Monsoons and plastic bags

I’ve never really appreciated city planners until a few days ago in Hanoi. I went to Hanoi for a few days for a quick orientation at the CDC with the other ASPH fellow, Kate. We were at a café getting some sandwiches and a monsoon (or what felt like a monsoon) came through and within the span of eating a sandwich the street was completely flooded with some sections waist deep. This is when the city drainage system should have kicked in! We were watching with some amusement as the taxi drivers, motorbikes and bicyclist did risk assessments before barging into the water. Some decided they were going for it and others tried to back up in the middle of the pile up. As we watched the rain fall and the water rise we also were watching the steps of the café disappear beneath the water. When we left I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants and wrapped plastic bags around my feet.

I thought I was a pretty smart but the bags quickly came off and I was quickly wadding in the water with plastic bags full of water. When we got to some higher land I tried to dry off my feet and put my tall, striped socks on with my shoes and walk back through the rain. Usually there are a ton of vendors with umbrellas, plastic sandals or ponchos on the streets. The only vendors open on the way home were the pots and pan vendors, which are just as helpful as those pesky plastic bags!!