Chuck Anderson

Evening commute in Hanoi

Continuing the theme of my previous two posts, here are 14 more impressions of Vietnam’s capital city.

• Lots of free delivery
  Things such as jugs of water, groceries, and laundry are examples of what’s available for free delivery. This is nice for larger items and repeat purchases.
• Vietnamese and foreigners mix well
  In my neighborhood there is a good mix of foreigners and Vietnamese people. Despite the occasional language barrier, it seems to be a harmonious mix. I suspect this is due to Hanoians’ easy going nature, which rubs off on the cities’ non-natives.
• People are short
  This is probably stating the obvious, but you won’t find many NBA prospects here.
• Internet can be unreliable
  When I got here at the beginning of the year, the Internet was adequately fast. However, after an undersea cable broke, the Internet became incredibly slow for over two weeks. Speeds have since bounced back, but there can be periods of sluggishness.
• It can be hard to find basic things
  Certain “common” necessities like contact solution are often difficult to find.
• Lots of extra staff
  There seems to be an over-supply of employees at many stores. There often appears to be double or even triple the number of staff needed.
• It’s not that touristy
  I’ve been to the Old Quarter district several times. This is the heart of the “tourist” area and home to many hotels and backpacker hostels. Yet in the six weeks I’ve lived in Hanoi I have not seen a single postcard for sale. Which is strange because I have actually been on the lookout for postcards. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any “Hanoi” t-shirts for sale, either. Or keychains, mugs, or any other souvenir trinkets. For me this is a plus because it means I get to experience a more “authentic” city.
• You pay afterwards at cafes
  Cafes are like restaurants in that you order first, sit down, and have your drink brought to you. You don’t pay until you leave.
• It’s a big city but doesn’t feel like it
  The city is quite spread out and doesn’t seem overly crowded. Although there are around 2.5 million people in the city (6.5 million in the greater metro area), the population density does not seem that high. The city feels large but not crowded.
• The traffic is crazy, but drivers are not
  Traffic in Hanoi is notoriously hectic, but the drivers are surprisingly relaxed. I have not seen any cases of “road rage” or much overly aggressive driving. People honk out of courtesy and not out of anger.
• The women are attractive
  I have heard that Vietnamese women are considered some of the most beautiful in Asia. I would have to concur.
• People are friendly
  For the most part, people seem friendly in a genuine way.
• There aren’t any alcoholics/junkies
  Although beer drinking is popular here, I haven’t noticed any crazy public drunkenness. I also haven’t noticed any drug abuse or homelessness. I’m guessing this is due to cultural taboos against anti-social behavior such as excessive drinking and drug use.
• The city closes early
  Hanoi is alive and bustling during the day and evening, but around 11 PM everybody goes home and the city shuts down.

Lady doing arm circles by the lake

Here are 11 more random observations from my first month living in Hanoi, Vietnam. See last week’s post for more impressions of Hanoi.

• Lots of people smoke
  Smoking is a quite popular activity here. You can’t smoke everywhere, but it’s allowed in most public places like cafes and restaurants. As a non-smoker and air-breather, this is kind of a bummer.
• It’s safe
  This was somewhat of a pleasant surprise. I haven’t felt unsafe here once, even while walking alone at night as a foreigner. I wasn’t actually too concerned about violence, but I thought there might be a greater risk of theft. I have heard isolated stories of people getting things stolen, but as far as I can tell this is not a huge risk. And I don’t usually feel paranoid carrying around my laptop. If you have common sense, Hanoi is probably as safe or safer than most big cities.
• Refreshing lack of advertising
  This may be ironic because I make the majority of my income from (online) advertising, but I don’t feel constantly bombarded by commercials like in the U.S. This is definitely a positive.
• Not much or inconsistent English
  Overall, the level of English here seems pretty low. It is also pretty hit or miss. Sometimes even the most basic communication can be a struggle but other times there is barely any language barrier. This has not been a problem because there are so few times I’ve needed to communicate anything complicated. Usually I am ordering, paying for, or looking for something. My go to move when looking for something (like a gas station or band-aids, for example) is to do a Google image search on my phone and show someone the results. They get the idea immediately and can point me in the right direction.
• A little Vietnamese is helpful
  I learned about 100 words and phrases before coming to Vietnam, but the only words I use on a regular basis are “xin chào” (hello), “cảm ơn” (thank you) and “bao nhiêu” (how much). Knowing the numbers also comes in handy when dealing with prices and money. I haven’t made the commitment to learn more Vietnamese, but I would definitely want to if I was planning to stay here longer term.
• Street food will not kill you
  I’ve eaten plenty of “street food” here and haven’t gotten sick once. I also haven’t heard of anybody else having any disastrous digestive issues. (Unlike in the U.S. with its $10+ billion of antacid sales.)
• Very few people are overweight
  I suspect this is because there is not much of a fast food culture here and people eat a relatively traditional diet. (The first McDonald’s in Vietnam opened just last year in Ho Chi Minh City.) I would guess this will change in the future as cheap, processed food becomes more widespread.
• The food is good and cheap
  You can get a big bowl of pho (rice noodle soup) for 30,000 dong (~$1.40) and a huge serving of bun cha for 60,000 dong ($2.80). For these prices the quality of the meat and other ingredients can’t be great, but hey, you get what you pay for. Bánh mì sandwiches are also often ridiculously cheap at 20,000 dong ($0.94) and under. I once paid 6,000 dong ($0.28) for a small sandwich. It is definitely not hard to eat cheaply if that’s your goal.
• Other stuff is cheap too
  Prices in general are lower here. For example, going to see a movie costs around $3 and going the opera costs under $10. Taxis are also very reasonable, costing about $1 per mile. Cell phone service is extremely cheap, costing less than $10 for a SIM card and Vietnamese number with ability to call and text. Monthly unlimited Internet for my phone costs a whopping $3.30.
• It’s loud
  Although I live in a quieter part of town, there is almost always background noise of some sort. Dogs barking, people talking, cock-a-doodle-dooing are all familiar sounds. Sometimes it’s comforting to be surrounded by such activity, but other times I would prefer peace and quiet. Luckily, I have a good supply of ear plugs.
• People like to stretch in public
  It is common to see people doing light calisthenics and stretching their arms and legs. This seems quite practical and I hope it will catch on elsewhere.

Wearing my anti-pollution mask

In no particular order, these are some things I’ve noticed in my first month of living in Hanoi. I should note that it’s my first time in Asia, so I have no points of comparison to other Asian cities. These impressions are based on my personal experience as well as from talking to other people.

• There are lots of cafes and coffee shops
  This is probably a legacy of French colonial times. Most are small, local mom and pop shops that offer Vietnamese coffee, tea, juices, and smoothies. The more “upscale” places also serve espresso drinks like lattes and Americanos.
• Beer is popular
  Light lager beer seems to be a common beverage. There are bia hois throughout the city, where people go to sit and drink glasses of beer. Beer is also served at cafes alongside coffee and tea.
• People are respectful and considerate
  Vietnamese people seem generally polite. I haven’t noticed anyone being outright rude or aggressive. (Maybe this is because I don’t speak the language and can’t hear all the nasty comments people are making.) People are generally calm and I haven’t noticed any “obnoxious” behavior. At least apart from one time when a guy at a cafe was playing a video on his cell phone very loudly without headphones. That was a little annoying.
• The streets are sort of dirty
  When I first arrived here, the streets seemed dirty and unkempt. Not in a hopeless, depressing way, but dirty nonetheless. Now that I’ve been here a while, I realize what I thought of as dirty was more disorganization and lack of development. There is some litter and garbage laying around, but not that much. There are plenty of street sweepers and garbage collectors that keep the city relatively clean. The “dirtyness” appears more due to a lack of money for public works than neglect or apathy. For example, the street sweepers I’ve seen use basic, inefficient straw brooms.
• The air is really dirty
  This is definitely my least favorite thing about the city. All the fumes from the motorbikes, cars and buses make the air thick with pollution. Sometimes it feels like you’re smoking a cigarette just by walking around. When you drive your motorbike it can feel like you’re chain smoking. The polluted air even stings your eyes. Lots of people wear masks covering their face to block the dirty air, but I heard it doesn’t make much of a difference. I usually try to breathe through my nose and not open my mouth, but I also doubt that really matters.
• It’s developing fast
  I can’t compare it to the past, but I’ve heard that Hanoi, along with the rest of Vietnam, is “growing up” quickly. Cell phones with Internet access are everywhere and people appear to be adopting Western ideals of clothing and material comforts.
• But it’s still pretty traditional
  Despite some economic growth and outward flashes of prosperity, people seem to maintain quite traditional values, which place emphasis on family and society above the individual. Hanoi is probably more “modern” than rural Vietnam, which is still the majority of Vietnam. Also, those pointy straw hats are a common sight around town.
• Money is important
  People aren’t obsessed with money, but Vietnamese people work hard and appear to strive for material wealth. And because money is relatively scarce, it is highly valued. I have also heard that Vietnamese people tend to save a lot.
• It can be cold
  January and February are the two coldest months of the year. By my Minnesota standards it’s pretty mild, but nights and mornings can be especially chilly. It’s been mostly pants and long sleeve weather since I’ve been here.
• It’s humid
  Within a day of arriving here, the pages of my passport had curled up because of all the moisture in the air. One time I checked the weather and it was 96% humidity! (The average is 78% in January.) It hasn’t been too uncomfortable but I bet it would be if the temperature was higher.
• It’s flat
  I haven’t noticed any hills or major changes in elevation to speak of.

Working at a local coffee shop

Same same, but different.

My life in Hanoi is pretty comfortable. And in most respects quite similar to my life in the states. I go to cafes, hang out at home, run errands, work out, attend various social functions.

Here are a couple of un-edited videos showing what my day actually looks like.

The video below is of me riding my motorbike to a nearby coffee shop. (I hadn’t been to this one before so I wasn’t quite sure where to turn.)

This one shows me shopping at the Fivimart supermarket at the local mall. You may see the cashier give me a bewildered look towards the end of the video. This is probably because she notices the camera mounted on my forehead. I guess she’s not used to that in her culture 🙂

The streets of Hanoi

My first time driving a motorbike in Hanoi was a pretty nerve-racking experience.

It was my fourth day in town and I had never driven a motorbike before. My main concern was learning the controls of the bike. Figuring out how to start, stop, turn and signal was my primary focus. Only secondarily did I consider the actual other people on the road.

After a couple of sessions on the bike I got a better feel for the handling. I also developed a sense of when to yield and when to go.

Now riding my bike is something I actually enjoy. You have to be alert at all times, but the roads seem surprisingly orderly once you understand the traffic patterns and rhythms. Maybe I’m kidding myself, but at least it seems that way. It’s all mostly instinctive, anyways.

The video below is of me taking my bike for a spin around town, beginning and ending at my house. It was around 11 AM on a Wednesday. At the end you can see a brief tour of my house.

And don’t worry mom, I’m wearing a helmet!

Bonus: Check out this really cool video of traffic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.