In the begining of November, Hanoi got its first cold weather. It was a bit later than usual. After some chilly days, it turned back to be hot. I saw some purple flowers on a bang lang when driving back to my place in a hot afternoon. That was the first time I had ever seen bằng lăng flowers in November. Wow, it was so strange but interesting. I looked at other trees to see if they were blooming and found some. It was clearly summer.
bằng lăng flowers in November (picture from internet)
So, people wondered why it was winter time but no cold winds – everything still seemed like summer. One day, getting up and I shivered. The cold winds suddently came without a sign. Finding my old scarf, putting it in my bag, I drived quickly, praying that I wouldn’t be late. Coming back with the scarf around my neck in the late evening, I drived slowly to enjoy the weather. It was a bit chilly that made me thought of Tet. Always thinking about Tet when I “meet” a cold wind. Some falling leave flying in the light of neons, one landed on my scarf. I smiled and kept it in my hand. I’d kept a falling leaf which dropped on my hand in an autumn evening. It was dry then, sleeping in my bag. I wanted the old leaf to have a friend. Looking around, I thought people were driving quicklier. Maybe they wanted to arrive home faster. (I would have tried my best to get to my warm room as soon as possible, too, if it had been as cold as today). Bằng lăng flowers were still blooming (and fading). Their colour wasn’t as beautiful as last time but gave you unforgetable images. I’ve called bằng lăng “summer flower” – well, I should change the name now.
It won the second place at the 3rd National student film festival. Production: Trần Hữu Phước Nguyễn Thị Hồng Liên Trần Hồ Mỹ Lam -Students of Nguyen Hue high school.
Update(11/19/09): Thannien online has an article about this film (you can read it here. The reporters said that they came to places where three students recorded and made their film and they didn't see what was discribed in the video. Manager of the company which owns the slaughterhouse said that there're rarely fetus when they slaughter buffalos and that just happens by accident. A woman sells in a market, where the students found their idea of the film,insited that trading animal fetus isn't a habit of people there. Well, it's much better to know that. Thank S9 for information
Oh my God! I can’t stop laughing now. Well, I told some friends that I’ve been very busy lately and, yes, tonight I was sure I wouldn’t have time to write anything but now I can’t stand sitting here and laughing alone. I really, really need to share this
You know what? I’ve read on Vnexpress that Hà Nội was elected as one of the top ten clean(-est) and green(-est) cities, was commended in ceremony of Vietnam’s cities Day (yesterday – November 8th ). It is said that Hà Nội has enough criteria to be selected, such as, they have many great ideas to clean city (may I sugguest that the street cleaning strucks are the best?), streets are cleaned tidily, citizen doesn’t throw off rubbish in the streets, the percentage of collecting rubbish is about 80%, the percentage of concretenization (?) is 70%, blah blah blah. I’m died of laughing. I don’t like to point out the bad things to you but, hey, we can’t hide reality, right? Day by day, people try their best not to go out if it isn’t neccesary because of a dirty air with so much dust, smoke; because of terrible traffic jam. Most people have a bad habbit: throw rubbish everywhere and so you can see so much rubbish everywhere. Last year we had uncrediable flood because it had rained non-stop for some hours – and now, whenever it rains for a bout 2 hours some streets are under water. Green trees seem to be disappeared quickly.
(picture from congan.com)
Other cities on the list are Bắc Ninh, Buôn Ma Thuột, Đà Lạt, Hòa Bình, Huế, Thái Nguyên, Sơn La, Vinh, Việt Trì. Well, I have no idea about some cities but I’m sure Hòa Bình, Bắc Ninh, Thái Nguyên, Vinh, Việt Trì have the same problem as Hà Nội. Ok, you may not agree with me, these cities haven’t got such a flood like Hà Nội had last year. Please help me to widen my eyes, to understand a simple thing that how Hà Nội and some other cities could be elected (and selected) . I’m
Here the link for you if you don’t believe in me about the news (the article is only in Vietnamese) Hà Nội được bầu là đô thị sạch Add: And I must beg Google a favour - English translation for you who would like to know what the article writes and how people think about this: Hanoi was elected .... You should read comments under the article
Driving my motorcycle to go to a place, I was complaining that how much dust this city has when I saw a “clean road lorry” (actually the hilarious name is my idea, I haven’t known what I should call it and feel lazy to find it out now when I type this entry – will google it later). That is a small lorry –ok, not too small lorry – with a big tank of water. They use it to clean roads/streets – pour water on the road to make it wet, well, the dust would be wet and find their way to vanish (I guess). Like others I’m used to seeing clean road lorries working at 5am. Today I saw it in the street at 9.15am. Wow, it was a big surpise – I tell you. I opened my eyes widenly to see how lucky I was. I turned into that street just 10 seconds later than that lorry. What would happen for me if I would have turned into it 10 seconds earlier? It wasn’t difficult to imagine, actually, I could see my “would be” situation by my eyes. There were many people who were driving before that lorry. They didn’t need a rain to help they feel cooler in an autumn morning, they had water from the lorry. All people, men and women, adults and children, were equal – wet totally. Nobody yelled as I would do if I had been them. Nobody screamed as I would do if I had been them. Oh la la, does that mean I am a strange person here who isn’t used to with this? I don’t know, just tell you I didn’t dare to increase my speed. I drived as slowly as the lorry did ( eeh, I should say “as the lorry driver did”) and tried my best to keep a safe distance. I didn’t want to have some dirty ballooms on my t-shirt, I love my t-shirt! That was the only way for me to get the place. I couldn’t drive to other street. I prayed for the lorry turned left or turned right, or ran out of water but I failed. I saw many people driving in a long queu after me. I thought noone wanted to make company with the lorry or wanted to taste how its water was if they passed it, so tried to be calm and drive safely was the best choice for all. I saw a man trying to take pictures of the lorry with water by his phone. Maybe I’ll see one of his pictures on a blog, who know! Finally, the lorry felt bored of these genlte people, it turned right, got out of the street. Phew, I didn’t need to worry about my t-shirt then.
-The big sign on the left side: Trạm thu phílậu (illegal toll station)
-On the right side: Không trách tôi được. Tôi có biết gì đâu. (You can't blame it on me. I don't know anything.) Tôi bị mù màu xanh.(I'm green color blindness.)
A new day has come. I wonder what you usually did for Mom on this occasion? I ask myself and smile. You never told that you cared of any occasion but what you always did have showed me all. No flowers but cooking some delicious dishes. No congratulations but much time to talk. No presents but being there whenever she needed. Arguing and making up, you two always make me happy. You always tried to come back home even though it was over midnight, just because you knew that a special woman was waiting for you. It is said that you're still by her sides, that makes her happy and stronger. You should hear her voice when she told me about that You know that she is a bit tired, don't you? Please give her more strength to get well soon.
bằng lăng flowers in November (picture from internet)
Oh my God! I can’t stop laughing now. Well, I told some friends that I’ve been very busy lately and, yes, tonight I was sure I wouldn’t have time to write anything but now I can’t stand sitting here and laughing alone. I really, really need to share this 
You know that she is a bit tired, don't you? Please give her more strength to get well soon. 
WIDGETIZE