Spring Break in D.C.

I'm having my spring break this week. Instead of staying in Knoxville like usual, this time I and four friends of mine decided to take a trip to Washington D.C., where we'd meet with few others. The 10-hour driving was such a long trip for me but it must be worse for the driver, since he was the only who could drive.
...
[Two weeks later]
I started writing right after I got to DC, but never had a chance to finish it. A week staying in the capitol of the United States was quite amazing because of the people I met, places I visited, and especially the food I ate there. I've been to D.C. three times before, but they were either short or I was kept busy with other stuff. This time, I really had a chance to experience it.
During the first three days, I spent most of my time with a newly-met friend, who happened to go to the same high school in Hanoi as I did. (With us, there were few others, but since they were stuck with their boy/girlfriend, I counted them out for the moment!) Our first destination was the Natural History Museum, where we saw a whole lot of artificial displays depicting extinct animals. (For the "artificial" part, I'm not very sure. However, if they were real, then the parents of those animals must have taken a lot of time engraving a bunch of numbers on their kids' skull!!!) Anyway, we spent quite a bit time there before heading over to a Thai's restaurant. It's D.C., so the food was good, although it could have been much better if the service had been a little more professional. The restaurant was close to China Town.
After lunch, we took a walk around D.C. I was very excited being in such a busy city. Unlike Knoxville, the way which people drove, walked, and talked around there made it a living world. I couldn't stop talking about this building or that building, a street or a corner, a piece of actual history or simply something I made up. I was really excited! At that moment, I'm sure my friend shared the same feeling with me, because at one point, when I actually said out loud how I felt about the city, she nodded her head lightly and said "Yeah, just like Hanoi!". Wow! She spoke my mind!
In the next few days, we visited the Zoo, (got quite close to) the Washington Monument, Pentagon City, George Town, Vietnamese Embassy and few others. Among those places we went, the most memorable place is nevertheless Hin's house, where we stayed the entire time. Even thought it was true that I always wanted to leave it early in the morning and to come back really late at night, her mom cooked such amazing meals that I never want to eat out. We had noodle soup (Pho) a few times, fried tofu (i helped making this :D ), buns, soup with the tiny shrimps (canh tom), and so many other Vietnamese foods. I remembered my mouth kept watering from the moment I smelled them in the kitchen to the very last second of the meals. What made the meals even better was the people surround me. We helped cooking, serving the meal, and then argued in a circle who had to do the dishes. I just don't get to eat foods like that, among people like that every day...
We left D.C. in a little rush, when another 10-hour driving was waiting for us. I didn't get to say goodbye to people I met, didn't get to say what I meant to say. It was only a week, such a short time but so many memory that I would never forget...
-nxh

Knoxville

Yesterday was quite a day. I finally had enough willpower to get out of the library on my own, leaving aside all worriness, to take a little walk to downtown Knoxville.
The city is a bit small and empty, relatively to Hanoi. After a couple hours shopping, I walked back from the Market Square (the center of downtown) to Knoxville Convention Center, through the World Fair Park, along the Strip and back to my apartment. On the way, I barely saw anybody, there were only disconnected cars running up and down the streets. In the park, which covers a large area with beautiful playing field and lovely view, there is still no one there for any reason. I have to give it to Knoxville, that it is just as beautiful as any other city could be. However, its beauty is like that of Paris Hilton, which is more like a one-time entertainment, and which is definitely hard to embrace in an intimate manner.
During my walk, a few drops of rain felt on my jacket. Not much, it was just enough to wet my all hot and 'bothered head. Usually it'd be good, because it would cool me down and let me free of pressure. Unfortunately, all the rain did this time was to make Knoxville even emptier and more disconnected to me, to urge me to come back to where I really belong.
Hanoi has never treated me in such a way. Taking a walk through Hanoi streets always make me a bit better, regardless of what happens to me or how I feel at the moment. The smiles of Hanoian are natural, giving one a familiar feeling in spite of the fact that he or she might be surrounded by complete strangers. The trees, the houses, the busy streets and even the sky might individually be the same as that of Knoxville, but they somehow connect to one another so closely that I myself feel being a part of them. It is the reason I could hardly imagine someone feels lonely in Hanoi. With a group of friends, the Sword Lake cherishes our friendship with its tradition, the West Lake with joys, and the newly created Mydinh area with opportunity. When I'm by myself, I know I can always come to Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam, where I grew up and where I can be inspired by its thousand-year spirit. And there has been more than once when I faced failures, the hidden Tay Ho pagoda then welcomed me with its warmness, listened to my prayers, and told me everything would be ok again...
One afternoon in the summer of 1994, I had my first serious accident while riding a bicycle. Before I could fell hurt falling down, it suddenly rained like it never did. It washed away the blood on my face, cooled down the burning wound on my arm, hid away the tears in my eyes, raised me up on my feet so that I could continue my away home. I was 9 at the time. Six years later, a sudden summer rain came again, but this time to dance with my joy of getting into the Hanoi- Amsterdam High School- school for the gifted...
Countless moments Hanoi embraces me and the converse. It is around me, in me, and a part of me. Naturally and unconditionally, it is how my love has been. So, all my life, being around Hanoi, in Hanoi, and a part of Hanoi is all I ever long for.
-nxh