First Days

I arrived in Vietnam on Thursday night after saying goodbye to my Mom, Dad, and sister Emma at SeaTac before my 16+ hours of travel. Now it is Saturday night; I have been in Hanoi for about two days and have gotten to taste real Vietnamese food, visit the First University of Hanoi which was built nearly 1000 years ago, and spend a lot of time with my host family both at home and in the city.

Upon stepping out of the airport in Hanoi the first thing that hit me was the humidity. After landing at 9:30 at night then finally getting through customs around 10:15, I didn't actually step outside until 10:30. I was expecting the air to be cool but I was overwhelmed by the humid air I walked into and immediately had to take off my sweatshirt. After a 30-minute, well air-conditioned car ride to the Ecopark (apartment-type complex) where my host family lives, I settled in and fell asleep - after a quick shower which was much needed after so many hours spent in an airplane.

The following morning I woke slightly disoriented and became more confused when my host parents had been seemingly replaced by two older adults who spoke no English. I quickly figured they must be Dung's parents and enjoyed my first meal with them in Vietnam - Bánh bao - like Chinese humbao, a steamed bun filled with meat, onions, and mushrooms. After breakfast I unpacked more of my things and read until Dung came back from work and took me with her boss lunch at a friends' house in the city. We had pork and sweet and sour soup cooked by Dung's friend from Scotland who has lived in Vietnam for a couple years with his roommate from New Zealand.

After lunch we went to the school to register for classes and then back to the apartment where I took a much needed nap - by that point it was around 2 AM my body time and I was very tired. When I woke up I met a very excited Anna, my 6-year old host sister who was asleep the night before when I arrived and at school in the morning when I woke up. I got to know her a little before we had dinner with Dung, Anna, and Dung's parents. The traditional way to eat meals in Vietnam is by putting all of the food on the table and eating everything together. I had rice with tofu, cabbage, and fish as well as a mild soup with greens. After eating dinner I helped Anna finish a Lego set she had started and we read a few books before bed.

The next morning I unintentionally woke up very early and spent some time reading before I got up with everyone else. Instead of eating breakfast at the apartment we ventured to the city and dropped off Anna and Dung's parents at Dung's old house. Then Dung and I had breakfast at a cafe owned by a friend of hers whom I had met the day before. We waited a little while for the downpour to let up before seeing the sights in the city and found the weather more pleasant after the rain.

The first stop we made was at the First University of Hanoi which was built many years ago and first operated in 1067 as an examination site. Since then it has been turned into a temple but the buildings and history are still preserved for tourists to visit.

We left the University and next visited the Hoa Lo prison which housed Vietnamese rebels by the French and later American POW's during the Vietnam War. I saw pictures of a few famous American soldiers including John McCain, who was confined at the prison during the war. Hoa Lo was the largest confinement center in Vietnam for most of the years it was in operation and was dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American soldiers who were confined there due to its reputation and its proximity to the Hilton Hotel in Hanoi. Though most of the prison was previously demolished, the gatehouse, a few communal cell blocks, and the death row cells still remain and it was an intense experience to walk through the torture houses and cell blocks. Dung stayed outside of these blocks and let me venture alone as she said they were scary for her to look at. We finished the rest of the tour then went and met my host father for lunch.

I've had Pho many times in the US but never real Vietnamese Pho and so when I took my first bite it was quite surprising. In Vietnamese Pho the noodles are larger and more chewy, the broth is less sour, and the meat is a variety of textures and cuts, unlike the typical chicken that I often order in the US. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty and more filling than American Pho, I couldn't even finish my bowl! After lunch we went to Sword Lake, one of the lakes in Hanoi that features a beautiful Pagoda in the middle and an ancient temple near one end that is accessible by a great red bridge.

After walking about a mile from the cafe at Sword Lake, to the bridge at the other end, and then through the temple I was sufficiently exhausted so Dung and I went back to her house in the city and rested. Later in the afternoon I was again greeted by an excited Anna and we played in the house before making spring rolls for dinner. We stuffed the spring rolls with a mixture of chicken meat, eggs, raw noodles, mushrooms, onion, and green onion, and then Dung's mother fried them up along with making more soup, greens, and rice. The six of us enjoyed dinner and then watched a movie that was playing on the TV before we left for the Ecopark around 9.

I got connected to the internet and started this blog, though now it is Sunday afternoon and I have another day to write about. Like yesterday, I unintentionally woke up very early this morning and passed the time reading and sweating in the morning heat. The Ecopark shuts off the energy a couple times a month to account for energy shortages in Vietnam and the second happened to occur around 5 this morning when I woke up. So, we had breakfast at a cafe in the Ecopark complex and enjoyed the refreshing outdoor breeze that wasn't felt in our 17th floor apartment. I then walked around the complex with Dung and I met a friend of hers who came up to the apartment and stayed for a while. Then Dung went to meet her friends and I had some time to myself before lunch. I met more of Dung's friends at lunch where we had some American inspired steak, French fries, and salad.

I may post about the rest of my day later but I'll leave it at that for now. Depending on how the week is I'll decide how frequently I can post and update this blog and hopefully I can be more succinct... As for the pictures the first is at the airport, the next 4 (moving left to right, top to bottom) are from the First University of Hanoi, the next three are from the Hoa Lo Prison, and the last one (bottom right) is my first bowl of Pho in Vietnam.

Thanks for reading!