By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
Hanoi is a balanced city. While it exhibits the robust trappings of a progressive city, it cannot be stereotyped as an asphalt jungle. While generally North Vietnamese are conferred a derogatory appellation, “Viet Cong,” specially during my university days in the 60s, they are a more disciplined people, since they have a high respect for their environment translated into a strict government policy of maintaining the country’s ecosystem, compared to the people of the so-called free world who are only vociferous of a lip service to the protection of the environment. Thus, in Hanoi’s hive of activity typical of a city life, you see big trees lining up the streets that neutralize the heat of the scorching sun and the humidity that the Philippines exactly experiences this time of the year. As you walk through the sidewalks, these trees exude cooling effects to the eye as the trees serve as umbrella against the sun.
Actually from the Noi Bai Airport of Vietnam where we touched down, what caught my eyes on our way to the hotel was the ubiquitous presence of trees along the roads. Likewise, in our trips to the countryside to visit the tourist spots, the long and winding roads are curiously hedged by trees that make you think they are a deliberate resolve of the Vietnamese government.
That big lake at the very center of Hanoi is also surrounded by big trees and serve as aircoolers to the land areas along side the lake. Despite the blistering sun, we were able to walk through the long length of the lake with the full comfort accorded to us by the thick shades of trees. Capping off our comfort was taking a coffee break in a kiosk near the lake whose coffee tables were covered and cooled by a big overhanging tree. Here, l enjoyed my prize moments with the Vietnamese famously outstanding and unique coffee taste and aroma. I felt a deep sense of peace while l watched the big, placid lake right before me that unleashed my enchanting reveries while sipping a flavorful coffee. Moments like these are my health and my wealth that l will never trade for any worldly fame or fortune. Moments like these sustain a long life, specially if associated with righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)
Yet beside this quiet lake was a spectacle of contrast. About 40 to 50 meters away from this lake is a main road that reflects the hustle bustle of city life, with all the noises coming from vehicles and people, specially from the legion of Vietnam motorbikes of varied types and models. These noises though are far removed from the lake that they are unable to
punch a hole in a rather well-entrenched barrier of the bucolic and hushed atmosphere of the lake.
Based on what we saw, l cannot help but conclude that Hanoi, while a very progressive city, has embosomed a medley of paradoxes. Side by side with its typical hurly-burly city life is a countryside auras like its well grown and maintained trees and rural lake. Despite its zooming economy and business and fast and furious march to modernity, its chief means of transportation remains the old-time, old-fashioned motor bikes. Motor bikes are swarming all over the streets of Hanoi like flies, in the main, side or business roads, driven by all ages of the poor and rich alike, teenagers, adults and old people, men and women, gays and tomboys (and their kindred permutations). They are the king of the road of North Vietnam. There are very few private vehicles and appeared being constantly edged off to the streets sides by the sheer daunting countless number of speeding motorbikes.
I was told only the very rich people in (North)Vietnam can afford to buy cars because about 200% to 300% car tax imposed go into the final cost of cars, making them utterly prohibitive to acquire. Hence, you can count with your fingers private cars roaming the streets. To get a fuller feel of Hanoi’s road profile, visualize our own EDSA in a bumper to bumper cars traffic and substitute in their place the motorbikes as the ones crowding EDSA and breed such a tight traffic. There in Hanoi the motorbikes are legion. And they are more “camote driver” than their counterparts in the Philippines. When you happen to get to the side of the street they zoom past near you or buzz you off to seem to scare you to give way or get to the sidewalks. They never gave anyone the chance to beat them to their path. It seemed to all that such was the normal road life in that place. The “camote” bent of the bike riders was no such big deal to road users. Nobody l saw flare up in a quick road rage that is proverbial to a Filipino driver or pedestrian. I am one with an unbeatable bad temper that sizzles hot and quick at the slightest provocation. Nonetheless, l possess the redeeming value that my heart is wide open to wisdom, spiritual or otherwise, that serves to douse cold water to my legendary mercurial temper in the exact moments of instigation. I was zoomed past and buzzed off repeatedly. But l was sensitive to the wisdom that, “When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.” And so l just did that. I refused to get pissed off, and got the benefits of that wisdom— peace and safety!
