HCM - Ubiquitous

HCM - Ho Chi Minh City

Everywhere. Ubiquitous. Guardian. Energy giver. Pride-maker.

Father of an entire nation, beloved and revered president, astute politician, charismatic figure. That's how Vietnam portrays him. Humble, visionary, unconditional, and wise—that's how I imagine him, admittedly an idealized version. Overcoming wars and occupations cost him and the Vietnamese people, long after his death, much blood. To awaken worldwide interest in the events in Vietnam, to never lose sight of reunification as the goal, to give everything—and to demand everything—that was Ho Chi Minh. Here I write about something I know absolutely nothing about—thank God. Except for reunification. And the stories my grandparents and parents told me about World War II and its aftermath.

Global politics, which decides on, divides, and judges territories. Resources that arouse desires, claims that are enforced politically, capitalistically, and sometimes militarily. Essentially, this continues to this day. No amount of compensation can change that—if it even comes at all. In this respect, we live on the sunny side of the world—but the shadows cast by powerful states are long, far-reaching, and sometimes pitch-black.

Here in Hanoi, pictures of Ho Chi Minh are everywhere. On the streets, in cafes, and in shop windows. In the Revolution Museum, South Vietnamese people are referred to as "puppets." I feel a certain shame about this, and it offends me. For many, Ho Chi Minh City is still Saigon; seeing his ancestors, grandparents, and parents labeled as puppets would deeply hurt me.

The Vietnamese flag is a popular symbol – everywhere and always, highly decorative and full of national pride, it waves, sticks, and adorns everything that can be woven, sewn, painted, glued, or printed. It looks beautiful. It evokes emotions; we, too, remember the images of the Vietnam War, have seen the films, and read the stories. In Cambodia, too, we witnessed the effects of the Vietnam War, which contributed to the Khmer Rouge's rise to power.

I feel a sense of respect and humility, and I marvel at how everything is connected and why. Like a giant domino, where you can only try to build up the falling pieces, or rather, change their direction so that they don't hit you. Or others. And if they do hit you, you want them to be as far away as possible...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Chi_Minh