I'm done with my first official week of school. Now that I have a routine going, the kids are starting to calm down a bit and my job is getting easier. I was a tad bit worried in the first week before starting to teach the curriculum, since it was basically chaos for 5 straight days. But now, after learning most of the names (a very impressive feat if I do say so myself), things are gaining normalcy and the students are getting comfortable. I had the day off yesterday for Viet Nam's national day. Although a lot of business took the day off as well, the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake was totally mobbed. According to Son, people from the countryside arrive around 8AM and then proceed to walk around the lake and hang out until the fireworks begin at 9PM. Son and I went out to a cafe overlooking the lake to get a view of the mayhem. Luckily this place is pretty well hidden and we had the outdoor terrace to ourselves. After my intense experience watching fireworks by the lake during Unification Day, I opted to take a more laid back approach and see if I could get a good view of the fireworks from the roof of my apartment. Since most of the buildings in the Old Quarter around the lake are short, I figured I would be able to see a bit of the fireworks. I had a bunch of friends who also weren't up to the chaos around Hoan Kiem and they came over to watch from my roof. Once the fireworks began, it was clear that my roof has a PERFECT, unobstructed view of the lake. Additionally, we were able to see fireworks happening at Lenin Park and at West Lake. It was great to walk around and see the different fireworks going off around the city. I felt quite lucky to have that roof available, and plan on throwing some sort of fireworks bbq at the next opportunity.The streets are getting all jazzed up for the upcoming 1,000 year anniversary of Ha Noi. Ranging from hanging lights, to sidewalk planters, to new road dividers, the city is putting in a monumental beautification effort for the anniversary. Granted, this is definitely something huge to celebrate; it's very hard for me to grasp just how old the city is, coming from a country that is considerably young. I believe the city is planning a week-long celebration for the event, with a whole range of performances taking place on newly erected stages all over Ha Noi. Needless to say, it is going to be quite a good time. The streets will no doubt be incredibly crowded and hectic, but that's part of the fun of Ha Noi. Below is an image of my street getting all spruced up for the celebration.
I absolutely love this photo, so inherently Vietnamese! Along with the mausoleum, the flag, and the soldiers in white, you've got the family of four squished onto a little motorbike. So authentic.
Here is a picture of a government building around the corner from my house. Thought it was very pretty and that those at home might appreciate-
No comments:
Post a Comment