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Author Archives: Anna

Good Morning, Vietnam

It was a long time ago I saw this movie. Films are a very good way of understanding history. I don´t remember much. Humor is a very important way to survive history. Like Victor Borge. Historical events that are so un-understandable that you can only make jokes about them. Like the awakenings. I thought a lot of Good Morning, Vietnam when I was in HCMC. And that is why I had to go to the Rex Hotel, a popular base for several journalists during the Vietnam War. It was built by French colonial developers and became a focus of the social and military activities of American soldiers. The US military officers gave the daily press briefings “The Five O´clock Follies”.

My humor is academic, I think. And it might be difficult to understand sometimes. But to laugh has helped me throughout life. First, I wasn´t going to the War Remnants museum but I was highly recommended by the hotel where I stayed. I really don´t like to write about it, but a lot of war crimes are committed during war. Among the most disturbing exhibits at the museum are the formaldehyde-filled jars containing foetuses deformed as a result of the chemical defoliants (agent orange) used during the Vietnam war.

Skills and empathy

It is Sunday and it is a rather ordinary weekend. It was fun to see my best friend from childhood last weekend, because that reminded me of all joy we used to have when we were little. The song contest “Melodifestivalen” was very popular and everybody wanted to be Carola. The singers truly are role models for future generations. So, it is rather interesting to see that nothing has changed. Watched the final yesterday. However, the texts are sometimes naughty with bad words, and I don´t understand that it is allowed. It should be censured.

I promised to write about HCMC. It has taken time for me how to formulate. I visited a friend from a previous work and his family. I learnt a lot about Vietnam life. It is right. Not to talk about the Vietnam war, but to focus on future generations. Vietnam really is a growing economy. Life is different. Family constellations are different from what I know in Sweden. Families help each other, over generations. Religion play a role, but not so much. I saw the beautiful incense as you can see below.

The weather was delicate in Saigon. Hanoi was cooler. I went a lot by taxi in HCMC. I didn´t walk much just because it was impossible. And there were motorbikes. A lot of motorbikes.