A Moment in Hanoi

Before Adam blogs our Australia Day experiences I just wanted to share with everyone a random moment that I had this morning. I had to grab some more money from an ATM to pay for a tour this morning, so I pile out of the guesthouse, down the little alley we're in and into another alley that is packed with people sitting on steps selling meats and greens.

I walk past the fresh meat stalls and contemplate why we didn't buy some yesterday and have a fry up. I haggle with a store lady for some deoderant and grab some pineapple slices off a lady walking past with those bamboo scale things that the Vietnamese balance on their shoulders. I yell out "Xin Chao" to some kids that are staring at me and they burst into grins, right before I dodge a speeding motorbike weaving his way through. I got about 30 metres and two pineapple peices into the alley before it hit me:

Holy shit I'm in Vietnam/South East Asia. And none of this feels new or odd.

I literally came to a stop and look around at everything again. It's an strange feeling when you realise that it's only been 2 months and I'm so used to something that is so completely different from home. I think I feel some reverse culture shock coming on for when I get home.

Drew