RELFECTIONS, B.C.V.C.B IV

After the evening rush hour: Boulevard traffic sustains. Side streets are cleared and market kiosks erected. Aromas of charred, tamarind soaked, beef fills the air, emanating from charcoal grills under a massive yellow tent.

      Spring rolls are served well blistered on the surface, filled with crisp julienned vegetables and pork inside. Brochettes seared to medium doneness, caramelized and glistening. Stir-fried vegetables tossed in sesame oil and sautéed garlic round out the meal. Pulpy fresh fruit shakes, fortified with coconut-cream, aid in rejuvenation at day’s end.

      Ho Chi Minh markets feature an extensive cache of antiques and spurious accessories: old Nikon bodies and lenses, automatic-movement watches, Ray-Ban replicas, and vintaged Zippo lighters. Perhaps salvaged from American G.I.’s and French colonists decades before, and thence cared for until their return as tourists, eager to consume tokens of their own self-romanticized eras… American youth who grew up watching Forest Gump and Apocalypse Now, listening to Jimi Hendrix, purchasing a pair of Ray-Ban aviators.

      Cameras and optics have been well maintained. Old Rolex oysters appear frequently; minor replacements as straps or glass cases may be necessary. Still these are a bargain at well under 80 USD. The Zippos are handsome, featuring detailed engravings of PBR boats, huey choppers, maps, insignia, and other motifs. The flipsides were engraved with often misspelled phrases.

Locals resting in public was not an uncommon practice. I would expect this in Barcelona, not so much in Ho Chi Minh.