I have had a vision. In that vision, I saw a city just like Manila, with streets much like the very streets I roam as I dance through life. The lifestyle afforded in this city was somewhat similar - a smattering of high-class denizens cruising in their Benzes and Audis, with the rest of the populace content to get by with more affordable means of commute. It was in a nutshell Manila in another land, another time but with one difference - one small missing piece that made everything so much better.
NO JEEPNEYS.
Yes, the hell-spawned ubiquitous vehicle that has for me in my lifetime grown to be an eyesore was noticeably absent from the streets of Saigon as I made my way through the heart of the city, returning here after a year-long absence. The end result? Peace. A sense of cleanliness, order. Gone was the chaotic scene of 2 crazed drivers clogging the public pathways as they competed for the attention of indifferent would-be passengers. I was seeing the potential that Manila had, that it still has, if we get our public transportation system in order.
Fresh hope springs anew in my soul as our young President takes his place. May he prove me horribly horribly wrong about him.
On a sidenote: Saigon actually has its own form of hell-vehicle - the motorcycle. Literally hundreds of these will cross your path in a matter of minutes, but that's for another day and another post.
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