Observations of Hanoi

I had always wanted to pen down my thoughts about Hanoi, Vietnam as it is such a quaint and lovely city.

My first visit to Hanoi was probably 5 years ago before I was married. I'm responsible for the operations in Vietnam so I try to make one trip there annually. And I had been, save for the year that I was preggers.

Hanoi steeps in culture & history, and natural beauty (if you ever visit Hanoi, you MUST go to Halong Bay - a UNESCO Heritage site). But I'll leave those with travel guides and instead, focus on my own observations of the city.

(1) Hanoi-ans LOVE their horns. In fact, I think they are a bit obsessive about its use. From the moment you wake up, you would be able to hear honking from the street about 20 stories below. However, they use the horns as warning, rather than as a sign of anger. I was told this joke recently of how if the brakes and horn were broken, Hanoi-ans rather get the horn fixed first!

(2) There is "free preaching" every Sunday. Yup, as a capitalist state with heavy influences of Communism, the public PA system disseminates doctrines every Sunday morning.

(3) Food in Hanoi goes so much more than spring rolls (Nem) and beef noodles (Pho Bo). Northern Vietnamese cuisine is simply superb, though you must like fish sauce as it is often used in replacement for soya sauce. I would recommend this restaurant called "Wild Rice" - I never fail to pay a visit each time I'm there. The best thing is that food is relatively cheap in Hanoi. Other must try are fried fish with dill (cha ga) and grilled pork with noodles (bun cha).

(4) Commas are used, replacing full stops in numbers. So if it's 16.5, it would be written as 16,5. I don't know the reason.

(5) People are genuinely nice and keen to find out more about you & your own culture. So don't be offended if they ask you what we view as personal questions, like the forbidden "How old are you?". That's their way of simply getting to know you.

(6) There's a huge population of motorcycles on the roads in Hanoi. So to cross the street safely, just close your eyes and walk forward. The cyclists will know how to avoid you!