Goodbye Australia, Hello Vietnam

I have now been out of Australia and in Vietnam for just over three weeks. My time in Darwin was hardly noteworthy, as all I really did was work and save money.

Vietnam is rejuvenation. Since arriving we met up with my good friend Lauren and made our way on the tourist track for a week or so, from Saigon to Nha Trang (known for its beautiful but packed beaches), and Hoi An (quaint but popular, many tailors eager to make custom clothes for cheap). All very fun destinations, but the adventure is amplified once you get off the tourist track, where many people don't speak any English, even on the tour buses. George and I went to Kon Tum, an inland city an overnight bus away from Hoi An. We stayed there for a few days and enjoyed a vegetarian restaurant where we communicated with the family who owned it mostly by pointed at words in our phrasebook and saying the few words that we know. From there we arranged a homestay in a small village with Bahnar people. The family we stayed with knew neither Vietnamese nor English and our place was uncertain, but getting to see how they lived and walking around the village (many "helllloooooo"s from the kids) made the experience worthwhile. Not to mention the genuine smiles from the family.

Now we have been back in Saigon (officially called Ho Chi Minh City) for a couple weeks. Lauren introduced us to a nonprofit organization called Smile Group and we have gotten the opportunity to volunteer with them during our time here. The children are incredibly bright, positive and friendly. We play many games together and they are always eager to teach some Vietnamese :) Since it is now the summer holiday some of the leaders are going away, and asked George and I if we would like to house sit for them for a few weeks until we leave Saigon. I'm honoured to be given that opportunity, and look forward to playing with their cats.

There are some interesting things in Vietnam that force me to look at culturally accepted things in my home country differently. One example of this is whitening cream, which seems to be quite popular and you see many ads around town for it. I wonder why having lighter skin is desired. Is it because traditionally the more elite have lighter skin, because it is the lower classes that get darker from working out in the sun? How much does Western culture, dominated by Caucasians, affect this desire? There are also many ads featuring a Vietnamese woman paired with a Caucasian man. At first the idea of whitening cream seemed rather creepy and unnatural to me. But then look at Western countries, and how incredibly popular being tan is. Tanning beds, tanning cream, do we ever stop to think about the unnaturalness of these things?

Another thing you see often that I didn't expect, but does make sense, is facemasks. Because of the pollution here you see many people around town wearing facemasks, especially when they are riding on motorbikes. Motorbikes are everwhere. Very few people seem to walk or drive a car around the city, but on any street you will see dozens, usually hundreds of motorbikes. They outnumber cars at least 20:1. The sidewalks are lined with parked motorbikes. When in transit the motorbikes will hold literally anything they can. The highest number of people I have seen on a single bike is four, two of them being children. The most fascinating thing I have seen on a motorbike is 30 geese, hanging upside down by their feet.

Upon arriving in Vietnam, and in travel books, there were many warnings about theft. Despite attempting to be as careful as possible, within one week my camera was stolen (in Nha Trang, known for theft), and in another two my purse was stolen while riding a xe om (motorbike taxi) home in Saigon, also known for theft. It is unfortunate and inconvenient, but all I can do is take these experiences as lessons learned.

Comments and questions encouraged!