【推荐1】I remember the day when I first learned to ride a bike. It was a frightening, yet fun experience. My granddad was the one who taught me, and he helped me when I got hurt. The first time I got on a bike, I had no idea what to do, and just about everything went wrong. My granddad told me to just put my feet on the pedals (脚蹬子) and start pedaling. He also told me he would hold onto the back of the bike the whole time, yet he didn’t.

As soon as I started trying to balance myself, he let it go. I happened to look back just then. I was scared to death that I was going to fall and hurt myself. When I was scared, my mind went blank from pedaling, and I just wanted to get off. I forgot how to use the brakes and fell right off the bike. My granddad kept encouraging me to get up and try again, and after about 15 minutes, I finally stopped crying, got up and tried again.

As soon as I started pedaling again, my pants got caught in the chain, and I fell flat on my face and hit my nose. Since that happened, my granddad decided to call it a day and try again the next morning. The next morning, I woke up bright and early, and was very eager to try to ride my bike. My nose felt better, so I wasn’t that afraid of falling anymore.

Though I knew there were a lot of difficulties on the way to mastering the skills in riding a bike, I believed I could do well with my granddad’s help. After all, riding a bike was what I wanted to do eagerly.

【推荐2】Our guide was excellent! He walked us through all the local villages and took extra time at the end to enjoy a local dinner. He stayed with us longer than he was obliged（迫使）to and made this a fantastic experience.

Tour snapshot

Travel is all about the street food these days, and why not？It's fresh, fast, cheap and a great way to crack into the local scene. Join this Hanoi tour to source the best street eats from markets, food carts, street cafes and other hard-to-find-but-totally-worth-the-effort secret spots.

Highlights

Sample delicious Vietnamese cuisine just like the locals do—on the street

Stroll through hidden alleyways and bustling markets of Hanoi's charming old quarter

Learn more about Hanoi's unique food culture

Try local specialties with influences from French and Chinese cuisine

Take in a spectacular night view of Hoan Kiem lake from a secret cafe

Schedule details

Duration：2.5 hours

Meeting point：Sacombank ATM Machine﹣No.1 Dong Xuan street （front entrance of Dong Xuan Market, Corner of Dong Xuan St with Cau Dong St）

Starting time：5：00 PM

Ending point：Café Pho Co-11 Hang Gai St, Hoan Kiem

【推荐3】An old friend from California called from the airport to tell me that he had arrived. I was not able to leave the office, but I had made plans for his arrival. After explaining (解释) where my new house was, I told him that I had left the key under the doormat (门垫). Since I knew it would be pretty late before I could get home, I suggested that he make himself at home and help himself to anything that was in the refrigerator(电冰箱).

Two hours later my friend phoned me from the house. At the moment, he said, he was listening to some of my records after having had a delicious meal. Now, he said, he was drinking a glass of orange juice. When I asked him if he had had any difficulty finding the house, he answered that the only problem was that he had not been able to find the key under the doormat, but luckily, the living room window by the apple tree had been left open and he had climbed in through the window. I listened to all this in great surprise. There is no apple tree outside my window, but there is one by the living room window of my next door neighbor's house!

【推荐1】“It’s over! Thank goodness!”

School was over and I was tired. I sat at the front of the school bus.

Janie, the driver, always tries to break the uncomfortable atmosphere by talking. I try to listen politely, but usually I’m too busy thinking about my day. On this day, however, her talk was worth listening to.

“My father’s ill,” she said to no one in particular. I could see worry in her eyes. I had never seen her like this before. She always meets students with a smile.

With a sudden chance of interest, I asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

With her eyes wet and her voice unusual, she answered, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes lowered as she continued, “I’ve already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can stand losing him.” I couldn’t answer. My heart ached for her.

I sat on the seat thinking of the great pain my own mother was thrown into when her father died. I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through that.

Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver, which was just her job. She had a whole world of family and cares too.

I shouldn’t have been so selfish. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and brushed her off as unimportant.

I shouldn’t have been so selfish and self-centered. Understanding people is an art.

【推荐3】I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Seeing what Mother was doing, I thought that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.

My mother was a kind person, who always showed her love on me in action. However, as a little girl, I only wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter. But such talks never happened. I was sad about it and often rude to her, eager to start a new life somewhere else.

When I had my own family, I came to understand mother’s love. So I wrote to mother and asked if she’d forgiven my rudeness. Then, I posted the letter and waited for her answer, but it never came. I felt disappointed and slowly didn’t care too much about it.

Years later, during mother’s final illness, she left some things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said in a weak voice, “is specially for Elizabeth.” When I cleaned the desk-her present for me, I found a one — page letter inside, folded many times. It was the letter that I wrote years ago.

Then, tears came down, “Oh, dear mom, you’ve chosen the silent act to show you did forgive me and always be proud of my writing. Thank you for your silent love. I love you forever!”