21st - 25th Dec 2024
The Opera House, Lam Son Square, Saigon |
The Opera House in the centre of town is a fine piece of architecture, as are many other 'French Colonial' era buildings in this city and countrywide. The French 'colonised' this part of the world (known as Indo-Chine) from 1887 until their disastrous defeat at the hands of Ho Chi Minh and his Việt Minh forces following the battles at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Americans should have learnt something from this but, typically, didn't! Despite all the controversial, often brutal, treatment the French dished out to Vietnamese nationalists, they did at least leave behind not only some splendid buildings, but a lasting infrastructure of roads, railway, waterways and other urban facilities. Indeed the French were instrumental in forming the now common Vietnamese language; initiated by a French Jesuit missionary priest, Alexander de Rhodes, in the 18th century. Originally the area had a multitude of regional languages of Chinese, Khmer, Sanskrit origin all written with their individual 'characters'. Consequently, thanks to the French, Vietnamese is the only language in this part of the world written in 'Roman' script and features many words taken from French (ie. 'va li' for suitcase, bõ (pronounced buerre) for butter and 'ga' for railway station, amongst others). Although the words look easy to pronounce, they are not because little squiggles and diacritics above and below the letters alter the pronunciation and meaning, and it is a 'tonal' language. The word for 'chicken' is 'gà' and, as mentioned, for railway station is 'ga' but pronounced very slightly differently. I once had a devil of a job in a supermarket trying to find some chicken and was constantly being directed to the railway station despite desperately miming a chicken! They just laughed and thought I was mad. The Vietnamese would not be very good at the 'miming' game of Charades.
Anyway, I decided to go and see what was on at the Opera House. A performance of something called 'Ao' was currently on show. I bought a ticket (cheap seats at the back of course...and they weren't that cheap) for the 6.00pm show. It was to be an extraordinary performance.
Left: Looking towards the stage. This was before the house filled up.
Right: Looking towards the rear and it was a full house by 'curtain up'. It is as elegant a building inside as it is outside. Vive La France, reluctantly.
The performance was incredible. I wish I could have taken some photos/videos but we were strongly warned against doing so and there were 'ushers' around who might have caught any 'transgressor' such as myself. Even I resisted the temptation for fear of being chucked out.
How to describe the show? It was a based on the rice harvest (I think) and involved a large cast (I counted 25 at the end line up) and many props including long heavy bamboo poles, ladders, enormous, and some small, rice baskets, flying discs and many other strange objects together with a twangy musical background from various instruments. It included spectacular juggling, acrobatics, contortionists, mime, dancing, gymnastics, balancing, magical illusions and a humorous sketch in the middle. It was a non-stop athletic performance, most intricately choreographed with impressive lighting effects and all quite breathtaking! It lasted just over an hour and made even me feel exhausted at by end. They had another performance to do later that evening! I was impressed, to say the least.
Left: The front of the Opera House as the audience was leaving.
Right: This kissing couple were being photographed (just after the show) as a pre-wedding photo which is a common convention in this country. There are many such seen around town daily! Who do they show them to I wondered? Probably just for the family album.
Left: A favourite watering hole of mine near the city centre is called The Refinery. It is in a courtyard off a main street. Its name originates from when (19th century?) it was an opium refinery and catered for the then fashionable habit of relaxing with an opium pipe. It now serves good food and drink but not, as far as I am aware, opium.
Right: I met the son of a British friend of mine there for lunch. He is an enterprising chap and has been in Vietnam for two years teaching English to Vietnamese students.
All rather fascinating - the refinery has rather more to consider at the entrance than opium inside🧐!!
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