Author: saigonsays

Hello This blog began as a journal of my family's time living in Saigon, Vietnam, but is now more of a repository of thoughts about work, family, and the incredible and often hilarious moments confronting ex-pats living in this weird and wonderful city. I am originally from London (for anyone from London, I'm actually from Amersham, but this tends to mean not a lot to the vast majority of people I work with and meet in Asia). In January 2013 I started a new writing project, following some changes in my life - www.definitelymaybe.me - and I welcome you to join in the discussion over there, too. I am probably drinking a coffee as you are reading this. 'Cheers' for stopping by (I am lifting my cup as we speak) and enjoy today.

Why I’m posting this heartbreaking photograph

On By saigonsaysIn Humankind1 Comment
April 25, 2013. Two victims amid the rubble of a garment factory building collapse in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2013/05/08/a-final-embrace-the-most-haunting-photograph-from-bangladesh/#ixzz2SlWRG3gY
April 25, 2013. Two victims amid the rubble of a garment factory building collapse in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Whilst the world’s media is abuzz with stories of lunatic kidnappers in America, and retiring football managers in the UK (both grabbing legitimate headline space) another Dhaka factory fire last night claimed 7 lives – http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/deadly-clothing-factory-fire-bangladesh

Last week, I posted about the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka.  Rescuers are still pulling bodies out from under the two week old rubble.  Including those of the two workers embracing in the heart-wrenching photograph above.

Taslima Akhter, the photographer who took this picture, was interviewed (see link below) about her experience of being at the scene of this tragedy.  And about this particular photo.

Her statements are powerful.  The image she has captured stirs a million emotions for those who lay eyes on it.

All the questions being asked about accountability for the Rana Plaza collapse need answers.

But, given questions about accountability for how the global garment industry is governed and managed, were being asked more than twenty years ago, how many more years need to transpire before a stop is put to unnecessary lives – like those unnamed in the picture – are lost?

So much of what we read about in the news are “white noise” stories.  There will be replacement football club managers, and, depressingly, replacement lunatics.  Is that why, often, such stories don’t penetrate our consciences for very long, or in a way that makes us stop and think and wonder.

I cannot let this picture go.

Taslima Akhter interview: http://lightbox.time.com/2013/05/08/a-final-embrace-the-most-haunting-photograph-from-bangladesh/#ixzz2SlWktLCD

Brave new world (of uncertainty)

On By saigonsaysIn Humankind3 Comments
"Only by embracing uncertainty, will the way forward manifest itself" (Jo Confino)
“Only by embracing uncertainty, will the way forward manifest itself” (Jo Confino)

When I was last in Bangladesh, in November, a factory fire broke out in Ashulia, near the capital Dhaka, killing over 135 factory workers.

Like others at the time, this event prompted me to write – http://saigonsays.wordpress.com/category/travels/bangladesh/ – to raise awareness, to express sadness, and to describe CARE’s work in this particular arena.

It’s selfish writing in many ways.  Such an unnecessary event, needlessly taking lives, and a sense that you can respond in some capacity by simply writing a narrative.  Although, at the time, I don’t remember it making me feel any better about what had taken place in Ashulia.

And now it has happened all over again, once more in Bangladesh, this time just north of the capital, in Savar, after the total collapse of the Rana Plaza building, last Wednesday.  Rana Plaza was eight-storeys high, housed four garment factories, 6,000 workers, and should never have been open last week, after factory inspectors had ordered the building be evacuated having declared it unsafe. Continue reading “Brave new world (of uncertainty)” →

Back to the Future

On By saigonsaysIn Technology2 Comments

Night-time here in Saigon, and the apartment is awash with technology: air conditioning unit purring above, iPod playing, latop bedazzling me with twittersphere chat, skype, and instant access to the views, and counterviews, of billions of fellow humans.

In my first job after returning from an even more isolated, yet inspiring, corner of Uganda in 1997, I worked in a slightly ‘outback’ office in Acton (West London) with twenty other people.  We had no mobile phones to start with, and a mere four to five shared computers.

These were times when securing advertising through faxing was all the rage – in itself a flawed initiative on several fronts when you think about it, as no one ever read the adverts, and no one recycled the paper.

Sure, this ain’t all that long ago in the grand scheme of things and, in comparison to now, was following on the foot-steps of a practically ‘dark-age’ era of technology (and so brilliantly captured in this recent UK compilation of 70s and 80s nostalgic memorabillia – which I simply had to upload for posterity’s sake): Continue reading “Back to the Future” →

Our defining moments

On By saigonsaysIn HumankindLeave a comment
photo credit agreenobserver.wordpress.com

In terms of a public figure well practiced in the art of reinventing a good argument, the late, great Christopher Hitchens was second to none.

I’ve no doubt I would have enjoyed his inevitable column, following the recent news that the Vatican had elected a new Pope. Hitchens was a staunch atheist, and passionately outspoken about Catholicism. Who knows what his particular narrative on the appointment of Pope Francis would have been last week?

Having watched countless hours of him in action on youtube – Hitchens that is, not the new Pope – I used to find myself, for the first time, understanding the type of lure and addiction that those with strong religious faiths must experience when in front of their local preacher. The same, only with Hitchens’ flavour of persuasion being that of the anti-theist, promoting instead the vital role that the arts, science, and disciplines such as free-thinking play in society. Continue reading “Our defining moments” →

Inca Magic

On By saigonsaysIn Well-Being3 Comments
The view from up top of Waynapichu
The view of Machu Picchu from top of Waynapichu mountain

There’s a catchy song going round at the moment – by Asaf Avidan – containing the refrain: “one day, baby, we’ll grow old, think of all the stories that we could have told.”

Take it or leave it, I’ve always felt there to be immense appeal, and need, now and again, for a carpe diem type of call to action.  Time waits for no man.  You are only young once.  Just Do It.

We live in an era of 24/7 availability and connectivity.  Of twittersphere brevity.  Of mouse click transactions, and downloaded lifestyles.  Today’s children will know very little else, growing up as they will do surrounded by technologies whose sell-by dates will have expired halfway through the journey from their Chinese factory origins, to the shelves from which they will be sold.

Does this excite or exacerbate you?  And what does it matter anyway?

This time last week I climbed Machu Picchu, the world famous Inca heritage site in Peru, and spent a large chunk of my Tuesday soaking up dizzying views of Andean mountains, valleys and indigenous life [I left my own technologies behind for the day, although did take the photo above with a crappy old camera].

My first time to Peru, and the experience was a memorable one.  Cultural nuances, tasty foods and drink, a different pace of life, language, and a wonderful and striking mixture of old and new. Continue reading “Inca Magic” →

Raising the bar on tax

On By saigonsaysIn International Development, PoliticsLeave a comment
fundraising_power_of_one
What can you do today that will make a difference?

George Osborne, the UK Chancellor, was front page news yesterday, receiving positive plaudits from Action Aid and the ONE Campaign, as well as from other organisations also not known for being routinely generous with such public praise.

The story in question centres around how large corporations have skillfully dodged paying taxes to poorer countries in which they conduct business.  Osborne used his attendance at a G20 meeting of finance ministers to make UK Govt commitments to a “new agenda of transparency” that will move towards stamping out skillful tax dodging by said corporations.

At the same time, he took the opportunity, quite rightly, to reinforce his government’s own pledge to increase to 0.7% (of GNI – gross national income) the funds it spends on international development programmes around the world.

The argument against increasing this UK “aid” budget has been made time and again since the Conservatives took office nearly 3 years ago, and no doubt Osborne’s piece in the Observer will not go down well with many.  Whilst 0.7% is a small percentage compared to other government budgets, it still amounts to tens of millions of pounds of tax payers’ money.  All other public sector budgets have been cut and, last year, the UK economy flat-lined, triple dipping back into recession. Continue reading “Raising the bar on tax” →

Reinvention in the public eye

On By saigonsaysIn Politics1 Comment
On the road to redemption?
On the road to redemption?

After yesterday’s admition of guilt (10 years too late) and accompanying resignation from his Eastleigh seat, MP Chris Huhne will almost certainly be the face of the next edition of Private Eye.  Fame at last, in my books – I love the Eye – and only wish it had the membership of facebook, and perhaps the world would be a cleaner place.

So, Chris Huhne.  He “perverted the course of justice”.  Lied for a decade to protect his career.  He stood (and almost won) in the leadership contest to be head of the Liberal Democrats.  He is now facing a prison sentence.  On paper, it’s a solid performance.

If anyone required some sort of “reinvention,” as we embrace the Year of the Snake next week, it is Mr Chris Huhne.

Lance Armstrong may be able to sympathise.  Armstrong went on Oprah last month, and confessed to a nation about his sorry tale.  A day of trending on Twitter, and perhaps Armstrong’s own redemption journey has begun now in earnest, and will see him resurrected in a year or two, in a new role.

What is the take-away from comparing these two fallen-from-grace public figures, in their respective professions and life pursuits?  What does any of it all mean for those of us not in the public eye?

Once you move on from shaking your head at their misdemeanors, and thinking “what were you thinking at the time?” I am just not sure what purpose any further raving on the matter will ultimately serve to satiate, other than our own tendencies to jump on hate bandwagons and point the finger. Continue reading “Reinvention in the public eye” →

Fifty Shades of Gay (iO Tillet Wright TEDTalk)

On By saigonsaysIn EqualityLeave a comment

Sure, who has 18 minutes in their day to watch a TED Talk?

Let me use my first post of this new project to encourage you to find the time.  This is a seminal piece of public speaking, which will leave you inspired.

The artist iO Tillet Wright makes a pitch perfect address to her audience about topics such as prejudice, human rights, sexuality, and the pursuit of human well being.

Her platform, for me, hammers home possibly the one affirming life statement I have always felt is a good enough one to use each and every day: “do unto others as you would have done unto yourself”.

I’ve written in the past about “international development” issues, the subtler aspects of which I will continue to pay attention to and try to understand (for this is, after all, what I am paid to do) however, in my view, this TED Talk presents such a compelling narrative about who we are, and how we behave, that it should be obligatory viewing for any development-ista, or those interested in the finer subtleties of the development themes of our time: inequality, social justice, gender equity, political freedom, and ultimately, global citizenship in all its potential glory. Continue reading “Fifty Shades of Gay (iO Tillet Wright TEDTalk)” →