Vietnam Diaries (Day 1 and 2): It's all about giving

I am excited because of two reasons - one, commencing writing on this blog after a LONG break; two, commencing my first long solo trip abroad to Vietnam. The excitement was so high that it made up for a night of sleeplessness aboard the flight to Hanoi from Bengaluru.

Like I usually do in any new city I am visiting, I spend the first day learning about it from a person who knows the city well. Usually, while in Europe, I prefer the Sandemann's Free Walking Tours. They are extremely well-curated with guides who are on the path of mastering storytelling. Today, was different. I signed up for a tour by an organization called AZ Locals, which leverages University Students to guide new tourists in the City. In the process, the visitors get to meet a local and the students get to practice their English. My guide today was Linh.

Linh and I stopped for a cup of Egg Coffee

While a lot of the information Linh provided me today was not more enriching over what I could anyway read, what was useful was the one-on-one time I had with her during the walk. It enabled me to ask plenty of questions and through it, see Vietnam from a local's perspective. In addition, given we ended up walking almost 3.5 kilometers together, I got a glimpse of different sections of the city itself. In many ways, it seemed like an amalgamation of the Indian Cities I have lived in. Hanoi has the energy levels of Mumbai, the long history of Delhi and the developmental challenges of a Bengaluru.

While the City Traffic and Pedestrians don't stop for anyone, this street train surely pauses business - for only a minute though.

However, I think the Vietnamese people are the standout. My guide Linh was very honest about sharing her motivations as well as her thoughts on Vietnamese culture. Despite not understanding English, she engaged in my conversations ranging from a day in the life of a local to our love for pets to the changing gender roles in Vietnam to stereotypes of beauty in both our cultures. At a restaurant today, a server went out of his way to explain to me about the dishes on the buffet, realizing I was unsure of how it is served given my initiation to Vietnamese Cuisine. In the bus from the airport, a local offered another traveler cash given she didn't have the local currency required to pay the fare, offering to meet her later to collect it. At the railway station, the lady was extremely helpful despite not speaking much of English. We used a combination of written words on Google Translate and gestures to book my ticket. Even the host at my homestay has been open in offering support with small things, going beyond what was promised on the booking page.

The food is unique and requires mixing and matching off various ingredients in a buffet - assistance is welcome and willingly offered.

The words that describe the people best are benevolent and patient. It is still early days. I don't know if the treatment I am receiving is just a function of being a stranger in a strange land. It could also be the novelty factor for me, with familiarity still not breeding contempt, like it often does when I am back home.

Over the next three weeks, I will explore why the Vietnamese people are the way they are. I have some early guesses, which are rooted in their long history of occupation and cohabitation with diverse cultures. their Buddhist ideals and their tribal roots. I am hopeful that time will stitch my narrative together!

PS: Reading about the scams has kept me immune from losing money for the sake of someone else's profiteering. However, I don't consider this cheating but just capitalistic profiteering rooted in information asymmetry.