Index...

washing laundry
by hand in dirty water--
no koi

The conveniences many of us take for granted are nonexistent in the rural Vietnamese countryside. Toilets, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, tap water, telephones, etc. are luxuries few can afford. Supermarkets and drug stores are unheard of. Stooping down at river's edge and washing laundry by hand in the filthy water is the norm. It's been done like that for centuries. What other choice does a Vietnamese person have? Most in the country-side barely eke out a living. No one raises fish or contributes haiku on the internet.