Sorry for the delay - had 2 weeks of grandchild visits including 5 days in WDC!
I would say the summery word is "intense." The plethora of scooters without rule but with horns made any strolling a life challenging adventure. Except for sleeping we were at school teaching from 8am-4pm - grades 6-7-8-9 were pretty intense, too! But there were 2-3 in each class who were truly engaged and said thanks. One would have crawled into the airline overhead bin if I let him! I met some delightful and dedicated teachers.
But the biggest "intensity" was in the people I saw every day. They were purposeful and driven, hard working and busy. Even the tour guide had a set agenda and was determined to get through it. I observed this to a much greater degree in Russia - an individual personal agenda so strong that nothing was allowed in the way - least of all another human. I think it is part of a communist attitude to keep one's head down and stay out of other people's business.
I did see a lot of family life - multigenerational families in shops or eating on the street, both parents and grandparents carrying babies. The teachers told me that grandma often lives with them and is in charge of child care. Two children seems to be the norm in the city.
I wish I had seen the countryside, but Hanoi had a lot to offer. The salads we ate were unbelievable! I have no idea what dressings they use but they made shredded carrots delightful. I am glad I went - for such a defining part of my life in the US, our "invasion" there seems to have made little difference in the north. It may be different where we actually had troops stationed.
As always I am glad to be home and grateful for all we have here.
I would say the summery word is "intense." The plethora of scooters without rule but with horns made any strolling a life challenging adventure. Except for sleeping we were at school teaching from 8am-4pm - grades 6-7-8-9 were pretty intense, too! But there were 2-3 in each class who were truly engaged and said thanks. One would have crawled into the airline overhead bin if I let him! I met some delightful and dedicated teachers.But the biggest "intensity" was in the people I saw every day. They were purposeful and driven, hard working and busy. Even the tour guide had a set agenda and was determined to get through it. I observed this to a much greater degree in Russia - an individual personal agenda so strong that nothing was allowed in the way - least of all another human. I think it is part of a communist attitude to keep one's head down and stay out of other people's business.
I did see a lot of family life - multigenerational families in shops or eating on the street, both parents and grandparents carrying babies. The teachers told me that grandma often lives with them and is in charge of child care. Two children seems to be the norm in the city.
I wish I had seen the countryside, but Hanoi had a lot to offer. The salads we ate were unbelievable! I have no idea what dressings they use but they made shredded carrots delightful. I am glad I went - for such a defining part of my life in the US, our "invasion" there seems to have made little difference in the north. It may be different where we actually had troops stationed.As always I am glad to be home and grateful for all we have here.
