The traffic is worst during the rush hour when everyone is attempting to get to work or get home quickly. Some people ride their motorbikes on the pavement rather than waiting in the a traffic jam. The people walking are just as likely to get hit on the pavement as they are crossing the roads at such times. It's crazy. Road users become very impatient, constantly using their horns when there's obviously nowhere to go, even shouting at others to get out of the way. You have to be quite aggressive or you get nowhere.

Another point which is concerning is the increase in the number of cars on the road. People may think that Vietnam is a poor developing country, but in Hanoi there is an incredible number of cars, a lot owned by the government but increasing numbers owned by private individuals. Recently, the government approved a policy to allow second hand cars to be imported, which is only going to add the the congestion in big cities like Hanoi and Saigon.

Food blogger Noodlepie down in Saigon mentions that “he gave up driving a motorbike in Vietnam about three or four years ago” because it gave him ” zero pleasure and mucho stresso”. To see what the driving conditions are like in Saigon, check out the short video on his post.

While the increase in car use and congestion are serious problems, the most annoying thing about the traffic in Hanoi is the way people use their horns. It's a habit which serves no purpose most of the time. A disturbing trend is the fashion for installing air horns on motorbikes. Of course this is not allowed in the city but the traffic police in Hanoi seem to be so overwhelmed by the volume of traffic that little can be done. This is really annoying for other people and sometimes it causes accidents. To avoid the horns, take Our Man in Hanoi's advice and get some driving music together for journeys on the back of a xe om(motorbike taxi).

Recently departed Hanoi blogger, Hanoi Mark, in a post about his “most vivid images and experiences” of living in Viet Nam, captures another unique side of the Hanoi traffic from “under his big plastic poncho raincoat”.

There is definitely something strangely addictive about the traffic experience in Viet Nam especially for foreigners. However, the traffic conditions are seem to be getting worse, not better. It is really worrying to think about what the situation will be like in the next five years or so.

Tet - Lunar New Year in Viet Nam - is the most important festival tradition, observed by all Vietnamese, even those abroad. Every family in Viet Nam, whether they have money or not still tries to buy traditional goods such as flowers, sweets and square ricecakes for this special occasion.

A few bloggers around the country are posting their perceptions on the lead up to the Year of the Dog. Royby, a blogger from Ho Chi Minh city mentions that Tet should bring good luck and prosperity for the following year if…your house is overflowing with food, drink

In my blog, I write that the western New Year festival is not the most important for the Vietnamese; the lunar New Year is the one that every Vietnamese celebrates. The preparation for Tet is chaotic, with shopping being the number one priority. Some Hanoians travel as far as Lang Son, on the Viet nam-China border for supplies where goods are dirt cheap and , of course, made in China. Virtual-Doug, an American blogger currently living in Hue, watches as walls are painted and houses are cleaned in preparation for Tet. There is always a race on for builders to finish all construction work before the end of the year to ensure good luck for the occupants.

For a Vietnamese like me, currently living away from home, seeing everyone preparing their houses, shopping for their children and themselves makes me happy with anticipation. The Vietnamese goverment has banned the use of fire crackers, which is sensible as the injury and death associated with them no longer occurs. However, the local authorities in the big cities do organise official fireworks displays which are attended by thousands of families who want to see in the New Year with a bang!

‘Tet' by Vietnamese God

Southeast Asian Games closing ceremonies' photo by Jove Francisco.

The 23rd South East Asian Games, which recently concluded in Manila this week, were known as the South East Asian Peninsular Games until 1975 when the SEAP Games Federation accepted Indonesia and the Philippines as members. The name was then changed to South East Asian Games. Beside the normal sports, there are some unusual games such as Arnis from the Philippines, Pencak Silat from Indonesia, Wushu from China, Muay Thai (Thai boxing) from Thailand, Sepak Takraw from Malaysia, dance sport and an underwater swimming where the swimmers wear a huge flipper on their feet.

Vietnamese have little interest in the Olympic Games because they don't have much chance of winning a gold medal but we followed the recent SEA Games in the Philippines every day. To Vietnamese athletes, these games are our Olympics and they train specifically for them.

In the Philippines, as the hosts' gold medal count rose, there was controversy when the Thai prime minister supposedly accused the hosts of cheating and poor sportsmanship. The two countries are also sport rivals, particularly in the sport of boxing. The accusations led to much commentary in Filipino blogs. Torn and Frayed in Manila felt that the Thais were just being sore losers: “‘Pikon' is a useful Tagalog word meaning something like ‘bad loser.' There is no direct equivalent in English and I wonder whether there is one in Thai.” Jove Francisco, meanwhile, suggested that the Thai PM was trying to divert attention from his collapsing domestic popularity.

Two years ago, Viet Nam was the host of the 22nd SEA Games and we finished on top of medal ladder. It was one of the most significant events in Vietnamese history, both culturally and in terms of our sporting history. Even though we win lots of medals in a range of sports, football is the king of sports in Viet Nam and the medal we want the most.

While the media flooded our papers and TV channels with football mania, lots of ex-pat bloggers had something to say, too. No Star Where, an American in Saigon, blogs about the street fever and the sad outcome for Vietnam. Our Man in Hanoi's loyalties are divided between England and Vietnam, Newcastle and Hanoi.

On my blog, Vietgod, I write about

Vietnamese fans ride around shouting “Viet Nam Viet Nam”- “Vietnam Vô Đich”(Vietnam are champions!) or shouting the goalscorers' names till 1 or 2 am non-stop and it is a great advertising opportunity for businesses, with many companies paying heaps of money to make ads on TV and in magazines to publicise their businesses. Some others conduct quizzes in the newspapers and on mobile phones. Everybody tries to make some profit from the interest in the games, by standing along main roads selling flags, hats, head bands or make up for fans.

Photo by Vietnamese God.

So, it's over, and again Vietnam lost to Thailand in the football final but we ended up third on the medal table. On to Thailand in 2007!