Can't see a thing Photo

Photographer’s Note

If one travels in SE Asia then they will notice the use of masks by the populace. However, Thais, Cambodians and Vietnamese all do this to varying degrees. I was amused to see the extent that the Vietnamese practice this and even though it may be more than for practical purposes such as pollution, it is also prevalent in the countryside where one would expect the air quality to be better. I was also bemused by the practice of wearing helmets over hats.

I decided to post this not too interesting image to demonstrate to others both practices. Also, the Vietnamese women tend to wear long gloves, which, in their climate, makes one wonder how they can endure the heat with them on. It must be genetic.

In looking at the image, it appears that he person can not see at all but I did see her drive by minutes later so there must be a slit large enough for her eyes to peer through.

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Kurtislee (0) 2009-07-30 17:43

Hi Jeff,

I can answer your question about why Vietnamese wear masks and gloves. They, as many other people are very "color" conscious. They believe that lighter skin is more attractive than darker skin. Women will do anything, including endure what must be incredible discomfort to avoid letting the sun tan them. I know my beautiful wife is a darker skinned Vietnamese who lives in Nha Trang, Vietnam on the coast. This is a normal sight there. She covers up whenever we go out. It kills me, because I do not have a problem with my wife's color, she is beautiful and I love her.