Hanoi's winter...

(This is more or less a translation of the previous post. There might be some unusual expression due to the lack of translating skill!)
Knoxville is snowing at this very moment. But as beautiful as it is, the snow only brings the heartlessly freezing cold through my window. Hanoi never had snow; its temperature doesn't even get low enough to have snow- only 5 or 6 degree Celsius (43-45 degree Fahrenheit) in few extreme years. Some say Hanoi's winter therefore is incomplete, and that Hanoi is "too normal" in this season. As a matter of fact, Hanoi isn't covered with white like Moscow, nor is it crowded with travelers/visitors like some Olympics city during these days. However, Hanoi's winter is special in its own way, 'cause those who left are all looking forward to a comeback...
Writings about Hanoi's winter are plenty, from great literature to a few lines in someone's diary, from firm-structured poems to random rhymes recording one's momentary feelings. Each person feels in his own ways, each person has his own thought...
The cold of Hanoi seems to bring people closer together. Each blowing wind that brings the cool air from the North creates in people an empty feeling. People long for a warm breath, a sweet kiss, or a tight hug from a loved one. They open their hearts, share with others their feelings and thoughts, in hoping that their souls will be warmed, and they will have more strength to fight back the freezing weather... Walking on a street of Hanoi, a couple lean toward each other to keep warm. A sister sitting behind on a bike reaches out to her brother, embraces him tightly to prevent the cold sliding into between. In a coffee shop somewhere, a few friends get together to retell their childhood stories. On the side walk, few workers are taking a quick break, quickly rubbing their hands beside a hot cup of tea...
Hanoi in this season is very sweet. It's sweet because a street, a collapsed wall, or a beam of light could remind someone of something. But it's also bitter. A slender shirt that could make one feel cold even in summer is now crawling purposelessly through every corner. Regardless of the season, the homeless is always homeless; however the mean wind of January seems to emphasize even further their tragedy. Here and there, a person helplessly lies down in his familiar street corner to take a break from on going life; and he might never wake up again...
Hanoi is extremely cold. It's too cold for wanting to do anything. The rich wish to stay inside, covered by their warm blankets; the poor huddle at the end of some outdoor market, wish they had a how bowl of soup... People feel like time going by slower, thus have more time to think, to feel, to be happy or sad, and to remember. Winter deems lengthy, but once it passes, how we wish it was there...
-nxh