hey there singapore canon dude
Posted: November 2, 2006 Filed under: Hanoi | Tags: canon, Hanoi, hoan kiem 8 Comments »Somebody from Canon in Singapore is checking out this blog a lot.
They started by repeatedly Googling hanoi, apec, canon and now they’ve bookmarked me.
No doubt they are particularly interested in this post. It concerns the rather ugly Canon billboards that are wrecking the beauty of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem lake. More pics here.
Anyway, seeing as Canon Dude is checking back a lot. And seeing that all the commenters and people I have spoken to in general, think that the signs are really ugly, it’s good that they are taking note.
So if you want to send them a message then either add a comment here. Or blog about it yourself and their regular Googling will mean that soon enough they will find your blog too.
In the meantime, Canon Dude, just what were you thinking? And when are they coming down? They are coming down, aren’t they? Go on, live up to your slogan.
Thanks for popping by Canon Dude.
Update: Since posting this a message has appeared on the post below, claiming to be from a Vietnamese national in Hanoi and saying how much they like the signs. I checked out their IP number. They may be Vietnamese but they are not in Hanoi. They’re in Singapore. And they work for Canon. You guessed it. Oh Canon Dude. How could you? Shame on you.
oh no, what did they just do?
Posted: October 25, 2006 Filed under: Hanoi, Pics | Tags: canon, Hanoi, hoan kiem 12 Comments »
This is just awful.
Some genius somewhere has decided that as part of the preparations for the upcoming APEC fun and games, Hanoi should completely surround it’s beautiful Hoan Kiem lake with huge great ugly signs.
Yes, genuinely you can’t see the beautiful lake in some places for nasty lit up signs with pictures actually advertising the lake. Pictured above is a guy doing tai chi in front of a sign showcasing people doing..err…tai chi. Elsewhere the view of the pagoda is blocked by shots of high rises and industrial estates. It is ugly. Other signs include ludicrous shots of girls in national dress riding bicycles in Hanoi – who are they kidding? They are every 20 yards around the lake. There are dozens of them.
A colleague told me he nearly cried when he saw them. Marianne is not impressed.
I have heard no one with anything but harsh words for them. Head of the list for a major arse kicking and public humiliation has to be Canon who have sponsored the signs. Their logo and, surely ironic, slogan appearing on each of them.
Hoan Kiem is Hanoi’s saving grace. It is the untouchable. The Old Quarter is just beautiful but only because its crazy compact nature is offset by the space offered by the adjacent lake. However noisy Hanoi gets the lake seems to offer serenity. On the hottest, sweatiest days, Hoan Kiem might just be your best bet for a bit of a breeze.
It’s a place of legends and history. It is stunning. Even as I start to think about moving on from Vietnam it is the one place here that I am still in awe of. On occasions, when I am stressed, I walk around it. All human life is there couples, old dears in conical hats, smiling teenagers having fun, groups of ladies doing aerobics. It is incredible. It makes me smile on the worst days.
And now it is ringed by this eyesore. Canon what are you thinking of?
They all seem of a very sound and solid structure. But please I hope they are just temporary. Once APEC is over I hope they are going. Surely no one would be stupid enough to leave these permanent monstrosities here.
Would they?
* All the pictures here.
