Buổi Sáng

When the sun finally broke over the mountains surrounding the city, the first few rays of light met eyes that were already open. Sometime ago the noise from the street had woken him. Specifically the high-pitched beeps of the mopeds that swarmed by below, eager to get their riders to where they needed to be.

Once the sun was up, there was no longer a reason to remain in bed, so he began his day. His body was still tired from the many hours in the air - almost an enter day spent confined inside of a metal bullet thirty thousand feet above the Earth. A shower seemed like a fitting way to bring life back to his aching muscles and wash away the haze that was lingering in his head. Unfortunately he was met with luke warm water that barely managed to make it out of the faucet. When he tried to turn up the heat, he could hear the pipes hidden behind the wall begin to shake violently, sending tremors through the floors below. It just wasn't worth the hassle or waking up everyone else in the hotel. He was sure he'd be able to find a coffee somewhere out on the street.

As he stepped out onto the street, his senses were overwhelmed with the activity unfolding before him. When he shuffled into the lobby late last night all had been calm. Streets were empty aside from the occasional person taking a stroll, windows were closed, awnings pulled up close to shops. Yet this morning was unlike anything he had imagined. Thousands of people stretched out before him in all directions. Moving in large masses. All walking with purposes, with places to go - like a giant line of ants scurrying across the city. Even the middle of the street was no different. Hundreds of mopeds scooted by, darting between vans and taxis, beeping away, letting their presence be known. Every intersection looked like there was going to be an accident - all the vehicles converging at once. But as if by some unspoken language or unseen law, traffic flowed without any effort or incident.

Walking down the street he soon saw that there was much more going on than just people shuffling about, trying to continue on with their day. Lined all along the sidewalk were vendors selling all sorts of goods. Foods, jewelry, books, pirated films, sunglasses, herbal medicine. He was in awe - specifically by the fresh produce. There were shapes and colors he had never seen before. And the smells. Rich and voluptuous. The further he walked, the more the aromas invaded his nose. Smoked meats, the saltiness of freshly caught fish, sweetness of recently plucked bananas, confectioners' sugar from the carts that sold friend dough. Each new kiosk he passed presented a new vendor, ducking out and grabbing his arm, trying to persuade him towards their product. He couldn't fully understand what they were saying, speaking too fast for his untrained ear, but they were persistent. Pulling and pushing him, never loosing eye contact.

Slowly but surely and he continued on he was getting used to it. Quickening his pace before each vendor could catch up with him, waving at the children that were running in and out of the leg of everyone passing giggling at their impromptu game, smiling at the elderly men and women that sat on the stoops lining the street, stopping and appreciating everything that was new to him. There was no reason not to. This was a new world to him. He'd be the first to admit that it was utter chaos.

But it was all just so beautiful.