(VOVworld) – 21-year-old Phan Huy Bach has returned to Hanoi, his birthplace, after 8 years studying abroad. He was accompanied by Marina Berezovikova, his Belarusian girlfriend who is studying economics. Marina was very excited because it was her first visit to Vietnam. The couple spent a day searching out Bach’s childhood memories. Reporter Phuong Lien accompanied them on their trip.
Wearing a red shirt with the yellow star in the middle, Bach took his girlfriend to Hoan Kiem lake in downtown Hanoi by bus. He said he associated the bus with his school days: “There were only a few buses and the waiting time was long, especially in winter. I had to get up early to catch the bus when I was in high school. Buses today are more modern and the quality of service is much better. When I first returned to Vietnam, I was lost and a kind ticket inspector showed me the way.”
The noises of every kind of transport, the cry of street vendors, and the laughter of older people walking by Hoan Kiem lake, brought Bach’s childhood memories back to the surface: “When I was small, I thought that Hanoi was much larger with less houses, vehicles and dust. The city has changed rapidly. High-rise buildings have been mushrooming. I feel a bit strange because Hanoi as I knew it was much quieter.”
Bach took his girlfriend around and showed her the colorful streets of Hanoi. “This is Hang Ma street. It used to be very small and not very crowded like this. This is where people produce the paper horses, cars and clothes that we have seen burned in the street. They are selling paper decorative items for Tet. The yellow and red colors symbolize luck and prosperity.”
The couple then headed to Hang Duong street, a place well known for making sweetened dried fruits.
While tasting some flavored dried dracontomelon fruits, Marina said: “In my country, a street has only 2 or 3 major shops. But in Hanoi there are shops everywhere. People show me this and that and even want to take photos with me. They are very friendly and always smile with me although I don’t speak Vietnamese. We’ve bought some sweetened dried fruits to put on the altar. Bach said that his deceased grandmother would like it very much.”
Bach introduced Marina to the old streets he remembered. The couple were walking slowly contemplating the old houses and shops along their way until they reached Ly Quoc Su street. Bach said: “When I was little, my parents often took me to this place to have Pho or noodles. I will introduce Marina to the best of Vietnam’s cuisine this time. She has never tasted Pho before. I’ve become used to western food so having traditional Vietnamese dishes now feels a bit strange.”
Marina said she liked Pho very much: “Vietnamese dishes are strange and delicious. Vietnamese people eat more rice than us. I know that Pho is also made from rice. I will try to travel a lot, take as many photos as possible and taste as many Vietnamese dishes as I can to learn more about Vietnam and its people.”
Marina was mesmerized by the beauty of the old houses and the small souvenirs on sale in the old quarter. She said she really wants to learn more about Vietnam: “This is the first time that I’ve traveled far from home and Vietnam is my first stop. I’m very excited. Each city has its own unique cultural characteristics and Hanoi is an interesting city. I’m impressed with the traffic. There are all means of transport here.”
Indulging themselves in the beauty of Hanoi’s old quarter, Bach and Marina did not realize that it was already late. The couple regretfully got back on the bus that contains so much of Bach’s childhood, present and future./.