Playdate with Mom n Dad! — Hanoi, Vietnam

Old Quarter, Hanoi

After an early check in at my hotel, I step out to explore Hanoi Old Quarter! Momentarily I’m befuddled —  the

Texting?!!! Even in crazy traffic! :-O

street is crawling with frenetic two wheelers, as though their two wheeler ant hill got busted  somewhere. They come from every side, no one is stoping, barely skirting around each other! Yet it’s apparently normal, traffic-as-usual — there’s no angry cussing, no big horns blaring! The key is to keep walking, they said, so I cross my fingers tighter around this key and venture forth…!

The streets are narrow, lined with colorful shops! There are homes set above, some slightly askew with age, their

Cooks, serves and sells from her makeshift shop on the pavement

rooftops outlining their history and lineage. Hats, scarves, trinkets flutter from every corner, redeeming the lack of an upmarket feel. Somewhere a rooster calls out confused, while the corner lady, unmoved, flips pancakes on a makeshift stove. People are in various stages of browse, bargain, buy…endlessly. I whoop inwardly, seeing the first iconic peddler with the conical straw hat, her wares balanced on the two ends of a bamboo pole! Everything else also hangs miraculously in perfect balance, the sounds and scents of an old town steeped in tradition, embracing the new and modern, along with its thriving tourism!

At the edge of Old Quarter, I reach the Hoan Kiem lake and the Ngoc Son pagoda. I

The Huc bridge leading to the Ngoc Son temple (temple of the Jade Mountain) on Hoam Kiem Lake.

recall the legend of the giant turtle in the lake that reclaimed the sword from the King, the one he’d used to defend Hanoi! And I wander the expanse of the large square

The much photographed peddler of Vietnam, with her wares balanced of two ends of a bamboo pole

lining the lake. From the inviting cafes, I munch on the fresh flavors so typical of Vietnam. As I cool off  in the shade at the park I gaze out at the sparkling waters and reflect… yes,… small old town, quaint feel, beautiful lake, interesting legend layered temple… all very good! But where’s the wow factor? I worry I’m turning into a jaded tourist, losing that sense of wonder! Am I just over saturated? Heading to the Water Puppet theater, my feelings are in a tangle, like the cables on the electric poles at every street corner.

And then… Then I return to that huge square by night! And in an instant, just as I turn into it, my impressions, my “tangled feelings” on Hanoi’s Old Quarter are transformed… transformed forever!! I’d known the streets by evening would be pedestrian for the weekend. What I hadn’t expected

Crowds gather on the pedestrian zone square lining the lake to play games

was finding the whole square, now filled with people, of all sizes, shapes and colors, playing! That’s right—not just strolling or standing agape (me!), but playing, laughing, engaged in games! My adult eyes widen in surprise, but the child in me is jumping, pig tails bouncing, clapping in delight.

I don’t even know where to start — should I rush to the Tug of War, or check out Stilt Walking, or wait, what’s that there — jumping through two simultaneously looping skip ropes?! There’s so much going on, my  brain, eyes and feet are  playing catch up

with each other…! It is like a huge party, a mass play date! Like all the parents/ grand parents said to the kids, let’s go play together at that space downtown, we’ll show you our favorite childhood games. The most upbeat, adorable family block play-party I was ever party to! Young folks playing, families playing — squatting on the street and playing — games age old! Brave ankles dodging sticks in the Bamboo Jump… teenagers tackling some variation of  ‘pick the sticks’… families at  Mandarin Square capture, the “board” simply chalked on the street… And everybody joins — amateurs

Mandarin Square capture, a traditional board game of Vietnam

and pros, locals and tourists alike! All simple old time games, needing no infrastructure! I see some teaching others, some learning, floundering… no competitiveness, just people  enjoying themselves unselfconscious, laughing when they don’t get it, the little kids rolling over in chuckles, seeing this side of their mom or dad!

Later I learn this is a part of the MyHanoi project — introducing Vietnamese traditional games into the Old Quarter pedestrian zone on weekends — seeking to bring families together in easy, stress-free activities, and to revive their traditions. Going by the enthusiastic response from all age groups, it looks like the project is a rocking success!

The party continues several blocks up-street, all closed to traffic. Street musicians strike up a merry tune, the crowd settles on plastic stools to listen and tap along… Hungry? No problem! Awesome Vietnamese food is everywhere, in mind-boggling variety! I find the delicious Boon Cha soup, brought home to viewers, by celebrity travel chef

Delicious Boon Cha soup

Anthony Bourdain, pairing up with none other than President Obama! It’s a flavorful heaven of rice vermicelli, herbs and grilled pork in a clear sour-sweet broth.

I slurp away, watching the lively soul of Hanoi, and a whole population caught up in the joys of reliving their childhood. Finally sated, I give myself up to thought — why on earth do we complicate our lives?! So much fun to be had just playing, spending quality time with friends and family, losing the cares of day in oodles of soup! Now I’m a fan for life, Hanoi, wonderstruck like a child! And when my thoughts go skipping back to Hanoi, I’ll be remembering this slice of childhood we shared together! High five, bff!

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20 Responses

  2. I love how you deviate from the “touristy” things and find the local flavor always. The “mass play-date” is such an interesting idea. Wish we could have something like that in my town too.

    1. Thank you BM, so glad you enjoyed that! Indeed the local flavor is what makes a place special for me, though nowadays with everyone competing to providing standardized efficient convenient experiences, the real local experiences need further efforts. Yes, the thought of replicating MyHanoi project struck me as well! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

  3. So beautifully written! I almost felt like I was there. And it’s a wonderful idea to revive the old games and show the kids how much joy they can give. No need for fancy gadgets. I remember we used to play ‘sagargote’ and another game called ‘phara mara’ with the board drawn with chalk and shells for tokens. Thanks for taking me on a trip to my childhood ?

    1. Thank you Vaiju, it’s indeed a wonderful idea to bring a place alive by reviving old games for a new generation! Perhaps if those old childhood games are also lost where you’re from, this may fuel an idea for a similar revival… Just a thought. MyHanoi is a big project but it can also work on a smaller scale… Perhaps in a school or a residential block or something… Just throwing out ideas… Thank you for your visit with me, and also giving me ideas!

  4. Your blog post brought out the child in me … what fun it must be to laugh with abandon, play with simple stuff and enjoy the companionship of folks young and old. It was nice.

    1. Thank you Diya! That’s so true, laugh and play with abandon is so precious. And we’re increasingly losing the art of having an equally wonderful time with the simple! I loved this aspect the most! And of course the gathering of all ages. Thank you for joining the games and giving me your thoughts!

    1. Thank you Anjana, Yes do book your tickets, Vietnam has several surprises. Hope we can compare notes sometime! Thank you for the exchange! ?

  6. Please continue blogging,You just brought Hanoi to our homes ? Block play date … What a fantastic idea..To watch kids put away their electronic​ devices and come enjoy is so rare to be seen these days..

    1. Thank you Neena! So glad you felt that I brought home a glimpse of Hanoi. Yes so very true, if anything succeeds in even momentarily separating us from our phones nowadays, it can rest on such a dubious laurel alone!! Thank you for sharing your thought!

  7. Thank you for your interest! An exchange would always be good, but could you please give me a chance to also browse your site first? I’ll send you an email via pvt message. Thanks!

  8. Wonderful write up! You made a simple thing so interesting to read. You have a flair for words.?

    1. Thank you so much Ruchira! I’m so glad you stopped by and enjoyed it! Indeed the simple pleasures of life are precious and getting rarer to come across! I’m happy if I was able to convey the joy I felt at stumbling upon it.

  9. I love the playing square part, what a great idea! Sounds like a very friendly place on earth. How are the people there? They look hard working,generally happy and nice, am I right? You make me wanting to visit Vietnam, so I am jealous.

    1. Thank you Leszek! Indeed the playing square was an amazing place! Yes the people seemed to be regular, working class folk who just want an enjoyable evening with their loved ones. The people are friendly and open, but what surprised me even more was that little children seemed friendly, unafraid to smile and happily engage with strangers. Their parents are close by, but still their innocence was disarming and a good surprise in today’s world!

  10. The next best thing to being there, is your bringing it to us. Vivid,authentic, heart-warming.

    1. Thank you Devika! Your lovely comment is so very heart warming! So glad we’re on this journey together: if traveling together for real is an impossible dream, I’m glad we’re at least having virtual exchanges… Thank you!

  11. I love your photographs and videos and the theme of “play” that you found. What a nice way to think about travel!

    1. Thank you Charlee! So glad you enjoyed this! If I’ve been able to convey even a bit of the surprise and joy, I’ll be happy! It was indeed very endearing! Thank you for visiting and your comment!

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