Hanoi

Back from a week long trip to Hanoi. It has been a good trip, I kind of re-acquainted myself with the therapeutic joy of photography. Last time, I like to take portrait shots of strangers. Hanoi presents a good opportunity to take photos of that genre. But I think I'm a bit bored with that; the formula is pretty straight forward. These days, I prefer to take photos of places without people. Sapa, which is a 9-hour train ride out from Hanoi, presents a good opportunity for that genre. Perhaps it is easier too, cos you don't deal with human subjects, and it removes the ethical problematique of objectifying human beings through photography (Yah right... actually I'm just lazy to whip out the camera in crowdy places). Still, I feel connected to landscapes without humans. Will post more photos over the next few days.

Shall leave you folks with this passage from Graham Greene's Quiet American. I bought it at 3 bucks, it is probably a third or fourth hand book. The front pages are coming off. But it is quite an interesting read; about this fumbling American in war-torn Saigon. My first Greene book actually.

'Why don't you just go away, Pyle, without causing trouble?'
'It wouldn't be fair to her, Thomas,' he said quite seriously.
I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused. He added, 'I don't think you quite understand Phuong.'

'The Quiet American', Graham Greene.