The beginning of my second year in Asia. Hanoi in Vietnam to be more specific. Tomorrow will be the first day of the new year according to the Lunar Calendar and my second New Years of 2020.
I spent a month in South Africa over Christmas and enjoyed all the tasty food and fresh air SA has an abundance of. To be back in Hanoi is to realize again how much these worlds differ. In Hanoi we mostly wear face masks for the pollution whenever we go out. Also, it is winter in Asia right now, which means the sky is pretty much grey or white every single day and it is a bit cold and rainy. The humidity has some interesting effects, like some floors just won't dry. It always looks like it's just been mopped. This happens especially on the lower floors. The mirrors in the house also look like they've been freshly steamed up and just won't dry. Clothes, shoes and any material can get moldy just hanging in the cupboard. You really have to keep an eye on things.
What I appreciate most, being back here? The ever interesting daily life, never a dull moment. There is always something happening on the street. Little fires where people are roasting sunflowers or cooking something perhaps. Street vendors always being busy with something. People carrying the most interesting loads on their bikes or bicycles. Fruit baskets with colorful exotic fruits, big water containers, crockery, kumquat trees, peach blossom trees, whatever you can think of...
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