Tra motorini, cyklos, palafitte e viali alberati

Il traffico del sabato è un'altra cosa, molto più rilassato e rado... ma i motorini, che lo dominano incontrastati in città, sfrecciano lo stesso, evitando abilmente gli ostacoli con impercettibili deviazioni e senza rallentare, mai. Attraversare la strada non è banale, ma neanche impossibile, basta non affrettarsi troppo, lasciare a chi guida il tempo di reagire e... montare lo speciale kit "quattro occhi, uno per lato" che consente di evitare chi va contromano, scende dal marciapiede, passa con il rosso ecc. ecc.. Un vero spasso, soprattutto quando si va in giro con il passeggino (carico o scarico), che aumenta notevolmente la superficie del possibile... bersaglio! A onor del vero, devo però dire che per un italiano che sia sopravvisuto nel traffico di Napoli non ci sono grandi problemi. E io, parafrasando il principe De Curtis, modestamente sopravvissi (per ora, almeno!).

Guarda quanto sono "tosti" questi qua! L’elmetto è l’unico particolare atipico (ahimé!), molto diffusi invece la bandana per ripararsi dai fumi e dal particolato e i guanti lunghi per le ragazze. I nostri eroi stanno per attraversare l’autostrada che esce dalla città verso nord-est e passa vicino al quartiere residenziale, amatissimo dagli “expatriates”, di An Phu. I bagagli sui motorini non sono fuori dall’ordinario, per dimensioni, anzi... Tra le cose più comiche finora viste viaggiare su due ruote ricordo un vassoio con tè, tazzine, latte e zucchero, portato sul palmo della mano, bimbi addormentati, pile di mattoni legati con una corda e altri materiali da costruzione di ogni genere. Non è raro vedere fino a quattro passeggeri, spesso una famigliola con bimbi piccoli, o magari tre ragazzi su un solo motorino.

C'erano una volta... i "cyclo", ovvero i carretti a pedali come questi, che possono trasportare sia merci che persone. Ora sono molto meno diffusi ma resistono ancora, non solo nelle zone turistiche. Qui siamo a Cholon (v. i testi di Tamara dei giorni scorsi), un quartiere popolare e quasi per niente turistico, dove si trovano molti negozi di spezie, erbe e specialità medicinali (pinne di squalo, serpenti sotto vetro, ecc.) ma anche di... elettronica. Dal punto di vista urbanistico è un miscuglio di stili, dalle pagode costruite nell'800 o ai primi del '900 agli edifici di stile coloniale, come quello che si intravede sulla destra della foto, alle catapecchie come quelle, solo parzialmente distrutte in un intervento urbanistico evidentemente rimasto a metà, che si vedono nella prossima foto.

Ed eccola qua, la concorrenza motorizzata, che continua a marciare imperterrita anche sotto la pioggia. Sullo sfondo, un isolato mezzo distrutto da un tentativo di creare un vialone più adatto al traffico veicolare, rimasto incompiuto. Il contrasto tra questa zona e il centro tutto agghindato e con tanti negozi e locali di lusso è stridente. Ma la città è in movimento e sta migliorando notevolmente. "Una volta dormivamo in quindici in una stanza sola, dai bisnonni ai nipotini, sembrava di stare in caserma. Ora perlomeno abbiamo una stanza per famiglia, una per noi e i nostri due figli, l'altra per i miei genitori", dice un conoscente vietnamita di classe media.

Qui siamo fuori città, lungo l'autostrada della quale si diceva prima, a un passo da zone con residenze di livello medio-alto appena costruite. A Ho Chi Minh City e Hanoi il reddito medio è rispettivamente tre volte e due volte superiore alla media nazionale, che è di 650 dollari (non mi citate su questi dati, non li ho verificati ma danno senz'altro un'idea). Queste baracche su palafitte sono però un'eccezione in una città dove c'è ancora molta povertà ma il tenore di vita della maggior parte sembra decoroso e ci sono molte occasioni di lavoro e di miglioramento del proprio status.

Tanto per evitare di sbilanciarci troppo :-) ecco un'immagine di una strada del centro, potremmo essere in una qualsiasi metropoli asiatica, con gli edifici in stile coloniale e l'immancabile palazzone/condominio sullo sfondo (a sinistra) e gli alberi rigogliosi che fiancheggiano la strada.

Dal Vietnam con amore. Marco

Driving, Spas and Chinatown

June 18. Today marks our first week here! And Marco is ALREADY DRIVING the car!! He is very brave! Actually the traffic isn't as scary as I'd feared since it's mostly motorbikes and it moves pretty slow. But still, you have to try to pay attention on all sides since motorbikes and cars try to sneak in where they can and THEY don't seem to be watchingwhere they're going...

Our car has diplomatic plates - the only ones I've seen around town so far. The advantage is that we can go anywhere with the car, so that if there's a bird flu epidemic and they're limiting traffic to the airport we can go right through. Apparently Marco's predecessor worked hard to get them. On Saturday we drove out to the suburbs where the ex-pats live, to see how it is and also to go to a big discount store there (something akin to Sam's Club). Maia threw up in the car, because it bounces around a lot. It seems like the shock absorbers need to be replaced.

I also went to a wonderful spa - sleek and Asian in design, with white flowers and bamboo, very peaceful and quiet and smelling wonderful. The staff was courteous and professional and I had a wonderfully relaxing aromatherapy massage for an hour and it only cost $25! I want to go back for a fancy facial. I feel vaguely guilty taking advantage of the relatively low cost of the spa (it would have been at least $100 in Washington), but not guilty enough not to go!

Today we went to Cho Lon, the Chinatown area. It drizzled continuously, which put a damper on the outing (ha ha) but it was still interesting. We ate in a little local hole in the wall that was mentioned in the Lonely Planet, and had really tasty noodle soup with pork and giant shrimp, served like in Thailand with a plate of bean sprouts and herbs. Then we walked down the street of shops that sell Chinese herbs and strange things such as shark fins and preserved whole cobras and went to see some ornate pagodas. That part of town is quite different from the richer business/tourist district where we live and Marco works. It’s poorer and there are very few foreigners going around, and few cars other than taxis and trucks.

Wild Alive Animals for lunch

June 16. I looked at a house today - actually it used to be the Hungarian consulate and therefore has a weird first room with a glass-fronted counter and a big flagpole in front, and is awkward in other ways. Not worth the relatively expensive price ($3,500 a month). Plus it's on a busy, noisy street. On Monday I'm going to look at some places in the rich suburbs, where we could rent a four room villa with pool for the same price. We’re unsure about living out there in the ex-pat ghetto, but are also unsure about living in the noisy trafficky city with no place for Maia to play, so hopefully we’ll find some sort of compromise... Anyway, the shipment of our furniture will be delayed by another month, perhaps, so even though that's annoying it gives us more time to find a house.

Meanwhile, I've been venturing out with Maia in the morning and returning around lunchtime to go to the pool or play area. Then I go to the gym and do email while Maia naps, then cook while she watches cartoons on TV, or we both watch cartoons until Marco comes home and we go out to eat. Not such a bad routine.

Yesterday we went to the fine arts museum, which is in a crumbling grand old art deco-style building, with lots of full-length windows with shutters letting in the breeze. There was an exhibit of children's art, some of it suspiciously too good (as if the teachers really drew the pictures), but some with disturbing war-related themes, such as children with Agent Orange-caused defects. There was also some fun Communist style sculpture of Workers and Families, and some very interesting ancient art from past civilizations. Some of itlooked surprisingly Egyptian in style. The museum also houses art galleries, and in one there was a painting that I liked very much, but it costs $4,000. I think it's worth it, but I suppose first we have to set up our house and see where it would go.

We had lunch in a restaurant near the museum, a huge place that featured a giant buffet, but I opted to order from the menu since only Maia was hungry. The place is also a brew pub - it makes a beer called Big Man. And the waiters go around in roller skates. Andthey have VERY STRANGE things on the menu, such as bat, cobra and gecko, listed in a category called Wild Alive Animals, which made me wonder if those animals were being kept in cages somewhere. I ordered the safe-sounding noodles with beef, but before they brought that they gave me a cup with a raw egg floating in something that looked likecondensed milk. Needless to say I didn't drink it, Asian bird flu and all, and I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings by rejecting the special delicacy that they kindly offered. The beef and noodles also included shrimp, calamari and beef liver which Maia ate enthusiastically. I was just happy to see her eating, since she'd been mostly sticking to milk since we got here.

Some first Impressions...

June 13. Our third day! I haven't seen a lot of the city yet - basically the walk from ourtemporary apartment to Marco's office and back. Mostly because of the weather. I thought I knew hot and humid from Washington and Norfolk, but if you multiply that by 100 you start to get an idea of what it's like here...Walking around the first day I felt dizzy and Maia seemed in a daze. Now I know to go out only in the morning and at night and not at all from noon onward. Although today I foolishly mistimed things (I went to the US consulate to register myself and Maia and then to the grocery store, and it got later than I realized)and had to shlep back to the apartment with Maia in the heat o’ the day and then had to lie down for a little while. Another thing I realized: I should just take a taxi to the grocery store! It would cost a fraction of a dollar, well worth it. It doesn't seem that there's ever a break from the heat, since the temperatures are HIGHER in the dry season. At least now it cools off after it rains, which it does at least once a day usually in the pm. I feel very unglamourous, walking around soaking wet with sweat while the tidy, beautiful Vietnamese women never seem to sweat at all.The city is not as sleek and concrete-buildinged as Bangkok and the traffic, while very loud and constant, is different - it's almost entirely motorbikes, and it doesn't move that fast. I guess the fact that there are fewer cars to hit will make it safer to drive, once we get the car. It is tricky to cross the street since the traffic never actually stops but it does slow down enough. You see entire families on motorbikes and people carrying awkard objects, and many women dressed elegantly in the traditional silk garments, always withbandanas around their noses and mouths, putting along.It's clearly a poor city, with run-down buildings and a shabby look, but developing quickly, as evidenced by the skyscrapers under construction. Surprisingly, though, you can find anything you want in the market, including wine - even Rosso Piceno! – olives, capers, feta cheese, etc. It seems that the country opened up for trade quickly and the economy has yet to catch up, since you find these things in the dingiest run-down supermarkets.We (Maia and I) also went to the zoo which as you can imagine was very depressing, with people taunting and throwing things at the poor animals stuck in small, smelly cages. But at least the gardens around there are pretty and it's right near the hotel. Not that I want to go back.We haven't eaten anything overly impressive yet (except for one good steamed fish) which I think is because we are going to restaurants that are too fancy. My experience in Thailand was that the less expensive places had much better food since they don't water down the dishes for foreigners' tastes. There are some areas of town I'd like to explore for dinner later on. I should also go there maybe in the morning, with Maia, or take her to one of the water parks.Next week I'll start looking at houses, which will also give me a chance to see more parts of the city and suburbs. A lot of families live where we currently are permanently, but I would be vaguely depressed to live in such a soulless place. Most of the families are rich Asians, and it's funny to hear them speak English with each other, which of course they do since they're from different countries. The kids go to the international schools and are mostly older than Maia so she doesn't have anyone to play with, poor bebby.She's had a hard time adjusting, and is fussier than usual and is exceptionally very shy around kids AND adults, who just come over and pick her up and cuddle her, which scares her even though they mean well. Whenever we go out we are stopped every few steps by people who want to see her and although I'm proud that she's so cute, I think it's overwhelming for her. (As is this whole major change, I'm sure). Recently a toothless ancient vendor woman in a conical straw hat grabbed her and she cried for a long time. They are especially amazed by her curly hair, and the stroller too – they don't use them here at all so people come out to stare at it. Neither do they use umbrellas. They use ponchos instead, which are more convenient for riding the motorbike. Maybe that’s why women always wear pants rather than skirts or dresses. A lot of women wear the traditional long tunic over loose pants.

Arcobaleno + Look impiegatizio? O esotico?

Una foto che vorrei farvi vedere prima che diventi troppo vecchia è stata scattata alla festa di arrivederci a casa nostra, a Roma. Nel pomeriggio è venuto fuori questo arcobaleno a tutto cielo, con tutti i colori che a un certo punto si è sdoppiato in due, una cosa mai vista che mi ha messo di buon umore. Partire per una lunga permanenza non è facile ma l'affetto degli amici e dei familiari e certi segni... premonitori aiutano a prenderla con filosofia. E poi c'è il blogggg!!!
In ogni caso la festa è stata molto piacevole, a un certo punto i bimbi hanno preso il controllo e sotto la guida esperta di Ulrich hanno improvvisato un girotondo a sedici mani, ma poi noi adulti abbiamo ripreso in mano la situazione e abbiamo mangiato una cenona in terrazza, conversando amabilmente. Sono anche riuscito a non far andare via troppo presto i genitori assennati (non come noi) tirando fuori dal frigo una sfilza di torte che ha tenuto occupata la prole ancora un quarto d'ora... cosa non si farebbe per godersi un po' di più la compagnia degli amici
;-) ? D'altra parte era domenica e abbiamo cominciato presto sapendo che avremmo finito presto...

Insomma, finora da quando siamo arrivati a Ho Chi Minh City sono stato tantissimo in ufficio, praticamente da 14 ore dopo il mio arrivo domenica a tutto il venerdì successivo e poi questa settimana ancora dalle 9-9.15 alle 19-20 o giù di lì. Siccome in questo blog non si parla di lavoro (altrimenti va a finire che mi fate santo), vi faccio solo vedere una foto scattata stamattina prima di andare a lavorare, per metterla poi sul sito del mio datore di lavoro (pare che ultimamente vada di moda fare così..., della serie "put a face with the name").
La domanda è: questo look qua è solo impiegatizio o, come sembra di capire dalle facce un po' sorprese dei vietnamiti in motorino, flip-flops, jeans e maglietta, anche un po' esotico?

A presto! Dal Vietnam con amore. Marco

Si parte (con il blog!) - All on board (of the blog)!

Ciao, benvenuto/a nel blog di Marco, Tamara e Maia sui nostri primi 100 giorni in Vietnam. Trovarci è molto semplice, basta digitare nella barra dell'indirizzo del browser le nostre iniziali, la parola Vietnam, un punto e poi blogspot.com.
Saremo qui per tutta l'estate. Scriveremo nella rispettiva madre lingua e pubblicheremo alcune delle nostre foto. Se vuoi la traduzione di una parola o di un testo, saremo lieti di mandartela.
Per favore non esitare a inserire i tuoi commenti.
Dal Vietnam con amore.
Tamara, Maia e Marco

Hello, and welcome to Marco, Tamara and Maia's blog about the first 100 days of ours in Vietnam. Finding us is very simple, you just have to type in on your browser's address bar our initials, the word Vietnam, a dot and then blogspot.com.
We'll be here all summer long. We'll write in each one's respective mother tongue and will publish some of our pictures. If you want the translation of a word or of a text, we'll be happy to send it to you.
Please do not hesitate to post your comments.
From Vietnam with love.
Tamara, Maia and Marco