Another day.
Wake up. Be kind. Do good. And realize all things are in our path for a reason.
Honestly it is easier this way. Reducing the luggage and internalizing the lesson. Leo is always with me, and now I don’t need to dust him off or worry about leaving behind. Damn bastard for teaching me this lesson, but he is inside haunting me now, so it will be lessons galore.
I have an all day tour of Hanoi today. Up early and not feeling the best. Probably several reasons for that, and all will pass.
Hopefully not explosively out one end of my body or the other, but it will pass.
In an effort to distract myself and move on, I have spent time researching the places we will visit, so prepare for a shenanigan level history lesson in later posts. But until then, I will tell you about a few things which are different here from the states.
I have already mentioned the death scooters, so I will not dwell. Still working on splicing some footage of the experience together, but honestly, it makes me nervous to watch. So, be prepared for that video.
Toilets are essentially the same, except they have a hand sprayer next to them, I assume to mimic a bidet, but I’m not even going to attempt it. I have no idea where that thing has been. They do put a roll of paper next to it for we Americans. Trick is, you can’t leave the paper in the toilet. You throw it in the bin next to the toilet.
I understand why. Toilet paper is not good for plumbing and such, but yuck. Just yuck. I have been left to ponder a time or two if it is worth being a responsible citizen and fish it out or simply act innocent and walk away.
Again. Yuck.
But the inner Leo wants me to ignore the signs to see what will happen if I refuse to cooperate. My inner Mother wants to scold me for not following the rules. My inner Father wants me to do the science, but also does not want to pay foreign plumbing bills. My inner… I don’t know what, but it is an ongoing internal debate that should not be had by people.
Keys: I was confronted with a key when I checked in. Since I am over 50, I understood that this piece of metal is placed in a receptacle, usually around the door knob of a door to gain access to a room.
For those of you under 30, who have not experienced these ancient devices, you might want to read up on them before coming to Southeast Asia. They are everywhere.
The other interesting thing I had not seen since I was very small, is the key tag. There is a slot inside the door on the wall, where you place the key tag, and that turns on the power in the room. Good idea unless you are trying to charge up some batteries while you are out partying.
Password for WiFi is usually 12345678. If that does not work, in Hanoi, try 66668888. I have no idea why, but every place I went that posted a password, it was one of those two. And I probably should not have posted that on the internet.
Somehow I think they know.
People are pushy. I do not believe they know what a line is, and as for personal space, it is out the window. No wonder they have a pick pocket problem. They may be very nice and helpful, and many are, but do not expect them to understand why you have a problem with them waiting their turn for something.
Traffic Cops are called Pikachu by the locals because they wear yellow and appear out of nowhere to hit you with a fine. Apparently most are open to bribes, but I did not have the opportunity to experience the situation first hand. My extensive knowledge on the topic comes from a tour guide I did who spoke as if his knowledge was extensive.
As I learned on my coffee experience, chairs are tiny. Perspective is everything, and since I was in a van when I took this picture, it does not represent the lack of height well. So, look for the sleeping dog in the center and realize he probably could not fit under the chair. Then there is a regular chair off to the right. It is the same height as the table.
Okay fine, short chairs. But put an equally short table next to it, and there is no point for me to even try. I have not pulled off an upright fetal position successfully since I was born, and if I did, it certainly has not happened since I had kids. On purpose anyway.
ADA does not exist here. I supposed it would be VDA if it did, but the point is nothing from sidewalks to buildings are accessible if you are challenged physically. The above picture is a sheet of ice compared to most of the city.
Take note America. We have it good.
I know there are hundreds of little differences I have not touched on as of yet, but honestly, it is so much, it is overwhelming. From not knowing how to haggle for an item to not flushing toilet paper, things are different here.
Not bad or wrong.
Different.
There is a difference.
