From Hanoi to Jerusalem

November 7, 2005 - 2:10 PM by Harry

I always considered life in Israel to be very fast paced. The only time during the week that life feels a bit slower is Friday afternoons at about 3:00 p.m. which is about the time everyone has finished their weekend food shopping and are transitioning to the chilled out vibe of the weekend. But let me get back to my first sentence before I digress further. I just returned back from a trip to Vietnam, possibly the least Jewish place on earth (they practically put pork on their ice cream). I’ve never been in a more manic and energized country in my life. From morning until night there are thousands of motorbikes occupying the narrow streets of Hanoi. I’ve been busted (and fined) for jaywalking in Jerusalem in the past, but in Vietnam, jaywalking is encouraged. In fact, you can’t cross the street UNLESS you jaywalk. No need to wait for a lull in the traffic, it ain’t forthcoming. And any time spent looking for a crosswalk is futile considering they don’t exist. You just go. It’s the job of the motorbikes to avoid you. But you have a responsibility as well. You are obligated to walk in a straight line and not deviate from your speed. It’s a harrowing experience at first and some may argue a leap of faith, but on our second day we weren’t even paying attention to the throngs of motorbikes and just walked straight into the street without any concern for our personal safety. It’s just the way things are there. They are fast. Whoosh!!!! The few traffic lights (maybe two) I did see are equally as quick. I think I might have noticed a light stay red for at least fifteen seconds, but I could be wrong. At a restaurant? Your food will come within minutes of ordering. Asking for the bill? A waiter will hover over you while you dig through your wallet for Vietnamese dong. Bargaining for items (even a can of coke) is done in a quick, playful and effiecent manner. No time for nonsense. Make your pitch, bargain and buy. You are never kept waiting and much like I feel in Israel, I only feel really relaxed in the comforts of a closed room or sitting at a cafe enjoying a cup of coffee. But in Israel I can’t get exotic weasel coffee. Delicious!

I adjusted well to the fast paced lifestyle of Vietnam. I let the energy fuel me and let the culture envelop my soul, but eventually, I yearned for a little quiet. Upon returning to Israel on an early morning flight, the wife and I had a dozen things to do. Pick up the keys to our apartment from friends, get the dogs from the kennel, do some food shopping, etc. The traffic lights were way too long, the cars were driving way too slow and the cashier at the supermarket was moving at a snail’s pace. I found myself getting really annoyed really fast. I was headed for a meltdown. I couldn’t slow my body and mind down from the frenzy of Vietnam. Realizing that if this kept up I’d have to check in to the psychiatric ward of Hadassah hospital, I took a (virtual) step back and began to appreciate the substancially slower way things played out here in Israel and quickly realized that despite what I thought, things aren’t that fast here afterall.

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