SaigonSighs 25 – ‘Here Comes the Sun – Iid’l Darlin’ – it’s alright.’ (Beatles- 1969)

15 May
The magic of the morning sun! Vietnamese teenagers have never heard of The Beatles / Stones!
Aeon Mall, an ultra modern concrete monolith at least half a kilometre long incorporating everything from a pet grooming parlour to ‘Gap’. There are five of these ‘things’ in Vietnam with plans for up to twenty by 2025. Aeon is generally taken to mean ‘eternity’ or at least a very long time. Guess the Japanese are here to stay.
Parking is free and very strictly controlled by electronic cards and an army of security staff.
A ‘super’ bike in the ‘super’ carpark of the ‘super’market! SUPER!
Here are the designated staff who line up and bow to the first customers of the day. In front of them is a member of security with a temperature gun checking everyone who goes into the supermarket
These are not ‘Social Distancing’ marks, they are marks for the staff to stand on to BOW to the supermarket whenever they enter or leave to go into a restricted service area. Japan eh! Talk about know your place!
But in the real world you can still buy your libido increasing Vietnamese wine complete with dead Cobra, off the back of a motor bike. Other additives include a tiger’s penis and testicles and bear paws.
Or you can have plain old rice wine in an old Pepsi bottle!
‘Snakebite’
Also on the up is VINFAST, the first Vietnamese car producer. Made in a factory near Hai Phong in the north, they also make —-
Electric bikes/scooters which are becoming more popular. they have a range of 80k and a top speed of 50k and hour (31mph) Trust me you don’t need to go any faster than that in Saigon
And relax!
And finally – I have a friend, yes really! His name is Andrew. He is a retired ‘Reverend’ In 1908 this vehicle – reputedly a 1902/3 chain driven 10 HP Wolseley, was waiting for his grandparents in Java during their honeymoon. So, this was in South East Asia, (Dutch East Indies) only 20 years after the first petrol engine Daimler car. Technology! don’t you just love it?

Love and peace John.

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