U ok

As if some savage was going to destroy the aesthetically elegant layout of the food, one of my friends commented “None of you are allowed to move the chopsticks”. Then several smartphones zoomed in and out as they focused on the food. With a simple touch, my friend posted her eighth photo of the day to Facebook and laughed out loud “Let’s see who can guess where we are eating today.” Then she suddenly stopped and turned her eyes to the table next to us. All five elderly women at the table turned out to be her allies, who were also engrossed in taking photographs. One was holding a dish of shrimps in front of her face while another kept saying “Right, right, a little closer, cast your eyes. Ok. Finish your duck face and then take some photos for me.” “Let’s take a wefie. Wait a minute, I need to touch up my lipstick.” Our party table, though quite buzzy, was nothing compared to our “neighbours”. We began to gobble up the food while the elderly women were still wrapped up in taking and posting photos to Facebook. My friend told them “You are having such a joyous party, you’re even more youthful than us.” One of them, a pretty woman, replied “We’re very happy. Age is no trouble, we’re very young at heart. I posted a photo to Facebook just now and already got 31 likes.” I was impressed at her elaborate make-up though at her age she could already be classified in the rank of grandmothers. The signs of her old age were concealed behind a careful veneer of face powder and lipstick. It was a friend’s birthday party but the chit-chat was no longer about the birthday, the topic had changed to taking photos and sharing them on social media. The women at the nearby table said to us, “Let’s make friends on Facebook.” With the phone already open in my hand, I accepted their invitations immediately and was surprised to see that the women showed up at almost all photograph hotspots, from the cloud-covered mountains of Sa Pa to the blue seas of southern provinces. …

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A new principal of disease prevention The second social distancing period was humorously called an “early summer holiday” by Hoi An people, while the first was named a “prolonged Tet holiday”. In the evening, birds sang over small rivers which run along the wards of Cam Thanh and Cam Chau, reminding of busy days when the ancient city was full of visitors. While people avoid direct contact and gatherings, nature found its ideal time to boast its beauty, which can be seen in the endless green lines of coconut trees along Hoai River. Being aware that there would be no guests visiting her shop on the coming days, Vo Thi Lien closed her clothes shop in Phan Chau Trinh Street. She explained that as the COVID-19 situation become more complicated in Da Nang, it would soon impact on its neighbouring city of Hoi An. Other clothes shops and stores in the downtown of Hoi An had shut down even before the social distancing policy was announced. After closing his Mun cafeteria in Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Ha Van Cong saw empty streets without laughter and footsteps of people. The old streets have been familiar to Cong for more than 20 years, and over 40 years for Lien. Both of them were born, grew up, and run their businesses there. They can even remember every alley and street by heart. Lien said that during the first time experiencing social distancing, she felt fear as if she was walking in another city which was not her dear hometown but a strange place. The first day of the second social distancing period was a sad day as Vietnam recorded the first COVID-19 death, who was a 70-year-old resident of Hoi An! His residential area was then put under strict social distancing discipline. Hoang Thi Phuong, owner of a groceries in Cua Dai Street, Cam Chau District, said the although the closure of her shop badly affected her family’s living, she was willing to do it for the health of herself and that of her family and community. Bearing in mind that health is …

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Another Women’s Day recently whizzed by – oh how quickly they come, go, and are forgotten. One day out of the entire year (ok, two days are celebrated here in Vietnam) with a bouquet of flowers, maybe a box of chocolates or a cake, a meal out, then in the blink of an eye it’s in the rear-view mirror. Even if all 48,566,839 men (49.4 percent of the population) in Vietnam were on board regarding the tribute, the fact is most women don’t have time to stop what they’re doing and enjoy a special celebration totally dedicated to them, ironic as it may seem. They’re simply too damn busy keeping the ship afloat. Just walking down the street in any neighbourhood in Vietnam, women are seen humping away in markets and supermarkets, washing, preparing produce, cooking, serving food and drinks in restaurants and cafés, then cleaning up the mess left behind. These old hands have seen… We all know those activities, see them each and every day, but what about some niches and sectors in which women make major contributions, but are less noticeable, taken for granted. Stick your nose in a local bank and check out who’s doing the heavy lifting. A bank? Oh boy, let me tell you, as odd as it may sound, a visit to the bank reveals a lot about how well things work here in Vietnam. In most countries, banks are austere and intimidating (they hold the cash we need and often send subtle messages through their posture and mannerisms to remind us), but not around here, we actually feel like customers, hooray! Queuing up for service is not one of the highlights of commercial transactions in Vietnam, so there is no taking a number and a seat while awaiting one’s turn. It’s more like jostling for position in the Tokyo subway at rush hour, everyone pouncing on the teller announcing their business simultaneously and expecting immediate service. That local flare adds to the challenge we customers face, but just imagine being on the receiving end of all that …

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