Independence Freedom Happiness

Just about every contract and legal document in this country has the words 'Socialist Republic of Viet Nam - Independence - Freedom - Happiness' emblazoned across the top of the page. An obvious follow-on from Uncle Ho's iconic "There is nothing more precious than independence and freedom".

Today is the 32nd anniversary of the North's triumph over the 'Western-supported' South Vietnamese government, so graphically memoried by the smashing down of the palace gates in Saigon by the VPA tanks. They had gone for a swift and audacious capture of the capital and ended the day with the end of a long and disgusting war.

And this image, taken by Hubert Van Es, summed it all up. Thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese evacuated the Saigon during the weeks and months before the inevitable defeat. And that CIA helicopter...



When I think about 1975, I think HSC, basketball, getting my license, meeting Hillary, end-of-year speeches, and getting through those damn exams. I think of all my friends, drive-ins, endless card nights, Glen Maggie. Music from Jethro Tull to Minnie Ripperton and lots of Eagles. Blackwater by the Doobies was one of our songs....

Other people were thinking about the end of a tragic struggle; about the re-unification of families and country. People were charging across the Saigon River while I was enjoying my 18th birthday.




I do have memories of the war, of terrible images on the TV. Returned serviceman, reports about Agent Orange. I remember a few years earlier walking in on a conversation between Dad and Dick Aberley...'if we don't stop them here, Communism will just keep spreading,' Dick was saying - reciting the standard American diatribe. Not sure what Dad thought - he seldom spoke of this war and never of the war he was a part of. Maybe that's partly why I didn't have my own position, my own real understanding.

But things were happening all around us - I'm sure.


And today, I admit to not trying to scratch the surface too deeply. Look, I'm sure that there must be resentment and problems between North and South, about the methods and truths of a communist state. (I'm told that many of the old cyclo drivers were proably officers on the wrong side.)


But what I see are proud people that are overtly happy - and very family.



I guess 'Independence Days' are celebrated all over the world in so many countries in so many ways. Interesting that we didn't see any fireworks, hear any beating drums or see marching girls. Kinda different to the Fourth of July. Funny that.

Maybe it's just that the happiness that comes from independence sits comfortably with the Vietnamese people.

Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat, em Karen!!

Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat! Or if you are not speaking Vietnamese too well yet, perhaps you will be more familiar with: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!, Tillykke med fodselsdagen!, Joyeux Anniversaire!, Eytyxismena Genethlia!, Yom Huledet Same'ach!, Buon Compleanno!, Selamat Hari Jadi!, bil hoozho bi'dizhchi-neeji' 'aneilkaah!, Pazdravliayu s dniom razhdjenia! etc etc - I think you get the drift.

Chuc suc khoe ban!

And since it is not polite to mention the number, (and more importantly since we are twins and I'm feeling shy!) I won't say it - at least not in English! So here goes:

عُمرُه خَمسون سَنَه, 五十岁, padesát, halvtreds år, vijftig, viidenkymmenen, vuoden ikä, cinquante ans, η ηλικία των πενήντα χρόνων, ötvenéves, penkiasdešimties metų amžius, femtiårsalder, cincizeci de ani, päťdesiat rokov, petdeset let, cincuenta años, femtio, elli yaşı!

Hey, now everyone (well, at least 18 nationalities) knows! Hope you had a great day. Sorry you couldn't make it over here for such an ocassion, but that's just the way the scorpion crunches. Lots of Love - G&H.

What I miss - part 1

Yeah, the move here has been great - new people, new places, new challenges and new things....But that is not to say that we wanted or needed the new people thing - we love who and what we have already. So, here is just one image of some of the things we're missing - alot.



A great shot of three gorgeous girls (Tess, Maddy and Clio of course) at Monsalvat about a year ago now. The occasion was the hugely joyous marriage of Brennan and Sarah - a great day. And this picture will always bring back lots of good memories.

When Paul and Clive came to town

Paul rings up on a Monday and tells us he is arriving on Thursday for a quick visit. And Wednesday evening, Clive and Helen arrived for a holiday in Vietnam. So, we had a bit of juggling, but it all worked out really well.

Wednesday night we took C&H to Vietnam House, a nice restaurant in the middle of Saigon, then off to Si Hoang for the fashion show (where we took Russell a month or so ago). They did the sights on Thursday, but on Friday, the four of them got together and travelled by car to Cu Chi tunnels.


They saw many of the stark realities of how the Vietnamese drove the invaders home, but they managed to have fun too. Helen certainly enjoyed the semi-automatic! And Paul and Clive tasted the delights of cobra-soaked alcohol. Yuk!
Later that afternoon, we happened to have our usual monthly staff party, which the travellers decided to come along to. It was great to have the boss there to say hello to the group, and to also join us in saying see you later to young Hoang. Actually it was an unusual send off. Not to be out-done by our speeches, she decided to sing a song, totally out there and by herself! A damn fine rendition of 'My Hero' made it quite a unique farwell - thankfully, none of us joined in!





But the work party was just a warm up for Saturday. We took part in the Aussie Big Day Out, which was organised by the Australian Chamber of Commerce here in HCMC. We were sponsors, so we had a hut full of corporatey stuff and lots of happy people. It was a great day with a few thousand people and lots of music, food and drink. Hilly was the queen of the dance floor, I got a face painting and Clive ended up sitting in a dry creek bed (with everyone else!!)

Paul's gone home, Clive and Helen will pass through on Sunday (hopefully to join us for a big birthday breakfast!) and we are primed for the next round!

Setting sail

This one is for you, Donald!

There are a number of shops in District 1 that sell these incredible model boats. Even though they may not be my cup of tea, they are really quite impressive.

And they are very popular! Shop-keepers are often packing these large models away in to cardboard boxes to be shipped (pardon!) home.
And check out those Riva's!



And this late addition to the post is definitly not Vietnam, but is a sneak peek for those following the comments below. Yes, this is Stampede, stripped back to her primals. Nice curves........

Cruising the Delta

Last month, I joined some other women from HCM for a day trip down the Saigon River in to the Mekong Delta area. A really interesting, but noisey, hot and long day on our 5-star (not!) boat.
All along the way, there were boats overflowing with piles of bananas, coconuts and other fruit and many barges carrying huge piles of sand and rock.

More like a highway than a river.

Many of the boats looked like the operator's homes - washing hanging out and pot plants around the deck etc. Perhaps not a bad place to live when compared to a number of the ramshackle buildings along the banks of the river. Some looked as if just one wave would knock them over, sitting in the water, perched on their skinny stilts and leaning against their neighbour!

I am sure that things are changing, but it's pretty obvious that lots of rubbish (read sewage?) goes straight into the river still. Not a pretty colour. (...but I'll keep on Glen's back about this and maybe GHD can help make a difference!)

Once down the main river we were transported through the delta in small boats along a series of canals to the local farms where they grow coconuts, bananas, and other fruit. The boats were rowed by the locals who crouched on deck at either end. There was quite a number of boats maneuvering around each other down these narrow waterways.

For reasons I don’t know (but will find out) all the boats here have eyes painted on their bows.

The farming areas we went to, which were quite densely vegetated still, would have once been full of monkeys, cobras and pythons. But the impact of over-hunting for years has had its toll - not to mention the little issues of Agent Orange and napalm during the American war.



One of the things that they make locally is a coconut candy which we saw being made the traditional way - I’m sure most of it is done in factories somewhere else now and that this set up is just for the tourists who these people rely on for extra income. They also make coconut oil which is a very good moisturizer apparently.
At lunch they served us a traditional meal of elephant ear fish deep fried and served displayed on a plate of greens sitting up as if it was still swimming around. The waitress then pulled it apart for us with chopsticks. They also served the normal spring roll type things and soup.


And yes, this is another picture of my favourite snake - I won't be going back for seconds in a hurry!