Vietnam and the art of not choosing

Janan GaneshThe trick, when crossing the road in Hanoi, is to avoid sudden movements or pauses. At the same time, total obliviousness to the traffic isn't advisable either. So, who takes precedence? The pedestrian, of course, who must be worked around. But also the motorist, at least those on two wheels, whose imperial status doesn't stop at the kerb. It is an "and" thing, not an "or" thing.

But then what isn't here? This is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and a prolific signer of free-trade deals. (A serene Ho Chi Minh gazes at me from the banknotes with which I settle a bar bill. Up the street is a Bang & Olufsen.) This knack of living in two mental worlds at the same time goes all the way to the top.