I hate China. Sure, my exposure to the People's Republic is limited to a few hours wandering around two of its monstrous airports, but I have nevertheless formed a very strong opinion. I will readily admit that my opinion is completely and utterly ignorant and has very little to do with the Chinese people themselves (in fact, it is based on little more than Chinese airport operations). A couple of hours ago, when I was on my third Chinese airline-operated flight of the day, I would have loved nothing more than to write an entire blog post naming all the reasons that I grew to despise China in less than a day.
But then I saw Vietnam.
Even from the sky, Vietnam sings to you. Quaint, colonial-style townhouses with red clay shingles dot the vast green landscape. Maybe hours of squinting to make out details through the heavy smog that envelops even rural areas in China has affected my vision, but I swear colors are more vibrant here. The streets of Hanoi are alive and lively, but leagues less chaotic than the bustling (and busting) urban streets in Delhi or Mumbai. Here, I could almost see myself driving. Almost. Never in India (although India, you know I adore you with your seven rows of cars, trucks, bicycles, mopeds, camels, and pedestrians squeezed into two lanes).
It is only my first day (has it even been an hour?), but I know I am exactly where I should be right now. I have wanted to visit Southeast Asia since I was a kid, and Vietnam since I was in college. I expected disappointment. Instead, I'm amazed. I feel like a kid seeing the Magic Kingdom for the first time, not only being taken aback by how beautiful it is, but also realizing that dreams really can come true.
So, yeah, I'm gonna start blogging again.
Thanks for reading!
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