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I like having red-wine conversations about the magnificent environments we’ve all found in our trips abroad.
I even like complaining about why we can’t can’t have these things back home.
I sometimes even like going through the reasons why: the economy, first world vs third world benefit/costs arguments, labour costs, ‘service’, ‘regulations’ … and all that malarky.
But what should be unacceptable to all of us is to repeat these conversations generation-in-and-out whilst our young people (and even normal people) are presented with situation normal – which is a community that is unstimulating and stifles self-development.
We are still building communities, wondering how to ‘house’ people, and how to accommodate the reasonable demands of the average bloke and bloke-ette who want to wake up in the morning and efficiently grow their life.
The places they’re in are critical to this.
That’s why you don’t live in Antartica or Tel Aviv. Or Belmont.
And people are smart. They know that they’re only a short plane ride away from a new life.
And that’s an affordable and very real option these days.
But don’t worry. On behalf of all the people sitting opposite me on those dark nights, with sediment in their glasses from hours of debate about city management, urban revitalisation, ‘service’, retail and ‘the economy’ (sheesh) I have found the mother lode.
Hanoi.
