“Ubuntu” - An African Concept

”If you are happy then I am happy”

“If you are sad then I am sad”

“If you are sick then I am sick”

Similar sentiments were also expressed, famously, by the immortal John Donne.

“No man is an Island”

In my native England the people are angry. Money, money, money. Get out of my way, must make some money, money.

Just one hour of driving is likely to bring forth the acrid smell of “road rage”.

Social life? Sainsbury’s Tescos & the dreaded “goggle box”, to which the entire nation seems addicted to, night after night. “The opium of the masses?”

Difficult, sometimes, to be cheerful in dear old blighty.

How very different life is in Vietnam, for at least in the south, off the tourist trail, the Vietnamese are a joyful, intelligent, youthful people, determined to succeed.

The streets, markets & little businesses fairly crackle with camaraderie.

Now, my dears, Vietnam is no Earthly Paradise. Just for starters, in common with all other SE Asian countries, they use & abuse their children, particularly their girls. Horrible – modern day slave trade. Its plastered in red tape, much of it directed to restricting the movement & activities of foreigners. Even if married.

But these past four years have been a golden age for me, so please forgive me for presenting the “upside” of this remarkable country.

The fun starts at the crack of dawn, spectacular sunrises to be seen from one of my wall size bedroom windows, From another the imperious Lang Biang mountain looms into view, shrouded in mist, flocks of white birds fly past in the valley below.

Then, cycling my way past a sea of pretty students on their way to their Unversity. “Chao Tay”, “Chao Tay” “Chao Tay” (Hello Teacher).

But this is just mild foreplay, a prelude to the main act to come, Dalat’s Xuan Huong Lake, city center. It’s a place of quite magnificent tranquility, the early morning sun rippling on it’s beautiful waters still inspires, still bathes me in a feeling of peace, goodwill & humility.

“Brekkers” by the waters of Soy Rice & Yoghurt. Cost ? Just 25c.

Oft times three toothless old men come by, one dapperly dressed but on crutches, each doffing their hats in deference to my Vietnamese name “Good Morning Mr. Minh”. Now & again, one or two of my students from my language club will join me.

God I love this time.

Dalat’s Xuan Huong Lake

Sometimes the sunsets are spectacular too. In the self same spot, one can have satay sticks & soy milk for the same said 25c. But, at this time of day college girls are likely to make contact, anxious to practice their English.

Paradise lost ? Except for the occasional foray by maverick Saigon Girls, nary a sacred miniskirt to be seen, their beautiful Ao Dai’s rarely on view. The Old Un’s relate that in the 1950’s Dalat was a sea of these oh-so graceful dresses, IMHO surely designed by the gods.

Can’t have it all (sob).

The Vietnamese work like Trojans, typically 12 hours a day, seven days a week, all the while having time for fun.

One of my much loved students once played the piano for me so beautifully that it reduced me to tears. Apparently she had picked up some piano pieces five years ago, purloined a piano & taught herself.

The piece that she was playing? None other than “Fur Elise” by Ludwig Van Beethoven, exceptionally difficult. To me, this is a quite astonishing feat. In England it couldn’t be done, for her entire community would throw rocks at her for being so silly as to even try.

Such feats are common place in this “go go go, move move move” land, all conducted in a quiet, good natured, fun loving way, in keeping with their Buddhist traditions.

Their level of competence is scary.

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An American friend in Saigon, owner of a software house, reports that his four young technical whiz kids, each earning less than $100 a month, operate at or near to genius level. The remainder of the staff are exemplary, always “delivering”.

Typical of Vietnam, for me at least, the finest work force in the world.

Now, my dears, no self respecting Vietnamese would permit business to get in the way of family affairs, so they are always liable to disappear. But they make sure that they are covered in the process.

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The Vietnamese Dentists are the finest in the world too. Root canal & porcelain crown? Just $60 Sir, beautifully crafted too.

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Government hospitals are suspect, but private enterprise has turned Saigon into a “Medical Tourism” center for heart operations, patients arriving from the US by the planeload.

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Throughout the Universities of the USA, Canada & Australia, Vietnamese are the top students, blitzing the field. No sport, no recreation. Just work, work, work.

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In Mui Ne a tourist on a Honda was hit broadside by a lunatic driver. He escaped without injury but his motorbike had been sliced into several pieces. The locals rounded on the loony rider & marched him off to the police. Then “We’ll take care of your motorbike “. Three days later it was returned, almost as good as new. No charge Mr., sorry for the trouble.

In Vietnam, at whatever level, things get fixed, business gets done. Relentlessly. There is no “mob rule” in favor of locals.

Unique in South East Asia?

Formidably intelligent, industrious & with a strong sense of community, definitely not to be underestimated. They threw the French out (Superior Civilization) with sticks & stones & then, amazingly, repeated the feat with Uncle Sam. Admittedly the US of A was completely off its trolley but even so it was a heroic achievement. The official death toll was 3 million but methinks it was many more, given the paucity of people of my age in ‘Nam.

Apparently the Americans put “people sensors” all along the Ho Chi Minh trail at one time, linked to their command & control centers. In Response the Viet Cong put barrels of pig shit all along the same & the B52’s blasted these barrels to kingdom come for months on end.

As a side note the British Empire ruled the world for centuries by a policy of “Divide & Rule” so why do the yanks keep uniting their foes by rolling them into a common enemy ? “Global communism” my eye. Why then did Cambodia Vietnam & China go to war with each other ? It’ll be a long time before China pushes the boat out again for I’m given to understand that the Viets gave them a (very) bloody nose. The yanks won’t beat Islam either, it has to sort it’s own problems out.

Where was I? Oh yes.

Now you wouldn’t want to be on their tourist circuit, pestered by wolves, spending the entire time on a coach, would you my dears? Needs be to consult the internet blogs and strike out on your own.

Vietnamese infrastructure is poor and the language barrier is formidable.

Amazing place though, hell bent on overtaking Singapore by 2020. Might do it too. But why? Who wants to live in a shopping mall?

Grumpy