The Vietnam of my Heart
From hills and jungles, from Russian influence to French and with a great sense of humour the country wears away the years with pride. As Russia loses its communist era grip and as America regains its foothold with dollar diplomacy, as oil feilds open up and as the younger generation start to forget the horrors that their forefathers suffered, the country gains a place on the International stage. Industrialists, International Conglomerates and Taiwanese factory owners see potential investment, stock market analyists have added a marker as a place to watch - be careful Vietnam, this may be your undoing.
For most vietnamese, nothing is more important in life than the family and friends around. Brothers look after sisters, children look after their parents and uncles and aunts are looked after by everyone else. Some families may not have much; three, maybe four or more sleep to a room and the only breadwinner is the girl who sells her body to some sad oil worker. But at home of an evening and after the rice bowls have been put away, laughter and smiles abound as they wash away the drudgery of a meagre existence.
In the cities, where the North Vietnamese control the positions of authority, life is a mixture of 'hustle and bustle' and the making of quick dong. The honking of horns, the furiously pedalling youths and the overcrowded mini-buses all meet at street corners, a melley of black smoke and shouting. And watching the action are the thousands, the vietnamese who have not stood up to join the flow, who are content to sit quietly on pavements and in doorways, all just watching the world go by.
Be careful Vietnam, don't lose your identity to the dollar!
Ieuan Dolby
Author and Webmaster at Seadolby.Com
