The 1,000 Year Anniversary of Ha Noi begins

The city has been preparing for this celebration for years. When I was here during college, I used to look at this big sign counting down the days, thinking about how cool it would be if I could make it back to see that sign hit zero. After about 3 years, I'm here again, during one of the most important events in the modern history of Ha Noi.

I am currently living on what most Hanoians are calling the most beautiful street in Ha Noi, and I feel so lucky that I come home to such a view every night. The city has made an incredible effort to beautify the city streets, making this lovely city even more charming.

Last night we had tickets to go to a couple shows being held around Hoan Kiem Lake. By the time we got there, the crowds were so intense that we weren't able to move, let alone reach the seating area. I actually started getting a little scared when crowds of people all started pushing and heaving. I was convinced some child was going to get trampled. I high-tailed it out of there when things got too intense, and opted to hang around my usual place, Ta Hien Street. A lot of friends came out, so I was happy that I got to celebrate the first night with so many great people.

This evening, Son and I left my house to go to our favorite Bit Tet place for dinner. Unfortunately, they closed my street all the way up to the mausoleum, along with other streets closer to the lake. The city has been practicing for the parade, closing down numerous streets, all in my area. This obviously is making it very hard to get around. Son and I hit so much stand still traffic that after an hour of covering barely any distance, we gave up and got some noodles down the street. This upcoming week has even more road closures coming. School is cancelled on Thursday since the street will be closed. It's going to be really tough for me to get out of my area to get to work on Friday, and I have a looming suspicion that I will be sitting on a motorbike in steamy weather during an incredibly intense rush hour. But the incredible cultural outpour of this city right now makes up for all my gripes with the traffic. The streets are filled with people (even more so than before), everyone is celebrating, and the pride of being Hanoian can be seen everywhere. I feel rather proud to be living here, almost to the point where I'm considering myself a Hanoian of sorts. Most of the people flocking to Ha Noi to witness the celebrations are from the countryside, so a lot of Hanoians are getting kind of mad that their territory is being overrun. I definitely see the frustration, as people from the countryside usually get lost, and then drive bewildered around the streets, causing even more traffic jams. I'm getting to the point where I can pick out those from the countryside in seconds. A nice skill but probably won't prove so useful upon return to the states. Anyway, enjoy these ridiculous pictures taken at the top of Hoan Kiem Lake!