I am no stranger to travelling in Asian countries, but this trip will always have a special place in my heart. I can say that the first four months of the year in Canada were a rollercoaster ride and this one is homecoming. The stark differences in culture between Canada and Asia stood out the moment I landed in Taipei airport. Oh, and I should mention the better weather too.
Asia welcomed me back with a mother's hug and a romantic light foggy rain weather. A random woman I met at the airport soothed my longing for the Asian hospitality by showering motherly affection and loving words. Three hours later, we had to part ways to different destinations. She gave me a tight hug and told me “to keep in touch with this old auntie “. Feeling recharged with love, I boarded my flight to my next stop, Hanoi.
I could say Vietnam was my second home as it was the first country I had travelled to alone in my life. Out of experience let me tell you, being the dad's little princess will be hard for one to travel alone. But Vietnam indulged me in my inner desires of shopping, food and familial love. My scrapbook from the first trip still plunges me deep into the pensive of memories and leaves me teary eyed in the end.
I expected Hanoi to be like Saigon, which in my opinion is more westernized. Hanoi greeted me with a different vibe. The airport was about 20 kilometers away from the city and on the way, I could see the lush green plantain plantations, paddy fields, cows grazing, and a few coconut trees lined on both sides of the road. The sight transported me to the countryside of southern India. Oh, how different and similar we are in the same time.
On the second day after landing, it was Labor Day, a public holiday. I went around the lake, to the Temple of the turtle, Ly Thai To street, Ly Thai to monument, a mall which had all luxury brands and back to the hostel. The aromatic street food enticed my nasal senses and dragged me automatically towards them. The moment I had the first taste of the food, I knew, Vietnam was going to be an amazing experience all over. South Vietnam had simple flavors and a huge variety of dishes while the North has hearty meals with complex tastes. With every mouthful, there is an explosion of flavors and something that makes your heart warm with satisfaction. Another foodie moment for me was when I had the opportunity to have mangoes after a long time. The mangoes here are unlike what is available in the west and no amount of them will make you less greedy for the next piece.
On one day, I went on a walking tour with mates from my hostel and visited a local market, the old quarter of Hanoi, and the famous Train street. It was an Instagram worthy place where tiny coffee shops lined both the sides of the railway tracks. We could even watch the train pass in an arm’s length. The next few days were spent in night markets, clothing shops and cafés. Vietnam is truly a bookworm girl’s paradise. One could shop literally till they drop and still not burn a hole in their wallets and relax at the numerous book cafés nearby where they sell amazing coffee for a quarter of the price of Starbucks in Canada.
The old quarter of Hanoi felt like the heart and soul of the city, filled with folklore and colonial architecture. Each street in the old quarter was a selling point for one specific product category and still retains many of the tiny shops selling wholesale goods. From jewelry, to footwear, to construction materials, to even specific kind of lace for gowns, one can get it in the 36 streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
One folklore I found interesting and would like to share was the one of Hoan Kiem lake (the Turtle Lake). Once the emperor of northern Vietnam had lost battles against his opponent and with time, he was going desperate to save his kingdom from the invaders. One fine day while boating in the lake, a turtle emerged and offered a sword forged by the gods to defend his kingdom. With the sword, the emperor was victorious in making the invaders flee for their lives. Being a just ruler, he went back to the lake and returned the sword to the turtle. At the end of his rule, the turtle died and in gratitude, the emperor built a tomb for the turtle with the sword. The common belief is that the sword still lies in the lake, with the turtle, buried under its tomb.
After a week in Vietnam, I flew to Bangkok to meet up with four of my friends from Ivey. Contrary to Canada, the weather in Thailand was sweltering. We still had fun exploring the city. The city boasted of the grandeur of the Ayutthaya Kingdom Buddhist pagodas and the Grand Palace was beyond words. Post Bangkok, with two of my friends, I took the offbeat path of crossing the Thailand Border to Laos via land. We took a train, up till Nong Khai, the border city of Thailand. The train ride was a doubletake for us as it surprised us with modern amenities. Laos was a walk down the memory line for me to when I used to visit the countryside when I was young in India. The landscape was untouched and is a place to bask in silence and peace. The capital city was more of a small town with a slight French influence in the architecture. Alas, Vang Vieng was my personal favorite as I enjoyed waking up to the mesmerizing sight of natural limestone mountains and a winding river with people kayaking. After one week of travelling, we couldn’t wait to go to Vietnam and set up our home there for the next two months.
In Vietnam, people find order in chaos. There is a lot of buzz going on, but none of that bothers their routine and every person is mindful of others even amidst the chaos. Crossing the roads here are a unique experience where you have to trust the person driving the motorbike, heading towards you to not hit you. However, it’s out of reflex that we can’t function that way as the motorbikes never slow down when they see you and you just have to walk without stopping in a steady pace.
The real pace of IGL set in on the first day of work at Topica Asia for a Product Innovation management intern. By all means, I felt very excited to start work as this project would definitely help me get an idea my career. The first days were just trying to blend in with the teammates and get to know the company culture. Initial shock was when the whole floor of the office turned off the lights and had a nap for an hour and twenty minutes after lunch. Sharp at 2pm, they all wake up and work as fresh as they were in the morning.
To say that working here is more fun than I expected would sound so cliché but is the true picture. My Vietnamese colleagues took some time to warm up to us but were very friendly and took us out for lunch always. As the days went by, there was more laughter and more food to be shared on the table. I have a gut feeling that like last time, I’m going to leave this place with a lot of memories to cherish and a bittersweet feeling.