Hanoi's architecture is the blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and French. The city is known to the locals as three main areas: The Ancient Citadel Area (11th century) which was home to the Royal Family; The Old Quarter (Ancient Business Area) dated back from the 11th century was the business quarter of Old Hanoi; The Frech Quarter with French architure dated back from the 19th century were home to the French residents of Hanoi during their time here.

My family moved into Hanoi when I was 10 years old. The city was too overwhelmed for a boy who had been brought up amid wild and green mountains in the far-northern area of Vietnam. I had been more used to wild buffaloes plowing the green terraces than weaving chaotic traffic always full of mopeds and noise. Our new house was just by the airy and breezy West Lake which offered me a few free dips every summer morning. Every day, after school, I went to Bach Thao Park to seek new adventures with a few newly-made friends. My carefree childhood in Hanoi was full of fun and adventures.

Autumn in Ha Noi is like no others. It was here that autumn changed my life! I found myself waking up one morning caressed by the soothing breeze of fall with the news that I got admission to university! I ran for my bike and flew like a crazy boy down Thanh Nien Road to meet with other buddies for the coffee of celebration. That morning never fades out in my memory...

Seasons after seasons, I grew up with Ha Noi. The city seems to share the same rhythms with my heart and soul: be in when gathering with friends in the city parks; be it when mulling over my favorite hot coffee amid the old Town; be it the late nights I tumble my way back home from the heavy Bia Hoi Stuff (drought beer)....

I'm about for an new adventure of life when my new project calls for my presence half of the country away from Ha Noi. Amazingly Ha Noi is heading into fall earlier than usual. I just wanted to take in as much as I could before leaving...Morning started with a walk in the chaotic Old Quarter watching traffic weaving through the smoke of my dear hot coffee as always. I suddenly didn't want to do anything, just liked to keep it this way forever. The sudden rain just set in and stopped, just like to bid farewell.

Leaving Ha Noi this time I'm sure I'll be away for a while. I'm off back to the mountains researching the new Vietnam adventure travel experiences. I'll help to bring all Vietnam travel experiences be it savoring the fine cuisine, be it getting lost in the culture; be it a hardcode biking adventure.... a complete one!

Family Life and Population Changes

• Vietnam's move to a free-market orientated economy has affected both the structure and function of modern Vietnamese families
• Vietnamese society see the family as a tool used to combat social evils such as drugs, prostitution, gambling, commercialism, that have developed as a result of the transition to a market economy
• After WWII, the majority of North and South Vietnamese people adhered to traditional customs and practices. After the 1950s, some traditions were questioned, especially by the North.
• The concept of the family as a self-contained socioeconomic unit was refuted by the communists and in response to this, a major family reform was initiated under a new law that was put into effect in 1960
• The law looked at the following aspects relating to family life:
  • Prohibiting forced marriages, Cohabitation without legal marriage and abuse
  • Equalise the rights and obligations of women and men within the family
  • Equal status between the sexes in all areas of life
  • Discouraging dowries and lavish weddings and labelling them as wasteful
  • Discouraging people to have large families
  • Advising young people not to marry before the age of 20 for men and 18 for women and to have no more than 2 children per household
• Attempts to implement the reform were made  was made difficult because women did not have a strong sense of feminism and men resisted it. Campaigns were used to raise awareness on the issue. By the 1980s some old habits still remained and change was slow but sure.
• Women played an increasing role in family life after the Vietnam. Some women had to run the household and work. This trend has continued to be the case in 2003, with an increasing number of women in the workplace, yet still performing domestic duties.

A survey conducted in 2000 highlighted the changes that have occurred in the family structure in Vietnam:

• 3045 participated in the survey, of those people 2014 (66%) were married and 1031 (34%) were unmarried
• Of the married people, 1107 (55%) were married before the economic renovation and 907 (45%) were married after
• Of the married people, 47% were farmers, of the unmarried people, 34% were farmers
• The survey has showed a decrease in arranged marriages, or marriages where parents have a say in a person's partner
• There are changing attitudes towards divorce too. 68% of the people interviewed believed that the tendency for separation or divorce was normal.
• Roles of women in the family have also changed according to the survey, almost half of the people surveyed agreed that maintaining the family should be a job shared between both partners. This opinion has been on the rise in recent years.

Family within Vietnamese civilisation:

There are two main periods of "civilisation" in Vietnamese history
• Agricultural
• Industrial & Post industrial

Agricultural

During this period the family has a number of characteristics

• Marriages imposed by parents
• Individuals interest must submit to those
of the family
• The son is highlighted
• Attention is paid to the cult of ancestors
• Children must work prematurely
• Family must provide education care for sick and old
• Family is often large
• Infant mortality rates are high and life expectancy is low

Industrial - post industrial:

• Development of urbanisation
• Women participate in production
• Marriages increasing result in partners choice
• More attention is paid to the individual's happiness and interests
• Society takes a more active role in family affairs
• Nuclear family becomes more popular
• Divorce increases
• Increase in alternative families and dislocated families
• Development of intellectual labor

• Vietnamese people distinguish between the immediate family and the extended family . The Vietnamese immediate family includes not only the husband, wife, and their unmarried children, but also the husband's parents and the sons' wives and children, The extended family consists of the immediate family and close relatives who share the same family name and ancestors and who live in the same community.
• The father is the head of the family, the Vietnamese father shares with his wife and children collective and bilateral responsibility, legally, morally, and spiritually. In the eyes of the children, the Vietnamese mother has the same status as the father.
• At an early age, children are taught by their parents to behave according to the principle of filial piety. (Filial piety consists of loving, respecting, and obeying one's parents.).

Population

Growing population rates in Vietnam are linked to changing perspectives on the Vietnamese family structure.

The main reasons for rapid population growth are:

• Average age for marriage is 24 in men and 18 in women, with women having children around 20, which means that women have an extended time to have children. (Compare this to the average age of around 30 in Australia for women to have children)
• A decrease in the mortality rate and an increase in health conditions
• The lack of a national policy which pays specific attention to population reduction
• the mass movement of family planning has not been widespread. This is due to the fact that information, education and communication in regards to family planning have not been able to psychological barriers and old customs.

Because of this rapid growth in the Vietnamese population, the development of the Vietnamese cultural, intellectual and physical psyche has not been the same compared to developing western countries.

• Vietnam is the third most densely populated country in South East Asia
• Population currently stands at 80 million. There has been a growth rate of 2% each year, with a projected population of 100 million by 2024.
• 1960 - 30.2 million (increase of about 36%) 1970 - 41.1 million  (increase of about 28%)1979/80 - 52.7 million  (increase of about 26%) 1990 - 66.6 million  (increase of about 20%) 2000 - 79.9 million  (increase of about 25%) 2024 - 100 million
• Such rapid population increases may cause a repeat of the 1981-86 food shortage where Vietnam had to produce an additional 400,000 tons of food each year to keep up to pace with the increasing population
• In 2000, Vietnam's population comprised of 60% of people who were under 25. This means that more than half the population has little recollection of the war?  Something to think about.
• According to world facts dot com, as of July 2003:
  • Vietnam's population is 81.6 million, a 1.6 million increase in 3 years. (That's half the population of Sydney!)
  • Population growth rate is 1.29%, a decrease in the 2000 rate.
  • Life expectancy has risen to 70
  • There is a negative migration rate of -0.46 per 1000 people, this due to past Wars and instability in government.
• Vietnam total land mass of329,560 sq km and Australia has a total land mass of 7,686,850 sq km. Vietnam is 23 times smaller than Australia but it has 4 times the population!

Health

• According to international health news, Vietnam's health care initiative since 1975 to treat, prevent and monitor the health of its population of almost 80 million people, despite its relative poverty, is worthy of praise
• The Vietnamese government has began to focus on the health system since 1975, and their aim is to improve it. National policies and campaigns are being used to help raise awareness of possible problems in the health system and to encourage people to use resources that are available.
• 1945 - Vietnam had 47 hospitals, total of 3000 beds, one physician for every 180000 people. Av life expectancy was 34.
• 1979 - Vietnam had 713 hospitals with 205,700 beds, more than 10,000 maternity clinics and rural health stations. Number of physicians increased to 1 per 1000 people. Av life expectancy was 63.
• Vietnam has an extensive, but poorly funded, govt health system
• The govt has provided a limited number of well-funded central government hospitals, but these are mainly located in urban areas. These facilities provide the best type of health care, but due to their location, not all people can use them, and because of their high fees, only upper-income groups can afford to use them.
• The government also provides district hospitals, polyclinics (medical clinics staffed by several physicians) and at the lower end of the spectrum, communal health centres which are staffed by one doctor or assistant doctor and one or two nurses or midwives
• Most govt health facilities charge fees for their services. Certain groups are exempted from having to pay fees, at least in principle, including: children under six years of age, the police and military, disabled war veterans, residents of some settlements schemes, and minority residents of mountainous areas.
• In Vietnam there is a private health care system which did not exist under communist rule. An important fact for you to know is that Vietnam is now known as The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Socialism and communism are both left wing ideologies but they differ slightly. Communism consist of a centrally planned economy where everything is run and owned by the government. Socialism acknowledges and respects individual rights, it accepts parliamentary democracy and the use of persuasion rather than force, all of which are not implemented under communism.
• Levels of adequate health care have been lacking since the introduction of the Doi Moi in the late 80s. Although, this renovation was aimed at helping to improve the Vietnamese health system.
• The practice of traditional methods of medicine has remained in use over the years, only declining slightly since 1987. Western drugs are expensive and difficult to come across and can only be afforded by people with higher incomes. People of middle to lower class still heavily rely on traditional eastern medicinal treatments.
• Most Vietnamese people do not have health insurance
• The most common diseases in Vietnam were malaria, TB, trachoma, venereal diseases, whooping cough, polio and the measles. Incidence of catching these diseases in 2003 has decreased radically, with fewer cases being reported every year.
• Western countries face the problem of obesity where as Vietnam faces the problem of people being underweight. 1987 to 1989, it was discovered that Vietnam had a higher proportion of underweight and stunted children.

Social Welfare:

• Vietnamese people do not have a welfare system like the one in Australia. The Vietnamese government have a responsibility to look after urban unemployment, vocational training, homelessness, the care of orphans, war veterans, and the disabled, the control of epidemics, and the rehabilitation of drug addicts and prostitutes. Financial assistance is provided for Vietnamese Minority groups and war veterans.
• Social welfare is a new concept in Vietnam, coming about under the socialist rule

Education:

• Vietnamese people have inherited a great respect for education from their roots in Confucianism from their former Chinese rulers. Education has been, and still is, a big part of life. A good education is essential in getting a good job and it also boost morale and reputation.
• Like other Asian countries, the Vietnamese educations system was modelled after that of France but has recently been changed to incorporate Vietnamese history, language, literature and in some areas the teaching of revolutionary ethics
• Prior to the 1950s, poverty was a major reason why many people lacked sufficient levels of education. This problem still exists in 2003, but not to the extent that it did before WWII.
• Post Vietnam War - all public and private schools in the South were taken over by the state and teachers from the North were sent to the south to guide the transition of the teachers so that they are up to "Socialist teaching standards". We saw in that video a few weeks ago were Hien Tran was a trained teacher before the Vietnam War, but after the reunification of the country, she could not find work as a teacher because she got her degree in South Vietnam.
• Over the years, the Vietnamese education system has been reformed in order to meet the needs of the country, politically, socially and economically. For example there was a reform in education after the introduction of the Doi Moi in 1986. This was so that students were learning about issues that we related to the countries new economic renovation.

Vietnam is located in southeastern Asia bordered by Cambodia, China, and Laos. In total, land borders are 4,639 kilometers long. The boundary between Cambodia and Vietnam is 1,228 kilometers long while the boundary between China and Vietnam is 1,281. Finally, the boundary between Laos and Vietnam is 2,130 kilometers long. The area of Vietnam is 329,560 square kilometers. 325,360 square kilometers of the land was land and 4,200 square kilometers was water. Only 25% of the land is farmland (north-15%, south-10%). Forests and Woodland cover 30% of Vietnam. From May to January, typhoons flood with extensive flooding. Over fishing threatens the marine life population and groundwater contamination limits water supply. The final issue is Agent Orange, a chemical spayed by passing planes killed 1/5 of Vietnam's trees and caused birth defects.

In Vietnam, people study Buddhism, Taoism, Roman Catholic, ingenious beliefs, Islam, Protestant, Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao. People speak Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, and Khmer. 85-90% of the people are Vietnamese, 3% are Chinese, and the rest of the 7-12% include Muong, Tai, Meo, Khmer, Man, and Chan. Average people live up to 68 years. 34% of the people are 0-14 years old, 61% of the people are 15-64 years old and 5% of the people are 65 years old or older.
During World War II, Japan took control of Vietnam for 5 years. Vietnam hoped to become an independent country with their own leaders. France, however, wanted it's colonies back so it sent soldiers and in a few months, France controlled Vietnam. Vietnam wanted to end French rule and attacked French troops and made France surrender after the battle of Dien Bien Phu. Now after French left, Vietnam was separated into two, north and south. A communist government led Northern Vietnam and a corrupt government led Southern Vietnam supported by France and the United States. Elections were to be held in 1954 to reunite Vietnam but none took place. To protest, in 1959, Viet Cong attacked Southern Vietnam. Since Southern Vietnam was not communist, Americans supported them and sent troops to Southern Vietnam for military assistance. They were afraid Southern Vietnam would turn communist too. This started the Vietnam War, also known as the 2nd Indochina War.

The battle lasted for 9 years. Soldiers fought in fields, swamps, jungles, and villages. Viet Cong, communist party leader, killed anyone he thought were helping Southern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam killed anyone they thought were helping Viet Cong. Agent Orange, a chemical sprayed by passing planes killed 1/5 of Vietnam's trees to uncover hiding spots. Americans were about to retreat to the United States when they discovered 58,209 people were either missing or died so the war carried on for two more years and in the end, Viet Cong won and all of Vietnam is communist.

After the Vietnam War, Vietnam has been one of the poorest countries in the world. Vietnam has to recover the damage that happened during the war. To make money, Vietnam had to trade with other countries. Vietnam's main export item is rice. Vietnam also exports crude oil, marine products, coffee, rubber, and tea. Their export partners are Japan, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, France, and South Korea. Import commodities include machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, cotton, grain, cement, and motorcycles. Vietnam's import partners are Singapore, South Korea, Japan, France, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. 25% of the people in Vietnam do not have a job. 65% with jobs work with agriculture, and 35% work in industries and services. Industries include food processing, garments, shoes, machine engineering, mining, glass, tire, oil, and paper. Agriculture provides rice corn, potatoes rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, and fish.

The Coat of Arms was modeled after communist party symbols, including the yellow star in the red background. Each point of the yellow star represents one of the five protectorates of the Union of French Indochina. The blood red color of the background refers to the violence of class struggle and the ultimate victory of the proletariat revolution. The cog and crops represent agriculture and industrial labor. The Coat of Arms was adopted on November 30, 1955 and was the reunification symbol on July 2, 1976. “Army March”, Vietnam's national anthem was written by Van Cao in 1944. It was adopted as northern Vietnam's anthem in 1945 and in 1976, it became Vietnam's national anthem.

For example, we slog it out all year sustained by the promise of a peep of summer that starts about December, well, it gets warmer then anyway even if it is raining, and finishes about March. This is our only crack at the nostalgic summers that we all seem to remember as kids. You know the ones, long days, hot blue skies, salt drying on sunburnt skin, the smell of a zinky nose and the crunch of sand in your sandwiches. So anyway, almost the entire population (except those in the hospitality industry) take their holidays at the same time in order to “have a summer”. All other business is suspended. Fair enough, but for some reason this year, the prospect of the usual summer holiday routine did not seem so appealing, we needed a fresh approach, we decided to go further a field. We decided to go to Vietnam.

Once we had decided to go to Vietnam, it seemed that every second person I spoke to knew someone who had just come back from an amazing holiday in Vietnam. Friendly, lovely people, incredible Asian/French fusion food, not too commercialized (yet), beautiful scenery, and cheap! Further reports of $2 margaritas, yummy local beer, delicious coffee and even French patisseries and bread make it sound like an ideal holiday destination. It is of course a tropical climate, so it will also be hot (even though it is their winter) but for us this means summer guaranteed.

Although we wanted a bit of an adventure, we also wanted to relax and not be too stressed about where we were going, staying, eating etc. We decided to book a tour from Hanoi right down the coast to Ho Chi Minh so that all this would be organized for us. The idea of group tours has never really appealed but we found this one by Active Asia, where they do all this for you, but you do not travel in a group. You can chose the standard of hotels you prefer from budget to top end, a guide will meet and greet you at airports etc, transport you to hotels, and then escort you to local tourist attractions, restaurants etc. There is a lot of time when you do your own thing as well, which is great.

So that's the plan, we'll see how it all works out.

Vietnam adventure here we come!

Ethiopia

They call pancakes Injeera. Pancakes served with meat and vegetables! Wow!

India (Southern)

They call it dosai, thosai, or dhosa. It is a South Indian crepe. Many ingredients are added such as black gram, potatoes or even pickles!

China

They call this a Green Onion Pancake made with green onions and served with mooshu dishes

Thailand

They call it Roti Kaeng Karee. A crispy pancake Muslim style with coconut-milk based curry. Plus, spices!

Japan

They call it as Dorayaki. It is a sweet pancake filled with bean paste.

Vietnam

They call it Banh Xeo. Had enough lettuce, fishwort and coriander, yet?

Korea

They call this one Pajeon and Bindaetteok and it is made with seafood, chili paste, and lots of veggies.

Middle East

They call it Pita. The most common stuffing is fried chickpea balls (falafel), but it is also often filled with the meat of chicken or lamb called Shwarma.