Saigon in motion

A couch floats down the river right pass Bong Bridge a while ago.

As of this edit, there was a “hot” clip about police trying to stop a girl from jumping to her death on another bridge.

Vietnam still has to battle with forces of nature, (typhoon Utor) and economic pressures  (bad debt).

Here, before the rain stops, people already start moving.

A poncho, two people. Total trust. You drive, I ride.

Street vendors spread out merchandise on tarp, just to wrap them up five minutes later.

The lucky few zoomed by on Toyota Runner or Lexus.

Progress by osmosis.

Henry Ford reincarnated will be happy to find this land where automobile market has yet been saturated

Despite, people have managed to move about efficiently and effortlessly on two, not four wheels, defying all odds.

High rises are up. So are bridges in the city.

People are in constant motion, on Mobil phones and motor bikes.

People honk at every hour of the day.

(Unlike in the States, honking would invite road rage.)

I get to call on a few ICT companies. I found the work force young, intelligent and responsive. The marks of top students (learning), and soon becoming top workers (unlearning).

Post-war baby boomers grow up with no legacy.

Order a beer, shoot the breeze and hop on the bike.

Competition is tough at all level i.e. entry-level workers, mid-level manager, small companies and mid-size ones. Meanwhile, the nation itself strives to become the next Malaysia and Indonesia. If failed, or not trying hard enough, caught in “Middle-Income trap”.

So, back to two wheels, while the rest of the world on four.

As long as things and people are in motion. A couch that floats and a girl who tries to jump. Keep moving. Keep fighting gravity and inertia. Keep up with progress. Endure the pain to surely gain.

I am not here for solitude and reflection. I am here to move with the flow.

Just to survive. And the fade out music today is “rain and tears….”

More from Saigon on my next blog. Got to hop on a “xe om” to fight traffic.