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THIS IS A
two-wheeled, petrol-powered
crowd, and we are right in the middle
of it. From our own metal steed — a
Honda scooter, actually — we survey
a sea of helmets stretching out to the
traffic light. Exhaust pipes putter, horns
toot. We ride at a snail’s pace, almost
shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone
else in this narrow lane.
When red turns green we roll forward
en masse. As soon as the traffic speeds
up, it’s every driver for himself; I swerve
left and right, then left again to avoid
pedestrians from nowhere. Then I do
as the locals do: counter-flow into
oncoming traffic, almost snagging a
van with my handlebars while we turn
into another street. Suddenly we are
cruising down a quiet lane, with quaint
little doorways hemming us on both
sides. Kids look out from windows.
Vendors with their conical hats amble
by, oblivious to the mayhem just
around the corner.
“Man, this is crazy!”
Smile
art director
Adi Effendy exclaims from the rear seat.
He is smiling from ear to ear. No, this
isn’t crazy; it’s just another day in Hanoi.
There’s a long list of words that
describe the capital of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, and “calm” or
“sleepy” isn’t on it. Sure, Hanoi can
be busy and noisy — okay, it’s chaotic
— but its own rhythms tell of a well-
defined culture maintained over time.
And it bristles with a rough, blue-collar
character that few other South-East
Asian cities can match.
Tucked away in the country’s
northern end, Hanoi is in some aspects
the opposite of younger, flashier Ho
Chi Minh City. It is a thousand-year-old
neighborhood with firm roots to the
past. For most of the time since it was
founded in 1010, this locale has been
the nation’s center of government.
Saigon down south may revel in its
modern and trendy vibe, but Hanoi
prefers to stay old school with its
largely traditional ways.
THIS PHOTO BY
AARON JOEL SANTOS.
ART DIRECTOR
ADI EFFENDY.
PHOTO EDITOR
LESTER V. LEDESMA.
HAIR AND MAKEUP
HANA OF VEO STUDIO.
STYLIST
JOF SERING.
MODEL
PHAMMY LINH AND THU HA/NEW TALENTS JSC.
CLOTHES
JACKET, CARGO PANTS (UNIQLO); TURTLENECK SWEATER (FOREVER 21); PRINTED TOP (PROMOD); SKIRT (ZARA).
Smile
cover girls Thu and Linh kick
back, Hanoi-style, on a motorbike.
Below: Street peddlers with their
conical hats are a common sight.
09LKH Smile
Ser 4
098-106 Feature 7 - Hanoi.indd 101
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