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As I liked to frequent the river, I saw many things
happening to it. Of course, there were 
boats bringing people and goods across the river.
Also, there were fishermen stationing their 
paroques a little bit off the shores. The time that
the river was mostly swarmed by people 
on both shores was on two occasions: bathing at sunset
and boat race in the eleventh month 
of the Buddhist calendar (October).  You wouldn't
believe how many people bathed in the 
river if you never lived by the river. Yes, there were
a lot from people of all ages. Some 
just grabbed a bowl and poured the water on their
bodies.  Some would dive and remained 
under the water for some length of time. Some would
swim with fast moving arms and feet, 
and some, especially the female, would make a balloon
out of their Sinh and float with it. 
Sometimes, some people especially the young male would
stop by to watch the female 
taking a bath in the river. I wonder why they were
fascinated by that sight. Of course, I 
didn't know at that time how fascinating the female
body was because I was too young and 
too naive. Anyway, bathing in the Mekong river was
fun.  People really had a good time 
and helped tie a bond between people in the community.
 Thinking back, I wonder why 
people liked to bath in the Mekong river which was
murky and muddy. I guess only the 
above statement explained it all.
About the boat race, I didn't have much collection for
I was young to enjoy it. The only 
memory was that there were so many people lining up
the shores of the river.
With fun, the Mekong river also brought sadness
especially during the rainy season. At 
times, I would see a drowned and swollen body floating
with the current past the shore. As 
my residence was next to the hospital, I came to see
so many bloated bodies getting pulled 
out of the river and lay face up on the hospital
floor. I guess that was life. Good times and 
bad times came together in one package.  You can not
pick and choose one and discard 
another.  What you can do, instead, is to come to
terms with it, and then you will be fine. 
Isn't life is to grow wise with time, after all?

(to be continued)

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