the maze and the beauty of Ha Noi
- nourluna
- Jan 3
- 3 min read
At sunrise I get off the plane. The night has been sleepless: my heartbeat is racing and my eyes dry. A sensation of restlessness, perhaps the one that lies within the unknown exploration beyond an anonymous airport exit. I grab a taxi after a confusing search, which it will take me to the Ha Noi Old Quarter. In the town of scooters, the first ones begin to appear as soon as we enteri the highway, driving fast and focused.
In this early morning hours the atmosphere is serene, as if there would be no rush here. I'm taken aback: surprised and captivated by these first impressions, a feeling that is rooted only in new experiences. As soon as I arrive in the old town and I drive through it, a myriad of brightly colored shops and restaurants weave their way through this endless maze of streets. From the car window I catch a glimpse of the holidays decoration corner first, then the flower, the textile, the paper, the spa and nightlife corner pop up as well...
Between one fast scooter and the other, a lady occasionally passes by, balancing with ancient skill her baskets filled with fruits and vegetables of any kind, sometimes also with the softness of flowers. She wears a cone-shaped hat (the nòn là, typical Southeast Asian headdress), a red and blue discolored tartan shirt, maybe from the many washes or walks under a burning sun. She walks slowly, keeping her balance.
I pause to observe this beauty that resides in a slow but confident walk of a street vendor, who has the ability to face this labyrinth by herself every single day. It is not difficult to perceive the strength behind this woman: I wonder: where does she live? How are would she go? Does she has someone somewhere on the outskirts of the city to provide for?
She approaches the passersby with maternal gentleness, effortlessly, since what she is carrying is already heavy enough...
Then just a few blocks away, there is an another beauty, sparkling with glitter and glam. Here, the appearance and the pursuit of acknowledgement let gather a crew on the city lake promenade for an imperfection-free shoot in a ball gown. While someone else is sitting in a modern café pretending to read a book grabbed quickly from the shelves behind the little coffee table, before heading to collect her take away cup. Another girl dressed in whites and laces is tightly holding a bunch of dried flowers; it seems she is celebrating.
Observing a society steeped in an unavoidable duality, I ponder how the perceived reality and virtual life may be harmonized. As the search for validation overrides fragile human interactions, we remain mesmerized by superficial colours of rushed views instead of a slow diving into the facettes of the ambiente around us.
However, beyond this apparent superficiality, I am immensely impressed by the humility and genuine existence of this city and its vibrant atmosphere, by the children smiling and running fast on their neon bikes, by the coffee shops hidden in the back of a building and three flights of stairs, by secret porcelain shops and art galleries unveiled inside an antique villa.
As I am transported into this city, my emotions become deeply connected to these surroundings. A flashback from my imaginary makes me realize once again how only through exploration we can embrace the life unfolding in front of us breaking the thoughts we might have reckoned up in our most known surroundings.
Everywhere I go, I am enveloped by color and inspiration.
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