A Kind-Hearted Hanoi

This past April, I had the chance to visit Hanoi. I had been there a few times in previous years, but it was either for work or just brief stopovers — never enough time to truly explore. This time, it was a real holiday, a chance to get to know Hanoi better.

And on this trip, there were at least three acts of kindness that stayed with me.

T, a cheerful and talkative Xanh SM driver at Nội Bài Airport, picked me up on arrival. On the way, he asked for my phone number to connect via Zalo, and offered to pick me up on my return day. I hesitated — my plan was just to book any available car on the app when needed, and I wasn’t sure if he could make it on time. Plus, I didn’t know how the cost or process would work if I booked him directly instead of through the app.

Still, I added him on Zalo. On the day of my flight back, I messaged him a few hours in advance, and he showed up 30 minutes early to wait for me. When I got in the car, he guided me to book through the app and, thanks to him, I discovered a feature that connects passengers directly with the nearest car. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself — “Some app designer I am, huh?” He even kindly reminded me to apply all the discount codes before confirming the ride.

***

Joining me on this trip, my partner organized a Design Workshop to mark his first time in Hanoi, and I came along to help. Also assisting us was V, one of his students, born in the 2000s.

Because the event was promoted and prepared on short notice, we faced several unexpected issues — venue setup, attendee numbers, equipment in the room, and coordination. But V surprised me: he arrived earlier than all of us, proactively arranged seating for guests, handled tech issues, and even paid attention to each person’s comfort in the room. Such huge energy radiating from his slender frame.

I later learned he had just flown back from another province after the holiday break, and his home wasn’t anywhere near the workshop venue.

***

A is a friend I met in Hanoi during a work trip years ago. We didn’t think we’d meet this time because he had gone back to his hometown for the holiday and wasn’t due back until later. But on my very last day in Hanoi, he managed to return in time to invite us for lunch.

He thoughtfully chose a restaurant serving traditional Hanoi home-style meals — exactly the kind of food we hadn’t yet tried despite days of exploring the city’s cuisine. And as if that wasn’t enough, he surprised me again with a bag full of Hanoi specialties — precisely the ones we’d wanted to bring back to Saigon but hadn’t bought yet.

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I have nothing more to say than a heartfelt thank you to my kind friend — Hanoi. Until we meet again on a bright, blue-sky day.

And right now, in my head, I can still hear my favorite song from my early days learning music:

🎵 “Em nghe chăng trong lắng sâu nơi hồng trái tim mình

Hà Nội mùa thu ôi sao xuyến trong lòng ta...” 🎵