Dam Gio

Dam Gio is the occasion in Vietnam's ancestor worshipping culture where family gather to remember those members of the family who have passed away. It was organised at my mother-in-law's house and was a relatively quiet affair with just Chi, her mum, her father, myself, one Aunt and Uncle and their daughter and two friends attending. In the past I imagine it was a much more sacred occasion. Some traditional aspects were still observed such as the burning of hell money and notes.





Those are real $100s by the way.

One good thing about all these occasions, a massive lunch and great food. Duck curry and grapefruit salad with bread, soft noodles and veg.



Lou had had enough by the end of lunch...



Chi's father had made a surprise appearance. He lives in the Mekong Delta In Ben Tre on a fish farm where he grows shrimp, crabs and rice, residing with his second wife and two children from that marriage, 14 and 11. Methods of communication between father and Chi are, lets say, like 1930s England. During our time in England, Chi wrote him a letter to inform of our daughter's safe delivery. No email, no mobile phone. On return, after about 6 weeks, Chi dug out her mother's old address book and started calling people down in Ben Tre trying to track him down - it's like calling the village post office which is the only place with a phone and asking after Jim the farmer who lives three miles away. The local shop assured Chi they would let her father know the news that she was back - lo and behold there he was at Dam Gio when we arrived at the house - no phone call, just shirtless, cigarette in hand and with a bucket full of king prawns and crab from the farm. There's something so romantically appealing about the simplicity of this life!

Independence Day

Not the movie with Will Smith. 02/09 is Vietnam's 04/07, although it is celebrating a rather more recent date of 1945 when the Viet Minh led by Uncle Ho seized control and declared Vietnam to be an independent nation. This celebration takes place out of stubborn principle, as there barely seems anything worth celebrating about 1945 - it was the start of 30 years of war, first with the French and then the Americans. I think it typifies the spirit of the people here and how they survived such a horrendous time. For the patriot, and lets face it, who wouldn't be after such provocation from abroad , Vietnam has been independent since 1945. A few tried to change that, but none could.

So I'll give you a little photographic tour of the city as people here celebrate their country's independence. It was a very easy day to be a photographer. The red flags were hanging from every house, business and office. The hems (alleys) were so picturesque I could have snapped every one in the city and made a postcard from each. I'll start with a few pics from my own hem. In this picture I love the contrast of the stained concrete walls of the house and bamboo blinds with the ferocious colors of the Vietnamese flag.

This is the view down my hem, again with the red and yellow brightening up the scene.

Now we head out of my little enclave,which is truely representative of the rest of the city, and we head into the heart of District One. First we visit the Reunification Palace. The gates you see are the very same that were smashed down by tanks in 1975 as the last of the American military left Vietnam by helicopter. The banner, I am told, reads "Happy Independence Day to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam". Corrections on that translation are welcome!

Here is one of many similar posters around the city. It reads "61 years, Independence, Freedom, Happiness".

Next, the city opera house, in the middle of Dong Khoi Street, outside the Caravelle Hotel. The opera house is always the venue for open air celebrations come any kind of occasion in HCMC. Here you can see the decorations adorning the building, including the billboard of Uncle Ho waving in the direction of Le Loi.

Here we are with our backs to the opera house heading down onto Le Loi. Again, the banner reads "Happy Independence Day - To the August Revolution and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".

Last but not least, one more flag shot from a D1 courtyard.