Project Kiem An: Mapping of a Space: Đền Bạch Mã

For our first group project we had to go to an area and map out the space of it. On our map we had to indicate the various places where we could get things done or buy such as: 

- Eating a bowl of pho bo tai chin   

- Eat xoi xeo

- Buy a sports newspaper

- Drink Tra Da

-Buy vegtables

- Buy pork meat

- Play baminton

- Report a crime

- See a doctor

- Go to a pogoda

- Get your shoe shine

- And the list goes on etc.....

My experience of this place was simple but yet fun. The area is located near the old quarters, so to me, the Old quarters is a lot more fun and exciting area. There are many shops, vendors, people, and things to do. Den Bach Ma was no exception. It was close to the areas where we like to go clubbing and bars like Club Jam, Dragonfly, Red Lounge. Passing by these places, I was like, "oh! I didn't know it was so close to here!!" The neighborhood borders on various streets where we had to walk up and down to get there, but everything that we needed to find was extremely close to one another. Other groups took maybe 4 hours, while we just took 2. The hardest ones were probably the key makers and playing badminton. We thought we couldn't find a police station so we walked around looking for one and asking where it was located only to find that there was one right next to the temple and around the area, there were like 3-4 of them, which shows how much you can report a crime. 

Den Bach Ma made me feel very easy  in a sense. Maybe it was because we chose to go in the evening at a cooler time, or that the area was familiar to us. Once I saw Dragonfly and Club Jam, I was ya! I know this place. It wasn't hectic or crazy or nervous walking around that area. The area had an active feeling to it. Not busy in a sense where it's chaotic, but people were going about their own business and people didn't mind us asking the prices even though we didn't buy anything. It was just lively.

I don't think I would want to live in Den Bach Ma however. Not that there's anything wrong with  the place, but I just don't want to live in such an open area. I'm use to the suburbia of California, and would want my kids to grow up somewhere like that too.