Suffice to say I may miss the safety precautions taken in The States, I do enjoy the sights to see whilst on the back of a motorbike here in Hanoi. Anyway, in NYC there is no better way to travel than on the subway, while here there is no better way to travel than on the back of a motorbike. (Taxis take to long & are over priced in both cities- just don’t do it.)
One of the unique differences of this mode of transportation is that it is above ground. Also, a Grab Bike rarely takes the same route twice. Both of these lend to a secret into finding your way around the city, and to being able to see the sights without having to drive, or be surrounded by the metal of a car- the city is vertical, you are able to look up!
Sometimes, when the streets aren’t crowded- which is almost never- I stick my arms out and feel the breeze hit my skin. A little Titanic I’m free moment before the iceberg hits. Lucky for me, my moto driver is unflinching as he weaves in and out of near death experiences of oncoming drivers, children, sales women with their rice hats, and that god awful Hanoi bus. In the mean time I look around at the buildings and the range of architecture around me. In between thoughts of screaming at the danger I am surrounded by, I laugh to myself for being in such a beautiful, chaotic place, that just works.
The slight downside to Grab Bike would honestly be that they call us Westerners expecting us to be able to speak and understand their Vietnamese, which we probably should, but can’t. In these cases, I just say the address of where I’m at or hand the phone to a nearby friendly native to help dear ol’ me out. Therefore, while a NYC subway allows you to jump on and off wherever, without much help of the city, a Grab Bike throws you into the city, and the culture of Hanoi itself.
Perhaps I will ride my own moto one day here, but until then I will continue to enjoy the blood pressure rising, the adrenaline running, and the cortisol coursing through my veins at the madness and beauty the joy rides have to offer.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
A Little Village [Hanoi]
Each area of Hanoi has it’s own village. And by that I mean community.
Walk down a given alley of a neighborhood and everyone takes their part in providing for the area. You have your tofu makers, butchers, vegetable sellers & fermenters, fruit sellers (sometimes different for each fruit), egg providers, quick marts, incense/shrine sellers, seafood providers, the milkman, the bean milkman, mushroom shops, pharmacies, and even a place to buy towels/glass jars/cooking utensils/etc. Along with this you will see some people selling different foods such as Bun Cha, Pho, Spring Rolls, Fried delicacies, Banh mi, Coffees, Bia Hoi, and so on.
The things is, if you go just a mile down the road, you will find the exact same things, just for that neighborhood. Again, it reminds me of NYC where one just has their local shops in each part of town. In places like Los Angeles where I am from, things are not so local, rather we would go to one single shop to buy EVERYTHING. Here I at least feel like the wealth is being spread about evenly and I see exactly where it goes. I am not paying directly to some corporate structure.
Best of all, I get genuine human interaction when I am buying these products. We all smile at each other and have a hand to hand exchange of goods. But beware, around 1 o’clock is nap time, and all of the shops will be closed.
…At least there are less motorbikes on the road at this time.
Walk down a given alley of a neighborhood and everyone takes their part in providing for the area. You have your tofu makers, butchers, vegetable sellers & fermenters, fruit sellers (sometimes different for each fruit), egg providers, quick marts, incense/shrine sellers, seafood providers, the milkman, the bean milkman, mushroom shops, pharmacies, and even a place to buy towels/glass jars/cooking utensils/etc. Along with this you will see some people selling different foods such as Bun Cha, Pho, Spring Rolls, Fried delicacies, Banh mi, Coffees, Bia Hoi, and so on.
The things is, if you go just a mile down the road, you will find the exact same things, just for that neighborhood. Again, it reminds me of NYC where one just has their local shops in each part of town. In places like Los Angeles where I am from, things are not so local, rather we would go to one single shop to buy EVERYTHING. Here I at least feel like the wealth is being spread about evenly and I see exactly where it goes. I am not paying directly to some corporate structure.
Best of all, I get genuine human interaction when I am buying these products. We all smile at each other and have a hand to hand exchange of goods. But beware, around 1 o’clock is nap time, and all of the shops will be closed.
…At least there are less motorbikes on the road at this time.
Jackfruit [Hanoi]
You haven’t lived until you’ve had jackfruit.
I kept seeing the ominous spikes and thought it was that terrible imposter durian. If you’ve ever had durian, you would understand my rational fears.
Well, at work one day the natives offered me some fruit and after first denying it, I took a piece. And then a few more pieces. And then I was hooked. The next day I went out and bought some for the house. The day after that the roommates bought some for the house. We decided it was all over, we could no longer live a day without jackfruit.
This fibrous, sweet, beautifully flavored massive fruit is sent from the heavens. (Or India, really.) It is mostly served here from a woman cutting it up on the streets, or on that fancy styrofoam.
As we started to consume it everyday we discovered how it tastes frozen and also what to do with the seeds that are usually discarded. Come to find out, the seeds roasted/boiled and peeled are a protein rich delicious potato flavored wonder. I’m sure the chefs of NY will turn it into a $100 plate special 5 years from now… but you heard it here first!
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