world: vietnam

Vietnam is a place that seems to be caught between the old world and new.

On the verge of becoming a major economic power in the region, it struggles in defining itself politically and economically. Yet there is a definite sense of historical pride and confidence in some that can at times come across as arrogance.

But there is also a charm to the country. People laugh easily and even in the remotest of areas, there is still the feel that things are happening.

As an American, I arrived with a few dimly held concepts and pre-conceived notions related mostly to my country's history with theirs.

And what I found were a people with a much longer sense of history. To them, the war with America was only 10 years out of a full 2000 years of history.

I also found a people full of life, warmth and generosity.