into the world: Same Same but Different

Throughout SE Asia the colloquial term "Same Same but Different" is used by nearly every local who is trying to sell something to a tourist. Vietnam (along with Thailand) is a country of explosive consumerism. If there is even a small chance of selling it, it will be sold. If one person sells something then five thousand other people start to sell it as well, flooding the market (which is likely already flooded from monsoon rains) with the most useless sh...stuff that you can imagine. Battery operated dogs that shake and wag their tails when you pet them? Well that person's is same same but different than the one next to him. Or a street over why not buy a real dog? "No! These ones are not for eating and sir they are same same but different!" Some variation of statements like these are shouted out as one passes vendors in markets and on the streets. We often were amazed at this, not because there were so many of them in a row selling the same thing but at the fact that people must really be buying these things. Whole families of Tarantulas or Scorpions pinned to cardboard? Check. Huge photos of Ho Chi Minh with his sweet go-tee? Check. Bottles of wine with a Cobra stuffed in it for increased virility? Screw Viagra, check! In the photo above, I imagine that this woman's ginger and tomatoes were the same same but different than the other ladies who likely tried to sell us some after we shook her off. Not to paint a bad picture of Vietnam--its an interesting country and very scenic. Its also a good place to head if you are low on fake dogs, exotic arachnids or libido.

The images below are of from around Vietnam. You spend enough time dodging vendors that the last thing you want to do is photograph them, but we did manage to get one of the snake juice.

Drenched after a short hike.