Sept 2 was the National Independence Day of Vietnam- and Jon's birthday, Happy Birthday Jon!! This marked the 64th anniversary of the day in 1945 when Ho Chi Minh and his nationalist/communist Viet Minh declared Vietnam's independence from France (and from the Japanese occupation during WWII).
Ha Noi was all decked out in red banners and flags. Everyone got the day off so I spent it getting lost in the city on my bike. A perfect use of a free afternoon.
In continuing efforts to become Vietnamese I decided it was a good time to visit Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and museum just down the street from my house. I got on my 'USA Army' bike and pedaled my way through the throngs of traffic and Vietnamese tourists that had sojourned from all over the country to come see the final resting place of of their beloved Ba Ho (Uncle Ho).
The plaza was impressive in that overbearing way with excessively large and angular buildings that I tend to associate with communism. I think the Vietnamese tourists were as intri
gued with me as I was with the mausoleum. I was even approached by a group of 5 or 6 teens who asked to each take a picture with me. I was sweaty and smelly and greasy- so of course I said yes.
gued with me as I was with the mausoleum. I was even approached by a group of 5 or 6 teens who asked to each take a picture with me. I was sweaty and smelly and greasy- so of course I said yes.If a visit to Ba Ho didn't reinforce the fact that I am living in a communist country, I recently heard from a writer friend that a couple of Vietnamese were imprisoned for political blogging.
I'm starting to consider using code words, like communism = pho.
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