EARL'S WORLD---18

EARL’S WORLD---18
Vietnam Countryside

Farming is a struggle. Growing largely rice it is a crop that requires back breaking hand labor: planting, transplanting, harvesting, thrashing, drying, bagging, all by hand. Back problem are prevalent and older workers wear out before ageing. Young people are going to the cities where they seek education and a higher standard of living. The water for farming is supplied by the state from canals and pumps. Rice requires 2 months of water covered fields, then a dry field month before is turns yellow and need harvesting. There are two growing seasons per year. Housing has progressed from bamboo to concrete and brick. Property for a house is bought or granted from the government. A house is taxed by the number of frontage feet (Meters) thus most are about10 feet wide, and 40 to 60 feet long. Walls are poured concrete and look like bunkers. Joint walls are not used for privacy reasons. The front ground floor is usually and shop for a business, craft work, repairs, food marketing and cooking or any of dozens of endeavors. It is like tables in Wal Mart stretched our along main street with a wall between them and each a private business enticing the masses of people and motorcycles passing by. There may be a mobile phone shop, or a glidden paint shop every half mile. With such limited space I assume one sells white and one sells yellow. The house toilet and kitchen are usually separated from the house, in back. Cost for a family of four, about $20,000.
Electricity is from coal burning plants and near Hanoi and is the world’s largest, built by the Japanese. Air quality seemed quite good so they must have modern technology.
Education is not free. The family pays, the schools are inadequate, the day divided so the child goes in the mornings or afternoon. The government supplies their uniforms. There is no more land for young people so most are moving to cities.
Gas is $4.00 a gallon, most for taxes and is high to discourage automobile use. The city of Ho Chi Minh has 5 million motorcycles registered.