The Bogeymen
Posted: June 1, 2012 Filed under: environment, Food and drink, Reflections | Tags: environment, Hanoi, pangolin, wildlife 5 Comments »Having trekked across town on a warm day we arrived at our planned destination, a newly opened cafe. Nodding our approval to each other at the set up and decor, we sat down and opened menus.
Literally, two minutes later we spotted a page of “Special Foods” including the at-risk pangolin. I was more disappointed than angry. A new place like this, why would they?
A quick chat with the apologetic staff and they told us they’d had other complaints but the owner wanted to make it available, “just in case people wanted it” and it started to fit into place.
Fitting out this new restaurant didn’t come cheap. Behind the bar were bottles and bottles of expensive imported whisky. I can imagine the pangolin eaters, the clientele they had in mind.
They’re the ones with the big SUVs that force your scooter into puddles when it’s raining. They’re the ones that drive right behind you peeping for you to give way when their big cumbersome vehicles can’t possibly negotiate the traffic faster than you can.
They’re the ones who are drunk and loud in otherwise nice restaurants – in big groups chain smoking and shouting at the next table.
They’re the ones who’ll make or break this place. Pangolin on the menu would make it a no go for anyone else but then so would the patronage of these people. Loud, drunk, obnoxious and inconsiderate. They are the embodiment of selfishness in every thing they do.
They are the bogeymen. The people behind most of what is wrong with Vietnam.
shame on them!
Your post made my day. I also hate those arrogant SUV drivers, not because they drive ugly SUV, nor because they are super-rich (I’m happy for them), not even because they are noisy (who isn’t in Vietnam?…), but because they convey the quintescense of the lowest level of human mind: knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. Now let’s be realistic: I bet that at least half of the motorbike drivers (the “victims” of SUV drivers), are not any better. The reason why they don’t drive SUV is because their salary is just a joke and they can’t afford. It doesn’t mean they’re cool easy going people… if they had the money, they would just jump at the first Porsche shop to get their own supercar, and act exactly like other drivers.
Reblogged this on Gilles Snowcat's night cats lounge and commented:
Mr Ourman writes ways better than I do. He’s British, I’m not. This may explain why I’d rather re-blog his thoughts than writing my own about this topic.
GSC, I think the dynamic of the SUV allows people to drive incredibly thoughtlessly. Most of the problem with them is their horn. Your average scooter horn is already louder than it should be but an SUV horn in you ear is torture and is backed up by a hulking bit of metal that’s scary to be in front of.
On top of that the owner is not the driver and the driver cares about little but getting his owner somewhere as fast as they can. They’re insulated from the weather extremes so rain or sun, what do they care. I have been shown incredible kindness by people in Vietnam, time and time again, if you know people then they’ll buy you a meal with their last few thousand dong, but if you don’t then they don’t give you a thought.
I think the thing about these guys is that they are professionally inconsiderate. They take, bully, consume and corrupt and it’s not about progress or benefitting anyone but themselves. It’s not even about long term benefit it’s always just short term personal profit. They’ll eat wildlife that is soon to be extinct just as they’ll add to a traffic jam rather than give up their own comfort.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for educating me about the plight of the pangolin – I have to admit I had never heard of these endangered creatures, but am now following the campaign to raise awareness, both on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks again!