Vietnam is not a fast paced country. Instead of a McDonald’s on every corner, it is a coffee shop in which people spend hours sipping on sinhto xoai and caphe sua da. In my host family, dinner is prepared about two hours before consumption while eating takes another hour itself. Even major celebrations are enjoyed slowly, over long stretches of time. For instance, the lunar new year (Tet) is celebrated for a whole week and everything is shut down. On that same note Vietnamese weddings typically last two days for hours and hours of eating and celebrating.
This change of speed is very different from my life back home in the states. I am used to a “fast-paced” lifestyle where I have one thing going on right after another. As soon as one event in my daily routine ends, another one quickly begins. Nothing is prolonged and this is due in part to the “maximizing-efficiency” mindset of living in a capitalist country. Everyone wants things done as quickly as possible because time is money. Every second that I am doing something could be spent somewhere else, which leads me to get things done as soon as possible. I could never imagine spending an hour eating a leisurely lunch during the hectic school week. Most people find this break in speed relaxing, but for me, it has created a sense of impatience.
Essentially this impatience has made my life feel like it is stuck in a vat of caramel. This had made me feel like I have been in Ha Noi for an eternity. At this point it would seem Ha Noi has become the epitome of boredom and that really there is nothing to have gained from this other than a “break” from the typical American lifestyle.
However in this slower pace, I am able to pay attention to the small things more. I know this place well enough to tell the scamming cab drivers where to go. This pausing and stopping has really made me realize that things take time. It’s almost like the hot pot our director is notorious for always ordering when we eat out. Not only do you have to wait for the soup to boil, but you have to wait for the meat and the greens and the roots to cook as well. It has shown me how patience is a virtue. Being able to accept that you have to wait for things is now something I find admirable, because in Vietnam waiting is all you can do.
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