A Full Day of Busy Streets

This day is best described through the pictures and videos I took.  I did not take a picture of the woman squatting, spread-eagled baby in her lap with a little pile of baby poop on the ground below them, but that's how my street day started.  My morning began about forty minutes before my alarm went off.  Roosters called into the hazy morning air in competition to be the city's loudest alarm clock.  I've taken a movie for your viewing and listening pleasure:

The scene outside my window.

 Hoan Kiem Lake

 Ngoc Son Temple is built upon a small island in the middle of the lake.  If you want to find other white people, this is definitely the place to do it.

   The young man that took this picture took three, and not one of them was me with a full smile.  Some people just don't understand shutter speed. 

 

The side walks sing.  There are hundreds of bird cages that hang from buildings, trees, poles, and anything else you can think of.  It's a beautiful noise my ear reaches for amidst all of the honking horns of traffic.  I wonder since they are so popular, if the locals too use them to dull the sound of the hustle and bustle?

 10am meeting with Nga and my very sneaky picture-taking skills of the office upstairs.  I had dropped by around 8:30 to make sure we were all set to meet since I hadn't yet bought a phone.  I did that before our meeting- bought a phone.  It was a very interesting experience; I rode my first moto to the shopping center (videos below) and the people working there just could not believe that I wanted the cheapest phone in the place, "no need for a camera, just emergency calls, thank you."  Then while I was checking out, the young group working the counter all started laughing, one girl said "pretty girl," pointing at me, but for some reason I have a hard time believing that's all it was about.  When there is laughing without my general understanding and participation, it makes me nervous.  But I had successfully bought a phone, so no matter.  Back to the meeting.

Nga is wonderful.  She is young, not sure how young, but young.  Her english is very good and she was very kind and understanding.  I like how when I don't understand properly after two or three attempts at her explaining, she raises her voice.  It's nice that someone isn't sugar coating patience.  She lets me know I'm being an idiot, and not in a hostile way.

 I spent the rest of the day just meandering up and down streets, getting acquainted with the pattern of life here.  The drip coffee served in the many cafes scattered about is famous world-wide and I sat in numerous cafes drinking a glass and watching the world go by.  I walked past one group of deaf people using Vietnamese sign language that I had actually noticed from across the street while sitting at a cafe. As I passed them they waved at me, calling me over to sit down.  It's surprisingly easier to talk to people who are used to using hand gestures every day.  And it just astounds me the friends you make if you simply smile at faces while you walk around.

There seems to be a pattern amidst Asian countries that different "types" of goods and services are all separated into separate streets, such as everything 'tin-man-esque' in the photo below is sold on the same street.  This fascinates me; how can this support healthy competition?

  Really?

If you ask someone if you can take their picture and they say no, offer them money.  Make sure you "only" have 2,000 VND on you though or else they'll demand more.  

 

There are so many reasons why I love this picture...

 Yes Chelsea, this was my obsessive subject today.  I had too much fun getting it all excited with that strange cicada noise I can make.  Apparently this bird can make it too.

 

The shadows started to get long on the ground and the amount of traffic increased dramatically- it was the end of the work day and everyone was headed home.  I figured I should go, too.  I made my way back in a zig-zag fashion, meandering through side streets.  I'm glad I did because I came across what must be one of the quietest places, though it is so close to the city center.  Everything was in Thai, so I couldn't tell you what this temple was called, but I was the only one there minus the door-man.  This is where the real Vietnam starts- the intimate nooks and crannies of the city.  I gestured to the half-open door and he nodded that it was fine for me to go in.  As I walked through the low ceilings, I could hear someone behind one of the walls washing pots and pans.  Someone far above me was calling to a child.  Water droplets made noise as they dripped from leaking taps.  It was calming and a nice treat for the end of the day. 

I'm glad that on my way home I decided to look up for just one second from the road and traffic in front of me.  This man's talents are astounding and his number of pieces blew me away.  He didn't know I was taking this picture.  I'm getting fairly good at being a creep.

Why would anyone take the elevator when they can climb this?

Air conditioning at last... the day started with my hair down and ended up with it pulled back as high as possible to cool my neck of the humidity.