Mad Max World

It's the middle of Day 3 in Vietnam. Saigon is a feast for the senses. On the city streets and on the roads that carry us to
the countryside, it's filled with people-people on foot, on mopeds four to a seat, in cars, in taxis and the few who are keeping it old school on rickshaws. Everywhere people are selling something, not just to tourists but to Saigon residents. There is so much commerce here; this is what a booming economy feels like. I admire the sacrifices people
are making for family and the promises of a better life. 30-somethings I met own several businesses throughout Vietnam and ev'one who works in them does so with such hope in the country. Small businesses flourishing, talk of land and its values, farmers in the countryside digging trenches and clearing roads to allow access for cars, a signal that your neighborhood is increasing in importance and value. On one of these newly cleared roads, I saw fields of trees 40 feet tall with deeply dark trunks. These are the rubber trees, a popular export. The sap from the tree runs white and sticky before it is processed and combined with chemicals. A born city girl, I always love an opportunity to learn more about nature. The highlight of my countryside visit was the trip deep into a forest area clinging to the back of my moped driver. First we drove by car for hours and then met with a group of men waiting to take us deeper into the woods where cars cannot yet travel. There, after windy roads and crossing a bridge that took me to a new level of prayer, we come across the land abundant with over 1200 cashew trees. Farmers and families in this area stare when they see me. After that long day, this morning we got an ear cleaning massage, a technique that borders pleasure and trepidation. I looked at the thin long sticks and thought it would be better if I just didn't know what was going in my ear. Some moments it was ecstasy--you know when the Q-Tip first hits just the right spot--and at other times like a pap smear for the ears. But the experience ends with a 20 minute massage that balances out all the other sensations. It is the ear specialist and massage women who finally and politely ask about my dreadlocked hair-is it real? How does it work? I'm happy to explain. It's the first time I've ever been made to feel so comfortable being different. The faces are curious but not judgmental. Today is a big day for two reasons. The first is we meet the big players in the Vietnamese film industry and open discussions regarding our project. The second is it's the deadline to see if I will get sick. Most foreigners can last for 3 days but after that, they succumb to stomach cramps or worse. For me each meal is more delicious than the next and I even ate a drink filled with the forbidden--ice. My hosts keep saying 'wow she's strong.' True indeed. But I also came loaded with bottles of herbs and tonics from Keya, my herbalist friend in L.A., so that I'm free to eat to my greedy heart's content while I'm here. The one thing I haven't found the courage for is driving a moped. Ken, the lead project financier, says everyday there's a spatter of blood where someone has taken a spill from their bike. I want to leave an imprint on this beautiful place somehow but random DNA on the asphalt sure won't be the way!