Hanoi, Vietnam - September 10, 2002
Okay, its settled.. tonight is my last night in Hanoi (for maybe a few weeks anyhow! hehe).. actually I'm getting sick and tired of this wonderful place.. and I'm getting out and heading to China tomorrow!!! Tomorrow night to be exact.. I'll be arriving at the border town of Lao Cai.. walking over to Hekou in China.. and trying to find some bus or whatever takes me to get to Kunming!! Another city which I've been wanting to for a very very long time!!! I'll let you know how that goes in the immediate future.. :)
As far as teaching English in Hanoi.. for anyone who is or was equally interesting about that.. most schools pay around $12-15/hour.. and a normal workweek is about 18-21 hours a week.. good schools in Hanoi include ELT Star Delta, Language Link, and a few others.. I was going to hit them all.. but.. I'm under a different feeling right now.. I just want to wander around Yunnan in China for awhile.. then hit Hanoi to fly out to Seoul and back to San Francisco.. where I have a girl waiting for me.. thats my plan.. so goodbye to any thought of teaching here..
Okay.. what else is there to say.. well, the nightlife?? okay, beer is about $1 in any bar.. when you try to leave any bar.. there are motorbike drivers wanting to take you anywhere in the city for under a $1.. and you have freelance hooker girls begging for you to take them to your hotel.. i don't know what they cost.. i didn't want any of them.. but they seem to linger around any and every bar that has any kind of nightlife.. and particularly anywhere that a foreigner might be.. you have to be careful.. even walking home at night.. girls ride by on motorbikes trying to pick you up.. if you want them.. its your choice.. but you really have no idea who they REALLY are.. or who they've been with.. but they do seem to linger around alot in Hanoi particularly at night.. so be careful!! or have fun!! whatever your preference!!
Other things to say about Hanoi before I leave here for awhile.. hmmm.. well, Vietnamese smile ALOT!! particularly when you give them any attention whatsoever they will break out with an immediate smile!! It really doesn't take much at all..
Let's see.. the other thing about Vietnam.. the other thing is that French are the most abundant tourists here.. many things are in both English and French.. actually I'm the only American I have met in Vietnam.. maybe thats true on both visits.. I meet tons and tons and tons of British, Australians, and French.. but I almost never ever meet another American. I do seem to run into Israelis.. but I think I meet them because they feel a special affinity towards Americans.. I overhear alot of British and French.. but they seldom if ever have any interest whatsoever in an American unless its to discuss politics and how disgusted they are with you.. but Australians.. they are probably the best and most favorite fellow travelers!! They will invite you to drink a beer and just like to have a good time.. and can sit back and ignore national borders, politics, and all the many things that can divide two human beings from having a normal conversation. I would have to say Australians are my favorite travelers by far!! I also like to meet Koreans as well.. as they are great abroad.. always honest, kind, and a happy kind of person. In Korea, sometimes its too exhausting because of the occasionaly stifling Korean culture.. but anywhere abroad, and you can meet a great friend when you meet a Korean!!
Other nationalities? hmm.. usually if I meet any asian, african, latino, Autralian, Kiwi (NZ), Irish.. they are always super-friendly.. that just about lists everyone.. I have met a few really great French and British too.. but alot of them seem to have such a strong anti-American agenda so shallowly below the surface.. that they are so eagerly in attack mode.. its almost impossible to really be a human being and not an American around them..
Okay, enough of my nonsense.. but for the record.. maybe Irish and Australians are the best!!! hmm... and i have to add anyone of african, latino, or asian origin.. never met anyone from those areas who weren't pretty cool.. anyhow.. regardless.. sorry to all you europeans.. but since i'm going off and off on this.. Germans oddly enough.. are pretty cool.. they have such an enormous amount of guilt about being German.. that it makes them into wonderful human beings!! strange how that works.. anyhow.. enough of my stereotyping.. i'm almost becoming european by all the stereotyping i'm doing.. i better stop it right now.. or suffer the same consequences.. as an american.. stereotyping is considering.. ahmm.. just plain wrong! i guess i've been traveling too much or for too long.. maybe i've encountered to many anti-american stereotyping generally coming from very specific parts of europe.. and its start to rub off on me.. scarey.. sorry for all the cool brits and french out there.. i know there are some out there who aren't anti-american.. and for you who are out there! I appreciate you!!!
Tomorrow, I'm off to Lao Cai. the border town of Vietnam/China.. I'll write enough entry when I get to Kunming!! In about two days from now.. see you then!!
Next Journal Entry Yunnan, China:
September 14, 2002
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