It was five thirty in the morning on my second day in Vietnam. Propelled by jet lag and an interest in what lay beyond my hotel room, I headed off to the parklands surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi. I had traveled to Vietnam with a group of faculty and students from Marlboro College with the aim of documenting local uses of urban and rural parks, and I was eager to see what was happening in this popular city space. Arriving at lakeside I encountered a scene abuzz with people practicing tai chi, walking and jogging, playing soccer, socializing on park benches, and buying fresh fruits and vegetables from vendors who had arrived with brimming baskets just minutes before. I settled into this lively scene, opened my notebook, and for the next half hour recorded my observations in the form of written notes and sketches.
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