Can Tho City: The river of poems

Today, having a class about the Great Mekong Subregion (GMS), a program of economic cooperation which is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB). How this program have been affecting Mekong communities, people's livelihood, and environment. Because there are not only the project of building up electricity, power grid, roads, railways, bridges, etc - that aim to help to 'alleviate poverty', the projects impact people's lives and actually impoverish the people. The people's rights are abused, the income gap between rural and urban people is widening, flood, drought and these are ongoing problems.

This made me think about the trip to Can Tho city in Mekong delta in March. Can Tho, its name means 'the river of poems.' This biggest city in the delta is full of activities. I bet, you can't walk by yourself and expect to have a moment of your own because there are many bicycles, people talking, walking, selling, horn beeping, ... The road is full of cars, and the air is filled up with noise.

However, it's nice to only just looking at the river. The mekong river scene paints on my eyes, and my heart hardly forgets it. The river is wide and huge, and there are so many people depend and rely on this river. Mekong region people's and the world's bellies have been fulfilling by the fish from Mekong delta for all these years. It's chaotic and busy town, ever! But it's nice in the way of how people interact and your day is just passing by so quick with so many things to see and to do. I felt like that.

One more thing (besides delicious food and coffee, and nice people) that I never forget is the weather. It was extremely hot when I was there. A traditional Vietnamese hat can help, but still the heat come out from the road, and everywhere you go, you would feel like being cooked. And that's why I kinda like this photo below, when the weather is really warm then people take a seat and have some ice coffee. Very nice. People are talking and drinking local coffee.

When you are feeling blue and thinking about composing a poem, you may think of somewhere different that here to write one. Well, living and looking at Mekong river must be one of the great inspiration as well, that you can let words out of your fingertips, look at the river or just take a ride on the boat, and see how local people enjoy their life with the nature.

Wish to go back there again. (I will post some more pics from the trip, and would love to talk about a climate change issue a bit because the local people at the delta is severely having impacts from sea water come inland.)