Moving to Hanoi, Vietnam
The day that I had been waiting for had finally come. Two years ago, I transferred from Wilfred Laurier University to the University of Waterloo to study something that I was much more passionate about: International Development. From the day I entered into the program, I knew that my end goal would be to go on an eight-month placement to get some real-life work experience in the field (I would be lying if I said it wasn’t mostly the reason why I transferred…). I did three years of studying, and even on the hard days when life was really getting to me, I pictured myself working overseas with no cares in the world, other than obviously, working.
After going through the selection process, which included multiple interviews and training sessions, I was chosen to work with the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) in Hanoi, Vietnam. CSDS is a Vietnamese non-governmental organization whose goal is to work with Vietnamese youth to empower them to get involved in development projects and initiatives within their communities.
So, almost three weeks ago, I sat at the airport waiting for my flight to take off with a mixture of emotions. I felt sadness but I also felt relief and excitement. It was a long journey - about 25 hours, and then I had finally arrived in Hanoi. After I got off the plane and stepped foot onto Vietnamese soil, the heat and humidity hit me. Myself, and a few of my friends who are also working in Vietnam, took a taxi to our hotel, where we would be staying until we got our lives on track and found places to stay for our time here.
My first week in Hanoi was extremely tough. By the end of the first week, I had only slept about 7 hours total and I was finding it really hard to adjust to life here. The traffic, the people, and the heat were all screaming in my face and I found myself holed up in my hotel room for most of it, having a war in my mind about whether or not this was what I really wanted to do. But, after looking myself in the mirror and reminding myself of who the fuck I am, I began apartment hunting. I found something that is absolutely perfect for me. A brand new studio apartment with a Chinese bathtub, enough room to do yoga, and a perfectly blank white wall that I can decorate and make my own. It’s in a Vietnamese neighbourhood with no english-speakers, and I’ve already been made fun of for eating dinner alone in a restaurant where I can’t even read the menu, but I’m taking it as a challenge.
Then came the part I was most excited for. Renting a motorbike. Finding one to rent wasn’t hard because my landlady had one for me. It’s a black and cream coloured motorbike with cute little flowers embroidered onto the seat. It’s like my landlady knew I was coming before I even arrived here. Mind you, it’s totally illegal for me to drive a motorbike that’s more than 50cc without a Vietnamese drivers license (shh), but I’ve been told to act like I have no idea what the police officers are talking about when they pull me over and I’ll be off the hook.
The first time I rode a motorbike here in Hanoi, I accelerated way too fast and blew myself right off the bike. The second time, after I had rented my own, I drove around my neighbourhood to get the hang of it. Then, feeling a little inspired by the energy of the night, I decided to attempt the highway. I killed it….until I attempted to park the bike back in my garage and crashed into my neighbour’s bike. Luckily, he was kind enough to help me safely get into the garage afterwards, and then tell me he hoped to see me again. Now, I’m a pro at scooting around town and I even do it listening to music in one ear.
It’s only been three weeks, and I already feel like I’m creating a home for myself here. Right now, my life is exactly how I think it should be, and I’m eager to discover more of Vietnam and see what other kinds of crazy shenanigans and adventures I’ll get up to.
