Thu

"Thèm một nụ hôn lên trán. Hà Nội sắp vào thu rồi, buồn lắm biết không em?"
Sáng nay dậy thấy mưa, thấy mọi người mặc thêm áo, thấy lác đác lá rơi.... Mùa thu Hà Nội chỉ vàng rộm hoa cúc, không có những thảm lá vàng rải đầy con phố, nhưng có hương cốm dìu dịu, hương hoa sữa nồng nàn đến từng con ngõ. Không có chút hoài niệm gì về mùa thu Hà Nội, chỉ nhớ tiếng bạn bè ríu rít ngày tịu trường, nhớ trăng tròn vành vạnh ngày rằm tháng tám, nhớ chợ Trung Thu chen chúc những ánh đèn kéo quân.
Các nhạc sĩ thường ví mùa thu với yêu thương và nhớ nhung, với cái buồn não nề và người thiếu nữ tóc tơ trong tà áo dài mỏng. Có chàng thi sĩ làm thơ chờ đợi, và có người con gái da diết từng phím dương cầm. Nắng chắc đẹp lắm, vàng rực như trời chiều soi những giọt nước mắt vỡ òa sau một mùa hè ấp ủ. Uh nhỉ mùa thu của Hà Nội buồn thật.
Thèm một nụ hôn lên trán, cũng đã lâu rồi..

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Nhặt được bài viết này trong forum MyHanoi, thực chất là viết về cả Sài Gòn nhưng chỉ xin trích ra đây những đoạn về Hà Nội:


HN khác hẳn. Dường như cái đất bắc này khiêm tốn và e lệ hơn trong Nam . CÓ thể là vì nó đã già nua quá để trở nên hoạt bát và năng động và ồn ã như SG . CŨng có thể, xưa nay nó vốn thế. Chậm rãi, nhẹ nhàng, và sâu lắng ... Hn có những con phố xanh rợp bóng cây để học sinh mỗi chiều tan học lại rủ nhau đi nhặt lá , trèo cây , hoặc đơn giản hơn - ngồi dưới bóng cây để nghe nhau kể chuyện . HN có những ngôi đền , chùa bên hồ . Nơi mà nguời ta mỗi dịp lễ tết vẫn đến thắp hương thành kính mong cho gia đình ấm êm , mọi sự an bình . Nơi mà tâm hồn người ta được gột rửa để trở nên thanh thản và bình yên ...

Người Hn cũng ko phải là những người ưa cái nếp sống gấp gáp và bận rộn . Họ thích dừng lại bên đường đôi khi chỉ để hít thất sâu vào lồng ngực cái mùi hương nồng nàn ngọt dịu của hoa sữa . Người HN có thể dành thời gian lang thang dọc những con phố để ngắm lá rơi , để nghe heo may thổi , để thấy mình bình thản bước đi giữa dòng người xuôi ngược …

Người trong SG ko thik cái lạnh . Và có thể vì một lẽ nào đó , mùa Đông hiểu được điều này nên cũng chẳng bao giờ đặt chân lên SG . Nhưng năm nào mùa đông cũng đến HN . Mùa đông cũng có cái hay của nó . Tuy người ta ghét cay ghét đắng cái khoản mưa phùn nhưng ko thể phủ nhận rằng những buổi kéo nhau vào hàng quán xì xèo bánh bột lọc, ốc nóng hay xôi phở thì vui long trời nổ đất . Người ta ghét gió Bấc nhưng ko thể phủ nhận rằng người ta thik được dặn dò nhớ mặc ấm và quàng khăn cẩn thận kẻo gió lạnh . Người ta ghét cái bầu trời xám xịt nhưng chính vì thế mà mỗi lần nhìn thấy cái nắng hiếm hoi của mùa đông, người ta lại thấy yêu cái đất Hà thành đến lạ - có nắng, có mưa, có ấm, có lạnh , dở dở ương ương như chính cái tuổi của học trò . Mà cũng như người ta thường nói “ Khi yêu thì người ta yêu luôn cả cái xấu của người yêu “ . Và vì thế, chẳng hiểu từ bao giờ người ta lại thik cái mưa phùn , gió bấc, bầu trời xám xịt của mùa đông giá rét …

Nhưng mùa đông chưa phải là cái đặc trưng của HN . Vị trí độc tôn của nét đẹp HN thuộc về mùa thu … Thu đến với gió heo may, với lá vàng , với nắng nhạt và trời xanh . Nhưng ở HN , người ta có thể thấy một mùa thu thật đặc biệt được làm nên từ hoa sữa thơm ngọt và nồng nàn… HIếm có ở đâu mà mùa thu lại đến với những thức quà của đất trời theo một cách nhẹ nhàng như thế . Ngày xưa , LHR cầm cành hoa sữa của chị hái về mà hít lấy hít để , cũng chẳng thấy mùi hoa sữa có gì thơm cả . Nhưng rồi một hôm đi học về muộn , thấy quanh mình phảng phất một mùi hương quen thuộc nhưng lần này lại thấy nó ngọt ngào đến lạ . Vẫn là hoa sữa đấy thôi , nhưng cái mùi hoa sữa mà người ta cảm nhận giữa đất trời và cái mùi hoa sữa của một cành cây được ngắt đem vào nhà hình như có khác nhau nhiều lắm . Hoa của mùa thu thì phải nằm giữa cái không gian thu mới phô ra được hết cái vẻ đẹp riêng của nó . Dường như mới chỉ có hương thơm thôi thì chưa đủ để làm nên cái gọi là hoa sữa theo đúng nghĩa . Mùi hương ấy phải được thấm nhuần hơi hướng của đất trời , của gió heo may , của hơi thở mà mùa thu thổi vào trong nó thì nó mới thực sự là hoa sữa … Và mùi hoa sữa sẽ đáng yêu hơn khi giữa cái se lạnh của tiết trời , người ta vừa thưởng thức nó, vừa có người thương bên cạnh …

Exclusively for Autumn

I got a message from my best friend this afternoon, saying that autumn is coming, it's when all the sadness begins. Musicians and poets have always writen that Hanoi's autumn was a sad season, a peaceful kind of sad, like a slow ballad. One morning if you woke up in the pale golden breeze shining through the window, or one afternoon if you saw a little package wrapped in lotus leaf on the table, or one evening if you smelled the sweetness of milk flowers, that's when autumn comes.
Hanoians live a leisure life no matter how busy they could be. They would stop to the side of the road just to smell the intense sweetness of milk flower before it goes away with the wind. They love to take a walk just to watch the leaves falling, to feel the breeze, to enjoy the slow afternoon. Somewhere around the corner, a full basket of yellow chrysanthemum smiles under the pale sun.
Hanoi's autumn is very unique, or maybe every season stays in Hanoi in its own way that you can not find anywhere else. When the rain comes and stays for a whole day, when you find yourself searching for a warm hug, just remember that Autumn has come.

Wanna hug Hanoi so tightly...

And never let go.
I've been here over 3 months and I'm falling in love with Hanoi all over again. They were right, Hanoi is like a 17 year-old girl, shy, pretty, energetic, and always changing. I can stroll around on my bike or on foot all day long and never get bored. There are streets that I want to explode, there are small alleys that I want to know where they lead, there are stores that I want to see, food I want to try, coffee shops that I want to visit, moments that i want to capture. There are people I want to see, to hang out with, to go to breakfast very early in the morning with. I want to watch sunrise on Red river, I want to watch sunset on West lake, or simply just watch people pass by from the balcony of a coffee shop. Wanna go to flower market at 4am for once, and pick out the most beautiful flowers to bring home.
Sometimes, I had this sudden feeling about how beautiful hanoi was. It felt so great strolling around, and suddenly saw something that makes you stop and stare, and gasp "Oh pretty". It could be just a small house, a corner, a tree, or the new area with tall and fancy buildings. Me and my friend loved to go to the top floor of Horison hotel, and looked out the tiny window, and pointed "that's my house somewhere over there", "oh look now I know where this alley leads to". Doesn't matter if you're a busy office worker, a student, or an unemployed person like me, you will always fall in love with Hanoi in the same way. Hanoi and memories, wish I never had to leave.

It's too hot

The weather is just too hot, hot and humid, it's hard to breath.
We went Laser tag yesterday, it was fun but it was too hot in there. I got minus score by the way haha.
I had a plan to go to a free japanese class this morning, but then my friend said we couldn't go anymore because it was an intermediate level, kinda sad :( I want to take japanese so much.
gosh it's all boring stuff. We took a lot of pictures but not with my camera, so I have to wait to get them. Im spending way too much money im almost broke now. Almost $200 in a week including that $80 pair of shorts at Esprit that Im kinda regret now, but I love them, they're just too expensive.
Hmm im thinking, i really dont have that much friends at home either. In Knoxville, I dont have any friend, at home, I have about 5 or so. And the rest I dont even talk to them. Maybe i really have a problem. Everybody hates me.

A boring Saturday

It rained last night, so my mom's plan was cancelled. She wanted to take me around to say hi to relatives and stuff... oh boring. So it was raining and I didn't have to go. Of course I didn't have anything to do either, so I went to sleep at 9. Super. This morning I got up at 6:30, went down for breakfast and got bored, so i slept again till 9 or so. I stayed at home all day, because my friends had to stay at home too, so I did nothing today except washing dishes after lunch. Now im extremely bored, just want to eat the whole bottle of Vitamin gummies, because it's so soft and tasty. But the bottle said no more 2 gummies per day thou... sad. Whatever, im getting one more gummy.
Anyway, time for pictures.

Me posing on Hang's bike, pretending that I could drive it too. Well, I can, but I haven't driven in so long, kinda scared. My mom never even let me learn how to drive it, but I did behind her back anyway.


Me and Hang.


My breakfast one morning. That's plain yogurt and fruit, yummy. Yeah... it looks kinda gross

Im bored and sad

Yeah who say home is sweet. Im sitting at home doing nothing right now, and really upset.
Last night me and Hang wanted to go eat sushi, but her mom was being moody so we didnt go. Today at lunch, we wanted to go sushi, but my mom was being an ass so we didnt go. Why? Her reason was, that I didn't eat dinner at home last night, well more specifically, i didn't eat dinner with my grandparents last night, so I have to go home for lunch. I was speechless. We didn't go eat sushi last night and we were not allowed to go eat sushi today because we were not allowed to go eat sushi last night?
Me and my friend are talking right now, we came to a conclusion that being at home is like being in jail. We can't go anywhere, can't have fun without having to worry about going home for lunch and dinner and no going out at night. I guess im luckier than her cuz she can't even go anywhere during the day.
That's why i need to get a job, buy a membership at the gym, take classes so I have reasons to go out, even thou i prefer just going out and having fun, not classes, not bursting my ass at the gym... oh god! It's $110 a month at the gym, not cheap, but that's our get-away place every afternoon.
I guess the only one who's happy is my dog Cotton. Doesn't he look so happy? I can't wait to go back to Knoxville, it's boring there but at least I dont have to deal with my grandma and my mom.

Today was cool

The weather was so cool today. It was still hot, but cloudy and occasionally I felt the cool wind blowing. It was a pleasant day even thou my body is still sticky yicky. Yikes.
This morning I went out for breakfast again with Hang, Ducky and Ken, just like yesterday, and we have plan to go out for breakfast again tomorrow. Haha. There's no homemade breakfast here, unless you cook instant noodles. It's always fun to eat out and everybody eats out. Well.. I have to eat lunch and dinner at home thou, that kinda sucks. We almost went to sushi for dinner today but Hang's mom was being moody, so we had to postpone it and my mom didn't make dinner for me.
This morning Hang mentioned that we should take dancing classes, and by noon my mom called: "5pm at Unesco there is a dance class you guys should come". So we decided to give it a try and we had fun. We learnt Salsa and Tango today.
It's not that fun at home you know. Curfew and such. I hate curfew. I hate having to ask to go out and all that. I'm so looking forward to HoiAn resort, we're planning on going sometimes in June hopefully, away from home. All we do is go somewhere and eat. Eat and eat all the time. After breakfast would be coffee or dessert for breakfast, i would love to go eat more but Hang and Ducky have to stop me. We're planning on buying membership at Horison hotel to go to the gym, swimming pool, massage and sauna and tennis, because we can't eat all the time and not exercising like that. Dont know how much it would cost but who cares, daddy is paying anyway haha. We want to go on a "jumping the bus" tour around the country too... but im afraid my mom won't let me go because it's like backpacking. Gosh!

Oh by the way, I just bought a new phone. Motorola Z3. Yeah for some reason I always use Motorola, have never had anything else. Awesome huh? And im not nuts. My phone in the US is locked and Verizon's phone doesn't have a place to put sim card, so i can't use it anyway. So it's a perfect reason for a new phone huh?

Here comes summer, and I'm home

Guess what, my flight from Chicago was delayed again, and I had to stay over night in Japan again, just like last Christmas. No more American Airline, next time i'm flying Korean Air, they're never late, and their food is just so awesome. (Bibimbop, my fav korean food of all time).
So i'm home finally, one day later than schedule. As soon as I stepped out of the plane, the hot and humid air almost suffocated me. It is so hot, all the time, hot and humid, my body is sticky all day long even right after shower. Just too hot to handle.
I've been really tired, probably from the heat. I can't get rid of the headache, Advil could not help at all, and when I have headache I just dont want to do anything. Hope fully i will be better tomorrow.

Fresh Springroll doesn't seem to be a traditional dish, or maybe it's not so popular in Hanoi, that I often found Fresh Springroll in the menu of restaurants, even a fancy one, rather than in the market or on the pavement.
One said, Fresh Springroll is a everyday snack in Ho Chi Minh city that you can find it everywhere, in a small market, in a small street vendor.
It is wrapped by the rice wrapper, a little more chewy than the one we often use for regular springroll. Inside is shrimp (carefully placed so that you can see the red shrimp through the wrap), pork, vegetable. The thing that looks like spring onion is hẹ, sticking out of the roll.
The art of eating Fresh Springroll is in the dipping sauce. In restaurants in Hanoi, they use Tương bần (peanut sauce), with smashed peanut, and chilly is added but not mixed. I've never tried this dish in Ho chi Minh city, so I don't know what sauce they use. Maybe some chilly sauce with peanuts on top?
Fresh Springroll is also a famous appetizer in every Vietnamese restaurants in the US. And it is also one of my most favourite snack.
There is another version of Fresh Springroll that we often make at home. There is pork, fried egg, vegetable, shrimp and rice noodle inside, and wrapped by the rice wrapper, dip in fish sauce mixed with a little bit of garlic, vinegar and sugar. Maybe this is the Hanoian version of Fresh Springroll.

Snails..hmm yeah snails

This snail dish is one of the most favourite snack of all time, apply to everyone in Vietnam. It is just a normal, cheap dish but somehow I find it really sophisticated in the way they cook the snail and mix the sauce.
There are so many kind of snail, big ones, small ones, twisting ones... And you can find snail vendor everywhere. Fancy restaurants cook it the fancy way, wrap in ginger leaves, steam with herbs. But the strong smell of herbs can not defeat the smell the snail, a special tasteless kind of smell. However, most people enjoy eating Ốc luộc on the street, sitting on the pavement one summer evening, with friends, family, just simple like that, as simple as the dish itself.
The art is in the cleaning process. The snails need to be clean, soak in rice water (some people put chilly in the water), then cold water, then wash as if you're washing pebbles. Snails are cooked with lime leaves or graphfruit leaves with a right amount of water.
The sauce is also the art of Ốc luộc. Only a very few places can mix the sauce well. It should be the expensive fish sauce, add a little bit of Ajinomoto, white vinegar, water, sugar, a lot of ginger and little bit of lime leaves. Sometimes, according to taste, people add chilly paste, and squeeze a kum-quat in. The art of the dish is here, in the sauce.