Streets of the Rising Sun

It's sunday morning as the sun is glowing through my window glass. Though I did'nt mind changing my clock to align with DST, I managed surprisingly well to raise my ass up off the bed right on time for breakfast, with Highlands coffee I brought back from Vietnam.

In canada, we observe the DST (Daylight Saving Time) and change our clocks some time between midnight and 3:00 a.m, on the second week of march. For weekdays, it might be hard to get up one hour earlier for work, but for weekend, there is little effect on my sleeping habits nor on my evening activities. As I am about to finish my coffee, vivid memories of my last journey in Vietnam come back to me in a such manner I can hardly tell myself I am having breakfast in Saigon or in Canada. Streets of Saigon, Streets of Hanoi have its own manner to start the day, but in general, they all wake up at the rising sun. Though the country does not observe the DST, each street has its morning break characteristics to commence the day at its own pace. The familiar noises of the street vendors, the smell of the Phở, the Bánh Cuốn and the motorcycles all contribute to the wake up of the city.

On March 11th, 2007, residents of countries which observe DST, shift their days forward and are likely to be working early in the morning. They save money by getting up earlier to use morning sunlight, thereby spending less lighting resources in the evening. In Vietnam, people wake up early in the morning to start the day as they are all driven by the work desire. There is not much saving to gain but instead, it is a collective effort for catching up, to Drive, to Start and to Thrive. As I am changing all the clocks in the house, I decided to keep one I never change, to have its time in sync with the time of Saigon now that I know the sun never sleeps in Vietnam.