Hanoi Life

Happy Trails

We had shipped our alarm clock but we knew we would not sleep late on our last day at Sofitel Plaza. There would be plenty of time for us to reminisce. We had to finish packing, settle our bill and say our farewells to the staff that had become like family to us.

Ira also had the little matter of collecting his shoes. Not to worry! The phone rang and the front desk told Ira that the man was in the lobby with the shoes. But when Ira reached the lobby, Mr. Tien was nowhere to be seen. After some frantic text messaging and a half-understood conversation in Vietnamese, Ira took a taxi over to Pho Truc Bach, past the Sapphire Hotel and the karaoke bar to number 135 where stood Mr. Tien and the resoled shoes! Why Mr. Tien had not waited at Sofitel Plaza remains a mystery to this day, but all’s well that ends well.

Once the shoes were retrieved, we were able to finish packing and get ready to go. We checked down the hall for our housekeepers, Loan and Hanh. When they realized that the time had come for us to say goodbye, they were both in tears, which didn’t help us keep our composure.

Back in the apartment, we had a phone call and it turned out to be Bach, one of our favorite bellman. He was unable to see us off so he had called to say "hen gap lai" and to assure us he would keep in touch. We were again overwhelmed by the outpouring of feeling from the staff.

It was only fitting that Cong, the first bellman who had greeted us on our arrival, was the one to take our bags down to the airport taxi. F & B Director Ron and Rooms Manager Mr. Tan were there to shake our hands and remind us to come back soon. Other staff members ran out to add their good wishes and we were more than a bit shaky as we got into the taxi for Noi Bai airport.

In the cab, Ira sent out a blanket text message to many of the people he had known over the two years and our ride was interrupted over and over by the bell signifying receipt of yet another acknowledgement.

Hanoi was once just a name of a far-off place in a land about which we knew little and cared less. Now it represents a piece of our life that is like none other. What can we say to sum it up? All we can think of is "hen gap lai."

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Loose Ends

Can it be possible? After nearly two years at Sofitel Plaza, we are packing to leave. We’ve grown accustomed to life here in our own little 65 square meters. Our goods have already left so all that remains is to put our clothes and toilet articles into suitcases and then to jump into the abyss, not knowing when we will return.

We do our workout at the fitness center, as usual but the dials on the treadmills are blurred by the mist in our eyes. Jumping into the warm water of the pool and staring up at a clear blue sky, we reflect on how we have enjoyed the leisurely weekend afternoons spent at the best pool in Asia. The staff wishes us well and they all say "hen gap lai" "see you soon."

In the afternoon, Ira went out to say "hen gap lai" to his closest friends and to ask them to help him keep up his Vietnamese. Carol went for a haircut, manicure and pedicure at Lan’s salon. These pleasures will be much dearer away from Hanoi so she savored them.

On the way home, Ira stopped to pick up a pair of shoes that was being repaired, only to find that the repairman did not live over the shop, but was from the provinces where he was attending his father’s funeral! Since we were leaving the next day, this would put us in Singapore while Ira’s only remaining pair of good shoes would be in Vietnam. The guys in the karaoke bar next door did have a mobile phone number so Ira was able to call and explain the situation. Mr. Tien promised to have the shoes in Hanoi by 10 the next morning, leaving over an hour to spare before we had to leave for our flight.

Ron, the genial Canadian F & B Director at Sofitel Plaza, had arranged a "little farewell dinner" at our convenience and we set it up for that night. Ron sent Ira a text message saying "MP" for Ming Palace and around seven we rode down to enjoy our meal.

We had no idea what we were about to experience. Ron met us and ushered us into a private dining room that was filled with lotus flowers with a large picture window looking out into Thanh Nien Street. The table was beautifully set and a souvenir menu set out the six courses, each described in scrumptious detail. Foie gras with mango compote was followed by avocado tartare with shrimp on house-smoked salmon, and a rich tomato carpaccio. This was only the beginning!

We had our own personal server, Ms Anh but every course was presented by Executive Chef Chretien with a full explanation. Ms Anh poured wine and chatted with us in English as well as Vietnamese.

Somewhere between the creamy Nha Trang scallop and the veal mignon with  coconut milk, Ron, Chef Chretien and Chef Gu all stopped by to wish us well and to thank us for our support. Our new GM, M. Lhuguenot also came by and chatted with us. It happened that he had been the GM at the Old Cataract in Aswan, Egypt and he gave us the name of someone to look up when we visited Aswan, which was actually going to be just a week later! We were overwhelmed by all of these busy and important people taking the time for us. None of them is Vietnamese, but they embody the qualities of the Hanoians whom we have had the privilege to know.

After dessert, we were surrounded by the Ming Palace staff, all of whom knew us well. They made us promise to return soon and to remember them. We rode up to the 20^th floor for a farewell drink overlooking the lights of Hanoi. It was not a place we frequented but we still knew most of the staff and it became a bit emotional when we told them we were leaving the next day. Ms Nga, who we knew from her work downstairs, actually hugged us when we departed. All in all, this was a night to remember.