I am loath to leave now I have become familiar with this amazing city. I have discovered the sounds and sights of each district, I can find my way around without a map, negotiating the maze of tiny lanes intersecting the main thoroughfares, and I am recognised with a smile by many on my daily route in and out of the centre. I sense the rhythms of the day, the raucous noise of daybreak, chickens, children and deafening traffic; the peace of the ‘siesta’ hours; and the rising noise of the afternoon, mimicking the morning plus intense cooking smells of every variety to tempt the palate.
I love the way as the sun rises the lunch time quiet descends, hammocks are strung from lampposts, benches, as men, women and children alike lie down for rest and the city slows to a crawl. Although a cosmopolitan place, this is not (yet) a western place, here life is lived in public, eating, drinking, and sleeping, outside in the open, people live within the city, not inside it. This communal behaviour leads to a sense of community and people have reached out to include me and made me feel very welcome.
The traffic still defeats me on occasion, at times my nerve fails me and I cannot bring myself to step into the maelstrom, but inevitably someone will help, often a party member dressed in green will step up, or a blue clad security guard. The pavements, such as they are, are also lethal-used as a scooter park (hence the predominance of security guards, mainly they are for the parking not the shops) and also a road, the slip kerbs are not for pedestrians but for scooters to ride up and down, into the shop of their choice or up the alley nearby………Much of the time I have honestly felt safer on the back of a scooter than on foot, though there have been exceptions!
There are surprises around every corner. Tonight a bizarre sight: amid the swirling traffic, a gathering at the roadside burning effigies. One enormous model of a house was thrown into the flames, confined(ish) within a hammock, household goods, food were also thrown in, dishes broken over the top, and patterns made with jugs above the flames. A Buddhist monk came to say prayers and throw more gold leaf into the fire. I have no idea what was going on, as no one else paid any attention, I think maybe a lucky wish for a new home, but that’s a guess….
Today I made one final museum visit, to the Fine Arts Museum. Having been so moved by the history of this county, I found more empathy this time with the displays of propaganda art still very currant in the city. Most homes and shops seem to display at least one historical artefact representing their struggle for independence.
The modern art appeared to my Western eyes to be about re-representing ancient Vietnam and pastoral traditions. Contemporary abstract work was very limited, every medium continued the theme of old and/or the war. Maybe because Vietnam in the present is increasingly westernised, to the regret of artists? Or maybe because their traditional pastimes and the war at the two principles which make up the heart of what it means to be Vietnamese today?
There were some incredibly moving artwork relating to Agent Orange, which still affects so many people, and I have attached part of one as a picture as it has very much affected me during my time here so far, visiting the rehabilitation centre and seeing also so many people on the streets with disabilities.
And then another massage, as in the city away from the tourist areas are many old style massage parlours specialising in true Vietnamese massage for the price of under a fiver. ..and my legs/hips/knees are struggling with old age and over use!
The first massage last week was first class but this time it was superlative!!
A blissful hour of perfect pressure, the exquisite side of painful.
Refreshed with my street food of durian food and grass jelly drink, plus some pandamom strips for energy (like a sweet parsnip, eaten with spices, I love it-apparently the Vietcong lived on this for years as it was the only food available bar rats), I wandered the streets watching the city lights come on.
In the time I’ve been here, the Tet preparations have become frenetic. Crazy Horses appear at every turn (see pic), enormous structures are being erected in squares and on bridges for the fireworks and parades, and flower markets are springing up overnight.
My walk ‘home’ along a green park has in the last few days become a heaving mass of flowers, orchids in every possible colour, hundreds of red and yellow planted pots –lucky colours- and stalls selling gold and red decorations.
I can’t wait to see how beautiful everything is going to look next week..its like hyper xmas (bizarrely, there are actually brightly light huge xmas trees, fully decorated, here and there, as a nod to westerners!). Everyone is excited, there is a sense of anticipation in the air…though as everyone goes home and everything shuts, this may be the best bit as far as I’m concerned-that remains to be seen. But it’s a fantastic time to be in Vietnam! Happy New Year 2014 shines from every space, even tiny windows glitter with gold. Glittery but gorgeous.
I love it!
Tomorrow I head off to Hoi An for a change of scenery and a beach, I’m looking forward to seeing more of this friendly and fabulous country.
I love the way as the sun rises the lunch time quiet descends, hammocks are strung from lampposts, benches, as men, women and children alike lie down for rest and the city slows to a crawl. Although a cosmopolitan place, this is not (yet) a western place, here life is lived in public, eating, drinking, and sleeping, outside in the open, people live within the city, not inside it. This communal behaviour leads to a sense of community and people have reached out to include me and made me feel very welcome.
The traffic still defeats me on occasion, at times my nerve fails me and I cannot bring myself to step into the maelstrom, but inevitably someone will help, often a party member dressed in green will step up, or a blue clad security guard. The pavements, such as they are, are also lethal-used as a scooter park (hence the predominance of security guards, mainly they are for the parking not the shops) and also a road, the slip kerbs are not for pedestrians but for scooters to ride up and down, into the shop of their choice or up the alley nearby………Much of the time I have honestly felt safer on the back of a scooter than on foot, though there have been exceptions!
There are surprises around every corner. Tonight a bizarre sight: amid the swirling traffic, a gathering at the roadside burning effigies. One enormous model of a house was thrown into the flames, confined(ish) within a hammock, household goods, food were also thrown in, dishes broken over the top, and patterns made with jugs above the flames. A Buddhist monk came to say prayers and throw more gold leaf into the fire. I have no idea what was going on, as no one else paid any attention, I think maybe a lucky wish for a new home, but that’s a guess….
Today I made one final museum visit, to the Fine Arts Museum. Having been so moved by the history of this county, I found more empathy this time with the displays of propaganda art still very currant in the city. Most homes and shops seem to display at least one historical artefact representing their struggle for independence.
The modern art appeared to my Western eyes to be about re-representing ancient Vietnam and pastoral traditions. Contemporary abstract work was very limited, every medium continued the theme of old and/or the war. Maybe because Vietnam in the present is increasingly westernised, to the regret of artists? Or maybe because their traditional pastimes and the war at the two principles which make up the heart of what it means to be Vietnamese today?
There were some incredibly moving artwork relating to Agent Orange, which still affects so many people, and I have attached part of one as a picture as it has very much affected me during my time here so far, visiting the rehabilitation centre and seeing also so many people on the streets with disabilities.
And then another massage, as in the city away from the tourist areas are many old style massage parlours specialising in true Vietnamese massage for the price of under a fiver. ..and my legs/hips/knees are struggling with old age and over use!
The first massage last week was first class but this time it was superlative!!
A blissful hour of perfect pressure, the exquisite side of painful.
Refreshed with my street food of durian food and grass jelly drink, plus some pandamom strips for energy (like a sweet parsnip, eaten with spices, I love it-apparently the Vietcong lived on this for years as it was the only food available bar rats), I wandered the streets watching the city lights come on.
In the time I’ve been here, the Tet preparations have become frenetic. Crazy Horses appear at every turn (see pic), enormous structures are being erected in squares and on bridges for the fireworks and parades, and flower markets are springing up overnight.
My walk ‘home’ along a green park has in the last few days become a heaving mass of flowers, orchids in every possible colour, hundreds of red and yellow planted pots –lucky colours- and stalls selling gold and red decorations.
I can’t wait to see how beautiful everything is going to look next week..its like hyper xmas (bizarrely, there are actually brightly light huge xmas trees, fully decorated, here and there, as a nod to westerners!). Everyone is excited, there is a sense of anticipation in the air…though as everyone goes home and everything shuts, this may be the best bit as far as I’m concerned-that remains to be seen. But it’s a fantastic time to be in Vietnam! Happy New Year 2014 shines from every space, even tiny windows glitter with gold. Glittery but gorgeous.
I love it!
Tomorrow I head off to Hoi An for a change of scenery and a beach, I’m looking forward to seeing more of this friendly and fabulous country.
No comments:
Post a Comment