Heart-rending Stories of Hanoi

Well, my one-week trip is not suffice for me to know the Hanoians. However, there are a few heart-rending experiences that have prompted me to write about them.

1. When food is scarce 

The warm and cosy breakfast area where we ate our breakfast

While we were having our breakfast at the hotel restaurant, from the restaurant's glass window I saw an old woman in a blue cardigan which I instantly recognised as the aunty who went around collecting recycled items from the dustbins at Hoan Kiem Lake. She looked well into her 60s. She was walking up and down Cau Go street where our hotel was.

Something that she did really caught me by surprise. She crossed the road swiftly. Then, she picked up a piece of fruit from the roadside, wiped it with her sleeve quickly and bit it. It was her breakfast. It was heart wrenching to see her picking fruit from the roadside and eat while we were enjoying our hot breakfast inside. 

Hoan Kiem Lake of Hanoi

2. Shivering during those cold days
There was an old aunty who peddled her limited wares in front of a convenience store in Cau Go Street. She would sit and kept to herself at a corner. Sometimes, when we walked past the convenience store about 10 p.m., she was there selling her food stuffs. At times, it was freezing and yet she was still there. We really felt sorry for her and one of the days when we passed by, we bought something from her although we could easily get the same thing maybe at a lower price from the convenience store.

3. Couldn't wait to get home
We met another elderly woman in her 70s near Kem Ho Tay, West Lake. We were enjoying our ice-cream by the roadside like other Hanoians.

Kem Ho Tay

Buying ice-cream

Vanilla ice-cream with crunchy cones

The old aunty, with a non la (Vietnamese palm leaf conical hat) dressed in simple pants and cardigan with a plaster to her left foot, was selling street snacks (they tasted like doughnuts but in a stick). She walked past the crowd and pestered them in Vietnamese to buy from her but apparently, no one did. When she walked past us, we just shook our heads. We dare not try any street food due to hygiene reason. After that, we did wonder whether we should buy from her out of sympathy but she had already walked away. Obviously, she must be wondering when she could be going home to her family as it was getting late (about six p.m. plus) and she still had not finished selling her snacks. I believe she had also started out early like other vendors.

The elderly aunty selling the Vietnamese snacks

A twist of fate... she turned around and walked back to our direction. We quickly waved at her and she saw us. She could not speak English and neither could we speak Vietnamese. We just took out 10,000 dong (RM 1.50) and she packed for us four sticks of the snack. Almost as soon as we bought from her, a Vietnamese school girl in uniform also came and bought some ball-like snacks from her. Her basket was left with four more sticks. We ended up buying them and so, she could finish her work and go home. 

The sweet snack that we bought

4. A blessed soul in the city
For the whole week in Old Quarter, we had been walking past a young man who was mentally challenged and he was selling things by the roadside of Old Quarter. On our last night there at Hoan Kiem lake, hubby decided to buy something from him. We approached him and saw that he was selling Vietnamese postcards. We asked him in English the price of the postcards but we did not understand what he said. Then, a Vietnamese uncle (which we believed was a Xe Om or motorbike taxi driver) chipped in and helped him to translate to us. Next, a guy in his uniform who was the waiter from the restaurant next door also came to give him a hand. So, we were glad that they helped and we finally managed to buy a set of 10 postcards from him. This gentle soul was deeply blessed with having so many helping hands around. We walked on after our purchase.

The Huc Bridge shining brightly at night

It was already nine p.m. when we made another round to his hawking area, we saw him stopping a snack seller. The aunty was selling some kind of Vietnamese kuih or snack wrapped in banana leaves. He was buying from her and the aunty was unwrapping the kuih, then, she cut it and sprinkled some sauce before handing it to him. We walked near and the aunty thought we wanted to buy her kuih. We asked for the price but obviously, she could not speak English as well. She was quick-thinking and dug into her plastic bag of money and showed us a piece of 10,000 dong (RM 1.50). We immediately understood that it was the price of her kuih. Hubby bought the kuih from her and passed to the young man. He was grateful and thanked us. It was his dinner for the night.

5. Age is just a number, really...
When we visited Xoi Yen restaurant, a young boy around five years old came up to us and wanted to sell to us a packet of tissue papers. Initially, we were puzzled by what he wanted. We just shook our head as we did not understand what he said. Seconds later, only we understood his intention. Then, when he turned around to leave, he accidentally knocked down the menu from the table. He quickly picked it up and said "I'm sorry" in a shaky voice. Then, he left in a hurry. It happened so fast that we did not how to respond. Again, it was heart-wrenching to see such a young child having to sacrifice his childhood years to earn his pocket money. He was indeed mature for his age.

Xoi Yen restaurant bustling with people

6. The more fortunate ones

Of course, other than these unfortunate people, there are also Hanoians who are well-off, own iPhones, dine in restaurants and drive big cars.

Before we came to Hanoi, we had read horrible stories from the Internet about scams and cheaters. However, if you ask me to describe Hanoians now, I would say that they are friendly, courteous, hardworking and live with dignity.