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| Saigon wired - infrastructure - oh ya! |
Just spent a few months in Thailand - border dispute with Cambodia that over the past few months has destroyed property and cost up to 8 or 9 lives, in the south of Thailand Muslin terrorists have killed over 2000 people since 2004 which 90% were civilian, than you have the red shirts and the yellow shirt protesters causing disruptions in Bangkok. Not to forget loss of life and property due to natural causes, like flooding and sever cold weather in the north of Thailand. However, in Thailand's case it's possible to visit and be total unaware of these happenings. Though, Tourists are fickle lot and so just the negative news has had an effect on potential visitors which is another blow to the countries economy.
Then there are the major conflicts in other parts of the world over government leadership that I witnessed from Thai TV that are taking place in parts of the Mideast and once again protesters on the streets of Greece. Of course then we have the ongoing economic pressures on the USA and other parts of Europe that are impossible to ignore. However, it's better than it was, it's still a long way from what you can refer to as a stable economy in these areas. Then there is the catastrophic loss in live in Mexico due to the on going strife with the drug Mafia types. Australia with the loss of property and lives due to flooding and New Zealand with it's recent earthquake. Anyway, I'm sure I missed a lot of other bad stuff but suffice to say the world is a mess and even more messed up than me and so I might be better than we all thought, or maybe not.
Lets get back to where I am and as we know that's Saigon, Vietnam and they have there problems too. Though here in Saigon as I'm looking at all the new construction you would never know it, things are looking up. However, even as Vietnam manufacturing and production has increased at a rapid rate, the worlds financial difficulties even have moved in on this new growth and has also taken its toll. For example inflation has caused the government to devalue the dong several times, at present leaving it around 20,000 dong to a dollar , the normal rate is around 15,000. There have been price increases in the government controlled commodities of gas and electricity which surly won't help with inflation but...........
Then being the negative guy I can't help but look at all the new mega high rises and wonder how the infrastructure of the country can support them, guess it falls under the - you build them and it will all work out, theory. Along the same line more high class designer shopping areas with hotels and restaurants are being built on the ground where my favorite little mom and pop shops were, and I wonder about who the customers are now they have lost me. So sad to know I that un important.
In finishing this I want to tell you that I'm feeling like that guy under the log but not because I crawled under it, but because someone dropped it on me and all I really wanted was facebook and a medical information web site.
