Night Light

Would it be silly to say my favorite part of the day is night? Not the middle of the night, but just as the sun sets and the street lights flicker to life, and waiters light candles on cafe tables. It is the time of day, when people have not yet closed their drapes or blinds and passerby’s get a glimpse of hidden lives inside the houses along the street, like a stage play or the frozen minute in an Edward Hopper painting.

Night during Tet in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia is all about lights and bringing hope and warmth to the new year and a unified defense against the long Winter nights. Not that Vietnam has too many cold nights, but the idea is not lost when you walk under the hundreds of lanterns strung across nearly every street.