Mapping a "Developed" Space: Trung Yen

Mapping the space of Trung Yen was more difficult since it was a "developed" area where we could not find many of the traditional things that we needed to find on our list. Riding there, you see a lot more tall buildings and complexes that have foreign names on them. The area was more dusty and had a lot more cars so therefore more pollution. Right in the middle of everything was this random tra da place on a street filled with foreign banks and motorbikes. Usually, you would see the pavements filled with other vendors on the sidewalk, but here, only one tra da vendor stood out where business men would come sit down and smoke. Talking to the lady, asking where certain things were, she didn't know the street names really and things were far to get too.

We walked up the street where we entered a different area where there were more trees and old men playing chess on the grass under a tree right in the middle of the street. This area was basically the divider between roads and here were old men just chilling. We walked around and found a great park area where people were playing tennis, badminton, taking walks and just a friendly, public space. Finding things such as sim cards, sinh to, pho bo tai chinh, were all pretty easy because they were everywhere. The place to find fresh meat and veggies was difficult, as well as an elementray school, and doctor. Those things were a lot farther away. The place seemed like a more friendly area to live than in the old quarters because it was less crowded.

I think I would live there if I had a family or something in Vietnam. It seems like a place where you would want your kids to grow up because there are less people and seems less dangerous. However, things that you need seem to be farther away and less of a walking distance.