THIS CITY IS A SENSORY OVERLOAD —organized chaos once you’ve been here long enough; city blocks crammed with life between long, skinny buildings, multicoloured and as unique as their occupants. Look up and you’ll find the best part—rooftops covered with plants, songbirds, religious shrines, water coolers—all with a unique perspective on the collage that is Saigon. Life happens outside here. The alley is a living space, parking lot, auto workshop, beauty salon, kitchen, cock-fighting arena, and karoke bar, depending on the time and day. Commuting requires a motorbike, itself an open-air, more public means of transportation. Riding alongside others in a fast-moving seat, exchanging glances as you wait for the light to change, you’re surrounded by all the different colours, the scents, the sounds—no barriers. These photos were taken during my six month experiment with living in Saigon.
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