Mom was 26 yrs old & I was 8 yrs old. In front of BC legislature. Wearing my fave red ruffle neck sweater vest, wide leg jeans; Mom let me wear her red lipstick that day. I'm unhappy about my mismatched Frankenstein orthotic boot - ppl used to stare at/make fun of them/me. It took years for me to be able to wear regular, matching boots.
#Cholon#Saigon#Vietnam
2nd Auntie & my #Matriarch Grandma, visiting Dad's family home. Last photo taken of them, until late 1980s(Mom returned to visit village home). I take after my Matriarch Grandma a lot.
Dad's family home only exists in photos now.
US bombed it & nothing remains.
#Cholon was the 1st #ChineseSettlement established in #Vietnam in 2nd half of 17th century, after the fall of the #MingDynasty in #China, by the people who remained loyal to the fallen emperor and exiled to Vietnam.
Then, later during the 18th century, a 2nd wave of #Chinese immigration arrived to Cholon, as a consequence of the demographic pressure in China.
*My patriarch ancestors fled from China in 18th century & starting rebuilding life in Saigon. This thread is about where we lived.
(3)The #survivors had to rebuild the town and took this opportunity to improve the waterway system by building high embankments and wharves along the river. The settlement then took the name of #TaiNgon (embankment).
It grew and became a bustling center of #commerce. #Chinese merchants started to trade a larger variety of goods such as building materials, opium, alcohol, tobacco.
#VietnameseSkyraiders rent the air with ferocious whines as they dive-bombed sections of the city, notably the #Chinese quarter of #Cholon, which was honeycombed with #VietCong. The planes sent #refugees scattering in all directions and plumes of smoke shooting into sunny skies that mocked the city's agony. In six of #Saigon's nine districts, 24-hour curfews were still in effect, meaning that those districts harbored at least small bands of #guerrillas still operating as units.
Except for #Hué, the most serious city fighting was in #Saigon. Once a gracious, languid island in the midst of war, Saigon last week was a city rimmed by fear. Every half-hour the radio grimly warned: "The Saigon #Cholon area is not considered secure. #Firefights and #sniperFire are expected to continue. Do not travel on foot. All vehicles must have an armed escort."
In face of heavy military and political failures in both zones North & South Viet Nam, and the ever-stronger protest movement against the U.S. #WarOfAggression in Viet Nam by the peoples the world over, #UnitedStates included, #LBJohnson had to declare the limited bombings in North Viet Nam on March 31, 1968.
The University of [#CanTho bombed by #USplanes. #Saigon and its periphery bombed and strafed by U.S. planes. #ChoLon bombed by U.S. planes #Hue bombed by U.S. planes #ApBa hamlet #DaNang province bombed by U.S. planes. #Civilians in Saigon #killed by #USbombs and shells.
Civilians in Cho Lon killed by U.S. bombs and shells.
Toxic gas has also been used in their raids.]
*ChoLon is where my patriarch family lived before we were displaced by bombings & where my Grandpa owned large incense factory.
Please enjoy this #music playlist - filled with #Vietnamese#RockNRoll songs from 1968-1974. There was always a huge music scene in #Saigon & wartime didn't stop the musicians. More songs were inspired from the horrors of war. Bands kept performing wherever they could. My big Auntie told me about music jams in tunnels by resistance musicians too.
Music kept people going, when bombs kept falling. Music helped people survive war horrors.
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@timnitGebru The #poloroidID was used on my family members & many of our loved ones & many of our family's business connections. We had family in US allied Viet South army & 1 aunt in resistance army. We owned biggest incense factory in #Saigon before US invasion. Our home & factory attached to our home was bombed 💣5 times by #USmilitary.
OFC efficient taxi/riksha services can complement that (see #Bangkok) and for a lot of small deliveries, bikes and scooters make more sense than cars (see #Cologne and #Saigon)...
If anything is more convenient than a #car, noone.wants to have it anyway unless they have no option whatsoever (see #Netherlands)...