Sitting in California, remember my hometown

One night, I was on Facebook and reading the news. When I scrolled through every feed, suddenly, there was a website appearing on my page, Rovology, and strangely, it was a website about traveling. They wrote about my hometown, Hai Phong. The article is called "15 Best Things to Do in Hai Phong, Vietnam". I read it and there was a feeling of homesickness began to rise inside me. The article introduced to the readers the best sites to visit in Hai Phong, where are the signatures of this city. I really appreciated the author who did good research and wrote this article to introduce Hai Phong.

Tam Bac River, the most important river in Hai Phong

I left Hai Phong, where I was born and grew up, in 2015 when I was only 15 years old. Even though my years in Haiphong are not too long, the memories of Haiphong still stay inside me every time I feel homesick. This city has raised me up with its foods, its sceneries, its histories, its summers, and its people. All of those combined have made Haiphong into a city never sleeps because it always moves and transforms.

Flamboyant

No one knows why the city is named Hai Phong. The only thing people of Hai Phong knows is the meaning of two words. "Hai" means "sea". "Phong" means "protection".

If talking about Haiphong, I believe we should talk about summer. It is not random that this city is called “the city of flamboyant” known as the Red Phoenix flower because on each side of the street, there are flamboyant trees and its flowers blossom every summer. The people of Haiphong usually describe the flamboyant like a torch of fire which represents the prosperity of the city.

Le Chan Statue

In the downtown city, there is a statue of a female warrior with a sword in her right hand who led the country to defeat the enemies. Her name is Le Chan. With the Hai Phong people, she is sacred and powerful. She is protecting the city Around her statue, it is a walking street that is only for walking and playing. During the daytime, it is used for traffic but at night, it is used for entertainment. When I had free time, I usually came here with my friends to roller skate, selfie, or hang out after a long day at school. We never needed to worry about finding drinks or food on this walking street because surrounding us, there were so many street vendors selling a lot of delicious snacks at affordable prices. It was like a buffet party to us. Also, in this place, I had the first kiss with the first love of my life. Oh, so many memories!

I remember every time when it comes to summer, my family usually took me to Do Son Beach, which is the best escape place. It locates in the suburb of Hai Phong only 12 miles from the city downtown. I love going to the beach there and soaking myself in the water. My mom usually sat on the sand and enjoy her beer with some grill-dried squids. She just wanted to chill. Then, we will enjoy some fresh seafood in a restaurant near the beach. Tell you what, you don’t need to worry about where you should eat because as soon as you got out of the beach, you will meet one.

Cat Ba Island

But to me, Do Son is just an escape place after the hustle and the bustle of the city. The most interesting place to enjoy your vacation is Cat Ba Island. From the Hai Phong seaport, you took a boat to go to Cat Ba. Don’t worry. If you have seasick, you can go by ferry. What I like the most about Cat Ba is the diversity in traveling. Why? Well, whenever you check into a hotel, the first thing you should do is ask the reception for the tour information around Cat Ba, and immediately, they will give you a brochure for reference. You will choose and that receptionist will book you that tour at an affordable price without any worry of not finding anything to do. I like to go to near islands around Cat Ba and enjoy every activity there such as kayak, diving,… And there are many beautiful sceneries to check in and make other people jealous on social media. Another thing I love about Cat Ba was that I could eat and stay there for free without paying a dime because my aunt owns a hotel there. It was a lucky thing for me and our family.

Now, let’s return to the city. My mom had been living in Haiphong for her whole life until she came to the U.S with me. Back in the day, she is a “food blogger”. I said that because she knew every good place to eat. On Lam Son street, nowadays, it has become a food street. On both sides of the street, you can see many food stalls with diverse choices. It is like a buffet.

Banh da cua (crab noodle)

The famous cuisine of Hai Phong is Banh da cua (crab noodle). You can never find that bowl anywhere but Hai Phong. The noodle is red, the soup is stewed from crab, and the topping is crab meat, vegetable, and other topping based on your choice. No one needs to go to a fancy restaurant to enjoy a bowl of banh da cua. I usually love to eat on the street because the food is more authentic and close to me. The recipe has been around for four generations and never lost its flavor.

Banh mi pate

Then, moving to Dinh Tien Hoang street to enjoy banh mi pate with the recipe for over 20 years. What unique about this food is the size of the bread looking like a stick and the pate inside is made only in Hai Phong. This food was only for Hai Phong people many years ago. But not until today, it becomes food for everyone who comes to this city to try out.

Cafe Trung (Egg Coffee)

Not only food, but coffee is also something I miss. I and my friends usually hang out in a coffee shop near school. The shop was always crowded and to find a perfect spot was something impossible. Usually, there was one of us getting out of school right after school ended and getting the spot for us. Otherwise, we could only buy for to-go. The store had the best-selling drink that everyone always want to buy. Cafe trung (Egg coffee). To make egg coffee, they used egg yolk and mixed it up with condensed milk or vanilla to remove the smell of egg and add sweetness. After it turned to thick like cream, they will pour it on top of black coffee. Either it's hot or cold. I never stopped ordering that drink and never got sick of it. Even right now, I know the recipe and I tried to make it. But it is never like the same taste anymore. Sitting in that shop, we talked about so many things (even talked bad about someone), laughed, played cards, or just simply discussed homework. We had so much fun. I feel like I was fortunate enough to have a group of friends like them and to have good memories.

In recent years, Hai Phong has been growing up really fast with many investors from foreign countries which made this city change a lot and, it never sleeps. But no matter how much it has changed, Hai Phong still keeps its tradition and is a pearl of North Vietnam. To me, it is always like a house that I want to come back and visit. Hai Phong always stays in my heart and there is nowhere else that can replace that lovely city.