Harry Nguyen

Hà Nội

A toddler standing in front of a television at home Two children playing in the living room A childhood portrait displayed on a laptop A child playing on another child’s back at home A childhood photo at My Dinh stadium under the floodlights A childhood selfie at a football event Friends in school jackets on a rainy Hanoi street Two friends taking a playful selfie in Hanoi Two students with a physics worksheet in a Hanoi classroom School friends in a classroom seen through a window Students beside an open classroom window Students playing football on a grass field A playful portrait with a frog sleep mask Friends on a bus in rain ponchos A student in a white school shirt and loose tie Motorbikes in Hanoi at night Drinks on a tray beside blue plastic stools Friends taking a selfie in school jackets A student wearing a beanie at a classroom desk Homework on a table at Highlands Coffee A student holding a handwritten joke about being handsome A classroom selfie beside a friend sleeping at a desk Friends smiling during a video call Friends under purple lights Friends beside a brightly lit stage Two friends under neon lights A glass of coffee beside a Hanoi street Iced coffee on a wooden table beside a Hanoi street Two people carrying flowers at a market Four friends in a black and white mirror selfie A tabletop grill surrounded by food Two friends riding a scooter at night Sausages cooking at a street stall A Hanoi street seen from a balcony A café table beside a Hanoi street Friends gathered around a long table for dinner A lake and nearby buildings at night City lights reflected in a lake at night An old school portrait held up to the camera A café counter with hanging lanterns A crowded street full of motorbikes A leafy view across the street from a balcony Friends at a café photographed with a wide angle lens Two friends photographing their reflection in a stairwell A group of friends drinking tea on the sidewalk at night A Hanoi road shaded by tall trees A meal at home People watching the city at night from a rooftop Friends resting on a sleeper bus A helmeted rider sitting on a motorbike A friend holding a yellow cushion in a café Grilled skewers on an orange plate Friends sitting outside a café at night A bowl of soup topped with herbs and fried dough A scooter parked beside old buildings and overhead wires Two friends with Vietnamese flag face paint Motorbike riders carrying Vietnamese flags at night A crowd of motorbike riders carrying Vietnamese flags at night An alley with Vietnamese flags and overhead wires Drinks outside a café at night Drinks on a small street table at night A bowl of pho on a blue plastic stool A narrow Hanoi street lined with cafés and motorbikes Teapots and cups on a café balcony Musicians performing for an audience in a jazz club A building lit by red lanterns at night A brightly lit flower stall at night A table of food in front of a decorated altar Peach blossoms in a vase at home A warmly lit café looking out onto the street

Thoughts

This might be the shortest blog title I'll ever have, but it's a special one. It's been 5 years since I left Hanoi. How did that happen so fast? I still remember leaving for university, and now I'm living a 9-to-5 life (its not that bad ...). A lot has changed in between. I've been to quite a few cities since then, but Hanoi is still the only one that gives me that feeling of coming home.

I lived there for so long that I took a lot of it for granted, especially the café culture, late-night dinners on the street, and how lively it is. Little things like the cafés hidden down the alleys, the lake at night, or sitting on those tiny plastic stools with an iced tea. I notice them way more now that I'm away. Maybe that's just me being homesick. Living in Adelaide has made the differences more obvious too. Getting a proper meal late at night can feel like a luxury here, while in Hanoi it's way easier. Places stay open until midnight or later so you can pretty much hang out whenever. The city feels different at night. I find it really hard to put that feeling into words somehow. There's also momma's cooking, which I'd take over a 3-star Michelin restaurant any day of the week :).

Adelaide's nice too, don't get me wrong. But Hanoi's different. Maybe it's just because it's home. I spent my first 18 years there, so there's a memory attached to almost everything. Going through these photos brought me way back, especially school and the people I grew up with. It made me realise how much happened there. Funny how you only start missing stuffs once you're not around it anymore.

One of the nicest things about going back for Tết is seeing my friends. Some of my closest friends are now spread across different cities. Everyone went off doing their own thing, which I suppose is just how life goes. But we still come back around the same time each year, and it's really nice to sit together and hear all the stories and life updates. I'm glad they're doing well and are happy in their own ways. Sometimes we only manage one hangout before everyone leaves again, but that's still good enough ig (maybe abit more would be nicer Smiling face).

I've known some of them for more than 10 years now. That's crazy when I think about everything we've been through and how much we've changed. There are billions of people in the world, and somehow you've only met a few who are still around a decade later. That's kinda wild to me. People come and go, and it's nice to know that some have stayed in my life. And Hanoi's also the one place we all end up back in at the same time, which makes it mean even more to me.

Anyways, just some thoughts after 5 years away from home. Leaving still makes me sad sometimes, but I've also had heaps of experiences here that I wouldn't have had otherwise. It's October already, so only a few more months until I head back (feeling a bit too excited kk).