Andrew Schroeder

Thoughts on Vietnam so far…

Looking back, I have been to two major cities that initially scared the shit out of me. Both Istanbul and Mexico City have earned that distinction in my book. However, hose two cities had a sense of… Order. Ok I know what you’re thinking… Mexico DF orderly? Never. Bare with me on this one. Mexico city has nothing on Saigon. Nothing.

First off, it is hot here. Not, oh it’s hot, but more like “Im jammed into a sumo wrestlers sweaty armpit while he eats habenero peppers” kind of hot. Not kidding. Secondly, every one is everywhere. And they are almost always riding on the back of a scooter, honking, smoking, drinking young coconut water, and talking on a cell phone. Thirdly, there is NO public transport here. Every now and then a bus will cruise along the sidewalk, but the metro this city needs is… decidedly absent. Anyway…

If you look at a city’s architecture as a way to diagnose it’s personality, one could easily say that Saigon has the personality of a newly middle aged woman. She moves fast, has some beautiful features but unless there is some serious reconstructive surgery, things are going to start to sag, and collapse.

Scattered throughout the city are some amazing buildings from the french colonial era. Unfortunately, the signs of western prosperity are growing on the facades like tropical moss.

Well shit. I made it to Vietnam. Now, as an atheist, I believe there is no such thing as heaven or hell. I was wrong. There is definitely a he’ll. And, that hell is a booked united airlines 747 flying for 16 hours from chicago to hong kong. Loud. Old. Cramped and stinky all good words to describe the experience.

But, I made it.

And so far Vietnam is really beautiful. Well, I might be wrong as it is night and I can’t really see anything. The delicate ballet of motor scooters, cars, and bicycles is something truly horrifying. Imagine for just a moment, a city with virtually no street lamps, but crowded to capacity. Now combine that with a general disregard for any sort of painted lines on the road and you have late evening here. Pretty.

Spending Halloween in a proper fashion: eating tons of Reese’s cups and also checking out semi-lost cemeteries around the twin cities. Two of my favorite photos so far.

Photos from a performance piece where I interacted with the landscape formed by the historical boundaries of the Mississippi River.

(Beresford, South Dakota)