April 9, 2006

I’ve spent the past few days wandering for hours along the sun-splashed streets of Saigon, Vietnam. Turning left, veering down what looks like a deserted alley, to only be met by a chic French boutique featuring the latest silk fashions. I’ve wandered through the entirety of District 1, from the riverside to the cathedral. I’ve dodged young children on moto-bikes in Cholon, and old ladies push-carting fruit beside stalls selling gigantic lion masks for Chinese New Year. I’ve said “no” to nearly 200 would-be moto tour guides, and about 50 children selling postcards. I just kept walking, for what seemed like miles, in the sweaty, sweltering sun of the SE Asia “hot season.”

I’m not exactly sure what I’ve been looking for – reminders of what I might have seen six years back, faces of people inspiring hope – maybe an indication of what Cambodia might be like in ten years, or is it something resembling familiarity of what “home” feels like. I think by now I’ve completely forgotten that concept.

There is definitely more hope in Vietnam. The “coconut kids” Cedric and I bought ice cream and shoes for during our whirlwind trip of the city seem to be all grown up, and fewer. There aren’t as many children on the street, period. Hopefully they’re in school or have been snatched up by some progressive NGO with the newest “method” for reducing urban poverty. (Btw, that last comment isn’t sarcastic, just realistic – NGOs in Asia are a dime a dozen, and while all intend to do good, I’m starting to wonder if the number of NGOs isn’t really exacerbating the problem in some cases due to dependency, but that’s an “aside” for now…).

There are also several signs of progress here, mostly along the lines of tourism. The little artsy shop that Lisa and I spent nearly an hour in searching for purses, pillowcases, and quilts, is now no longer little, but takes up half a city block. Their things are beautiful, and I highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in Saigon: Authentique Interiors on Dong Quoi. Basic, enclosed storefronts, that once were the anomaly, have been replaced by fancy shopping malls, up-scale cosmetic stores, and funky little shops with simple clothes, but trendy signs that coax you through their doors. Vietnam has definitely got a handle on advertising and “image”. In a country that one would expect to be so strictly regulated due to communism, Saigon is its own free spirit. Even the flashy dinner riverboat decorated with lights in the shape of a fish, that Cedric, “Spanky” (from Road Rules fame), and I ate on six years ago, has a fresh coat of paint and sparkling white table cloths. I wonder, can Vietnam even keep up with its own progress?

Some things feel the same, though. The general sense of the city, the incredible kindness of people, and the heat – I definitely remember the heat. Vendors still sell the red shirts with the bright yellow stars, lighters with Ho Chi Minh on them, and monkeys made out of coconuts. Everyone still wears the conical hats, whether paired with a silky ao dai, or delicately contrasting with that designer pair of jeans and heels. Couples curl up on their motos at sunset, along the curbside of a park. Any patch of green will do (even though they are fewer than before). The cyclo drivers are still trying to rip you off with big full-faced smiles, and handsome men dressed in Vietnamese military uniforms stick out here and ther

I really do just adore Asia, and being in Vietnam has once again reminded me that this region in general, feels more like home than any other place outside the US.