Go see the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, former chief of state and heroes of the liberation from colonial rule in Vietnam, is a must. Technically, nothing in life is a must. But pay a visit to the remains of a man who means so much to the people of this country is somehow part of the pilgrimage compelled to Hanoi.
Who said Ho Chi Minh said communism and politics. Who said communism and political order says, authority and honesty. In
one month in Vietnam, I had not really been in contact with public authorities, politicians, communists. But when you visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, you fall right into it, face first.
Here is the order and rectitude to their extreme. Not a hair over, not a step out of the row. Here, regulations are implemented and enforced, not interpreted. Otherwise, the whip reaches the speed of lightning.
The funniest (and I think that's what fascinates me most communist countries) is that in the street, in everyday life is a little mess and chaos : pedestrians crossing the street everywhere except at traffic lights, motorcycles that run in reverse and beyond in places prohibited, motorcycles and cars that are parked on the sidewalk, horns endlessly. In short, all those little things that make you love Asia and we would spend our lives.
Oops, you move away a little ... So back to HCM.
The moment an hour, I fell in childhood ... when making trips to the small school with Theresa, the lady "Fatic" that would not stop crying when you did something that was not his business. At the mausoleum of Theresa Fatic, there at least 75. It's the little gentleman in formal clothes.
front of the mausoleum, there is a huge grass pitch (like 10 football fields). Everywhere there are signs "Keep off grass". As the lawn is crisscrossed with a network of paved strips, the normal reflex is to say: do not walk on the lawn to walk on paved strips.
Fatal Error! Approximately four seconds after committing this crime against humanity to have set foot inside the grass pitch (on tapes), three whistles are going the tut, tut, tut! And three pairs of arms stir panic to tell me to get out of there as fast as possible ... a little swat and arrived by helicopter to shoot me.
- Yes, but I do not walk on grass
- Tut!
- Yes, but it says not to walk on the grass, but not on the tapes.
- Tut!
- Yes, but ...
- Tut!
_ Yes, but if you do not want people walking on the lawn, why you do not put a fence?
Editor's note: Here, Sven did not understand. Logic suggests that a rule closing the thorny issue of right of way "holy grass". But with a fence, six persons deprived of a job filled with challenges and overcoming personal. Make tut! with a whistle and protect a piece of turf.
After walking 10 minutes to walk around the lawn, it's time to queue outside. I respect the rules: long pants, no jacket, no camera, no mobile phone, hands out of pockets. But another whistle go to the tut, tut, tut! This time the crime is even worse. Not 100% in range, the shoulder is a little beyond those of perosnnes front (like 8 inches too much on the right). Lese-majeste! We execute, we enter the rank, the little man is happy.
The group enters the building that houses the remains of HCM. I begin to paranoia je veux être bien sûr de respecter les règles. Les gardes en blanc sont les gardes suprêmes et prennent leur rôle très au sérieux. Je fais particulièrement attention à mes mains... surtout pas dans les poches.
Soudain, Thérèse Nguyen sort le bras et pointe mes mains. Quoi, mes mains? Ah zut, elles sont derrière mon dos. Chez HCM, les mains doivent être sur le côté. Three strike, you're out! Mais ou avais-je la tête? Je suis d'une indiscipline parfois...
C'est donc les mains vissées sur le côté que j'entre dans la salle principale. La salle fait environ 7 mètres sur 7. Il y a 7 gardes dans la salle: quatre aux quatre coins du cerceuil and three on the platform of visitors. Between a Vietnamese and a white, who do you think is more scrutinized by Theresa? Le Blanc, of course. The guards have eyes only for the white man who does not work fast enough in the eyes of Theresa. Faster ... although I'm about four feet behind the visitors in front of me. Fourth sin.
Uncle Chi, sorry for all these blunders. I would not be such a bad student. I so wanted a no-fault. Forgive me for being a habitual criminal. After
as sin, I go outside. Dozens of people are taking pictures of the street outside the building. The street is a wide boulevard of at least six lanes. I am very careful not to put myself between photographers and groups ... I had enough trouble this morning.
But never mind, I made retututer! For the 5th time. The guard is not happy, arms waved. Fuck me you silly? Hands on the side, there is no line, so no need to walk behind everybody, I do not walk on grass, I walk the same speed as everyone else.
Therese me tip the sidewalk. Must walk on the sidewalk.
- But there are dozens of people on the street. Why me, I must be on the sidewalk?
- Tut! tut! tut!
Yeah, I understood, tut, tut, tut!
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