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Grandma Sáu is 103 years old and always quick wit

Grandma Sáu is 103 years old and always quick with a smile or laugh. Her face lights up with pure joy and she closes her eyes, laughing.
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I've found that as I travel through Vietnam, I connect more with older people. Many times there is an unspoken connection like I felt here with great-grandma Sáu (picture 3).
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She couldn't remember a lot about her life but tells us, "I used to take water from a far spring. I carried the jar on my head. There was no water in my village. And I used to go to the forest to collect bamboo shoots."
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"Am I beautiful?" She asked us in the Cham language. "Very beautiful!"
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When we were saying goodbye she tells us, "Remember to come back and visit me. Peace with you. When I pass away, I will always watch over you. You are good people!”
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A beautiful, sweet, and loving woman.
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Sáu, 103 years old
Cham Ethnic Group
Phan Rang, Vietnam
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Choosing between the first two photos. Which is your favorite and why?

"A woman without an áo dài was like a cat withou

"A woman without an áo dài was like a cat without a tail."
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The áo dài (pronounced like "ow yai") is the national dress of Vietnam and one of the iconic symbols of the country. It's a long tunic-like dress split on both sides. Both sexes can wear it but it's more common for women and is typically fitted at the top (for women) and worn with loose pants. Literally translated áo means "shirt" and dài means "long" but a direct translation doesn't convey the real meaning of the áo dài, therefore it can't be translated.
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The áo dài used to be worn by most Vietnamese women in everyday life and as one older gentleman explained to us "A woman without an áo dài was like a cat without a tail". Now it is typically reserved for special occasions, uniforms, and photoshoots. If you've ever flown on Vietnam Airlines the women are wearing it. In Vietnam, it is commonly worn by women in the service industry as it is a beautiful representation of Vietnam and Vietnamese culture.
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"Nowadays, fashion designers have been designing áo dài with different styles and a variety of colors, but I still like the White áo dài most. I wore it every Monday for the three years I was in high school. In Vietnam, every high school girl always wears áo dài as a reminder of our tradition. The white color of the dress represents purity and beauty."
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Trinh Nguyễn
Hoi An, Vietnam

"Giving me this picture is more meaningful than gi

"Giving me this picture is more meaningful than giving me money. It is so beautiful!"
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Huệ, 68
Hoi An, Vietnam
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Swipe to see another photo and short video!
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One morning Trinh and I stood on the street corner in Hoi An, photographing people as they went about their lives. I was done shooting and we planned to leave but I figured, why not stay another 10 minutes. That's when we saw Huệ zoom by on the back of a motorcycle. She smiled at Trinh and in a blink, she was gone.
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I loved the moment captured. I loved the way she sat, her cheerful demeanor, the color of her clothes, and how they matched the background. The way the morning sun cast shadows on the wall. I wondered about her and wanted to learn about her life and give her a photo. The problem was, we had no idea who she was or where she was going.
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So we printed the photo and after searching a few times we found her. Pictured here are those moments. She was so happy to receive her photo and showed it to everyone walking by, smiling and laughing.
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As a kid, I was a photographer. I took photos of my friends. I shared the photos with my friends. It was meaningful, personal and I always looked forward to picking up the photos from the developer.
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As an adult, street photography didn't interest me much. I felt it was invasive and even when it wasn't, I just didn't have much feeling for it. Perhaps it was too impersonal.
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Vietnam kindled my interest in street photography. I was curious about all of the people around me. I wondered about their stories. Printing photos, finding people, and learning about their lives made it more worthwhile and meaningful to me.

Ride to work. After taking this photo we printed i

Ride to work. After taking this photo we printed it and found the woman in Hoi An to learn her story.
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"This is me. I was on my way to work. This is my grab bike driver. He takes me to work in the morning and back at noon every day."
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Huệ is 68 years old and while it isn't uncommon for a Vietnamese woman to be working at this age, she never had kids and so looks after herself.
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"I cannot retire yet. I do not have kids. I live alone. If I work, I can earn money to buy food."
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Huệ works at a small street food stall in an alley of Hoi An, selling Cao lầu, Bún bò Huế and other noodle dishes. As we talked to her the owner of the stall (her boss who is younger than her) told us: "Every day, she always comes here even it is rainy or sunny. She has been working here for 4 or 5 years. She is very sweet. We are like mom and daughter."
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Huệ loved her photo and kept showing it off to every one that passed. Beaming, she said "Giving me this picture is more meaningful than giving me money. It is so beautiful!"
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Huệ, 68 years old
Hoi An, Vietnam
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This photo is part of “Colors of Hoi An” - a photography project to highlight the bold colors of Hoi An, Vietnam, juxtaposed with the daily life of the locals. More stories and prints are available at 360nomad.org

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