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Things to do in Saigon during Rush Hour…

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuVQcjqr35Y

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Another Night in Saigon

I don’t get out during the days much, except on weekends.  So most of my photos tend to be around “night street” life – which, in this city, is pretty much always in motion…

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Saigon Sunday Streets

My favorite thing to do is just park myself on a street corner, listen to the cacophony, and watch the motorcycles stream by like schools of fish – hoping that the overhead power lines will not collapse onto my head…

This is how you advertise in Saigon – go around with a big stencil and stamp your short message and big number on any vacant wall. This person got his number on both photos above and below.  No idea what s/he’s advertising…

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Market People

Sunday morning was cloudless – a rarety for Saigon – so I went out early and ended up coming across three markets: the local one by my villa, then the giant Phu Nuanh market, then the Tan Dinh one further down the road towards downtown.  Here are a few of my favorite people from the markets…

Exactly my sentiments…

 

A few more here…

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Rainy night in Saigon

On thunderous monsoon evenings, it’s best to take refuge in a coffee house…

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No City for Cars

Saigon is a motorcycle city.

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people

Happy Family

This is why I visit Vietnam every several months. I run a small software development company. It’s a lot of work but we all sit together at the same table, in all senses of the word.  We work together in a villa. We take our meals together. I sleep in the office, to save money and because it’s much more comfortable than a hotel.  Last fall, when our sales fell behind expenses and our American bank (“We are local! We are here for you!”) refused to extend us a credit line to make payroll, our staff graciously accepted partial salaries for three months. Then our sales pulled back ahead of expenses, and we paid them all back. I think there’s a lesson in there somewhere. But these people have already learned it. They are living it.