Tet is coming!

The Lunar New Year (or Tet) is almost here, and the city has been in post-Tet crazy mode. During Tet, almost EVERYTHING closes down, so people bum rush the stores, the markets, and the streets. During the actual week of Tet (first week of February) the streets are essentially empty, but these past two weeks the traffic has been absurd. The best comparison I can make is a shopping mall parking lot on Christmas Eve, it's completely dog-eat-dog out there, with drivers ignoring stop lights and refusing to yield, resulting in giant traffic jams. This year I got a bit smarter and hit the food stores early, getting frozen things to last me the two weeks that everything closes down. Last year I survived on ramen noodles, so I'm excited to have some variety this time around. In the last couple days before the New Year arrives (officially on Feb. 2nd) government workers have been flooding the parks, setting up flower installations, repainting gates, etc. The park near my house currently has a giant sign made of flowers thats reads, "Mung Dang, Mung Xuan", which roughly translates to, "Cheers to Communism, cheers to spring!". Since this flower banner is directly in front of the statue of Lenin, it is quite fitting; Son claims the older generation really like this slogan but that the younger generation think it's quite stupid, since Communism is essentially non-functioning in Vietnam now.

During Tet this year, I had two friends go on vacation to Cambodia for two weeks,

leaving their 5 month old puppy at my house. I figured it would be no big deal, I would walk him twice a day, etc, but I had definitely forgotten how crazy and hyper puppies are. Catas is a great dog when he's tired, so I've been making an effort to take him on long walks 3 times a day to tire him out, so he doesn't start going crazy upon return to my house. He is a very Vietnamese dog, as he likes riding on motorbikes and he sleeps in a suitcase. Additionally, since I have no chew toys for him and I am trying to avoid my house being destroyed, the only thing I've been able to find are plastic, empty gum containers. Right now he is sitting next to me after a tiring morning walk and looking absolutely adorable, but I know after a quick nap I'll have my hands full again.

On Friday night, I chanced leaving the dog home alone to go out to a concert with some friends. We went to see a rap artist (who was actually here last year, refer to blog about Akil for more information) at a recently opened venue on the other side of town. He was so happy to be back, and mingling before his show, so we got to sit and chat with him for about 20 minutes before he went on stage. We all had a great time doing the "When I say Viet, you say Nam!" thing during the show. There was a lot of dancing, and he even had people from the audience come on stage to do a freestyle battle. A female coworker of mine got up on stage and absolutely rocked it; it was great to see a girl take on all the guys who got on stage with sideways hats, big t-shirts, and big rapper egos.

I'm going to take this opportunity with the puppy napping to cook myself up something for breakfast. So, Chuc Mung Nam Moi! or, Happy New Year!

Day of the Kitchen God, and another mouse encounter

Today is the day that the Vietnamese honor their kitchen God. There are a couple ways to do this, but I will begin by explaining the story behind this God. Apparently, the kitchen God, or genie, is present in every kitchen, where they watch over the daily happenings. On the 23rd day of the 12th month, the kitchen God goes up to heaven to report on the past year of kitchen activity. Most importantly, he is said to ride up to heaven on the back of a fish (not sure why...). So, on this day (today) kitchen genies are offered the best food and spices and are presented with money. Walking around today, one would see a lot of money and paper fish being burned so the God can take them with him on his journey. Additionally, it is also custom to release a fish into a nearby lake to provide the God with transportation to heaven. There's been a lot of bicycle fish vendors on the streets as of late, and it's always a sight to see; tiny, rickety bikes are strung with bamboo sticks and string which are used to hang bags of fish. Since my kitchen is pretty much part of my living room, I think I will wait until the day of the house genie to burn things.

On a completely different note- I had met up with my pal Julia in the Old Quarter last night for a quick drink at our favorite watering hole, Mao's. We had parked our bikes outside the bar, next to a pile of garbage that always accumulates there during the evening. After a chat, we got on our bikes, and both went our separate ways. All was fine until I felt something wriggling around on the back of my neck, along the top of the collar of my coat. First I thought I was imagining things, but sure enough, I felt movement there again when I came to a full stop at a train crossing. I brushed my hand along my neck, and a mouse flung from it's perch on my coat collar, landed in the street, and took off. Obviously this was incredibly disgusting, but I was more concerned with how this mouse got there in the first place. This is where the garbage heap comes into play, because I guess it's possible that it had crawled into my helmet and sat terrified against my neck while I was driving, and only started to move when my bike came to a stop. The other possibility is that it fell off an overhead wire (this happens often), and I was lucky enough to be directly below it, where it landed on the back of my neck. I would hope it is the latter, since the idea of giving a mouse a free ride on my neck is definitely worse. Either way, I got home and took a very hot shower, using A LOT of soap. Unfortunately, hot water runs out within four minutes of turning it on, so it was a bit more rushed than I would've liked, especially since my house is around 60 degrees and being in the shower is the only time I can feel warm. The lack of insulation is really making me feel Hanoi winter. Maybe I should walk along the street stopping at people burning stuff for the kitchen genie to get some warmth?

Burning paper and New Camels

So on Friday we went to a pagoda on Bach Mai Street and met some of Phuong's family and friends. We sat on bamboo rugs for 2 hours as monks lit incense, recited chants, banged drums, and clanged bells. It felt very spiritual to be sitting inside this old pagoda, decorated with gold writing and gold buddhas. I was one of three foreigners there, and we all felt a bit lost, not knowing when to bow our heads during the recitations. After the monks were done, we all stood around outside, trying to avoid the intense guard dogs that kept circling us. We went out back to a giant, decorated hearth and saw the pile of paper gifts for Phuong. The variety of paper goods was really amazing: a paper motorbike the size of a large dog, a giant house equipped with king size beds and dining room table, TV's, a laptop, tea set, an oven, a fan, bedding and pillows, clothes, shoes, and even a horse. Also, lots of replicated 100 dollar American bills and paper gold nuggets. Families burn money almost every month to replenish the wallets of the deceased...

On a lighter note, a new set of Connecticut College students arrived for the Vietnam study abroad program last week. We had befriended the previous group last January, so Flip (my fellow Camel in Hanoi) and I have been keeping an eye out for any potential Conn kids wandering the streets. I figured we would see them on Ta Hien Street, a place in the Old Quarter with a lot of touristy bars, shops, and Bia Hoi's; when we had first arrived in Hanoi for our abroad program three years ago, I remember this street being one of the first (and last) places we spent a lot of our time on the weekends. So on Saturday night a couple Conn graduates living in Hanoi along with myself sat around the Bia Hoi on Ta Hien Street calling out "Camel!" (our mascot) to any kids who looked like they fit the bill. We received a lot of stares and questioning glances, but no Conn kids. Flip and JD eventually gave up and went around the corner to go watch a soccer game, while Son and I headed back to our motorbike to go home. As I was getting ready to hop on, I saw four kids meandering down the street, and recognized one of them from one of my classes. Immediately I shouted "Camels!" and got a positive response... I had found the new Conn students! I explained myself, got Flip to come over, and exchanged numbers before heading home. I remember feeling so lost and somewhat scared my first week here, so I plan on taking them to some really great street food and night spots, to help them get familiar with the city. It's pretty hard finding your way around to the best local spots with, well, no local to help you out, so I'll be doing my best as a Conn Alum Tourguide. They all seemed really excited to get some insider information, so I assume I will be meeting up with them soon.

In loving memory of Phuong Do

This Saturday a couple of us got on our bikes and headed over to Phuong's house. There, we met with her mother and sister, lit incense, and left some dried fruits at her altar. Standing in front of her altar, listening to the prayer chants playing on the stereo, and looking at her picture surrounded by gifts and incense made the whole thing very real, and it was only at this moment that I realized I would never see her again. After we finished lighting the incense and placing the gifts, we sat down in a circle on the floor where her mom proceeded to pour us all tea and pass out oranges. As horrible a tragedy and intense a meeting as this was, it still opened my eyes to the experience of death in a vastly different cultural setting. In America, we have a funeral, say prayers, visit the grave and leave flowers, etc. Here, the whole concept of the spirit moving on to another world takes precedence over everything. Phuong's mother was telling us that she still sets a place for Phuong at dinner time, as she believes her spirit is still in the house. Additionally, many Vietnamese people believe that the burning of gifts will send these items into the afterlife for the deceased to use. You can buy paper versions of almost anything on the street, and we are all going to the pagoda next Friday to burn things that we think Phuong would need in the afterlife. We talked about things she cherished, and her mom mentioned that she was going to buy Phuong a pair of very expensive boots, but was never able to give her this gift. In this light, we will be burning paper boots, paper computers, paper clothes, etc. I would like to find a paper stereo or ipod or something, because I know how much she loved to listen and dance to music. Additionally, people burn letters or postcards written to their deceased loved ones, in the effort to send these messages to the afterlife. I have a letter I will bringing to the pagoda on Friday.

Phuong's altar has been set up for over a week now, and the prayer chants are played 24 hours, 7 days a week. It is believed that these chants will help send the spirit to the afterlife. Once we move her altar to the pagoda, monks will be doing the chants on daily basis. After sitting and talking about Phuong, looking at pictures from the funeral, and planning the paper burning ritual taking place next Friday, I went over to give Phuong's mom a hug. When I introduced myself as Marchie, she immediately knew who I was and said that Phuong spoke of me often, and she invited me to visit the house and Phuong's altar at any time. I felt really moved, because this made me realize what a strong friendship blossomed between Phuong and I over the span of one short year. She was one of the first girls I met when I moved to Hanoi, and her spark and positive attitude made us instantaneous friends. I feel it's only appropriate to include some pictures of her here, since she really was such a beautiful, happy girl. In honor of Phuong's fun-loving attitude and positivity we are all doing our best to smile, and celebrate her life rather than continue grieving. It's been hard, but I know that is how she would want it.

Back to my (second) home

Yes, I know a took a month's hiatus from writing, but I figured no one wanted to hear about my adventures in New York or New Jersey since they could very well go out and have their own! Before I get back to my Hanoi return, I have to comment on my original journey back to America. So I boarded the plane to Tokyo on my birthday; I was a bit bummed to spend this day alone, but I had 12 hours to walk around Tokyo and I figured, there is nothing like discovering new things for yourself on your birthday! So I arrived at Narita airport and boarded a train that took me straight into the heart of Tokyo. I got off at Tokyo station and transferred to the Tokyo Metro, and successfully made my way to Harajuku district, most well-known for it's quirky fashion shops and youth Tokyo culture. I had only changed over 100USD for the day, and was already running pretty low at this point. I guess I grossly underestimated how expensive everything was, so I strolled down Takeshita Street to witness some of the absurd things for sale. I saw a McDonald's and tried to pass by, but my lack of good 'ole American-style fastfood, and my lack of money sent me straight in to enjoy a Big Mac and some fries. McDonald's had never tasted so good; I think the key to vastly enjoying such unhealthy food is to deprive yourself of it for a year. Next, I walked around the corner to visit Meiji Shrine, which was absolutely breathtaking. I snapped a couple illegal photos inside the actual shrine before security came over and not-so-politely told me to leave.

It was really great to walk down these winding gravel roads, feeling like I was deep in the forest, but actually being in the center of one of the most bustling cities in the world.

After the shrine I wandered around nearby Shibuya district, amazed at the excellent shopping (and equally amazed at the exorbitant prices). When I later asked my father about where we used to live in Toyko, I was informed that Shibuya district is where our family spent a lot of time (we lived in an apartment complex on the outskirts of Shibuya). I guess some eerie sort of fate pulled me towards the area where I spent some very formative years. :)

I made it back to Narita Airport alive, but with significantly less money, then hopped on the plane back to the states.

I got to experience everything I wanted and more when I was home: seeing family, walking through a blizzard, going to great concerts, having fun in New York City with great friends, bonding with my sister, etc etc. I'm so grateful so have had the time and the money to make a trip home and accomplish so much.

Currently, I am sitting on my bed in my Hanoi apartment with a heater blasting warm air on my face. I thought I would be prepared for Hanoi's winter after walking around in NYC and NJ in the snow, but the coldness still hit me by surprise. This time though, I wisened up and brought my winter jacket, hat, gloves, and multiple sweaters. The real killer is the lack of insulation, so my house is literally the same temperature as it is outside, which is now a chilling 57 degrees. This little space heater was definitely worth the 23 dollars.

I met with some friends over lunch to get more information about my dear friend Phuong who passed away a couple days before I got back. I never really dealt with her passing in America because it seemed so distant, and somehow not real. But upon return to Vietnam, the whole thing kind of just slapped me in the face, and I'm feeling very thankful that I have such wonderful friends here who are going through all the grief with me. On Saturday a bunch of us will be going to her house to console her mother, light incense, and pray for her. I'm looking forward to this, as I feel it might give me some closure. As of now, I feel like I am in some sort of limbo, hearing the news but with no evidence to back anything up.

Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the things that I did not miss about Hanoi- the constant construction noises! Gosh, what bliss to wake up to a quiet house, definitely took that for granted when I was home.

Now I am going to run to the store to stock up my fridge, since I don't think I can survive on pickles and eggs for too long...