Letters from Vietnam 4

18 June 2006 – Sunday – Hotel Room – 11:12

This country is living. It is like an organism. It breathes and grows. That is why so many foreigners come to live in Vietnam. They live here and they complain about the life in Vietnam. These two things must be together, otherwise there would not be enough reason to spend time here. Foreigners here complain about the way Vietnamese people live their own life. At the end, this is none of their business because Vietnamese people do not really have interest in ‘Western’ guests’ life styles. Two different societies live together with different perspectives. There is a dynamic, young, enthusiastic Vietnamese population and there is a ‘Western’ population which seeks benefit from this dynamism. The point is they enjoy this dynamism of the society because it makes them feel they are away from their home. If they go back to their home country, they have to face rigid rules of society and individualism. Here, people smile and respect them. The more Vietnamese people start to enjoy ‘Western’ life style, the fewer foreigners will enjoy the life in Vietnam. It will lose its authenticity. Coming to Vietnam must be different from going to Holland or California.

Whenever I pass through the streets, I see large billboards with red background and Ho Chi Minh pictures. They are everywhere. There are also many party headquarters in almost every street. When you look at inside, you can see a few old people watching TV or reading newspapers. There is a table and a few chairs inside the room, and nothing more! I still did not understand the function of these empty places. Are they still working as they worked during the communist party years? Actually, Vietnam is still a socialist country. On the paper, the official name of the country is Socialist Republic of Vietnam. If you walk on the streets, you can see all signs of capitalism. I guess, Vietnam –like China- is in the process of change. It might cause confusion in society until it gets ready to accept the change.

There is another thing whose ‘raison d’etre’ I did not understand. There are some young guys riding bicycle on the streets and they make a mechanical sound to get attention of the passer-bys. I looked at their basket and saw a few metalic tools. I guess they fix something! They might be fixing flat tyres of motorbikes or any other problems. I will ask someone if I see them again.

Walking on the streets is not as easy as I thought. Especially if you are a single man, there are so many interruptions. First, you have to deal with motorcycle taxis. They insist that walking is bad for your health. They also can take you where you want to go because they know the city –and you don’t know. If you can persuade them that you know where you are going or you just want to walk, they use their second weapon. They show you a piece of brochure with pictures of some nude girls. They offer to take you to a brothel. This part is funny because even if you say no and walk away, they shout behind you as if you are getting away due to a failure in negotiation of the price. There is one guy in front of my hotel. He asks me almost everyday and I say him “No” everyday. Neither he gives up nor do I. After second or third day, I told him that I was married and I was not interested in those places. He said ‘sorry’ and I walked away. Next day, he asked me the same thing again. I guess he has a poor memory or he thinks one day I will give up saying no… I should say he is doing his job but I wonder why I look an easy prey for him!

One thing amazes me about Vietnam is cost of living. The incomes of people are not more than those of Thai people, but here cost of living is higher. The rent rates are almost twice as Bangkok. I wanted to rent an apartment with one bedroom and one living room. This costs around 300 – 400 US$ which can be 100-200 US$ in Thailand. I guess, the foreign influence made this country expensive for visitors. There are so many foreigners living here and they can not buy land or apartment. This means Vietnamese people can make money from foreigners easily and even if they increase the prices, there are always some richer people to pay for it. Whenever I meet with a friend in school, we start talking about his/her residence and the rates. What is included in the price? Does s/he have ADSL? How much does s/he pay for electricity and water? Some of the newcomers have already rented an apartment. I am planning to rent an apartment at the beginning of July. Once J comes, we can look for a nice place with a reasonable price. I have been staying in this hotel room and I started to feel extremely confined here. It is one room only and it is on the street of tourists and pimps. Whenever I go out to have dinner or to use internet, I am getting called by the people around me. I prefer silence and privacy. And I want to eat home-cooked food! Going outside three times a day and eating food which I am not get used to are not the way I like. I miss home-cooked Thai food. If I have chance, I will cook myself.

On Sunday, there was a welcome party at the house of vice-president of the university. I went there, had some beers and some grilled beef. There were so many people and because everyone wanted to meet with the new staff, I met with more than 20 people. I can’t remember even a single name! There were two Thai women in the party. They were wives of two academics. One of them was pregnant. The other one was a truly Isan woman, I spoke with her in Thai. I also met with husbands of our Filipino friends, they are both nice guys. Unfortunately, one day before I promised J that I will be available for chat at 7 pm, I left the party earlier. I took a motorbike taxi –again!- and arrived at internet café. J was online and waiting for me… I learnt that she bought a ticket and coming to HCMC on Sunday. I went home with a smile on my face; even the pimps on the street did not bother me…