Hanoi has has its ups and downs. I've lived here 6 months now. In that time I have loved it, hated it, wanted to kill it, wanted to hug it, researched moving away and ultimately fallen in love with it.
Living abroad is never easy. You leave family and friends behind and start again. Routines are different, especially flow of life routines such as getting to and from work. (On a side note getting to and from work here is a nightmare!)
Ultimately though you soon learn that it isn't my place to change anything, rather it my place to change myself. There are things I can impact and effect that will make a positive difference and there are many many things outside my influence. I'm never going to change the driving habits here, even with my vigilante justice style. I won't be able to change the pollution, single handedly. But what I can do is adopt to the Vietnamese culture and make sure that I try to make some positive changes such as recycling, or explaining to the children why it is rude to not queue.
Ultimately it is a privilege to live in Vietnam, especially when this is my view everyday as I am lucky enough to live on the lake. There are not many people in our world who have the chance to enjoy this each and everyday.
nice post - yes southeast asia can be challenging, and i think many expat around these countries would identify well with this post. yet for many, including myself there isn't much desire left after a certain time to return to the homeland :)
Totally agreed. SE Asia is home now for many many reasons!