Photographically, I was able to ramp things up again over the last two days. Yesterday and this morning, I headed to the small town market and then, on a hunch, to the largest inland lake in Vietnam, the Tam Giang lagoon. I got up at 4:30 a.m., took an hour-long taxi ride, and then had to find my way around once I arrived. A few fishermen stood on shore, watching the boats gradually return from fishing. Khanh, the guide, translated my questions to the older men, something like this: “How many boats are still coming back?” – “Many.” – “When will they be back?” – “Soon.” After the fishermen had unloaded, they drove to the market. “How far is the market?” – “Not very far.” – “It’s quite far?” – “Not too far.”.
I can admit that this form of communication can be stressful when the sun is rising and I’m thinking about my photos. Khanh’s explanation: “Vietnamese people don’t give specific answers.” That’s it.
I believe that our (German?) clarity is perceived as rude. It is certainly perceived as rude when I ask people not to smile at the camera. A neutral face is perceived as unfriendly here.
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Of course, when a situation arises, I have to push it a little, because otherwise (again) the women rush off to the market. It should be possible to get them to stand still for a second… I think…
The nice guide thought differently. They are working (obviously), they are busy (obviously), and therefore they need to be left alone (why?)..
It seemed to me, as I have often experienced before, that there is a big difference between how men and women are treated. My guide was reserved in his dealings with the saleswomen. At the local market we visited later, there were lots and lots of very, very friendly and open-looking saleswomen (in addition to the wonderfully juicy, fresh, and varied selection of goods. What a pity I don’t have a kitchen here…). I had the feeling that with the same language on both sides, there would have been a very nice relationship. The guide was more reserved.
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All in all, I took (hopefully) three photos for my shop counter series, which was significantly more than I had hoped for today. They weren’t really on the water, but very close to it. The effort and the trip were well worth it, not only for the truly wonderful impressions!
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That concludes the photographic part of this trip. In two days, after a total of four weeks, I will return to Germany. I am already thinking about the scope of this trip. I started at 35 degrees Celsius and in the midst of the hustle and bustle in Ms. Ha’s small family homestay, plunging into the heart of this country’s vitality. I really enjoyed getting to know the country at its most basic level first. Then I got sick, because my eating everything did not go well after all, unfortunately not only with a one-time emptying of everything, but also with memory loss, which of course made me nervous. But that too passed. The sweetness came, so I was able to recover well. Now, being able to work for two more days at the end has brought everything full circle. All in all, it was great!
I still have two more days of pool life and sightseeing, which I will also report on.
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After a four-hour excursion this morning, we were back in time for breakfast at 9:00 a.m. – and once again, it was a dream! Nothing was left to be desired. There was Gauda 😂, puff pastries on par with Merlé, pho soup, of course, and after 3.5 weeks of traveling, I actually discovered a new type of coffee: Bac Xiu! It’s a three-layered drink in a glass: sweet condensed milk at the bottom (which I’m completely addicted to), a layer of regular milk on top, and Vietnamese coffee (extremely strong) on top of that. Everything is stirred at the table, and it couldn’t be better!.
Then the pool… 😊
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