Trade 71 | The Asia
"So why tiny plastic stools? I look ridiculous." I queried as Tu Kien and I sat down to sample the street food on my first evening in Ho Chi Minh "It's illegal to serve food on the streets like this; the plastic furniture is cheap to replace when confiscated by the police." It doesn't take much wandering to understand the contradiction present given how embedded the street furniture social scene is in the country's culture. Experienced no more directly than when rushed indoors by staff whenever they spot enforcement ambling their way only to return to your seats once passed. A somewhat bizarre game of 'can we catch you?' where of course they know, you know they know and they know you know they know.
The Trade was with travel company The Asia who pulled me from Hong Kong to spend the better part of two weeks bouncing around the country through Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Da Nang and finally Hanoi photographing the blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and French culture that speckled the stunning landscapes. Quickly sharpening up my chopstick dexterity and creating a new love of Vietnamese iced coffee.
British photographer moving between hosts and countries through a back-to-back series of creative trades. Exchanging my photography for all of my needs in a mission to reach every continent without needing money.