The Beat from Au Co: Tet Eve Fireworks, Tet Day Peace & Quiet(ish)

Happy year of the Cat everyone! Two nights ago, I went with a friend who’s visiting to a market where tons of vendors were selling ornaments that people can hang on their quat trees. My friend, who’s studying in Beijing right now, was confused about why there were pictures of cats on all of the ornaments and the lucky money envelopes. Turns out, in China it’s the year of the rabbit. We each bought an ornament that says “Chuc mung nam moi” on it. Here are some pictures of the market:

Then last night, a number of places around the city were showing fireworks. My friend and I went to Hoan Kiem lake to check them out, and saw a ton of other people (both Vietnamese and foreigners) flocking to the lake to catch the show. It was like the fourth of July back in the states. Afterwards, we walked around downtown and saw a number of shops with alters set up in front and a fire burning. Below are some pictures of our day.

For lunch, we had my van tan, a delicious dish that includes pork, beef, egg, lettuce, and thin chinese noodles. Definitely my new favorite, I've had it literally 4 days in a row!!

^Natalie and I at the top of a bar overlooking West Lake (the second-most popular lake after

Hoan Kiem).

For dinner, we had a delicious beef and vegetable dish that we got to cook ourselves on this pot.

TONS of people came to the lake to check out the fireworks.

Today, the city really does seem to have shut down, though it’s not as empty as some Hanoians told me it would be. All the stores are closed for the most part, but families are dressing themselves and their children up to go out (perhaps to church? Perhaps to a fancy meal? I’m not sure). All of the motorbike drivers I see every day aren’t at their usual post, and none of the pho shops are open. But everyone is in very good spirits and says happy new year to me when I walk by. Below are some pictures around my house -- usually all of the streets are full of people.