Viet Nam in Transition

[Comanche]

Quick – don’t think about it – just react.

What comes into your mind’s eye when you hear the words “Viet Nam?”

Be honest – was the image you saw little old ladies in conical hats? Was it poverty? Was it war? Was it peasants toiling in verdant rice fields?

None of those images is incorrect – but they don’t tell the whole story.

Viet Nam is no longer considered a poor country. A few ago, the United Nations recategorized Viet Nam from a poor country to a developing country. Sure – there are lots of poor people in Viet Nam and some of them wear conical hats and work in rice fields.



This is one of a small chain of restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City – kinda looks like California, doesn’t it? It’s in Saigon, and as elsewhere in the world, the big cities usually are trendier than other places. Such eateries abound in the upscale areas of Saigon and Hanoi – as well as Pizza Hut and KFC. The name of this place is “Wrap and Roll (and I like it).” Yes, there were some western tourists in the place, but there were also a lot of nicely dressed young Vietnamese professionals enjoying lunch with friends. (Saigon is the old name for the city – it was changed to Ho Chi Minh in 1976 when the country was reunified. Most people still call it Saigon - - Ho Chi Minh City has too many syllables.)




Poor people don’t eat in places like Wrap and Roll – and neither do they drive cars like this. The last time I checked, this Lexus sold for a little over $110,000. Yes – that’s another Lexus parked in front of this one –BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis are common. Most young Vietnamese will tell you they want to own a car, but often they have not thought about where they will park or drive it. The streets of Saigon are positively clogged now.




There may be a severe world-wide recession, but the pace of construction in Saigon gives you no clue as to its existence. Construction cranes are ubiquitous.




The Saigon River is a major port, and another indication of Viet Nam’s continued growth. That may well be Nike shoes being loaded aboard one of these container ships, bound for the trip an athletic shoe store near you. The major industrial area of Bien Hoa is just north of Saigon - the containers arrive at the port via big trucks on a six lane highway.



Then there is tourism – and Viet Nam has invested heavily in tourism. At a time when terror bombings happen in other tourist areas of the world, Viet Nam is one of the safest places to be. European tourists respond in droves, and stay at posh five star hotels such as the Caravelle , which overlooks the old Opera House (built by the French) in the downtown area. Gucci has a store on the ground floor – and most of the customers are Vietnamese, not westerners.




Viet Nam is still primarily an outdoor society – and one that enjoys getting together with friends. Even the young sophisticates of Saigon like to gather for drinks and conversation at night. Need a space to do that? Just put some tables on the sidewalk next to a bank building, add some waiters and food, and enjoy the conversation. Their countryside cousins do the same thing in village markets during the morning.




Honesty demands I tell the whole story. Earlier, I mentioned poverty. There is lots of it in Viet Nam. Yes, the country is developing, but there are still large pockets of squalor – even in burgeoning Saigon. Off the busy Saigon River is a swampy area caused by a big oxbow in the river. Within sight of the skyscrapers live some very poor people. The skyscraper under construction is the same as seen above, but people live in this little shack by the creek. Obviously, these people are not participating in the economic growth.




Curious about that little tin shack built over the water? It’s a toilet – and the creek is the flushing mechanism. Less than ½ mile away are modern buildings with modern plumbing. And tourist boats full of people who will never see the shack.




But maybe your mind’s eye image was one of an old woman in a conical hat. This lady is not old, nor is she terribly poor, but in many ways she is representative of the people in this energetic country. She is warm, friendly – and very hard working. She has goals – and one of them is to be part of an economically strong Viet Nam.

Maybe she even wants to eat at Wrap and Roll.

(My apologies for the quality of the photos. They were processed from JPGs on a laptop with an uncalibrated monitor.)

[Coastal_Mandy]

what a great set... great post all around

[hungt23]

Awesome series, Doug. I love it. Thanks for posting.

[ngoduyviet]

Thanks for sharing again a great set of images Doug, I've been wondering where you've gone :)

My parents are going back to Saigon, Vietnam this summer, unfortunately I can't go due to work. Hopefully one day I'll be able to re-visit again.

[d0ne]

great pictures and stories Doug. I want to visit that place soon :).

[PeteQ]

Very nice overview of the city and its changes.

[Wil_Bloodworth]

Doug,

Thanks for the excellent story and accompanying photos.

- Wil

[Comanche]

Thanx to all for the kudos. Coming from people like Wil and Viet, they are compliments indeed.

I hope to post some more stories soon, but they will be about the more traditional Viet Nam - the photos people expect to see. To my Viet Kieu friends, I wish you were here with me.

I will be in the city of Hue (say whay) for the next month.

[hungt23]

Doug, I love reading your blogs, especially the ones about my native country.
Very informative and excellent pictures as always. Thanks again.
You got a fan for life...

[Comanche]

Originally Posted by hungt23

Doug, I love reading your blogs, especially the ones about my native country.
Very informative and excellent pictures as always. Thanks again.
You got a fan for life...

Thank you, Hung - and yes, I know how to pronounce your name.

I come to Houston on occasion - two of my former students from Hue like to visit Houston to go to the markets. I love to take them because I get to enjoy some really good pho.

[hungt23]

haha, most people don't pronounce it right so I have to go with Kevin...

Let me know when you come to Houston and I'll treat you for lunch. I work close to Bellaire so I know most places with good pho.

[lhdvies]

Just Excellent Doug!!! Thks for your work & documentation!!

[Doctorh]

Hey Doug,

Great series again! Looking forward to talking to you soon
Henry

[Hanky]

I look forward to your book when it comes out.*
*yes i do have hope of it happening

[Comanche]

Originally Posted by Hanky

I look forward to your book when it comes out.*
*yes i do have hope of it happening

Henry - you sound like my wife. She says the same thing.

Actually, a few years ago I did a Blurb book - no great shakes. But what my wife wants me to do is do a book of all the blog postings I have made since 2003 about Viet Nam. My writing was pretty lame then (and doesn't seem to have improved much) and I had few photographs (and those were shot with a Sony Mavica that wrote to a mini-CD). The idea is intriguing.

I also might publish a coffee table book of photos - just photos, no text. I should have enough decent photos for a 10 page book.

Thanx for the encouragement.

Now that I am back, I not only have a bunch of assignments to shoot here, but I also have a multimedia show to put together for the NGOs I shot for. Makes me pine for Viet Nam when I do that.

Thanx -