Imagine you heard lightning strike outside your house, and it was so loud, and so close, that you got scared. Yet, you were so cozy under your covers in the comfort of your home, that you felt safe from harm and were able to drift back to sleep. That’s kind of how it feels living in Vietnam during a global pandemic.
I’ll be honest, sometimes the people here do things that make me question their sanity, intelligence, and morals, but when it comes to addressing and taking action during a crisis, Vietnam doesn’t fuck around. In fact, they are the leading example of how to handle a pandemic thus far. Even though if the pandemic escalated here, their health infrastructure would collapse harder than I do on my bed after a day teaching toddlers, this country is underrated. They are some of the most resourceful people I have ever met, and their ability to unite during times of need is admirable. Coming together is what you’d expect would happen in times like these, but when you observe other parts of the world, it’s not as common as you’d hope.
When people ask where I’m from on dating apps, I respond with a poop emoji followed by the American flag. I believe that’s a justified response considering the US is a literal burning mass of shit at the moment. Although I think it went from burning to denigrated at this point. Vietnam in comparison to America looks like Bruce Lee standing next to Lindsey Lohan during her drug binge. (Although I know Bruce Lee is not Vietnamese, and Donald Trump is a bigger laughingstock than Lindsey Lohan ever was, let’s continue.) Yet, barely anyone is talking about how superior Vietnam is…Sounds familiar *cough* Vietnam War.
People listen here, and the leaders take action swiftly and logically. What a concept! Many people think, “As a communist country, of course they’d listen! They’d die or be put in jail otherwise!” That’s not the case. First of all, I listen because I’d rather not be fined or yelled at in a language where I only know how to count to three, and say beer. Most importantly, we’re not a bunch of entitled people who are in denial about the severity of what’s going on. That’s not to say everyone else is entitled or in denial, but too many are.
I’m grateful every day to be living in this country. I feel safe, and life continues to move on as it did before, minus tourism obviously. I feel so much sympathy for so many other countries, but not as much empathy as I usually do in most situations. That is because I only was worried for my health for a week, and to be in fear every day is unfathomable. I hope that the rest of the world follows suit. If you’re reading this, pretend you’re living in a communist country and put on your damn mask as though you’d be fined up the ass otherwise.
Brooke Lyn Landon 