My First Xe Ôm Ride in Hanoi

Last spring, I visited Hanoi for the first time. On my second day, I wanted to see the Temple of Literature, but it was too far to walk. The hotel receptionist smiled and said, "You should take a xe ôm." I didn't know what that was. She explained that a xe ôm is a motorbike taxi. In Vietnamese, "xe" means vehicle and "ôm" means hug, because passengers often hold on to the driver!

I was nervous. The traffic in Hanoi was much busier than in my hometown in Canada. Thousands of motorbikes were moving in every direction, and everyone was honking. But I decided to be brave.

The driver was an older man with a friendly face. He gave me a helmet and helped me put it on. Then I climbed onto the back of the bike. "Hold tight!" he said, and we left.

At first, I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was surprised. The ride wasn't as scary as I expected. The driver was very careful, and he moved through the traffic slowly and smoothly. While we were riding, I saw street vendors selling fruit, old men drinking tea on tiny plastic chairs, and children walking to school. It felt like I was inside a movie.

The trip took fifteen minutes and cost only 30,000 đồng. It was cheaper and faster than a taxi. When we arrived, the driver laughed and said, "Now you are a real Hanoian!"

Today, many xe ôm drivers use apps, but some still wait on street corners. When you travel to Vietnam, you should try one at least once. It is the best way to feel the energy of the city.

Grammar Structure (Phân tích ngữ pháp)

• Past Continuous + Past Simple (While + S + was/were + V-ing, S + V2/V-ed): Ví dụ trong bài: “While we were riding, I saw street vendors selling fruit”
• So sánh hơn / so sánh ngang bằng (adj-er + than / not as + adj + as): Ví dụ trong bài: “It was cheaper and faster than a taxi.”
• Modal verb should (lời khuyên) (S + should + V): Ví dụ trong bài: “"You should take a xe ôm."”