Yet another way to live

"There are so many ways to live"

I often find myself making this silent remark whenever I travel outside Singapore. This is especially so when I travel to a less developed country, a quieter city or to a land with a vastly different culture. Thus I told myself again whilst in a taxi horning its way through the labyrinth of Hanoi's old quarters and dodging surges of motorbikes from all directions, whilst walking with utmost care not to kick any low plastic stools along the pavements where the Vietnamese sit down for a 'pho' supper at roadside stalls and whilst being tossed about as if in stormy seas when lying in a sleeper train bound for Sapa. I would also make it a point to observe the faces of the people, trying to detect expressions if any of frustrations or content. Most times however the faces will show neither and just seem to say "It's all in a day's work. Today is like any other day".

One has to be very careful when crossing the streets in Hanoi as traffic rules are never observed. The motorbikes can suddenly appear from nowhere. The trick we have been told is to just cross at a steady pace when the traffic seems lighter and the motorists will avoid you. If you panic and suddenly quicken your steps you will confuse the motorists. So Hanoi teaches you literally to go with the flow. In the absence of rules and good public transport the only mode is the motorbike for women and teenagers alike and mindfulness is the name of the game.

From my short engagement with the tour guide who brought us down the country roads amongst rice terraces to visit a Hmong household I realized not everyone on this earth is so focused on timing. I told him at the start of the tour and repeated it along the way that I preferred to be back at the hotel by 4 in the afternoon. I needed time to refresh and have a quick bite before the transport picked us up at 6 pm for the airport. This young chap found it queer that I did not pause but kept walking when he was talking. At one point he requested that we paused for ten minutes in the middle of nowhere so that he could shared some information. Honestly I was puzzled why we could not talk as we walk; was that being rude and inattentive? Perhaps, he on his part might have been puzzled why I was so hung up about getting back strictly by a certain time. Needless to say he sent us back to our hotel half an hour later than we requested. Strange, many other people would have been more than glad to knock off earlier.

Many people would have been put off if their masseuses chatted amongst themselves disturbing the quiet that goes well with a massage. I was initially a bit annoyed by the light chatter when I went for a body massage. However the light banter punctuated by an occasional giggle soon lent a melodious spell that lulled the listener to drift into dreamland, a land where rules and benchmarks are rendered redundant.

Yet, another way to live.