world: vietnam

Vietnam is a place in the world 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 that can at times come across as arrogance.

But there is also immense charm to the people who laugh easily. 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 notions related mostly to my country's history with theirs.

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.

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