Hanoi

So, I know it is weird that I am blogging again considering I am in a new country and shouldn't have this much time. But, I am here by myself, it is night, it's raining and I have to get up early. Since I had a bit of time, I thought I would at least write a little something...

First of all, my luggage finally arrived! It feels so good to be in a full set of clean clothes. Washing stuff in the sink just doesn't really cut it and being able to wash your hair isn't something I would like to consider a luxury. Either way, all is good now and I'm feeling great! I think I am most excited for ear plugs so that I can hopefully get a longer stretch of sleep tonight.

Hanoi is a crazy city, full of motorbikes, people and stuff. Every place you pass is selling something and I'm starting to get pretty good at saying, 'No.' The most interesting thing I have noticed is the pace of life here- there doesn't seem to be a middle. It seems that people are either in a hurry to get somewhere or are doing absolutely nothing. I am more inclined to model after the slower pace but that is taking some getting used to. I welcome this new lifestyle and look forward to settling into it. This is something I would like to keep with me permanently as I have struggled in the recent past with just letting go, calming down and being ok with things as they happen.

Since I have no one to talk to, I've had a lot of time to observe and here are my top 10 lessons for the day:

1. Walking on the sidewalk is not an option- there are too many motorbikes parked there. So, I have learned to walk in the street and have become decently comfortable with it.

2. Motorbikes and cyclists will dodge you, cars and buses will not.

3. If you are at a busy intersection and want to cross, the best way to do so is to walk next to an elderly lady (my rationale is that there is no way a driver would hit her!) and she will inevitably take your hand and ensure that you cross safely.

4. If you are a male, no matter what age, peeing in the street is ok as long as it is in certain places. I witnessed a Mom holding her baby above a drain in the street so that he could pee. This brings me to #5...

5. Sometimes the toilets really are holes in the ground. The good news is that they at least have a door. (Just in case you were wondering, no I did not use one of these, I decided to hold it.)

6. It turns out that when Vietnamese teenagers ask you to take their picture, they do not actually want you to take a photo of them. They want to take one WITH you.

7. Only white people ride the pedicaps and they look silly.

8. Beer Hanoi is actually pretty good and definitely the cheapest. Score!

9. A competitive game of table tennis can be quite intriguing when you don't have any place to be.

and 10. If you think you're going in circles, odds are good that you really are.