Copper K-Tora (BTW FTP)

More Hanoi. More and longer walkabouts in a city that seem to have stopped in time and not changed much since the early 90's when I was here first time. For the locals I can imagine huge differences in life styles. That's what I have been told by the native sons and daughters of this the one "we" system anyways. But the street scene and facade is pretty much the same. Less bicycles and more iPhone stores. Being neighbor to Laos, Cambodia and China you are in the communist belt of south-east Asia but you don't feel it in your long daily strolls mostly staring into a viewfinder, as you don't feel the behind the scene in any of the red star nations. You scratch the surface and it might seep out, I don't wanna go there. Like it as it is, being a solitary ghost just checking out this and that. Some of the friendliest and most easy going people I have come by have been from really oppressed and controlled nations. A must and need to be on the right side of life, to have an ability to roll with the punches I believe. What do I know, just an express visitor pampered from birth with equal rights and freedom of deep self thinking. Scandinavian rights to topple what you have in front of you with help and support from the toppled to be. During my walks, thoughts like, what if the country had been untouch by foreign interventions and was to develop on her own stance to the world back in the days when history was forged by outsiders? The international fusion cuisine,  French quarters and croissant with a hot espresso for breakfast would be harder to come by for sure. How would nations with a similar past have looked today if different hands of cards were dealt? Singapore, Hongkong, Thailand and Malaysia are decennia ahead of Vietnam in terms of development but is this for the better one may ask? I think it is, but respect and listen to any ideas and thoughts steering in another direction. Again, as Scandinavian you were told very early in life to question things, be against is good and the ball of dialogue was then possible and could be set in motion. Standing there in the shadow with all senses intact but wrapped up good with the heavy blanket of fearful respect to Big brother - "Can we be more? Do we want to be more, Why…not? Is controlled happiness true happiness" These are the big question(s) that keeps popping up in my have-a-ticket-out-of-here-on-Wednesday mind.








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