OT- Anyone from Saigon???

I have been follow this forum for more than 2 years now. I notice there

are quite a few people from S.E Asia and I know Travis is from Spore

and do we have anyone from Vietnam?? I am keen to find out as this is

a fascinating country

Tks

My wife Mimi was born in Saigon and lived there until she was 15 which was three years after the fall. I've always been fascinated with her stories during her three years of living under communist rule. Even so, she has always said that it is a beautiful place and that she would love to go back and visit.

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Sorry for deleting all the OT replies that were on this thread, but I found that none of the twenty or so had anything to offer Tim's question and they were starting to make my stomach turn. Part of this is because I'm on day-time cold medication which makes me more sensitive in that area. The other part must be that "forum moderator" thing!! :-)

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To bring this back to a pertinent topic, I think Vietnam would be a splendid place to take a small format rangefinder camera. I would have a hard time deciding what kind of film to take: B&W would be excellent for the street life, but it seems like it's such a colorful area. I think I would have to take both.

I'm planning a trip to Vietnam to shoot in December. My friend <a href="http://www.ltkphoto.com/">Kiet Le</a> has quite a few photos from Vietnam on his website, definitely worth looking at.

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I'm wondering if anyone knows what the power connectors in Vietnam look like, or what other countries use the same power cords. I'm looking at bringing a fair amount of equipment, including some that requires power.

just been to hanoi a couple of months back to do an ad for an airline (just before sars) and just loved the place. the day starts maddeningly slow, very graceful, then followed by ceaseless roars of cycles and crowd.

you will seldom find traffic lights so walking across the street is an adventure as hundreds of bicycles and motorcycles try their best not to hit you. and as long as you trust them, you won't get a single scratch. but hesitate midway, and they lose their "chaotic" order.

walking by the sidewalks, you are confronted by stores selling colourful wares, sometimes overflowing with silk hanging like rainbows. and street corners are interrupted by french coffeeshops.

There are moments when you want to capture the place with a coloured film. yet sometimes, the colours are just too overpowering that you'd want to shoot the image with black and white. so better bring two cameras. one loaded with colour, and the other with black and white film.

such a lovely place.

jeff,

if you are staying in a hotel, it is same as the one used in singapore. the one that looks like a face. (two rectangular eyes and in between them, half an inch below, is a rectangular nose). most hotels in vietnam provide adaptors anyway if your camera equipments have different plug connectors.

Tony:

>>>I would have a hard time deciding what kind of film to take: B&W would be

excellent for the street life, but it seems like it's such a colorful area. I think I would

have to take both.<<<

I would take both. But last December I spent four days in central VN, the Hué area,

and it drizzled rain most of the time. Also, the landscape is so spectacular (strong

forms) that it works very well in B&W in this drizzly weather.

--Mitch/Bangkok

I spent more than half of my life in Vietnam and I used to travel quite a bit. I agree with someone that B&W film would be a excellent choice to get in VN because most of places in VN still have old look so that you will get a very good tone.

Tuan

Thankyou,Tony, for keeping this forum in good shape/taste as usual.

Jeff- Pls let me know off-line if you are in VN in Dec, maybe we can get together for a beer if I am there at that time.

Tks,