Bánh trung thu

Like in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and a couple of other asian countries, now is the time for the Mid-autumn Festival preparation; the associated legends that go around it vary from place to place, and Vietnam's version is about Thằng Cuội, where the banyan trees were sacred, people were forbidden to urinate at the foot of the tree.

The official date for the festival falls September 14th this year; but the delicious mooncakes - a.k.a. bánh trung thu - that are used for the occasion are already for sale! Hold your breath, I'll be posting a picture of one of those cakes sometime before that!

Pineapple

Many taxi drivers around here have pineapples in their cars. Yes, pineapples. How random is that?

Some say it's a good odor-absorber, but really, I don't know. What's your theory?

Red umbrella

Same area than yesterday's photo - but no black and white. Or so it seems!

Lone fisher

Heavy skies... Time to go fishing on the West Lake.

Wine of the month

This wine shop just closed.. Thanks god for all the other ones that still are there!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Quick fix

Here's what happens when you have a flat tire in the middle of the city: you just fix it at the next junction!

Bia Hơi

Bia Hơi is another vietnamese institution, consisting in drinking locally-brewed beer in a loud and bustling atmosphere; it can be quite fun when you know what food to order along (everything is in Vietnamese - at least to the one I went to) and it's always very cheap: less than 30 cents a glass!

Flying high

Found this flag in a couple of temples around town and I am still wondering what it's about. Your theories?

Sidewalks

Because the weekend is almost there, here's a photo that just feels to me like we are already there.

You won't see so many sidewalks such as the one above in Hanoi; most of them are much narrower and most often serve as motorbike parking lots.

Have a good one, everyone!

Inner peace?

Here we are again, in the Temple of Literature. This courtyard is where the students used to be relaxing after their lessons, a couple of hundred of years ago. I'm not sure they would be able to relax anymore today with the cars and bikes permanently honking their horns just next to it! But at least the view itself is rather soothing. Enjoy the visit!

Yellow star

Grey skies, yellow walls, Vietnamese 'coat of arms'; no doubt, we're in Hanoi! ;)

You may notice the coat of arms is representing a yellow star on a red field, with a reference to the cooperation of agricultural and industrial labor. Similar, yet different, than that of China!

Lighthouse

One thing you'll notice about Hanoi is that there aren't that many houses that are built in a style we're used to seeing in Europe or in America; I was hence stunned to discover this one last weekend, right in the middle of the old quarter and its 36 streets. I wonder how hot it must be getting in there during this period!

Street food

I was strolling down the road the other day when this lady offered to sell some snacks that were unknown to me; I gladly accepted the offer and discovered it was some glutinous buns that were tasting like prawns... Not exactly what I had in mind but hey, at least now I know ;).

Over the top

Still in the Temple of Literature, a nice, timeless rooftop.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Procession

As I was exiting the Temple of Literature the other day I gladly realized that there was a fair mix of locals and overseas tourists; it's always so much better this way, just rather than a flow of French visitors invading every attraction!

And thou shalt be remembered

Do you remember finally getting your degree by reading your name on some paper listing on the university's walls?

 

Well, that's nothing compared to what the former Emperors used to be doing here. During over 600 years, the name of the graduates have been written in stone (literally) on those steles carried by giant turtles. For those in Hanoi, go have a look at the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu); it's really worth the visit.

'Fuh'?

 

Ladies and gents, please allow me to introduce you to one of Vietnam's culinary institutions: not Phở 24 which is just a restaurant chain, but rather to the phở itself; if you have come to Vietnam one day in your life you must have tasted this yummy rice-noodle soup dish which variations are almost endless. The most common one will have minced beef in it (but other meats and organs are allowed, too), flat noodles and some seasoning in the form of fresh onions, lime and bean sprouts in a clear broth.

 

The pronunciation takes a little while to get used to, though - if you want to be understood with an English accent you should say something like 'fuh'!

Standing still

As I was mentioning in an earlier post, one of the ways people pay respect to the dead is by burning money (fake money that is). You can actually guess that's what's going on here, next to this beautiful tree. And I can tell you that you get quite a sense of peace when you're there...

Blown away

Do you want a balloon? Well, you have plenty of choices here!

 

I'm not sure why the majority of them are golden pigs with Chinese writing on - maybe some leftovers from last year of the pig - but it's definitely more fun than your average, plain balloons!

Worship

Burning incense sticks, Buddha image; those are, I think, the only common points between the different kinds of Buddhism across the region. It's interesting to see that the way devotion is shown completely varies from country to country, and hence from one culture to another.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Numbers

Another colorful doorstep (sorry, can't help it! ;)).

I often wondered what were those telephone numbers you can see on the walls everywhere around town; I got my answer pretty recently: it's actually the way the masons advertise here. When I come to think about it, I prefer that to the zillions paper ads we receive in our mailboxes in Europe - it's nice and it saves trees!

Lone rider

In a society where the notion of 'vital space' is close to nil I like to imagine that in stolen moments like this, one cherishes the sense of self. 

Or maybe that's just me thinking too much.

'36 streets week' - Hàng Tre

Hàng Tre is probably one of the most fascinating streets there is in the Old Quarter; as soon as you step into it, it feels as if you're in a bamboo forest. Definitely worth the visit!

'36 streets week' - Hàng Khoai

Hàng Khoai, or 'sweet potato street', is home to one of Hanoi's mosques. The poetry of it is that 'mosque' is apparently translated in Vietnamese by 'nhà thờ', which is the same word than... 'church'. One small step for ecumenism, and one giant step to make learning vietnamese easier!

'36 streets week' - Hàng Lược

Again one of those doorsteps I came to know and like so much; unfortunately my vietnamese is far from allowing me to decipher what's written on the wall in the background. Any clue?

Oh, and I almost forgot: Hàng Lược once was 'combs street'. I desperately looked for one but didn't succeed. Bummer.

'36 streets week' - Hàng Chiếu

When you start feeling lazy on a hot Sunday afternoon, you might want to go to Hàng Chiếu ('mats street') to buy yourself one of those. That's all you need, really!

(okay, that, and a cocktail maybe)

'36 streets week' - Hàng Chai

Hang Chai, a.k.a. 'bottles street'. No more bottles but still, quite a nice street where you can find flowers.

What do you think tomorrow's street will hold? ;)

'36 streets week' - Hàng Mã

One of the ways to pay respects to the departed is to burn offerings; and where to buy that? Well, right here in Hàng Mã ('votive papers' street). You'll find paper notes and many other items for that effect.

I bought a stack of hundred-dollar bills for slightly less than $0.5; the two young ladies were puzzled at first that a foreigner could even be interested in buying those, and then giggled about it. A fun afternoon!

"No . . ." signs

[cấm đỗ xe]: no parking.

No additional caption on this photo, because I really like it the way it speaks for itself and I hope you like it, too. Go check out what the other members from the City Daily Photo Community have got for y'all; they have pretty great stuff!

 

Going green

Hapro is a big local conglomerate that has supermarkets, coffee shops and the likes; never got a chance to go shop in their malls but I couldn't help but noticing this super-green building.

Thịt chó

Okay, I must confess I hesitated to post this one.

 

Eating dog surely is a taboo in our western cultures, but it's not here - and it's actually considered almost as a delicacy.

 

For those who were contemplating coming over to Vietnam and who are now reconsidering, please don't let this fool you: you will not be served dog's meat if you don't specifically request it. It is only served in some restaurants advertising 'Thit cho'.

Some will argue that it's wrong to eat dog, and the purpose of this blog isn't to debate about it, but rather to open our eyes to a different culture - because it feels nice to see that we're not all alike.

Heat

After 5 years in South-East Asia, I thought I was used to hot and humid climates...

Until I arrived in Hanoi.

Seriously, I've never sweated so much in my lifetime. Can't wait for the autumn to be there!

Home sweet home

Today's post is coming a bit late; I was uber-busy with all my things finally arriving from Thailand, meaning that I am officially in my new place as of today. It feels good to have a place I can call home again!

 

I am lucky enough to have a nice view on the Trúc Bạch lake; you can also see this narrow house across the street, which is very typical of the Vietnamese architecture. I heard the houses are shaped this way because the taxes are levied according to the property's width.

Anyhow, this one is empty for now. Any takers?

Vietnamese shadow play

Another shot from last night: this is the road that is separating the Trúc Bạch lake from the West lake. When the weather permits, a lot of couples are just hanging out there, next to their bikes.

Oh, and since the format might be a bit small for you guys to see,

Bike-reading

Trúc Bạch lake, take 3; daytime!

Mélange des genres

When Paris meets Hà Nội, well... You get this. A mix of Haussmann-ish top with a shophouse-like bottom; quite surprising at first, I must say.

Then again, they build châteaux in Beijing - so why not?

Jaywalk

Quick snap behind the Temple of Litterature; I'll be posting more of this gorgeous building in the weeks to come.

Night shift

I went downstairs at 10PM to take a shot in the neighborhood, when I saw this lady doing her exercise in the street; I was amazed at how she still had energy for that, while the ambient temperature was literally punching me in the face. Kudos!

End of the tunnel

Okay folks, you must have noticed that I have been posting an awful lot of night pics lately; this is simply due to the fact that I have got a lot of work at the moment, and well, the only moment I can snap is after dusk.

This should get better in the days to come (I hope).

Meanwhile, I have a few little photo projects that I'm thinking about; you'll find out more about them here very soon! Have a good weekend everyone.

Banana to go

This is one of the things that make Hanoi so distinct from many other cities; I wanted a banana but by the time I snapped the shot, she was already too far away. Bummer.

50A

I finally got around to renting a motorbike yesterday, and it is pretty awesome; I can go around and stop when I see nice house entrances such as the one above. Priceless!

Fête Nationale

July 14th ('14 Juillet') is France's National Day, celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789; like all the Frenchmen residing in Hanoi, I got invited to the celebrations held at the Embassy today. This means mingling, french food and champagne. 'Mais que demande le peuple?'

Motorbike hug

[xe ôm]: 'motorbike hug'

... Or, more commonly, moto-taxi. Yep, this is one of the easiest way to travel inside the city when you don't have a bike yourself, and, more importantly, if you're not too averse to taking risks.

Naturally, you must bargain the fare before you start your journey and it is generally considerably more difficult to get a good price if you're a foreigner. Still, it remains quite inexpensive; so go ahead and try it out!

The Opera House

Please meet the Hanoi Opera House (or Nhà hát lớn Hà Nội as you can read on the pediment), an interesting building inspired by the parisian Palais Garnier. Next to it is the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel, recently established; you may wonder why such a long name? Well, let's just say that the Hanoi Hilton from the Vietnam/American War was not so much known for its suites, but rather for its prison cells.

On a lighter note, I'm probably going to attend a flamenco show  there in two weeks; that'll be the perfect opportunity to see whether the inside lives up to the glorious shell. Stay tuned!

Little House on the Prairie

Right in the heart of the Old Quarter sits this 'little house', with pretty much no signs of life. I'm intrigued... Aren't you?

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Here's another famous building in Hanoi: the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum. Hosting the preserved body of the former leader, it is open to the public in the morning so that people can go pay their respects to 'Uncle Ho' - and boy do they go there in big groups in the morning, there's always a line to get in!

Hanging around

When the past (this old house), the present (those clothes hanging there to dry) and the future (the renovation works) meet, well, you get this surprising sight. But when you come to think about it, isn't it what a city is all about?

Hanoi is bracing itself for a lovely weekend after a (very) rainy week; enjoy, everyone!

The keeper

As the city is full of bikes everywhere - whether they are on the streets, on the sidewalks or in the houses basements - someone needs to keep an eye on them when one goes to the restaurant or to the office. I photographed this 'bike keeper' right in front of the little house I mentioned before; he's got a nice and quiet spot!

The tube-house

Six storeys, apple-green and the width of a door: I am not kidding, this is a real building, located very close to my apartment.

I wonder what went into the architect's head when he/she designed this... What's your theory?

Dong Xuan Market

Dong Xuan is the oldest and largest market in Vietnam; its 'organized mess' inside is quite worth a visit!