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May 31, 2009
Camera Shy?
Vietnam is a photographer's dream, and vignettes of the people going about their daily lives are some of the most interesting images to me. However, during my year in Vietnam, I have been largely unsuccessful in capturing the quotidian because I have not know how do do it in a respectful and tactful yet effective way. This has been frustrating because some photographers capture such beautiful stillife portraits - family friend John Rowe's work comes to mind (http://www.johnrowephoto.com).
My encounters with prospective subjects usually happen as follows: I take out my camera, ask in Vietnamese whether I can take their photo, and get this response...
This morning, I ate breakfast with a friend at a makeshift streetside food court with people serving noodles soups, sticky rice, and other breakfast fare. I recognized an excellent photo opportunity, but when I asked the people sitting around the sticky rice table whether I could take their photo, they ladies turned around and the children scurried away.
Disheartened by the failure, I focused once again on enjoying my bowl of Chinese style rice congee with sliced liver, topped with fish sauce and chilies. Mmm...Sensing my frustration, my Vietnamese friend with whom I was breakfasting told me that the problem was that I was asking people before taking their photo.
"Vietnamese people want you to take their photo," she explained. "However, they are shy, so if you ask them, of course they will say no. Just go ahead and shoot."
This suggestion baffled me because I would feel at least a bit annoyed if someone slyly snapped a photo of me slurping noodles. Of course, the narcissist in me would like being the focus of someone else's attention, but I would expect the paparazzi to at least ask first. Anyway, sitting streetside in Mui Ne, Vietnam I decided to challenge my social conditioning, risk offending the people around me, and trust that my friend understands the Vietnamese mindset better than I do. And...
...It worked! Here is the woman who served our delicious congee, having no problem with my candid photo of her. None of the other images turned out well, but at least I did not get any angry verbal or physical response from my unsuspecting subjects. I guess that in the case of photography in Vietnam, "shoot first, ask questions later," is
an effective strategy.
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May 30, 2009
"Come On, Marry a Vietnamese Woman Already!"
I am happy that I have taken the time to learn to speak Vietnamese - it has allowed me to connect with this country and its people in a deeper and more authentic way than I could as an English speaking expat. I am by no means fluent, but I have friends with whom I only communicate, and I am able to joke around with the people that I meet going about my daily life here in Saigon...
That said, being able to speak with the average person around here in their language leaves me vulnerable to the kind of paternalistic advice that older family members usually give to the younger generation. In my case, that usually means people telling me that it is about time that I get married, and that I should marry a Vietnamese woman.
Last week, in the span of just a few hours, I got this advice twice from two total strangers - an older woman who was preparing noodles at a streetside stall and a young lady who served me tea at the bakery on the corner near my office. "Come on, Marry a Vietnamese Woman Already," usually follows from these two questions, which are the standard ones that people ask here: "How old are you?" and "Do you have a family yet?"
Compared with the US, people get married early here - tying the knot in one's mid-twenties is common here. A close friend of mine who is in her mid-thirties and has a family and two children recently told me that I am old already, and that it was time for me to settle down. Her advice, like that of my other interlocutors, gets to me because I do not see myself getting married until my mid-thirties. However, I understand that Vietnamese people are only giving me that advice because they care about me and think that would make me happy.
Just to make it clear, I do not mean to generalize and say that every Vietnamese person thinks that marriage in one's twenties is the best way to go, or that everyone I meet thinks that I should get married now. Nor do I have anything against marriage. Seeing my best friend get married last fall in California was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Here I am celebrating at the end of the best man's toast.
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May 16, 2009
Doubletake
On a Sunday morning bike ride from downtown Saigon to Phu My Hung, I stopped for a coffee break along the way at Highlands Coffee. This sign on the bathroom door gave me a good laugh:
Despite the suggestions of the sign, I discovered that Highlands' cafe sua da was not being brewed in the lavatory. Turned out that the door lead to a hallway with two other entrances - one for the restroom and another for an employee break room. Gave me a good laugh anyway.
I came across this campaign stickered vehicle on the streets of Phnom Penh:
The most plausible explanation is that an American expat shipped this truck over from the states. However, could it be that our newly unemployed former president is running for president of Cambodia?
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May 9, 2009
The Recyclers
Soda chanh - soda water over ice and fresh lime juice - is my favorite drink here in Vietnam. Its refreshing qualities are unparalleled on a muggy dry season afternoon in Saigon. Thankfully, I always rest assured that the used aluminum can of Schwepps Soda Water will be recycled - no matter whether it gets thrown in the trash or tossed on the sidewalk.
Why is Vietnam so good at recycling? Because it makes economic sense. In fact, there are people who have chosen recycling as a profession, and spend their days roaming the streets in search of aluminum cans, plastic cups, and other scrap material.
I took this photo of one of the recyclers on the street in front of my office as I walked to work in the morning. It is a common sight here in Saigon that still amazes me, especially when i see a recycler skillfully navigating a rickety bike next to a black Mercedes S 500 carrying members of Vietnam's nouveau riche. While she is obscured by her load of plastic bottles, there is actually is a woman pushing this bike along. In fact, most of the recyclers that I have seen are women - another example of women doing a lot of the manual labor in this country...
Anyway, back to the economic explanation of Vietnam's penchant for recycling. I spoke with one of the recyclers yesterday, who told me that he earns about VND 4,500 ($.25) per kilogram of scrap material that he sells to recycling companies. He said that on average, he collects about 10kg of recyclables per day, earning him approximately VND 45,000 ($2.50). Assuming a six day work week, we could estimate that this recycler earns a monthly wage of about $60, which is right around the minimum wage in Vietnam. Relatively low wages in Vietnam makes being a recycler a viable job option - and ensures that my cans of soda water are reincarnated in another soft drink vessel.
I admire the recyclers for taking the entrepreneurial route rather than making a similar wage spending their time on a factory assembly line making shoes destined for your nearest Foot Locker. I like to think that I would make the same career decision if I were in their position. Also, as opposed to working in a factory, the recyclers have the chance for a big payday - one man's trash is another man's treasure comes to mind...
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