Reclaiming the streets...

The length of the country things are changing and quickly. Recent stories describe a number of dramatic changes, which if they are really enforced could impact on many low income workers. Firstly, the baffling ban on modified vehicles.

Already delayed until June (as described here), the impending new rules mean one less obstruction on the busy streets, but a possible end to employment for many. As the article says,

The ban will affect some 60,000 people in the city whose livelihoods depend on these modified vehicles, among which is the famous cyclo.

A large number of city dwellers will also suffer since these vehicles perform many essential services like collecting garbage, selling food and vegetables, and transporting goods.

Another aspect to be concerned about is the practical one. These modified vehicles are the only ones able to squeeze through Saigon's maze of alleyways to deliver items, collect trash and much more. Commentators are shocked that the government is considering this without any viable alternative forthcoming. Of course other forces could be at work, as suggested by this editorial.

Up in the north there's a storm over the street vendors.

This story was reported all over the world in newspapers and online news sites, with a headline something like : Hanoi to ban street vendors. See this story here from Thanh Nien called Sidewalk Shuffle.

The idea is to 'reclaim' the streets. The article says :

'The impending ban of Hanoi vendors from street side space raises public frustration over policies targeting low-income laborers.'

The city has already backed down once, the ban now coming into force on Feb 20th, significantly, after TET holiday (see the article 'Hanoi's street vendors given temporary reprieve'

In an interview with Thanh Nien, Nguyen The Thao, chairman of the Hanoi People Committee, said street vendors could be permitted in some alleys and lanes.

“City officials believe sidewalks must be returned to pedestrians,” Thao said.

Ahh the sidewalks. Saigon actually has some great sidewalks. Wide and well paved.

Of course the problem is, as pedestrians, most of the time they are difficult to navigate. That and the heat just puts me off walking anywhere in the city. Here's some typical sidewalks from the city center.

And here's some opinion on the issue from Viet Nam news, do street sellers get up your nose? Streets with street traders are increasingly becoming targeted by police. This article by Clare Walters in Thanh Nien (my favorite news source by the way) describes what is happening : Reclaiming the streets takes its toll on locals.

Slowly but surely, familiar sights are disappearing. This street used to be packed full of market stalls :

I'm not claiming the stalls have been permanently removed, but restrictions are tightening. The question is this: reclaiming the streets, the roads, the sidewalks, is it a necessary part of this country's development? I won't allow sentiment to get the better of me, and I am sure this is inevitable change which will lead to more organized, less chaotic cities (read KL, Singapore...). On the other hand, I'm sure that as usual the restrictions will be hard to police properly and that the total disappearance of cluttered sidewalks, street vendors and spluttering three wheeled delivery vehicles is still a long off. Watch this space.

Bikes

Nothing more than a personal post, to show all my family and friends my new motorbike. I always remember a conversation with Jimmy Thong, who upon asking moi what kind of bike I guided around these uneven streets, seemed mortified when he found out it was a Nouvo, the same kind driven by none other than Linux-worshipping blog man Kevin Nezumi Miller.
It struck me that of course those who drive certain types of car back home have a particular image - for example, a Ford Mondeo driver would be your sales executive/middle manager with his suit jacket hanging up in the rear window. A VW golf or a Peugeot 205 was a boy racers car, and a Range Rover brings to mind farmers, shotguns and wax jackets. Anyone driving a Skoda or a Citroen were just ridiculed. So is it the same with motorbikes in Vietnam?

The Classico shown above - driven by a new generation of young city women. Confident, well educated and free. Or something like that. Make up your own mind about those Honda @ drivers...they are a real mixed bunch. The battered old Wave is the territory of the state Uni student...etc etc. So, judge not lest thy be judged yourself, what does this bike say about me I wonder? A freshly sponged Future Neo, 23.something million. Dong.

Our Cooking Class in Saigon

Cook is my company's cooking class in Saigon, and by far our most popular pursuit by hungry, knowledge thirsty tourists. They love the opportunity provided to them to be able to visit someone's house as well as have the cooking experience. Other classes offer the market shopping as do we, but we choose a local market near the chef's house. One local business woman who runs a successful cooking class for tourists told me they only went to Ben Thanh, because it wasn't safe at local markets. Tosh! Anyway the whole idea of our services is to get away from the crowds of tourists.

We've had a lot of satisfied customers -- in fact all of them, and it is thanks to the hard work of our part time students (who are fantastic) and the chef's knowledge, skill and hospitality. Here are some shots and some of the feedback we have received. All the pictures are from customers themselves.

One of our first customers :

Dear Chi,

Thank you so much for a wonderful day that we had with your cooking class.

It was very enjoyable and we all had a great time. It was fun, informative, educational and most of all - delicious! I can't think of anyway to improve it really.

All in all, it was a great day and very memorable experience. Please pass on my regards and thanks to the family that were so kind to allow us into their home to share some of their culture and food with us.

Not blowing our own trumpet, but:

Dear Connections,

I was one of your first customers and sampled a market excursion / cooking class. I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating you on what was a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience. The family who hosted the class could not have been more hospitable in welcoming us into their home. The class was efficiently and professionally conducted with a range of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The finale was sharing a delicious meal together at the conclusion. I will recommend your company highly to all and any vistors to Saigon.

The "Cook" session was an absolute delight! From the visit to the local market (where we were able to photograph unfamiliar ingredients!) to the warm welcome from the very talented Nghia and her family. We learned so much, laughed a great deal, enjoyed a delicious lunch and can't wait to try out our Spring Roll recipe and our new-found skills here at home. Many thanks.

Bot Chien

In the search for potential venues for our Dine packages I finally managed to try some Bot Chien, a dish that always garnered my interest when I saw magazine columns regarding it. It looked Western to me, like fried squares of potato with fried egg on top. Mmmm just add a little salt and vinegar and tuck in, I thought. Here's a menu:

Thanks to my wife for the translations. Bot Chien is fried rice flour, Nui Chien is fried pasta and Khoai Chien is Indian Taro and rice flour, fried.

Bot Chien being prepared:


My plate, which was a combination of all three I mentioned above. Very tasty, and very, very cheap (10-15,000 VND a plate).

This place was on Vo Van Tan, where a few steamy Bot Chien places reside (the District Ten side of CMTT).

Queuing

London, England.



People queue. British people are famous for queuing. We queue just to get into another queue. We queue to ask about where we should queue. We separate queuing people with ropes and guide them with signs. We spilt queues when they get too big and start them again on somewhere else. We zig-zag queues to accommodate all the queuing people. Personally I had forgotten about this phenomena. However frustrating a queue may be, I prefer it to total and utter disorganization - i.e. Viet Nam. Not to say Vietnamese are disorganized, it is all for a reason...

Mounting experience with Vietnamese bureaucracy, most recently the registration of a motorbike, has exposed me to the systems within it. And the one rule of Vietnamese bureaucracy is : I don't know if there are any rules actually. Registering a bike seems like it should be a formality. It isn't. Arriving on a narrow main road deep into Binh Thanh District, a shop on one side of the street is the 'fixer'. Despite being a privately owned business, ALL bikes being registered must visit this place first (or one of the shops offering the same service). I'm sure the following scene is repeated throughout the city. Around ten young men work in the shop, along with the older administrative staff. They take off the front panel on the bike where the serial number is and prepare some paperwork for the police station across the road. Of course, no queue here. Just a 'who can shove to the front and get someone's attention first'. With roughly three new motorbikes arriving every minute, it's a lot of fun. Once they have done their bit and claimed 80,000 for 'insurance' (although I am not holding out hope of a payout), you can take the bike across the road to see the police, who read the number. Again, the 'queue' is just a stressful crush of bikes attacking a small portal from all angles. After this it's back across the road to the shop, where they offer to attach your numberplate to the bike (and make a killing by overcharging, a local garage will do it cheaper).

Stress. A queue is stressful, but a non-numbered, non-queue, non-order system? Which would you prefer? Some are catching on - Vietnam airways have a numbered ticket system, but you often see customers unfamiliar with it. In the government office for registration of births, deaths and marriages there is a numbered ticket system. In the office for registration of business licenses, there is not. What there is : no air conditioning and a small waiting room crammed full of, on estimate, about 200 people everyday, all with no system as to who is next.

Corruption. The guys in the motorbike registration 'shop' pay the police to provide this service. We 'pay them' as does the garage who sold the bike to us. Essentially, it is around 20 jobs and a lot of money changing hands simply so a lot of money changes hands. The whole registration system could be overhauled, computerized, not even touched by the consumer. Bikes should be plated by the time they reach the showroom -- but then who's going to make any money out of that? The guys in the business registration office -- they are on (seriously) low salary, so they have to make more money somehow. How are you going to get served quickly? You have to know someone. How do you know someone? You get an agent to help you. They do the paperwork, and as part of their job, they should have a contact (who obviously they pay). Problem is, some wily people change the staff in the office every three months, so you've got to be on the ball. We had an agent, but after a recent staff change he was stuck and Chi waited one whole afternoon and a morning before being served. The staff in the office have another trick up their sleeve to make money - they pass on your details to the newspapers. By law, a new company must make three announcements in a newspaper. Suddenly, the same day as your application was processed, newspapers start calling asking for you to place your announcement in their paper. Says something about your rights of privacy here as well! So, once again, an overhaul of the system would mean a lot of people (office staff, agents, journalists) lose out on a lot of business. It is not so easy to dismantle the apparatus of corruption, millions will be affected.

It is only the government who can set an example, starting first with their administrative offices, and show the people that they respect them, they are honest and they are professional. After being talked to (once again) like a piece of discarded rubbish by a customs official at the airport, a guy probably younger than me but feeling extremely powerful in his green uniform, and after experiencing all of the above, it is clear to see that Vietnam still has a long way to go. And I'm not even referring to my own standards, my wife and her friends discussed the bike registration system last night, lamenting the fact that it has not changed a single bit in the last five years - "no improvement" they murmured sadly. Someone, somewhere, has to be motivated for change but, stuck in a system of payoffs, kickbacks and shortcuts, who would risk their livelihood, no matter how they make it, to battle such an enormous system that pervades almost every aspect of society?

To London and Back

Well the trip did include London, and it sounds better in the title than 'To Bournemouth and back'. Back to cool, cool Saigon weather, temperatures hovering between 20 and 28 degrees centigrade. A far cry from the -1 that was the ground temp when we landed. Actually I kind of enjoyed it and was pleased to remember that it isn't the cold that's the problem, it is the combination of cold with wind and rain that causes the abject misery.

Roads and space. That's what we have. Miles and miles of smooth, silent motorways. Yes, there's a lot of countryside in Vietnam, but it just seems so inhospitable. Too hot to enjoy it. England has gorgeous walks, public footpaths dissect through farmland, access is for all. From twig cracking to sunbathing, all seasons are outdoor friendly, on a nice day. People have such space down in Bournemouth -- houses laid out neatly with front garden and back. Birds twitter in the trees, and the off the main roads the streets are deserted. Where are all the people! The noise as well, is deathly quiet. Sit round the table with a hot cup of tea and all you can hear from outside is the clock ticking and the boiler creaking. You could hear a squirrel fart. Hardly HCMC. Cars drive in odd markings called lanes, and wait at red lights even when nobody is crossing. Why? Cause that's just what you do. People are so polite. Even a man with tattoes across knuckles, neck and skull would apologise profusely if he got in your way in the shop...listen in a British department store and you will hear Please, Thankyou and Sorry, within a few seconds. I guarantee it.

People call Britain the 'nanny state', because they feel the government does too much for the people. All I can do is to repeat the first loud speaker announcement I heard upon arrival at Gatwick airport - 'Please be advised that in the interests of safety children are not allowed to ride on the baggage trolleys. Thank you'. Totally random, I thought.

Some shots of the beauty of Dorset coming up.

Looking back towards Bournemouth and seven miles of beaches across the bay from Hengistbury Head

Christchurch Priory

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, right on my doorstep. This is Old Harry Rocks.

More Jurassic Coast.

Corfe Castle from the gardens of the Banks Arms pub.

Old pub on historic Poole Quay. According to www.poolequay.com, the Quay has a history of ships docking and trading goods since the 16th century. Many of the original buildings still stand along the waterfront, as well as the beautiful old town.

The customs house in Poole, built in the 18th century.

The 'other half' enjoys the wildlife in Poole Park.

After enjoying the beauty of my local area, Christmas Day loomed, and with it some fantastic food, gifts, and a warm fireplace.

The table is set

Xmas Dinner waiting for gravy...

In the Lounge

After stuffing our faces, catching up with old (for me) and new (for Chi) friends, it was off to Londres, better known as Old London Town, the capital of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We did the Eye.

Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey from the London Eye.

Westminster Abbey,
location of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the marriage of Diana and Charles, and Princess Diana's funeral. Amongst many other things. Kings and Queens of England are entombed inside the Abbey including Edward the Confessor who died in 1066, Edward III and Charles II. Many other famous people are buried here, people such as Sir Issac Newton, Charles Dickens, Dr Samuel Johnson, Chaucer, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Tennyson. Admission is 10 English pounds, or 320,651.47 Vietnam Dong.

The River Thames

The London Skyline - modest.

Crowds at Buckingham Palace - and I mean CROWDS. Forget it in the summer!

The famous entrance lobby of the Natural History Museum.

The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the National Gallery are all FREE. Incredible really for three fantastic attractions. The Museums can be found near Kensington just down the road from Harrods. The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square. It has paintings by Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Constable, Turner, Renoir and Monet, amongst many others. Worth a stroll for free entry I tells you, and Chi was mesmerized with it all. It's all in London -- history, culture and food (we had a damn good Chinese for lunch one day)...

So all in all, a very satisfying, warm (yet chilly), comfortable yet hectic, fascinating yet familiar trip home. It's easy to see why sometimes life in Vietnam leaves me yearning for England.