Celebrating the city

The streets were a bit less hectic on Sunday; armed with perfect weather and my camera, Son and I went out to photograph the city during this amazing time. We drove all around West Lake, which is the biggest (and most posh) area in Ha Noi. The houses are all very large, very beautiful, and (mostly) very old. We drove down a street lined with trees, bordering the lake. We stopped lakeside to get a few drinks, recline in some chairs, and take in the view. We sat underneath a tree behind a small plastic table, with our legs dangling precariously close to the lake edge. It gave me some time to reflect on what an incredible city I am living in, and how lucky I am to be experiencing it right now. Being able to sit in chairs along the lake and chill out is a very Vietnamese thing to do, and I was very satisfied that I was able to take part in such a seemingly simple, yet culturally significant past time. Granted, I was drinking a bottle of Bia Ha Noi rather than a coconut filled with jelly (which is a typical Vietnamese favorite), but the experience seemed authentic nonetheless. After spending an hour or two photographing some of my favorite streets, Son and I decided to end the day with our favorite Vietnamese street food, Bit Tet. By the time I got home, I did some laundry, hung my sheets up to dry, and eagerly loaded pictures onto my computer. Getting into bed with the scent of air-dried sheets and clean pillowcases was a wonderful way to top-off my own little version of the 1,000 Year Celebration.