Tet Spring Flower Festival

Vietnam is the first developing country I’ve ever lived in. Aside from the lack of traffic signals and supermarkets, another thing I’ve noticed here is the relatively unsophisticated locals. They are easily impressed by signs of excess.

During Christmas, all the high rise buildings and hotels were covered with white twinkling Christmas lights. On one stretch of road, lights, plastic poinsettias, and boughs of plastic fir were strung overhead from one side to the other. Seeing so much electricity go towards something frivolous is a novelty here. Power outages occur with enough regularity that most buildings occupied by foreigners, including ours, have back-up generators. And, most local restaurants and shops rely on ceiling fans instead of air conditioners to cool the tropical air. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the local people got on their motorbikes and packed the roads gawking at the lights. The streets are not even that crowded during rush hour.

There aren’t so many lights for Lunar New Year, but a spring flower festival is being held on one of the main streets of Ho Chi Minh City until February 10th. My friends had told me that the flowers would be exquisite and impressively arranged.

This morning, I managed to persuade a usually reluctant Marv to go with Stephen and me. As the hot sun baked the crowds of people, we walked along the exhibit lining the entire center of the wide street. Maybe we’re jaded, but it all looked very ordinary. The potted flowers were typical of any California shopping center. The cluster of hanging potted plants looked like it belonged on someone’s backyard porch. And the pale, anemic orchids would fade away if placed next to ones from Singapore.

Of course, I shouldn’t be comparing Vietnam to countries like the U.S. and Singapore. But, I think it’s part of being an experienced expat. I can see each country’s past and future.


He didn’t care for the pre-recorded cock-a-doodle-doo.

NB: For more pictures of the flower festival, see Noodle Pie.

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