Vietnam

a Vietnamese friend once asked me by her mail view days ago, what does the world know about your country? Never been to Indo? She was only knew Indo from internet, and by next month she will visit to Padang with her friends for a week. I think it's hard question. But Padang is only part of my country and it's not the capital of Indo. Sadly, I've been living in this country for more than a quarter of a century but I've never been to Padang ;)

Should I give her answer that Indo is the largest exporter of CPO, natural gas, cacao bla bla bla? the cheap of the workforce? terrorist? or Bali make Indo become popular? or it is the thousands of the islands? the rich of the culture? foods? corruption? hospitality? Oh wait, Indo is a developing country as well as Viet? No no.. That wasn't my answer. It's all written down on books and everywhere, just put your fingers on keyboard and ask on google.

I asked her then, were there any other developing country you have visited or you have heard a lot? Do you know well about your country? Do you know well what the world know about your country? I think my question is the same hard to answer as yours. We lived in a complicated country, but mine is bigger than yours. What the world know is depends on which country you are considered. A lot of things we can proud of and a lot of things we're ashamed of that we shouldn't be. 

The last 4 years, middle-class population has emerging and expanding rapidly in my country. They have emerged when my country were not ready for massive consumption. People become consumptive, and every year I see new rich people emerge. They often buy anything such as car, motor cycle, flight tickets, etc. But badly the infrastructure were not ready for the load. Roads? Highway? Mass transportation? Airport? Were not directly propotional developed to consumption. Not much has change for the last decade. With this large population of mid-class, the world "only" see my country as the third lucrative market for their products after China (1st) and India (2nd).

Then she explained a lot about the war (history), the food and the culture of Viet that I have already known exactly from uncle google. The last funny thing I told her about my wish to my country, I wish someday my currency sign will be displayed on symbol features on every smartphone. So that I don't need to type "Rp" or IDR anymore. Why there is only four currencies $ € £ ¥? Because these currencies are the most tradable currencies? Then smartphone should be adjusted in every country.

Viet for me is not a country I want to visit the most. Compared to other developing country regions, i would prefer to visit India. Is it an exaggeration if I say that Viet is the poor country? But here I will not to compare with India. Based on IMF source on wikipedia, Viet GDP per capita in 2012 was $1528 (number 138 of the country list in the world) and Indo was $3910 (number 104). The highest GDP per capita in 2012 was Luxemburg $107206 and the lowest was Congo $237. So, what country do you want to live in the most?