Kids on bikes

So since we've been living in Vietnam we've been amazed at the way people transport their children.  To my knowledge if you are a child up to the age of 14 you do not have to wear a helmet, although there are moves to encourage this into the future including presentations at schools etc.  In the meantime I thought you may like to see this collection of photos by my sister in law, Dianne Mc Lay from her recent visit to Vietnam.

                                      
For little ones, there are special little cane or stainless steel chairs that fit on the front of the bikes that the babies can sit on between the legs of the driver and even special cushions to attach to the handle bars.  This is so that when the bike takes off they don't bump their head, also handy if they need to go to sleep while on the bike, which I've seen on a few occassions.

And below is how they cover the babies heads, with a mesh style scarf, so I guess nothing flies in their eyes.  I have also seen babies on Mums lap on the back with a towel covering then like when you breast feed and pinned at the back.  There is no helmet for the babies though.

 

                       This little one is in the cane chair with her pillow on the handle bars....in the rain!

     This is how people sometimes keep dry when the rain starts...just hiding under Dad's raincoat.

                                                                          Sleepy....

                                            The one on the back is keeping out of the sun.

                                                                          A bike full!

Baby on board!

                                           Dropping off his rubbish to the bin, what a good boy.

                                                               With all the shopping.

Bigger ones tend to lean/stand up.

                                   

                                                              And below on bicycles......
A reminder it is around 30 degrees Celsius but these girls are keeping out of the sun, jackets, hats, socks on their feet, gloves on their hands and face masks.  It is not good to be dark, there are lots of products for whitening.  You look poorer and not as beautiful if you are dark like a farm worker.

Clearly the boys don't care as much :)

Safety glasses below...and a helmet!

This is a link to a presentation done recently on children wearing helmets in Vietnam and Cambodia...interesting, they are working on it.
http://www.grspasia.org/download13/Nguyen_Nuong_Child_helmet_wearing_in_Cambodia_and_Vietnam.pdf

Our first Vietnamese Wedding

Anh and Hao’s wedding was a very interesting and enjoyable experience that I wanted to share with you all.

                                     

 Ms Hao catches the bus to RMIT with Phil and one when he was sitting beside her on the seat he noticed she had a shiny new ring on her wedding finger.  He asked her if she just got married and surprising him she said “Yes, last week!”.  This started a friendship with not only Ms Hoa but all of the library girls and others who catch the bus.

The story was that Ms Hao had her traditional wedding the week before back in her hometown but would in the future have another wedding reception with her friends here in HCMC and Mr Phil and his wife would have to come.  We didn’t think that she would remember to officially invite us but she did and last Saturday night we got to be part of the evening. 

The evening started with being welcomed at an amazing wedding venue that had around 5 weddings going on at the same time, you can have a look at the website, it was amazing! http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk/forum/the-you-and-your-wedding-website/wedding-and-convention-the-adora-at-vietnam/378297.html

We were ushered to the room that our wedding was being held and met at the door by Anh and Hao, in the picture above, plus some of their friends who were helping. 

                                     

A couple of the boys decorated a table for them with some photos and some candles and flowers, see above.  

There was also a large photograph of them which is usually done 6 months before the wedding.  This photo was also used on the invitation and the power point that was showing on the wall inside the room.

Another couple manned the table with the wedding gift receptacle which was in the shape of a house.  We signed a card on the table and after shaking hands, having a photograph and wishing the bride and groom well, we were shown to our table.  

             There were 4 tables for RMIT staff and we were soon joined by a number of others.  

All of other ‘bus girls’that were coming arrived eventually and I got to meet almost all of the crew. Picture above.  Phil, as usual jokes with all of them and they all had cheeky things to say throughout the evening. Phil and Ms Hao below...

                                                       Then the show started..... 

We had a female dancer joined by a male dancer who also proceeded to sign a song to the happy couple. 

                   Then a young ballet group in tutu’s joined the lead couple and danced as well.  

                       
The couple were welcomed into the room and congratulated on their wedding.

There was a pouring of ‘wine’ into a champagne fountain which had dry ice in it so we also had smoke for effect.  Looked very pretty.

The couple did not have a top table as their job was to walk around and talk to all of us and ensure we had a nice evening.  This is a shot of them in their seats resting at the back of the venue between rounds of table chatting.

                                                                             

The food started to arrive, the waiters walked from the back room, over the rostrum past the bride and groom to use, as a sign that the bride and groom were offering the food it us I would think.  We had a number of courses…refer menu.

                                                        All served by 1 waiter per table.

  During the meal time Ms Huynh went up to sing a song on the stage for the happy couple, very nice. 

I was also asked to do a song but didn’t know when this would occur.  Ms Huynh was up on stage and when she finished she announced that it was my turn…ok up I get!  I took my guitar with me and luckily could use the plug from the keyboard that was for the band later on.  I sang and even got accompanied with a violin by one of the guys in the band.  We were almost in tune.  Anyway Phil said it went very well, the best he’s heard me he said....my most hard to please critic.  It was also the first time he’d heard my guitar played through a sound system and he was pretty impressed with his purchase.

                                  

It seemed that it was usual to get a flower when you played for the couple, Phil gave me mine, came up on stage at the end and everything :)

We continued to eat and chat and drink and a number of others decided at different points to go up to the stage and sing including the bride and groom. 

                              

 The drunk group of engineers from the airport gave possibly the least impressive performance but they thought they were great! And of course they had fun...name of the game.

One of the last songs of the night....almost everyone has gone home. Ms Huynh was still at it....

We also got a thankyou gift of a heart shaped chocolate in a little box, a nice finish to the night.

                                     

                       Of course everyone left on their motorbikes, not many cars here in HCMC.

                       We finished the evening off by going to Karaoke with a few of the RMIT staff.

                                              This is our group waiting to start Karaoke...

                                              This is us IN the Karaoke room having fun!

we had an excellent night and now can add a Vietnamese wedding, albeit not the traditional part, into our list of experiences in Vietnam. Thanks Anh and Hao!

THE END