We don't get Facebook in Vietnam.. and I miss it.
It seems Vietnam is a single party socialist republic.. The prime minister is the head of the government in a one party system: it is a communist country and I guess communist countries wouldn't appreciate the power of such a huge social network.
Too bad, because it is lovely here.
We are on the beach, of course. Our neighbour is looking after our place back in Australia. "Where ya headed?" he asked that last week of school. "I bin there" he said "but all I seen was jungle and all I did was wander around 'n try 'n shoot people I didn't know".
Seems like a long way from a such a quiet holiday on the beach in a country where you can Skype anyone you want, but can't check out what's happening on Facebook.
The Vietnam war was really between the north of the country (communist) and the south. The conflict started in November, 1955, a year before I was born, and 'ended' almost 20 years later. While the end of the war is pretty clearly established.. the start of it was not. The conflicts that affected Vietnam came from all directions and, depending on your source, started hundreds of years back and affected the whole region.
It was the longest major battle in which Australia was involved.. from 1962 to 1972 and most of those killed or injured in the battle were conscripts.
In Canada, we didn't really get involved until Australia pulled out. We went in to help clean up and wind things down and then Australia came back to help yet again in 1975. We weren't really there, and yet.. I certainly remember it.
Vietnam visited our house every day as I grew up. It was on the television, in the music, on the radio.. it defined the culture of the 60's. Agent Orange, non-combatants, special ops, the massacre of people across the ocean, were part of my childhood.
It was Saigon that fell in April 1975.. marking the end of the war: The name was changed to Ho Chi Min city, after the leader of North Vietnam. The north won.. sort of.
Ho Chi Min is where Vas and I landed five days ago ...already. It is a welcoming, clean city with banks, apartment buildings and shopping centres. It is bustling with bikes and motorcycles, nice cars and people. Nice people. Busy people. People in suits, palm fraun pyramid hats, face masks, overalls, linen pants... lots of colour.
Sitting here, 200 kilometres north of the city, drinking my 3-in-1 coffee, watching the sun rise above the he heads of the fishermen out in their little round tubs, it is hard to imagine such a horrific time.
So many deaths. So much terror, anguish.. fear.
And for what? I'm glad that people stand up to maintain a balance: we do need to be prepared to fight for people that can't fight for themselves. We need to stand up for the things we believe. And those people that fought in this war, so far from home, get my thanks and gratitude.
They don't talk about who won the Vietnam war: they don't talk about the war much at all these days. Today the communists are in control of this country. The beaches and the jungle where they fought are still there, and I am sure the people here still remember.
And on holidays, on the beach, right now, with free WiFi throughout the resort and my lovely little MacBook Air, I can't log on to Facebook.
I'm not sure who exactly won the war.. but it is pretty apparent that it wasn't Facebook!
It seems Vietnam is a single party socialist republic.. The prime minister is the head of the government in a one party system: it is a communist country and I guess communist countries wouldn't appreciate the power of such a huge social network.
Too bad, because it is lovely here.
We are on the beach, of course. Our neighbour is looking after our place back in Australia. "Where ya headed?" he asked that last week of school. "I bin there" he said "but all I seen was jungle and all I did was wander around 'n try 'n shoot people I didn't know".
Seems like a long way from a such a quiet holiday on the beach in a country where you can Skype anyone you want, but can't check out what's happening on Facebook.
The Vietnam war was really between the north of the country (communist) and the south. The conflict started in November, 1955, a year before I was born, and 'ended' almost 20 years later. While the end of the war is pretty clearly established.. the start of it was not. The conflicts that affected Vietnam came from all directions and, depending on your source, started hundreds of years back and affected the whole region.
It was the longest major battle in which Australia was involved.. from 1962 to 1972 and most of those killed or injured in the battle were conscripts.
In Canada, we didn't really get involved until Australia pulled out. We went in to help clean up and wind things down and then Australia came back to help yet again in 1975. We weren't really there, and yet.. I certainly remember it.
Vietnam visited our house every day as I grew up. It was on the television, in the music, on the radio.. it defined the culture of the 60's. Agent Orange, non-combatants, special ops, the massacre of people across the ocean, were part of my childhood.
It was Saigon that fell in April 1975.. marking the end of the war: The name was changed to Ho Chi Min city, after the leader of North Vietnam. The north won.. sort of.
Ho Chi Min is where Vas and I landed five days ago ...already. It is a welcoming, clean city with banks, apartment buildings and shopping centres. It is bustling with bikes and motorcycles, nice cars and people. Nice people. Busy people. People in suits, palm fraun pyramid hats, face masks, overalls, linen pants... lots of colour.
Sitting here, 200 kilometres north of the city, drinking my 3-in-1 coffee, watching the sun rise above the he heads of the fishermen out in their little round tubs, it is hard to imagine such a horrific time.
So many deaths. So much terror, anguish.. fear.
And for what? I'm glad that people stand up to maintain a balance: we do need to be prepared to fight for people that can't fight for themselves. We need to stand up for the things we believe. And those people that fought in this war, so far from home, get my thanks and gratitude.
They don't talk about who won the Vietnam war: they don't talk about the war much at all these days. Today the communists are in control of this country. The beaches and the jungle where they fought are still there, and I am sure the people here still remember.
And on holidays, on the beach, right now, with free WiFi throughout the resort and my lovely little MacBook Air, I can't log on to Facebook.
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