The Jaded Empress Chronicles

  W e ll... perhaps I / we spoke too soon!  A s detailed in my Covid-19 diaries Part 1  here  (imperative to read first), Vietnam and especially, Ho Chi Minh City, the nation's Covid-19 poster child, had done a pretty remarkable job managing the coronavirus outbreak, in fact one of the world's most successful in terms of relatively low number of cases and deaths.  After  just over a year,    in late May 2021, the  Covid-19 tally was roughly  42 deaths and 5141 cases out of a population of 90 million and   sheesh, e ven the economy is growing.  Overall,  compared to much of the rest of the planet during the global pandemic,  I was lucky to lead a fairly normal life in Ho Chi Minh City for a year or so and apart from scant work, dwindling funds, borders closures and witnessing some favourite venues forced to close, nay, even quite the enjoyable time.   How proud the Saigonese were of their 'normal service resumes' life, the crowds in the cafes, restaurants, pagodas, shopp