It’s All Relative

It’s a rather spectacular morning.

I pop out onto the patio, and birdsong is everywhere.

Interspersed with motorcycles cruising down below, distant horns marking their territory, and the crow of our neighborhood roosters.

The village is coming to life.

Once upon a time, I concerned myself with the brightness of our solitary street lamp 

Ugh

I thought to myself 

It’s so bright and annoying 

But it’s all relative.

We received word recently that the block immediately in front of our house, currently populated with tin-roof slatted homes, small gardens, and a smattering of healthy trees housing birds, is slated for demolition.

Not sure how exactly they’ll tear it down and whether they maintain the existing trees.

I worry.

We don’t know what will happen to the families that live here. There’s probably about 10 different sets of relatives, displaced, preparing to move, micro-businesses and homes alike.

They, being Vietnamese, and therefore resilient, will make their move with determination and, presumably, understanding. 

I complained about the brightness of the streetlight 

They now may (with good reason) complain about being uprooted, displaced, forced to move. 

It’s all relative, eh.

For now, our rented home has been spared the wrecking ball.  Beyond just our street, a massive construction project is taking place all throughout this enclave in Hanoi. A sparkling Opera House, a brand new, massive government building, and a series of parks.

The rich will be getting richer.

There are challenging flipsides to ‘progress’.

People deal with massive changes to their lives

While we, stand by, very much guests here. 

It’s all relative

we are sad for our neighbors, these families, Vietnamese born and raised, who now too feel that they too are guests, and disinvited from the party.

Progress moves, governments make decisions about what they think is best. But these decisions have consequences, and they are all relative.

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