Vietnam Musings

Awaking from slumbers this morning to the sounds of angels singing. Have I died? I lay completely still for a few more minutes enjoying the frozen moment in time as I ascend to heaven - thinking all the way: "not bad for an atheist".

I gradually realise that this is yet another one of Vietnams early morning wake-up calls. Must be a temple near the hotel celebrating the coming dawn. It is just on 5 am and the dim grey/blue ethreal sky is lightening rapidly. At the same time a gradual cacophony including what sounds like a number of clock bells rises to mostly obscure my heavenly song. Unlike other parts of the country this district has their alarm clock set on gentle.

If you could remove the everpresent backgrund hum of air conditioning fans and the traffic noise Vietnam would have one of the sweetest sounds in Asia. Down south in the beachside town of Vung Tau at an outside restaurant, the relative absence of traffic led to a totally unfamiliar feeling; that of such silence that I could clearly hear the gentle murmurs of conversation from a distant table. Don't try that in Saigon.

On the whole the Vietnamese keep to themselves and will consider your presence with a neutral demeanor. Once you have instigated a social interaction, whether it be a smile or a more significant gesture, such as picking up a dropped possession, their invariable response is one of warmth and acceptance. The general vibe is relaxed, happy and blending with the surroundings. A musician friend I met here described their behavior, as with their music and driving, as bending. It is no accident that the local guitars have a deep V in the fingerboard between each fret to allow lots of freedom with stretching each note. Sitting in a taxi is the most laid back of anywhere I have been in Asia, not just because the traffic is smooth, but because the driver does not create the same air of tension, urgency & aggression found elsewhere.

The driving here suits me; rules but no rules. I would call it pragmatic. My favourite, which takes some getting used to (about 2 hours on my motorbike) is the left hand turn at a busy intersection (they drive on the right hand side of the road so it's the equivalent of the Aussie right hand turn). It's best done by drifting to the centre of the road or even a fair bit into the oncoming lane, not slowing down (slowing is for losers and bicycles), turn hard left into the gutter across and against the oncoming traffic, look for a gap in the head-on-coming traffic, move over into your side of the road gently shoving aside any existing vehicles (except any much bigger than yours) and keep tootling on having happily turned and maintained a good average speed. Cool.