Happy New Year!

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The New Year's Eve.

It's a new year... and I'm starting it in Vietnam!  A night that I never thought would be a part of my vocbulary. "Yes, I brang in the new year of 2007 in Hanoi, Vietnam."

Weird.  Let's just say that it was an interesting way to celebrate.  There were no bars, no hats, no streamers, no Dick Clark, no "Ball" to be dropped in NYC... most importantly there was no 3 am decision to remodel and paint Todd's kitchen door red.  Thankfully, there wasn't any hangover to greet me on New Year's Day.

cleaning fruit for sale.
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Our New Year's Eve was spent with thousands of other people celebrating in the streets of Hanoi.  It isn't the traditional beginning of the new year for the Vietnamese, so for them it's just an excuse to have a giant celebration for all of the tourists that happen to be in town for the night.  There were a handful of stages set up around the lake in the Old Quarter.  People everywhere and when I say EVERYWHERE, I mean it.  Motos lined up by the hundreds, crowds of people standing in the streets, people hanging from trees (literally) and climbing on national monuments.  A sight that one would potentially see as pure chaos in the states, but not in SE Asia.  Nope.  The people were calm, cool and collected.  There wasn't one policeman in sight... no security, but there seemed to be no need for it with the respectuful crowd that gathered in the streets.

a common sight in asia.
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The stage saw many trapeze artists, rollerskaters, singers, metal bands and the ballet.  That's right, the ballet!  Now, I don't know who did the event planning for this fine new year's eve extravaganza, but I had one impression that will be the mark of this holiday.  The ballet was the closing act!  Swan Lake.  A nice slow suite just minutes before midnight.  We went from heavy metal straight to the ballet.  It left many of westerners very confused, but not left without an appreciative sense of humor.

ling, the new proud owner of my jacket.
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The Week.

Reenie spent much of the week in Halong Bay, while I chose to stay in Hanoi and volunteer.  I was beginning to feel this lack of purpose.  I wanted to be in the classrom, but I still wanted to experience my travels to the fullest.  I needed to take the cities of Vietnam and battle my quams head on.

As I've said before, Vietnam was the struggle of SE Asia, for me.  It seemed that I was having a difficult time adjusting to a country that was built upon a very different foundation than that of Thailand and Cambodia.  Thailand and Cambodia have very strong Buddhist roots that just leave you in complete awe of the respect and thankfulness of the countries as a whole.  (My disclaimer: Don't read into that, there are very many thankful and respectful Vietnamese).  Vietnam, mostly the cities, were my "crusty scab" (for lack of a better analogy).  It's like when you have a scab that you know you can't pick, but you just want to so badly that you can't resist.  You know that it's going to hurt, but there is a sense of satisfaction when you get through the pain of just tearing it off.  However, the end result is a cycle of regrowth and retearing of the same sore which ultimately ends in a scar.  Not sure if that makes any sense, but Vietnam was my scab and I just couldn't leave it alone.  I needed to tear it off as many times as I could to find a redeeming moment, which would later on result in some sort of frustration and craving for more.

ho chi minh masuleum. it's very odd to see a dead body preserved for people to visit, daily.
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I spent my time observing and volunteering at an English teaching school.  It was amazing to see children and adults learning english, entirely by the rote instruction of someone that speaks the language.  The children would have great Australian, British or North American accents depending on who their teacher was.  This was an interesting experience.  I was blown away that the majority of these teachers had no lesson plans (plan of attack for the day) or classroom management.  I know, I know, I wasn't there to judge, but it just proved to me how much I can't wait to get back into the classroom.  I would go home at night and try to create these great little plans that I could implement in the few days that I was there.  Once a teacher, always a teacher.

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Running in Hanoi.

You know you're in SE Asia when...

You are clearly in shorts, a t-shirt, running shoes, listening to an iPod and running through an area that is clearly designated as a park. That doesn't mean a thing.

While running, I was approached by a man that jogged along side me for a moment and tried to sell me a lighter and a pack of cigarettes.  I chuckled at the scenario, politely declined and run off.  Minutes later, I was approaced by a woman selling donuts.  Once again, I pass on the nutritous snack and run on.

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This will always be the sole being of SE Asia.  The being that I absolutely love.  The humor and the idea of it all just put a big grin on my face.  I mean, really, could you just picture someone on a run with a cig in one hand and a donut in the other?  I wish that I were that in shape.

Leaving Vietnam.

Very ready to be out of the big cities.  Very ready to return someday and try it all again.  This scab will never heal, but I accept and adore each scar and the story that it has to tell. Cam On, Vietnam.