Lessons from a door...and some cool pics too

Hanoi and I got off to a rough start. Now, at the end of day 4, I think I can say it’s growing on me. Some of the big culture shocks for me have been the traffic (including the incessant honking of horns that I can hear from my fourth floor window almost 24/7 and learning to cross the street as you watch your life flash before your eyes because hundreds of motor bikes are speeding towards you), some of the food, and actually, the craziest one has been the lock on my door.

Ok, that sounds silly, I know. But I’ve come to realize it’s often not the big things that are the breaking points when you’re transitioning. It’s the small, seemingly insignificant things. Like trying to open your hotel room door. I have my own room, so I’m usually approaching my door alone (don’t worry, mom, it’s safe!:) And, you probably would agree with me that everything feels more obvious and awkward when you’re struggling through it alone. So I approach my door, put the key in the lock and turn. Try to open. Nothing. Turn again. Try to open again. Turn. Turn. Turn some more. Keep turning. Continue turning for 4 minutes more. Look down the hall to see if anyone notices the stupid American who can’t break into her own room. Turn again. Shake the lock. And turn again. Somewhere in there it eventually opens.

This happened time after time, so much to the point that I wouldn’t want to forget anything for fear of having to run back to my room and open the door because the whole process usually took about 4-5 minutes. One particular morning, the maids were cleaning on my floor and one of them had pity on me and came over to unlock it for me. She had a bit of difficulty, but after about 30 seconds got it to open. It was a pretty low moment. Ok, you’re probably thinking, dude, it’s just a door. What’s your deal? Well, when you’re already in a completely foreign place, staying in a room alone, can’t ask or say anything in that country’s language, it seems like a big deal. I’m happy to say that I’ve adopted the maid’s way of opening my door and I can usually get it to open after about 10 turns. What a difference that has made in my whole approach to life here! I realized just how much it had been affecting my attitude one day in class when our teacher asked us this question: what do your reactions to culture reveal about your heart? It hit me, that even in this silly situation, I was reacting in a way that revealed the crap in my heart – impatience, superiority (doors in the US don’t do this!), insecurity (someone's going to see me and think I'm an idiot 'cause I can't open this stupid door), and so on and so forth. So, I had to repent and ask the Father to forgive me and give me a humble, patient heart.

I’m happy to say that it’s going much better and the last two days have really been enjoyable. Here are some highlights….

Eating noodles and "Nem" - Vietnamese Spring Rolls - those were always my favorite in the US

L-R, Julia, Christa and Nadia (she's a teacher in Vietnam, and our translator for lunch)

Sign at the food court appealing to English-speakers

Delicious lunch!!! Similar to what I used to eat at Little Saigon in downtown O-town

 

First outing in the rain. Bought ponchos for less than a dollar on the street and went to buy cell phones.

Ok, so maybe the reason I'm feeling better about Hanoi is because I've loved the food we've eaten the last two days. Didn't really think about that 'til I realized like every picture has food in it or was taken at a meal time. Oh well. In the evening we went out to dinner at a place called Al Fresco's. Our taxi leader, Todd, took us there because we said we wanted some non-Vietnamese food. And, it didn't disappoint!

At dinner, Elise and Christa demonstrating the Vietnamese idea of personal space:)

 

My delicious hamburger!!! Ah, a taste of home!

Joe, Stephanie and me at dinner. Stephanie is our other teammate - we just met her in Hanoi this week because she's already been living in-country since February. We've been pelting her with questions about life there for the last four days! She's really awesome!

Ok, so this is the girls on the bus en route to the night market. We tried like four times to get a good pic, but this was the best one. Joe neglected to tell us when he was snapping the pictures.

The market was a little bit crowded, to say the least!

 

There's no such thing as blocking off a street in Hanoi it seems. This car (and many a motor bike) was attempting to make it's way through the throngs of people!

Street food

Cultural performance (not really sure exactly what it was all about, but it looked cool)

This is definitely what I think of with masculinity and music - they had some of the coolest and most bizarre shirts at the market. But most were too small for our American bodies :(

Who needs a mini-van? Not sure if you can see this, but if you look closely, you'll probably notice that this is a family of 4 on a motor bike!

Sunday Morning: Christa and I heading to the Int'l Fellowship on the bus

Hanging out at a popular coffee/sandwich shop called Joma's after Fellowship

L-R, Stephanie, Julia, Bekah (going to Cambodia), Chelsea (staying in Vietnam...found out today she was homeschooled too:) Notice the big fan behind my head.

This is the result of sitting in front of the big fan for the duration of lunch. It's totally the fashion in Vietnam.

Christa washing the fruit we bought from a street vendor in my bathroom sink.

Soaking the fruit in scalding water

 

After spending the afternoon being studious, Elise, Christa and I went on a food-finding adventure tonight and ended up at this little place with outside seating (ie, mini stools and tables - what we'd call in the states "kid's size") and delicious home-cooked food. I think it's the best food I've had since coming here. We're thinking to go back again to try to build a friendship with the people. Though it might be helpful to learn how to say at least something in Vietnamese first. I feel like such an ethnocentric American when I can't even say thank you or how much is this? in Vietnamese. 

Tonight we had another "taste" of home...the three of us and Stephanie watched The Princess Bride on my laptop tonight and just laughed at the cheesy humor...and then realized that the movie was made before Elise and Christa had even been born. Man, I feel old around here! :)

In closing, and to go back to the beginning where I was talking about how my reaction to culture reveals what's in my heart (really, our reaction to anything can bring out what's in our hearts!)... I want to share a quote from Beth Moore I heard yesterday that really hit me:

People are not looking for you to have it together, people are looking at what happens to you when you don't.

I definitely do not have it all together here in Hanoi - far from it - but my desire is to respond in a way that brings glory to His name and reflects the graciousness of His nature. I'm asking for that every day since it definitely doesn't come naturally! Tomorrow starts a new week, and I want my heart to say Blessed be Your Name...when I'm in my comfort zone, and when I'm as far outside of it as I can imagine being. Blessed be Your Name.