Hanoi and China

Alright, finally at 1.45am, I feel impelled to blog about my trip, before the not-so-indelible memories bleed into nothingness. The exact doings and happenings of each day escape me so all you'll see is a brief description of each place, and if you're feeling lucky, some picturesque photos.

Hanoi: A veritable warren of chaotically placed roads and shabby-looking buildings for most part. It's a wonder how the locals manage to meander their way to their respective destinations given the lack of street signs and noticeable landmarks, and I say this with the discerning eye of a tourist. A horn rends the already discordant cacophony of vrooms and brakes screeching every 5 seconds (yes, I counted). Crossing the roads verge on life and death situations as throngs of scooters whiz pass with an almost reckless abandon, a hair's breadth away from me. Vietnamese buildings mirror their people in stature, tall and narrow in general, a result of the 17m by 6m as the maximum dimensions regulation.

Ha Long Bay: Stunning as the scenery was, I was inured to its beauty after a while. The caress of the bay breeze was indeed welcome, as was the honeyed warmth of the sunlight on my skin. I always did love boat rides ;). Limestone islands, topped with a dash of viridian and jutting from the sea at irregular intervals, made a great subject for photos. And it was here the ubiquity of the television hit me in full force. Going aboard a floating fishing farm deep within the islands, I was half-surprised to see the idiot box, the only visible sign of technology in the otherwise spartan room.

That's it for now.

Three years. Long enough to complete a degree. Long enough for me to realise that Chemistry is an exercise in futility, soul-destroying in the way army boys lament about. They say the process is more important than the result. A load of tosh is what I say to that maxim. All I have is wasted time and a bundle of anxiety and worries.