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Vietnam–2013, The French Influence

Published

11 years ago

December 18, 2013

Many of the Vietnam veterans who return to Vietnam speak in terms of paying homage to their brethren whose lives, limbs, and sanity were lost in a land of unparalleled beauty. From its coastline beaches to its curvacious mountains to its lateritic red soil to its pock marked landscape all reveal a subtle and not so subtle story of battles yore; but mostly, these vets speak to exorcising demons from a moment in time their psyche has, heretofore, been unable to release.

This writer makes the trek to Vietnam as a tourist of sorts with a history that is inextricably linked to one’s youth, fears, and “what ifs,” about a land most baby boomers went through extraordinary efforts to avoid. Accompanying me are images depicted in such Hollywood films as the Deer Hunter, Apocalypse now, Platoon, and Hamburger Hill.

Flying into Hanoi

As the plane hugs the coastline of southern China on a southwest heading for final approach into Hanoi, visions of America’s newly minted warriors straining to catch a glimpse out of an airplane window with lumps in their throats at a land shrouded in ancient mystery and death, rummage through this writer’s mind. Sadly, for far too many this would be their necropolis.

Female working the Rice Fields

Initial reaction upon arriving in Hanoi was much the same as arriving in China—an environmental disaster of sorts–at least in terms of air quality. Nothing says Vietnam more than ubiquitous rice paddies with stooped over women wearing Bamboo conical hats (non la hat—in Vietnamese) transplanting seedlings with a nearby, loyal as a dog, water buffalo. Nothing says Vietnam more than stilted housing, high mountains, deep ravines and lush vegetation

French Metropole Hotel

The country is trying to attract more investment dollars, but it still has a ways to go to make the stay of foreigners hospitable. The airport is undergoing a facelift, if not, new construction because the current one is as disastrous as the air quality—hardly a welcoming representation of a great city. Once in the center section of Hanoi the French influence is unmistakable and unavoidable. One hundred years of colonial dominance often leaves its architectural mark of shudders and overhanging roofs. French IndoChina encompassed present day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The last Emperor Bao Dai is often credited with changing the name of the country from Annam to Vietnam. Historically, however, many manifestations of the current name were credited to many people. The country actually settled on the name Nam Viet which, to this day, is the current way the United Nations list it. Loosely, Nam means South and Viet means People with the current Chinese name of Yue Nan 越南 meaning “beyond the south” people.


Stilted Housing

After WWII, the French incredibly reasserted themselves into IndoChina. Vanquished and brutally occupied by Nazi Germany, with the imposition of a Vichy puppet government, one would think that the French would’ve been more sensitive and sympathetic to the needs and aspirations of the Vietnamese people after such a similar experience in Europe. Apparently, old dynasties die hard and memories are fleeting.

Mountainous Lush Vegetation of Vietnam

The French have returned to Vietnam in great numbers and the Americans have not. The defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 hasn’t had a lasting demoralizing affect on them. To watch them walk around these grandiose hotels that they once lived a privileged life in it’s as though amnesia has set in and they are back in the 19^th century. Americans have less of a history to this country and the one they do have is negative. Perhaps, in time, Americans will travel to Vietnam in greater numbers—but I doubt it.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

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11 hours ago

December 26, 2024

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Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

3 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

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Alameda County

Last City Council Meeting of the Year Ends on Sour Note with Big Budget Cuts

In a five to one vote, with Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused, the council passed a plan aimed at balancing the $130 million deficit the city is facing. Noel Gallo voted against the plan, previously citing concerns over public safety cuts, while Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Treva Reid, Rebecca Kaplan, Kevin Jenkins, and Dan Kalb voted in agreement with the plan.

Published

3 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland City Council voted on a plan to balance the $130 million deficit at their last regular meeting of 2024. The plan reduces police spending by $25 million, temporarily closes two fire stations, and guts the cultural arts programs. iStock photo.

By Magaly Muñoz

In the last lengthy Tuesday meeting of the Oakland City Council for 2024, residents expressed strong opposition to the much needed budget cuts before a change in leadership was finalized with the certification of election results.

Oakland police and fire departments, the ambassador program, and city arts and culture will all see significant cuts over the course of two phases.

Phase 1 will eliminate two police academies, brown out two fire stations, eliminate the ambassador program, and reduce police overtime by nearly $25 million. These, with several other cuts across departments, aim to save the city $60 million. In addition, the council simultaneously approved to transfer restricted funds into its general purpose fund, amounting to over $40 million.

Phase 2 includes additional fire station brownouts and the elimination of 91 jobs, aiming to recover almost $16 million in order to balance the rest of the budget.

Several organizations and residents spoke out at the meeting in hopes of swaying the council to not make cuts to their programs.

East Oakland Senior Center volunteers and members, and homeless advocates, filled the plaza just outside of City Hall with rallies to show their disapproval of the new budget plan. Senior residents told the council to “remember that you’ll get old too” and that disturbing their resources will only bring problems for an already struggling community.

While city staff announced that there would not be complete cuts to senior center facilities, there would be significant reductions to staff and possibly inter-program services down the line.

Exiting council member and interim mayor Bas told the public that she is still hopeful that the one-time $125 million Coliseum sale deal will proceed in the near future so that the city would not have to continue with drastic cuts. The deal was intended to save the city for fiscal year 2024-25, but a hold up at the county level has paused any progress and therefore millions of dollars in funds Oakland desperately needs.

The Coliseum sale has been a contentious one. Residents and city leaders were originally against using the deal as a way to balance the budget, citing doubts about the sellers, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s (AASEG), ability to complete the deal. Council members Reid, Ramachandran, and Gallo have called several emergency meetings to understand where the first installments of the sale are, with little to no answers.

Bas added that as the new Alameda County Supervisor for D5, a position she starts in a few weeks, she will do everything in her power to push the Coliseum sale along.

The city is also considering a sales tax measure to put on the special election ballot on April 15, 2025, which will also serve as an election to fill the now vacant D2 and mayor positions. The tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually for Oakland, allowing the city to gain much-needed revenue for the next two-year budget.

The council will discuss the possible sales tax measure on January 9.