Going to Vietnam

[daveathall]

Do you think that it is less safe to wear your Rolex there than the place you live?

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Is this laughter a reaction to the use of the word "communism" ?

Much like Beijing, Hanoi is not safe simply because it's communist (nor was my post making any political comment), but rather because the government has influenced a culture of rule-following and respect for legal authority.

This is what one Vietnamese businessman had to say about Hanoi: “Everything feels safe there because it’s so structured and institutionalized." This comment, although not mentioning the system of governance explicitly, captures the essence of what I meant

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[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Is this laughter a reaction to the use of the word "communism" ?

I happen to have known a goodly number of Vietnamese who are now US citizens and who have in recent years made many trips back to their country of origin.

Maybe your description is what things seem like on the surface, but they tell a much different and darker tale of life in Vietnam.

I'm also a veteran of the war in Vietnam and I know first hand how communists operate, rather than the whitewashed version many Americans believe.

Still, I won't argue with your version, but I can't help but laugh.

[Pangit]

I have just come back from a two week holiday in the Philippines. i took my Tudor Black bay and a g shock just for my peace of mind. Bumped into a guy I used to know in Qatar who is now retired there and he was happily walking around with a solid yellow gold day-date on his wrist.

[dera]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I happen to have known a goodly number of Vietnamese who are now US citizens and who have in recent years made many trips back to their country of origin.

Maybe your description is what things seem like on the surface, but they tell a much different and darker tale of life in Vietnam.

I'm also a veteran of the war in Vietnam and I know first hand how communists operate, rather than the whitewashed version many Americans believe.

Still, I won't argue with your version, but I can't help but laugh.

So you've been there 30 years ago, and know people who left 30 years ago - and this makes you qualified to comment on how life in Vietnam is today?

I wouldn't wear a Rolex in quite a few US cities, but I can't think of many places (apart from Manila) in SE asia where I wouldn't wear one.
Last time I was in Vietnam a few months ago, I wore a 116618LB, and didn't worry about it at all.

[Jamiewabbit]

I wore it to some off beaten tracks there, kontum, plieku,coconut island,and crossed into Laos via land route. No problem. But that's me experience. Friendly people! Personal take.