of activity – tai chi, badminton players, runners, walkers. But this is not for me. Not yet anyway. So, back to bed …… and recheck that the alarm is indeed set for 630am.

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It has begun. After 6 months of waiting, me lady and I have arrived to begin what is very likely to be an exciting three year sojourn.

So what does one know of Vietnam. Well, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many I suspect it is war. The most recent fighting in Vietnam has been over for close to forty years, but still reigns as the most significant image that is conjourned up at the mention of this nation. Particularly in the western psyche. Not helped by the many Hollywood movies that have come out on the topic, I suspect. As for the local Vietnamese, who knows their thoughts on it – with a massive percentage of the population under 30 years old, I would guess that the nation has long moved on. Looking forward to a bright future of self-governance, after more than 1000 years of occupation, under a now “pseudo-communist-capitalist-welcoming” leadership, you can’t help but sense an air of excitement in the streets of this bustling country.

It’s been near on six weeks since we first set foot in Hanoi, and what a joy it has been so far. While boasting a population of around 6 million, Hanoi has a cosy small town feel about it. The town is littered with lakes. It has a café and restaurant scene to die for – something that makes a Wellington boy feel at home very quickly. A good coffee, a good book, and a street view – ah yes, the simple pleasures in life.

Yes. So it has begun. And begun too has my blog on our experiences here. Welcome! You know, to be honest, I find the idea of blogs a little weird – I mean, why would one be interested in following the life and thoughts of someone else lest they be a relative, close friend, or some amazing adventurer or sportsperson or other interesting celebrity. I mean, there must be millions or billions of blogs written in this world – but I suspect only a small number of those are actually read by anyone other than the author themselves.

So, the focus of this is a diary that can be looked back on by me lady and I in years to come. A diary which you are most welcome to read. I shall not write it as a chronological treatise, but as a monthly contemplation on aspects of our lives here, of the lives of people we come across, of the wonders of this land and this region. One month I may choose to focus on holiday experiences, or on the stunning geography that this nation resides in. Another month I may choose to focus on this troubled history of this land and it’s lovely people (though I’d want to educate myself more on this before I did). And another month may focus on the sights, sounds, and excitement of walking from our residence to a café on Nha Tho street. Whatever comes to mind.

Enjoy. Give me your feedback. And for goodness sake, start booking flights here and make the most of us being here in this lovely land.

Let the adventures begin. Until next month. Chao anh chi em!!!

Please send your comments and questions to: tom@eyeonhanoi.com