VietnamFour days stay in Ho Chi Minh, a city that lived with wars
Dr.Vasantha Hosabettu
When I told that I am going to Vietnam many people are
sympathetic as I have a compulsion to
visit a burial ground!
When I said I am going that too to Ho Chi Minh
city, I was told it is similar to Mumbai!!
Vietnam
(full name Socialist Republic of Vietnam) is a mountainous country with a
fertile land. It grows mainly paddy. But for many people outside Vietnam
reminds for his “war history”.
War
held mainly in southern Vietnam. It started in 1954. It intensified in 1964.
War ended in 1974. North and south
Vietnam unified and formed Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2nd of 1976.
War
history may be simplified by saying ,war
was mainly between the government which was backed by America and with communist forces. In communist forces
there were North Vietnam’s guerillas, Vietnam congress and arm arms and
ammunitions of Russia.
In the
war thirty lakh Vietnam soldiers died. This has resulted in the current status
of female population dominating Male population by 3:1.
In the
war 58000 American soldiers too died. War is said to be mother of invention. So
there are underground tunnels which are about 120 kms in length.
Now it is main traveler’s attraction.
I had
to stay recently for four days in Ho Chi Minh City . City has a population of
more than 80 lakh.
With
all my data in my mind, what is my impression after my stay there? It is been
given here If possible you also please
visit that city
Ho
Chi Minh city is not the capital of Vietnam. Hanoi is the capital, Ho Chi Minh
city is a commercial city, Its earlier name is Saigon, Even today the airport
is been recognized by that name, Ho Chi Minh
City is renamed by the name of freedom
fighter Ho Chi Minh
Ho
chi Minh is over populated than Hanoi,
In
that terms it may seems like Mumbai, But it do not have sea shore, Metro is
still under plan
People:
After
the war the people lifestyle is very interesting. I presume it is it is limited to the urban
life.
The
Vietnam basically agriculture based country For rich agriculture there is support of fertile land and river
connections. Interesting here soldiers are being used in agricultural field (why
this cannot be used in our country?).
Massage
and beauty business( along with cleaning of ear) seems to be main bread for
female section in the city. I could see the sales girls selling goods late in
the night.
I
could see the mobile shoe polishers; Their constant watch is on the foot of the
people. They will catch you immediately if something wrong seen footwear and
they will initiate their service without permission.
But I could not see not even one beggar in the
city. Surprisingly I could not see any smokers too
Money:
One
cup of coffee is 80000 dong. Do not be afraid, If you have one rupee you will
get 351 dong, Here I observe in all shop
they take directly US dollars. It wonders as even a foreign currency like US
dollar is itself parallel legal currency. Some of the dong denomination is
printed in plastic. I could not see a coin ( even the notes are in value of
coins).
But
most of the ;people pockets are filled with lottery tickets. Lottery business
is found to be strong there
Supper outside the
street:
It
is found in a street people are eating
outside the street. Is it a custom?. Is
it an event? Or it is due to lack of
space?. I could not able to get a correct answer as the people rarely know
English.
Their
main language is Vietnamese. It is not easy to learn that language..Even the Indian
Counsel General of India Dr Deepak Mithal too do not know Vietnamese. He said
he love to learn, but so for not successful
There
are very big buildings. But we can see
poor people too in the city, It looks
like there is a large gap between rich and poor ,Even a normal driver in the city know that Bangalore is the IT capital, He said there is a IT hub in Ho Chi
Minh city. The city has Pizza hut and five star hotels like Sharaton
I
could see that cigarettes are offered as incense stick for god, Coffee is main source for this country. Vietnam is
second largest exporter of coffee in the world.
Perhaps this may be a reason many Karnataka people often visit there, as
Karnataka also grows
Coffee
Kannadigas
Internet
says there are 878 Kannadigas in the Ho Chi Minh City. Dr Deepak Mithal of Indian Consulate General of India Dr Deepak Mithal said ”Yes
there are many Indians in the city. If I had know that you all come in advance
I could have arranged a party with them”
Ho
Chi Minh city was also under the French rule. French knowing people are also
there in the city. So in that right hand
driving exist which is contrarily to our
British left hand driving.
Definition
of Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian is unique there. Which we not kill and use is
vegetarian. So egg is vegetarian, In a soup they used the wings of a cockroaches,
As they did not kill, it is vegetarian for them
They
use chopstick. I could see painting
shops where they found to busy in duplicating the original art worksof great
painters. When I tried to click the photographs they objected it.
India and Vietnam
India and Vietnam
There
is good diplomatic relationship between India and Vietnam, By browsing computer itself you can get a visa
by paying online 50 % of money here itself. Remaining money you have to pay
there, Vietnamese people also can come directly to Bangalore and enter the city
by paying Visa fees here,
There
are Hindu temples, There are Indian restaurants. Masala dosas, Idly too available
there, But there is no stand alone
vegetarian restaurant there, It was the research report of Mr Keshwani, one who come two days prior to
us,
One of the driver said he love Indian curry very much. Haphazard electrical wires in street electrical poles in the road reminded me India
Technology
Conical
cap is familiar there, It symbolizes Vietnam, But this is not available in malls of Ho Chi Minh city.
A tool use to carry goods by common man
reminds us the tool that used by our mythological historical Shravan Kumar that he used to carry his old parents
Even
English newspaper are there , it is
rarely available Among TV channels Vietnamese
channels dominates
I
could see a barber could able to use his
mobile apps Translator, He tried to translate English to Vietnamese ,
and Vietnamese to English communicate with me through that.
This
the city how it looked me which fought and
lived with 20 years in wars and which is
being recovering
(Translation of article written by Dr. Vasantha Hosabettu, published in Life 360, Kannada
Fortnightly dated May 16th 2014)
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