Uploads from MadameSnippet

After school

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:35:36 -0700

Here's what a typical Saigon street looks like these days, often worse with sidewalks more crowded with vendors. Definitely not the Saigon of my youth. (lo-res, Nokia E71)

The ve chai lady / recycler on bike

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:37:14 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

Recycling is hard work. Very lo-res, Nokia E71

The ve chai lady / recycler on bike

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:34:19 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

This is a wideshot of the next photo in the stream. Note the large sidewalk, uncluttered with street vendors. That's fairly rare for much of Saigon these days. (lo-res, Nokia E71)

selling refreshments from his tricycle

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:38:57 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

really really lo-res, Nokia E71

The bus driver's assistant

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:51:29 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

On each Saigon city bus is a bossy middle-aged lady who serves as ticket taker, GPS navigation system, yenta (gossip), bullhorn and Führer. Sometimes I think it's the same penguin-sized lady who commandeers all the bus lines. Oh, and last but not least, is her very important role as the bus "signal light". Here as you can see she's furiously signaling right and people are waiting to get on. If traffic is really thick, she will hang her body full-mast out the window and shout til the Red Sea parts.

(I still haven't figured out why riders are often directed to enter at the back of the city bus rather than the front. As for exit, it's any door through which you can get out. Whether it's ingress or egress, as with all Saigon city buses, it's good to be quick on your feet because they don't really stop).

One day, while on one of my regular jaunts to the countryside to photograph water buffaloes, I witnessed our dedicated driver's assistant charge off the bus and kick a gaggle of sleepy hens out of our path. Although the lady was not one to suffer foolish poultry gladly, she was not without a rollicking sense of humor. Later on that trip, our bus hit an emergency ambulance; 'twas really just a pat on the caboose but you can be sure there was enough impact to rattle the poor bastard in traction inside. The bus driver's assistant was so delighted by all this that she led us all in extended cheers, jeers and catcalls. Now how often does a staid old maid like me get to participate in futbol-style hooliganism? I shall treasure this memory forever!

(lo-res, Nokia E71)

I ride the Saigon city bus (no, that is not my arm)

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:34:48 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

My favorite thing to do in Saigon is to ride the city bus. For about 4000đ a trip to most places in the city, I have countless opportunities to people watch. In this photo, please note the tiny arm sticking out the bus window. It belongs to the bus driver's assistant. Currently, the arm is in resting position but poised to signal right as you will observe in the next photo. Does the bus not have signal lights? Who knows and who cares. Certainly no self-respecting Saigon driver would pay signal lights any mind. Stay tuned.

(lo-res, Nokia E71)

Saigon cop idling in front of a gold shop

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:08:23 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

It's too hard to explain why this hasty blurry lo-res snap on my Nokia phone taken from a moving bus is one of my favorite captures.

(lo-res, Nokia E71)

One-Eyed Diệu Ánh

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:55:52 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

When she's 25 she'll still be the baby

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:46:41 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

master of all he surveys

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:35:52 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

This little fella dropped by our balcony for a visit one afternoon. Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Tây già (old Westerner) at the beach

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:38:28 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

First he chased sinfully young girls - I report as eyewitness - then this tây già (old Westerner) stood in the surf for a good half hour to contemplate his twilight years. Ain't life grand?

Nha Trang, Vietnam. (lo-res, Nokia E71)

Trung niên (middle-aged) at the beach

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:14:16 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

making friends and flattering strangers everywhere I go :D

(lo-res, Nokia E71)

Just another day

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 10:46:01 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

The conspirators

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:56:26 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

Diệu Ánh and Mr. Pig

Oh, Diệu Ánh!

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:52:44 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

While Diệu Ánh's mama & brother Minh are busy bathing Mr. Pig, our protagonist (or is she the antagonist?) sneaks off with the ladle and the moisturizing bath soap.

Brothers

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:25:21 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

Willy and Wally at Vinpearl (Nha Trang, Vietnam)

Apropos of nothing but just for the record, I loathe Vinpearl, that blight on the landscape of an amusement park with its own copycat "hollywood sign." Kids here like it a lot though, as do these brothers.

another day another dollar in Chợ Lớn

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:24:17 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

...or roughly 21000 VND at the current exchange rate against the US dollar.

Captured from the Saigon city bus. (lo-res, Nokia E71)

My life as a dog: mất hứng và mất hồn

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:38:49 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

I love all the sights of Chợ Lớn (Cho Lon)

Captured from the Saigon city bus. (lo-res, Nokia E71)

no sacred cows here

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:09:09 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

Near Tân Sơn Nhất (Tan Son Nhat), Vietnam's biggest airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the handsome likeness of revolutionary icon Che Guevara is used to promote a gay menswear internet store.

The website's domain name -- "contrailamdep" OR "con trai làm đẹp" -- literally means "boys make beautiful"

(lo-res, Nokia E71)

All our services

nobody@flickr.com (MadameSnippet) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 03:55:49 -0700

MadameSnippet posted a photo:

Saigon, Vietnam. Here's another Tết discovery. I lived in this neighborhood for months but it wasn't until this Tết (the lunar new year) when the sidewalks were clear enough for me to notice all the services offered by this business.

For those who do not read Vietnamese, the sign in the background lists all the services noted on the English-language sign except for "clean car" -- in its place is "ear cleaning" ("ráy tai" or literally, "clean ears"). Yes, people really do pay for ear-cleaning here.

(lo-res, Nokia E71)