Crossing the Street

Toes on the edge of the red brick sidewalk, you look to the left. There’s no way. A thick river of motorbikes eases along in front of you, drivers passing you by without so much as a glance. You step off the crude curb and inch your way toward the perpetual current. Just before getting your feet wet, you hesitate, hoping a more opportune moment will come. There will be a break sooner or later. They have to hit traffic lights sometime, right? You wait in vein, no opening in sight. A few yards away, a local Hanoian saunters across the road peacefully, without pause. How was that possible? There must be some invisible Vietnamese force field that I just don’t know about. Feeling disheartened, you take a step back and look around. People are staring, as usual. I’ll just go to fruit market tomorrow morning when there’s less traffic. It’s not a big deal.

But wait. It is a big deal. They can do it. Why not me?

…I guess I’ll go for it. You start out strong, one foot in front of the other. But suddenly, you lose resolve and give in to your discomfort. Your pace slows as you meet the gaze of an oncoming biker. His eyes widen. Unable to anticipate your next move, he swerves, causing a disruption in the flow. Recognizing your disturbance, you correct yourself immediately, continuing on your journey and fully giving yourself over to the movement surrounding you. Before you know it, you’ve reached the other side unscathed. I made it! That was all ME.

Learning to cross the streets in Vietnam is like learning to ride the wave of cultural challenges that arise away from home. Somehow everything will work out when you give yourself over to the flow, which I’ve been trying my best to remember as I meet the obstacles that accompany each change of setting. Don’t anticipate, overanalyze, or impose your preconceived fears, hopes and expectations on the situation. Just keep your head up and your eyes open, pay attention to your surroundings and find your place within the current.