Hoa Sen’s Halloween 2013: Happy Ghosts & Goblins

If you like LOUD music, plenty of noise, and don’t mind mingle with cadavers, monsters, spiders, or young women in short, short skirts… the place to be last night was the HALLOWEEN  PARTY  for  Hoa Sen’s students.

Ghost beauties

Held appropriately enough in the really haunted house in the Quang Trung compound, across from Hoa Sen’s main campus, and organized entirely by NAVY Sonsfro, a group of mostly Second year students in just one month, this year’s Halloween Party was a sold-out event. Three days before the show, NAVY already had to turn ticket buyers away.  Better luck and move faster next year, folks.

Ghost Hoa Sen teacher

The party was unlike most other events taking place in Việt Nam: NO speeches, NO introduction of presiding guest, or anyone, NO seats – everyone stands for the whole time -, and NO reason given for the party – everyone already knew why they came; just turn the music on really loud and let everyone enjoy.

Snacks, anyone?

Some of organizing group

It was wild, noisier than the rush hour on Nguyễn Văn Cừ Bridge, but surprisingly everyone behaved.  One reason was the large contingent of the organizing team: over 50 students to make it safe and enjoyable for 300 guests.  They did everything, from A to Z, even walking among the revelers with trays of fruits and snacks, like good caterers.  As I write this short comment the following morning, they are still clearing the place, moving the tables, taking down the decorations… and generally returning the place to the souls or ghosts that haunt it 364 other days of the year.

Text & photos by Vu Duc Vuong