Last days in Hanoi

My last few days in Vietnam and I am taking it easy. I made a list of things I want to do before I go: visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and talk a walk in Lenin Park, which is suppose to the nicest and largest park in Hanoi. The biggest challenge is going to be packing and deciding what I actually want to bring back and leave behind. I got lots of presents from relatives and friends and love to shop so that means I will have to sweet talk the check-in’s people.

My Aunt 6 (sitting in the middle and who has a scary strong ressemblance to my mom) and I did a day tour of the Mekong Delta

My housekeeper has volunteered to take my leftover stuff and if she can’t use it has promised to find someone that will. That is one observation I have noted – nothing gets wasted, things that I take for granted as garbage gets used in some way or form. Our housekeeper will sort through our garbage bags and take out anything that can be recycled for money or used again. Even the garbage collectors sift through the garbage bags and take out anything that can be reused. When our neighbours take out their garbage they only have one small bag while we usually have at least 2 huge bags.

My grandfather's old house in Binh Thuan province and where my 12 aunts and uncles used to live.

Today was my last ultimate day and HUC (Hanoi Ulimate Club) will be one of my favorite memories. I have met really interesting people through the game and met even more when I went to Saigon and Bangkok. It was such a good way to meet expats and locals and our weekly tradition of going for sugarcane juice is something that will be greatly missed. I knew when I came to Vietnam I should join activities and put myself out there and ultimate was something I started in my first week. I am already on a team when I get back to Ottawa and I think we start the week I get back ...

I just called my mom and was telling her about my trip to Saigon. I was able to tell her that I saw where her and my dad used to live, where my uncle took my sister when she was a baby for ice cream, the market she shopped at, and where my cousin Hien swam across the lake. My Uncle Chien and I really got along well and perhaps I even take after him. Even though my Vietnamese isn’t great we were still able to talk about politics, life in Vietnam, and our family history. He took the day off work and since he owns a car (with a driver) took me to my grandfather’s old home where Aunt 5 lives in Binh Thuan province, which is about 3 and a half hours away. So we left at 4:30am and he wouldn’t even let me sleep in the car because he thought it was important I see the path to the family home. Aunt 5 works in the market and has a stall selling mats. I met her briefly on New Year’s day and she had no idea we were coming to visit. I pretended to be a customer while my other relatives hid and I wanted to see if she remembered me or not. She was a little confused and looked at me strangely and then realized it was me. I was a bit inappropriately dressed for the trip because I didn’t really know where we were going. I was wearing a bright skirt and heals so kind of stuck out in the town since I was notably taller than everyone and not afraid to get a tan by wearing a tank top (everyone covers up with a big conical hat and long sleeved shirts to keep their skin light). Visiting Aunt 5 and seeing how strong she is and her pride of where she is from made me really proud to be part of her family. Being with Aunt 5 made me really see the contrast of my life to what my life in Vietnam could have been. I think my uncle knows these things are important for me to experience and helped me get see it.

Aunt 4 and I on the rooftop picking mangos - my grandfather planted the tree sometime in the 70s.

When I was visiting my mom’s side, I got to see where my grandfather used to live and where Aunt 4 lived before she immigrated to Seattle and it made me start to understand why they decided to leave. I always wondered why my relatives left Vietnam, when life seemed comfortable, and our family seemed so tight knit, but the wealth and social securities in North America is just not attainable for them if they stayed in Saigon. My family who lives abroad regularly sends money to help my relatives in Vietnam. I had no money to give (although they would never accept it anyway) but came up with the idea of printing photos (the magic of digital) of my last visit and of photos of family in Canada like of my sister’s wedding. I promised myself and them I am coming back within 2 years either for work or to visit and hopefully with my sister and mom. I feel if I am going to do development work, it will most definitely be in Vietnam.

Hanoi Ulimate Club at our new grassy field. Thank you UNIS (the UN International School)!

Sweet sugarcane juice - I am still amazed how much juice there is in the canes I always assumed they added water ...

I am heading back to Canada in 3 days and can’t believe it has been nearly 7 months. This has been a good experience for me and I really have to thank Kate and Diem for encouraging me to do this and making it easier for me to go. I did have some reservations in going, but now have no regrets – I would have regretted not going.