Vietnamese Smiles

In November 2019, I started writing a book (which I’ve yet to finish, feeling a bit defeated), and in it, I was describing my first visit to Vietnam, just three years earlier, which was also my first time outside of the so-called “Western World”.

I had written about a scene, where it’s me and a bunch of westerners on a business trip, taking a tour in Vietnam war era American army jeeps.

In the back sat two colleagues who chatted endlessly. I was in the passenger seat sitting slightly facing out, not taking my eyes off of the scenery that was in front of me; random shops, and food stalls, corrugated iron, street cleaners, dogs, and an endless sea of Vietnamese people on motorbikes carrying chickens, refrigerators, or 4 children; whatever you could dream. So I’d play a little game with them…

I’d look directly into everyone’s eyes as they drive by. Us; in this Army jeep. Everyone sees us. Everyone looks back at the jeep. It’s a Vietnam war era American Army Jeep. And then everyone sees me; this bald pink guy in a white t shirt and shorts, with a beer in his hand, staring back at them — and all I’m doing is smiling. I was falling in love with this place, and I was sharing the love right back.

Eventually I’d get a participant to make eye contact with as they drive, after their double take, and wait for that half second where they’d flash this big and beautiful smile right back over to me. Their eyes squinting close, and their cheeks raising big, sometimes you’d even see missing teeth in the smiles coming back.

It was the first time I’ve seen so many passers by sharing so many genuine smiles. I would have taken a photo or some video, but I didn’t want to leave the moment for a second. So I sat that way, the whole two and a half hour drive. Best drive of my life. And all it came from, was smiles.

I miss playing drive-by smiles with strangers. Couldn’t even do it on the sidewalk if I tried. It’s past 9 pm curfew, and only slow rolling police cars roam the streets where I reside…Peering out my window with a cigarette…