Day #8 - Happy Easter from Vietnam

Easter @ Hoan Kiem Lake

Well, Easter in Vietnam is just different. Why? well, there is no Easter here. Instead of celebrating Easter today I went to walk around Hanoi city centre again and buy souvenirs.

As Sunday, today the day started later and we headed to the city centre and get some food. I am not proud of myself today because I went to eat something western. Today was a day full of western things. Maybe I was missing being at home for Easter... but actually I think I was just not brave enough to go somewhere without a local that knows the place and the people. So today there is no pictures of food, I am too embarrassed. 

After lunch we went for shopping and I had my first try on bargain. I did some shopping and I tried to bargained in all of them. But there was one point that I felt very very guilty, more like an hypocrite. I was challenging the price of a tshirt that was 70000 VND which is 3.24 USD!! I challenged and I paid only 50000, 2.32 USD. This money doesn't even pay the tshirt!! I left the shop and I was thinking how hypocrite I am. I came here as volunteer to help and I don't want to pay 3.23 USD for a tshirt when I was wearing a 20 pounds one???!! Just felt wrong. I can't fix the world but this just felt wrong...

We spent the afternoon walking around and we went to a shopping centre on the other side of the town that it was like we entered in a different world. Suddenly, the streets with the open drains and people cooking on the street, parking their bikes anywhere and having shops stuffed with clothes and other articles was like a different planet. In the shopping there was Dior, Cartier, Kenzo, etc and a man to open the doors for us. The differences that you see between two worlds in this city are gigantic. This is the type of thing that I knew to exist but when you see with your eyes is just awakening... and sad. And as anywhere in the world, as more simple and modest the people are, nicer and more welcome they are.

After a nice walk in the sun around the lake we sat to relax a little and a group of students approached us. They are having English classes and they wanted to practice so they asked our help. I spent some time talking with them. About what I do as job (this is always a funny part of the conversations), my hobbies, the reason to be in Vietnam, what did I visited and where do I go next. They took sometime to explain us the legend of the Hoan Kiem Lake (in english, The lake of the returned sword) and after they asked me to tell something about where I come from. After explaining that my job is make chocolate, this is the best part of the conversation. I told them that I was from Portugal, their faces, like everyone else, is of confusion - they have no idea where Portugal is - so then I shoot the miracle question "Do you know Cristiano Ronaldo??" Their faces open with a massive smile and say "Cristiano Ronaldo?? yes!! I am a big fan, he is so handsome!!" - job done, everyone knows from where I am. Thank you so much Cristiano, you have no idea but you made my life a lot easier here around Vietnam, probably anywhere else I go too!!

Our English students

To finish, do you remember when I said that everyone here was very polite and respected a lot the elderly people by giving their seats on the bus??!! Well, not everyone, there is assholes in Hanoi as well. Surprise, surprise!! When this old lady got in the bus, Amondine (another volunteer here in Hanoi) stood up to give her seat and another lady took the seat. When we pointed to the older, very fragile lady to show that the seat was for her, she completely ignored us and the lady. In my best Portuguese I said "cabra do c$%&"#$"!

Tomorrow, my first community class and another afternoon at the hospital :D   

I also skyped with my family today. Was nice to talk with everyone and also see my niece. She is so big. I never spent so long without talking with her and also neither spent so much time away from home like now. This was also the first Easter in 30 years that I was not with my family and without my Kinder egg. Well, I did a lot of good and nice things as well and I always have next year. I am sure I do. But... I do miss my homeland.

PS: First Imodium tablets taken... my belly feels funny (very worried face)