Canadian Steven Tait created quite a stir when he was the only foreigner
to enter a writing contest on the history and culture of Hanoi, and to
top it off his entry was written in his own hand on five conical hats.
"My country is 857 years younger than Hanoi," said Tait, a Canadian,
working and volunteering in the field of information technology. "I
admire the capital and I feel very lucky to have lived and worked here.
"Because the city has existed for 1,000 years, I thought it’s a good reason to participate in the contest."
The contest was a joint effort by the Hanoi People's Committee and the Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper.
In order to answer 12 questions asked of contestants, Steve tapped all
available sources, including the internet. He even called on his friends
and colleagues, since some questions were rather difficult.
The more he studied about Vietnam, the more interested he became, he said.
"I thought I would have to do something extraordinary with my entry, so it would express my admiration for the capital."
After many nights of pondering, Tait said it came in an epiphany how
his work should be presented: on the non la (palm-leave conical hat)
which is probably as old as Vietnam itself.
"Conical hats
and long traditional dresses are the specific characteristics we
attribute to Vietnamese people. I feel inspired whenever I see a young
Vietnamese lady wearing them."
Tait spent five hours a day writing his entry, a struggle because his knowledge of the Vietnamese language is minimal.
"I found it difficult to write on the hats because they are round and it required care and patience."
He also enclosed several images of Hanoi to illustrate the text and make it more attractive.
One of Tait's colleagues, Nguyen Thi Phuong, said she was impressed with his work and the conical hat idea.
"Steve Tait is a foreigner, but he is very hard-working and always
wants to learn more about Vietnamese people and culture. He always asks
for help whenever there is something he doesn't know," Phuong said.
It is reported that this year's contest attracted over three million
entries, aged between seven and, believe it or not, 100 years old.
Tait said he joined just for fun, so he was surprised when he heard his contribution had been singled out for special praise.
He said he also wanted to join the Vietnam Idol singing contest.
"Let me check my schedule," he joked./.
