After a couple of intense blogs, let me share a small light slice of life in Vietnam.
Rainy season in the tropics as you would expect, even if you've never lived in the tropics, requires some adjustments. This is certainly true in this city of 8 million or more. Most people in Ho Chi Minh City travel by motorbike. (In fact there is presently some discussion in our city about constructing a footbridge over the Saigon River. I read one strong argument against it: most people in this city don't walk. If that is true, and I think it is, it is not primarily because people use buses and taxis. It is because there are 4 or 5 million motorbikes used regularly. If you don't own one, in much of the city you can easily find Xe om - motorbike taxis, ready with an extra helmet for you to put on. Cost is 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a car taxi.)
All motorbikes carry rain ponchos in their storage compartment. When rain suddenly arrives (as it does most every day in rainy season) every motorbike pulls over to the side of the road. The driver (and passenger if there is one) quickly pulls on her poncho, and is back on the road again within a minute or two. Some ponchos fit over almost the entire bike, some are very flimsy. It is amazing how quickly every motorbike driver on the road is suddenly covered with a poncho. (In case you were wondering, umbrellas don't work well on a motorbike. :) )
I learned after a few months here, that in rainy season you understand if someone is late for an appointment, or possibly does not come at all. Since rainfall when it comes, is intense, not a drizzle, we expect some parts of the city streets will flood. Many times the rain falls for less than an hour. So your contact may simply wait until it stops - or if it is prolonged, may simply assume you know that the appointment is canceled. If you travel by car, driving through 1/2 a meter of rain may be OK. Not so with motorbikes.
Now I understand why our dinner guests arrived 45 minutes late; why someone who confirmed they were coming to a meeting never showed up. We live in the tropics, we should have known.
Speaking of flooding: in the ancient city of Hoi Anh, they have photos of how the city regularly floods. The photos show shoppers travelling by small boat up the streets that we walked last month. It is a seasonal happening and residents and store owners take it in stride (or should I say, in stroke.)
Rainy season in the tropics as you would expect, even if you've never lived in the tropics, requires some adjustments. This is certainly true in this city of 8 million or more. Most people in Ho Chi Minh City travel by motorbike. (In fact there is presently some discussion in our city about constructing a footbridge over the Saigon River. I read one strong argument against it: most people in this city don't walk. If that is true, and I think it is, it is not primarily because people use buses and taxis. It is because there are 4 or 5 million motorbikes used regularly. If you don't own one, in much of the city you can easily find Xe om - motorbike taxis, ready with an extra helmet for you to put on. Cost is 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a car taxi.)
All motorbikes carry rain ponchos in their storage compartment. When rain suddenly arrives (as it does most every day in rainy season) every motorbike pulls over to the side of the road. The driver (and passenger if there is one) quickly pulls on her poncho, and is back on the road again within a minute or two. Some ponchos fit over almost the entire bike, some are very flimsy. It is amazing how quickly every motorbike driver on the road is suddenly covered with a poncho. (In case you were wondering, umbrellas don't work well on a motorbike. :) )
I learned after a few months here, that in rainy season you understand if someone is late for an appointment, or possibly does not come at all. Since rainfall when it comes, is intense, not a drizzle, we expect some parts of the city streets will flood. Many times the rain falls for less than an hour. So your contact may simply wait until it stops - or if it is prolonged, may simply assume you know that the appointment is canceled. If you travel by car, driving through 1/2 a meter of rain may be OK. Not so with motorbikes.
Now I understand why our dinner guests arrived 45 minutes late; why someone who confirmed they were coming to a meeting never showed up. We live in the tropics, we should have known.
Speaking of flooding: in the ancient city of Hoi Anh, they have photos of how the city regularly floods. The photos show shoppers travelling by small boat up the streets that we walked last month. It is a seasonal happening and residents and store owners take it in stride (or should I say, in stroke.)
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