18th December - After Thoughts

Today is my last day in Vietnam. I am going to miss the sights and sounds I experienced on a motorbike. Am gonna miss the feel of the gentle breeze blowing against my face; the feel of the cool weather in the night resting just above my skin. When on a bike, all our 5 senses and observation skills are heightened. In a car, everything seems surreal, even the sounds. On a bike, however, everything comes to life. The people, the shops, and the sounds!

I will also miss using chopsticks to eat rice from a bowl! It has become my 2nd nature.


Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. Its GDP real growth rate rose to 7.7% in 2004 (estimate). It is also estimated in year 2004 that unemployment rate is 1.9% and 28.9% of the population is living below poverty line.



Everywhere in Vietnam, along the streets, you can still see vendors selling their goods on two balanced sides of the poles; or pushing their carts equipped with a radio or horn to attract customers to their goods. Many are still engaged in cottage industries.

Late in the night or early in the morning, there will be people who clean the streets. Some will be pushing a big bin, sweeping the dust and rubbish and emptying it into the big bin.



Vietnam is one of the major providers of rice in Southeast Asia, a staple food in this region. Seeing farmers thrudging in the ankle deep, wet, muddy soil , walking over acres and acres of paddy fields just to sow the paddy seeds.. has also made me realized that planting paddy is hard. I shall not waste a single grain of rice from now on.

Seeing little kids on the streets playing dangerously on the roads, has also made me realized the importance of education. It offers freedom, improvement of living standards and better quality of life.

It is thus no wonder that our Vietnamese friends study so hard and smart. They even go to school on Saturdays, from 7am to 1pm, and after that, they attend extra classes until late in the night.

Yes. After comin back from Vietnam, I am thankful that our country is quite developed, thanks to the creativity and dedication of our ministers and our people.