Theres something about 'development' that just doesnt add up in my mind. It kills innocence and makes life a trifle more sterile. And why did I think of this in Vietnam?
Hanoi, on my recent visit, still seemed to have the simplicity and guilelessness of a small town or a city on the throes of 'globalisation', but not quite yet (thank God). So it had none of the swagger of a city that has tasted the seductive fruit of 'progress'. Maybe its poised in the best place ever in its history - emerged from years of crippling war and isolation of a closed socialist economy , but just before the raid of Big Mac.
So what does that mean? Elementary , my dear Blackberry toter . Hanoi's cool dudes are not yet strutting about thinking how lucky they are to be born in the Age of Choice. No Mac Donalds and Starbucks. No flashy malls, no fancy cars (mopeds are fine thank you).
Any society that tastes economic success eventually rues its lost innocence I think. Older Singaporeans reminisce about the simple life in 'kampongs' (village). In some places in the city there are exhibits of a life that was more spontaneous.The bronze sculptures of naked urchins jumping into the Singapore River for a happy dip is one of my favourites. It stands dwarfed and almost irrelevant in todays plush business district.
In some ways I find the strain of 'progress' showing through in India too. Not quite as sterile as a Singapore or a Tokyo yet (maybe never will) but there are precious things that are threatening to fade out. With the Wal Marts and Reliances coming in, conversations with 'our family bhaji wala' (vegetable seller) - whose life's ups and downs came gratis everyday with the chillies and curry leaves - may well die out. Shopping would just mean zipping around with trolleys down well signposted aisles and picking out vegetables -labelled and weighed to the milligram.Espirits' S,M,L,XL,XXL has made the lovably tardy tailor (for whom deadlines were just abstract concepts) redundant.
With 'progress'/globalisation/technology/'all those certain somethings we call development' , day to day experiences just lose out on warmth and get coldly standardised.
I am no 'jhola' toting Left leaning socialist. I enjoy my speedy Internet connection as much as anyone else. And a swig or two from my can of Cola doesnt exactly shake my moral foundation. But somewhere deep down it just doesnt gel. I am thankful I grew up when I did - when there was no TV and not much choice. It is my sons who I feel sorry for and want to tell them 'how you are missing out on LIFE'. (I know they would repartee 'you dont know what you are missing out' babe'!)
I am no 'jhola' toting Left leaning socialist. I enjoy my speedy Internet connection as much as anyone else. And a swig or two from my can of Cola doesnt exactly shake my moral foundation. But somewhere deep down it just doesnt gel. I am thankful I grew up when I did - when there was no TV and not much choice. It is my sons who I feel sorry for and want to tell them 'how you are missing out on LIFE'. (I know they would repartee 'you dont know what you are missing out' babe'!)
Back to the point...does Hanoi's "rustic charm" amount to anything at all then? Atleast people and life seemed real there. Ha who am I kidding with those big empty words. Afterall isnt there a thin line between 'old world charm' and hardship? No one knows it better than the Vietnamese themselves.
Vietnam is one of Asia's fast growing economies. Its people deserve their share of "progress" after years of struggle.Who am I- tapping away on my laptop- to grudge it? Uncle Mac will catch up soon. Just hope the deft fingers of Vietnam's semstresses dont go cold then.
