Guest post by Quinn Ryan Mattingly

It’s not often here that I look up. Being on two wheels or two feet in this city requires your eyes to be focused on what’s in front of you, behind you, and even all around. If your eyes deviate for even a few seconds, a situation could find you very quickly. Though, there can be so much too see above us, if we just find the right time and place to look.

The last few weeks, I have spent more time driving my motorbike around the city and surrounding countryside, looking for photographs and meeting wonderful people. I saw it for the first time recently in a field near Cu Chi. At dusk, children and families gathered in an open space to hoist their eyes and arms toward the sky, and to bring flight to an otherwise inanimate collection of fabric and string. Again, just the other day, while exploring the outer districts of the city, I came upon a few more makeshift airports for these childhood flyers. Many were visible above the massive spread that is Binh Hung Hoa cemetery, and countless more in the numerous open fields that the edges of the city can afford.

It has been many years, if not a full decade or two since I myself took part in this activity. It seems to bring peace to those to participate. Eyes focused on your prize and the infinity that surrounds it. Giving nearly all control over to the elements high above us. Time for contemplation and thoughts. Time spent with family. Perhaps it’s a much more symbolic and even useful activity than we give it credit for. And maybe the next time I come across a field with action above and below, I’ll put down my camera for a few minutes and try my hand at flight.

 

About the Author: Quinn Ryan Mattingly is a documentary and editoral photographer based in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon.

 

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