Monday, April 09, 2007
Ha Noi in Spring, a Must Feel
When I first arrived in Ha Noi three weeks ago, the coolness was a welcome relief from the steam ovens of Sai Gon and Thailand. However, as time has passed, I've noticed myself and everyone around me coughing and sneezing. It is chilly and damp all the time.
This is bad enough in Wisconsin, but the problem is that there is no central heating in homes in Viet Nam. Unless one is fabulously wealthy, it is just not affordable.
I didn't think this would be a problem until I started living here. What's 60 degrees, anyway? But since there is no heating and a lot of rain, everything is always damp and has a musty smell. My sheets are damp when I go to bed at night, and damp in the morning. My clothes are damp unless they have been freshly laundered. My room has the feeling of a basement because it's so damp. I'd like to burn some incense, but I'm afraid of burning the place down.
Ha Noi is located in a river delta, so perhaps this isn't surprising. It is nestled between mountains, which tends to trap the damp air during spring. So the same reasons that made it a very attractive place to settle down has also made it a soggy city.
You might think the Vietnamese are tougher, but they are hacking all the time, too.
So, welcome to Spring Achooooooooo!
This is bad enough in Wisconsin, but the problem is that there is no central heating in homes in Viet Nam. Unless one is fabulously wealthy, it is just not affordable.
I didn't think this would be a problem until I started living here. What's 60 degrees, anyway? But since there is no heating and a lot of rain, everything is always damp and has a musty smell. My sheets are damp when I go to bed at night, and damp in the morning. My clothes are damp unless they have been freshly laundered. My room has the feeling of a basement because it's so damp. I'd like to burn some incense, but I'm afraid of burning the place down.
Ha Noi is located in a river delta, so perhaps this isn't surprising. It is nestled between mountains, which tends to trap the damp air during spring. So the same reasons that made it a very attractive place to settle down has also made it a soggy city.
You might think the Vietnamese are tougher, but they are hacking all the time, too.
So, welcome to Spring Achooooooooo!
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