We have been in Vietnam for ten days now - less than the amount of time that we spent here when we traveled through in 2013 - but this time, there is definitely a greater feeling of permanence. I think the yearlong buildup to the move, the months of full-time Vietnamese language learning, reading book after book trying to get a jump on this place and, of course, all those bowls of pho we ate in preparation for the real thing all created an immense build up to our arrival. By the time we landed here last Friday, there's no way our arrival could have matched our level of anticipation.
In 2013, we arrived in Vietnam after four months in China and an overnight bus-ride to the border. We hadn't spent much time anticipating what Vietnam was going to be like. Our first order of business was to check our gmail accounts and youtube without interruption and order a bowl of pho. Relative internet freedom and somewhat more familiar food gave us a high that developed into an outright love affair with Vietnam over the two weeks that we were here. But this time, our arrival didn't achieve quite the same climax. First, we were delayed flying out of Hong Kong; United Airlines iced us colder than a field goal kicker lining up with 5 seconds left on the clock. We spent an extra night in Hong Kong and made our flight into Vietnam the next morning. The 12 hour delay threw everything off. And when we got off that plane, we were wearing formal clothing: a long sleeve shirt with a collar and all kinds of buttons, tucked into snugly fitting trousers that covered me down to my ankles, where socks and leather shoes took over. This climate was designed for flip flops, mesh shorts and tank tops. Anything more than that will suffocate you. (As an aside, anytime anyone back home asks about the weather, I want to play them this clip from "Good Morning Vietnam".) Luckily, our commute is a short walk, so I think I can manage that without completely saturating my clothes.
Finally, instead of relishing the relative freedom of Vietnam (compared to China) and enjoying a nice big bowl of pho upon arrival, we were greeted with mountains of bureaucratic paperwork. Naturally, there were also plenty of perks that came along with arriving in Vietnam as a diplomat in 2015 compared to a backpacker in 2013. We had a ride from the airport in an air conditioned van; a big, furnished apartment in the middle of town stocked with food, and a community waiting to welcome us. I can't imagine any better way to enter a foreign country than by being greeted with friendly faces.
This is all to highlight the differences in our new way of life - I certainly do not have any complaints, it will just take a little adjusting, that's all.
Last week was a particularly interesting time to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. April 30 marked the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam. Here, it was a cause for official celebration. In America, I think it passed with more pain and reflection on past mistakes. Here, there was a military parade, numerous floats cruising down streets strewn with banners exclaiming "40 years." Dancers and acrobats performed for dignitaries just a few blocks from our apartment where, in 1975, a North Vietnamese tank entered the presidential palace and declared an end to a divided Vietnam. Just a few hours before that tank entered the presidential palace compound, the last few American Marines departed the U.S. embassy, ending a 48 hour helicopter evacuation of Americans and all the South Vietnamese citizens that they could manage. This past Thursday, on the 40th anniversary, about a dozen of those marines returned to the former embassy grounds (the site of the current U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City) to remember two marines who were killed during the evacuation. It was a solemn occasion and a stark reminder of the legacy that we follow here in Vietnam as U.S. diplomats. The contrast between the celebrations going on over the consulate wall and the somber reflection happening within the wall was striking.
But I really have to stress the word "official" when describing the celebrations. This wasn't a fourth of July type party where everyone was out on the street whooping it up. The sidewalks were mostly empty and shops were closed up in accordance with the letters that went out advising people not to leave their apartments during the parade. The celebrations were televised and that was how the population was supposed to observe them. We were even discouraged from watching from our balcony or windows. This celebration wasn't really FOR the people of Vietnam, it was for the unity of Vietnam.
To be fair, we ended up leaving our apartment and watching the parade from the sidewalk in front of our apartment the morning of April 30th and nobody stopped us. We even took pictures of the soldiers as they marched by. Hundreds of police and military personnel lined the streets but nobody did anything to stop us. There were other Vietnamese people out watching, too, so we didn't just get a pass because we were foreign. I think the "orders" to stay inside were really just suggestions. I can only imagine the negative publicity that would have followed if policemen had forced residents back into their apartments, forbidding them to watch the parade marching by their front doors. By the looks of the thin crowds outside though, enough people heeded the warnings and stayed inside. It was a clever trick by the authorities: issue a draconian order with the hopes that a majority of the people self-enforce. I imagine that tactic is used a lot here.
At first, I compared the April 30th Reunification Day to our own July 4th. But that's not exactly right. Vietnam's independence day is September 2, when Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France in 1945. After having experienced April 30th here myself, I think I would compare it more to our own April 9 - the end of the Civil War at Appomattox Courthouse. I tried to imagine how April 9 was in, say, Richmond, Virginia, in 1905, 40 years after Grant surrendered to Lee. I can imagine that different segments of the population observed the day quite differently; some with triumph, some with weary sadness and some with ambivalence, more eager to forget about it and just move on. That was at least the mixture of sentiments that I observed on April 30 here in Ho Chi Minh City. It's funny, my first blog post about Vietnam was about how traveling through this country was like traveling through the various stages of historical economic development. Here I am, two years later using my experience in Vietnam to look back in time in a completely different way. I can't wait to see what else Vietnam has to teach me about time traveling.
In 2013, we arrived in Vietnam after four months in China and an overnight bus-ride to the border. We hadn't spent much time anticipating what Vietnam was going to be like. Our first order of business was to check our gmail accounts and youtube without interruption and order a bowl of pho. Relative internet freedom and somewhat more familiar food gave us a high that developed into an outright love affair with Vietnam over the two weeks that we were here. But this time, our arrival didn't achieve quite the same climax. First, we were delayed flying out of Hong Kong; United Airlines iced us colder than a field goal kicker lining up with 5 seconds left on the clock. We spent an extra night in Hong Kong and made our flight into Vietnam the next morning. The 12 hour delay threw everything off. And when we got off that plane, we were wearing formal clothing: a long sleeve shirt with a collar and all kinds of buttons, tucked into snugly fitting trousers that covered me down to my ankles, where socks and leather shoes took over. This climate was designed for flip flops, mesh shorts and tank tops. Anything more than that will suffocate you. (As an aside, anytime anyone back home asks about the weather, I want to play them this clip from "Good Morning Vietnam".) Luckily, our commute is a short walk, so I think I can manage that without completely saturating my clothes.
Finally, instead of relishing the relative freedom of Vietnam (compared to China) and enjoying a nice big bowl of pho upon arrival, we were greeted with mountains of bureaucratic paperwork. Naturally, there were also plenty of perks that came along with arriving in Vietnam as a diplomat in 2015 compared to a backpacker in 2013. We had a ride from the airport in an air conditioned van; a big, furnished apartment in the middle of town stocked with food, and a community waiting to welcome us. I can't imagine any better way to enter a foreign country than by being greeted with friendly faces.
This is all to highlight the differences in our new way of life - I certainly do not have any complaints, it will just take a little adjusting, that's all.
Last week was a particularly interesting time to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. April 30 marked the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam. Here, it was a cause for official celebration. In America, I think it passed with more pain and reflection on past mistakes. Here, there was a military parade, numerous floats cruising down streets strewn with banners exclaiming "40 years." Dancers and acrobats performed for dignitaries just a few blocks from our apartment where, in 1975, a North Vietnamese tank entered the presidential palace and declared an end to a divided Vietnam. Just a few hours before that tank entered the presidential palace compound, the last few American Marines departed the U.S. embassy, ending a 48 hour helicopter evacuation of Americans and all the South Vietnamese citizens that they could manage. This past Thursday, on the 40th anniversary, about a dozen of those marines returned to the former embassy grounds (the site of the current U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City) to remember two marines who were killed during the evacuation. It was a solemn occasion and a stark reminder of the legacy that we follow here in Vietnam as U.S. diplomats. The contrast between the celebrations going on over the consulate wall and the somber reflection happening within the wall was striking.
But I really have to stress the word "official" when describing the celebrations. This wasn't a fourth of July type party where everyone was out on the street whooping it up. The sidewalks were mostly empty and shops were closed up in accordance with the letters that went out advising people not to leave their apartments during the parade. The celebrations were televised and that was how the population was supposed to observe them. We were even discouraged from watching from our balcony or windows. This celebration wasn't really FOR the people of Vietnam, it was for the unity of Vietnam.
To be fair, we ended up leaving our apartment and watching the parade from the sidewalk in front of our apartment the morning of April 30th and nobody stopped us. We even took pictures of the soldiers as they marched by. Hundreds of police and military personnel lined the streets but nobody did anything to stop us. There were other Vietnamese people out watching, too, so we didn't just get a pass because we were foreign. I think the "orders" to stay inside were really just suggestions. I can only imagine the negative publicity that would have followed if policemen had forced residents back into their apartments, forbidding them to watch the parade marching by their front doors. By the looks of the thin crowds outside though, enough people heeded the warnings and stayed inside. It was a clever trick by the authorities: issue a draconian order with the hopes that a majority of the people self-enforce. I imagine that tactic is used a lot here.
At first, I compared the April 30th Reunification Day to our own July 4th. But that's not exactly right. Vietnam's independence day is September 2, when Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France in 1945. After having experienced April 30th here myself, I think I would compare it more to our own April 9 - the end of the Civil War at Appomattox Courthouse. I tried to imagine how April 9 was in, say, Richmond, Virginia, in 1905, 40 years after Grant surrendered to Lee. I can imagine that different segments of the population observed the day quite differently; some with triumph, some with weary sadness and some with ambivalence, more eager to forget about it and just move on. That was at least the mixture of sentiments that I observed on April 30 here in Ho Chi Minh City. It's funny, my first blog post about Vietnam was about how traveling through this country was like traveling through the various stages of historical economic development. Here I am, two years later using my experience in Vietnam to look back in time in a completely different way. I can't wait to see what else Vietnam has to teach me about time traveling.
Look at this; another reason we should all be seeking a better understanding of the American Civil War.
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting, the way in which the parade was conducted. It is curious.
I have zero constructive feedback in these comments, but it just seems like the supportive thing to do. I hope things are well. Emily says hi. I don't though.