Carissima In Deliciis: Vietnam

¡Qué hermosa y qué encantadora eres, amor mío, con todos tus encantos!

Vietnam

Published Thursday, August 03, 2006 by O. Elias Lira | E-mail this post

In Vietnam they say that a woman’s voice can drug you, that everything is so intense, the colors, the taste, even the rain. They say whatever you’re looking for you will find there. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell is the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat, your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name or what you came to escape from. But at night there is a breeze, the river is beautiful. You can be forgiven for thinking there was no war, that the gunshots were fireworks, that only pleasure matters, a pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then something happens, as you knew it would, and nothing can ever be the same again. They say you come to Vietnam and understand a lot in a few minutes. The rest has got to be lived. They say whatever it was you were looking for, you will find here. They say there is a ghost in every house, and if you can make peace with him, he will stay quiet.

Memorable Quotes from The Quiet American - 2002