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OrcaCA's avatar

Knife sharpeners, ice cream vendors, vegetable sellers. Each providing a useful service, each worthy of at least some shred of human dignity. Seems so foreign in 2023, yet we know this all would have been perfectly normal on the streets of any American city at the turn of the century. (Not the LAST one, obviously. The one before that.)

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Arthur Lepic's avatar

Of the dozen or so Vietnamese vendors riding by my house everyday chanting out their merchandise or service, I understand about 70%, which reflects my overall level in the language.

The ones I can't understand sound like magical mantras veiled in mystery. I kind of want it to stay that way and would probably be disappointed to learn that it means, say, "nail service" or "cardboard disposal". Your articles are very inspiring as always, Linh, thanks!

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