Tuesday I celebrated Canada Day (which is today, by the way) by going to a concert by James Gordon, a Canadian folk singer. Sponsored by the Canadian Embassy, he seemed to be truly enjoying himself and fascinated with Hanoi.
However, there was a certain disconnect listening to some of his songs about canoe trips, and whalers being frozen in Frobisher Bay, etc, while a steamy tropical rain was pouring down outside the theatre, soaking the cyclo drivers and washing away the days trash from the street side. North Americans tend to glorify, in a religious sense, nature – that was very clear in his music. ‘Nature’ in North America is something best left untouched – virgin forests are better than managed forests. That concept seems so strange here. In Asia untouched nature is wilderness, untapped resources, unused land is not an asset. Most people who live in cities have spent enough time in the countryside that they have no illusions about the beauty of untouched nature. Development is good here, most people want it. City parks are plentiful here in Hanoi, but untouched wilderness is not a great attraction.
Aside from that his typical self-deprecating humor (for example the song “I’m Canadian and I’m Sorry) was very familiar to me and I enjoyed the concert a lot. Plus a number of songs he wrote last week about Hanoi and the people here, it's always good to hear a fresh perspective! And that is all I have to say about that.
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