Vietnam is a heaving mass of contractions. War and peace. Tradition and change. Calm and crazy. East and West. After more than a century of foreign occupation and oppression, it's little wonder that things are confused. I should probably say "confusing" instead, because the Vietnamese seem to be doing just fine. It's only paradoxical for outsiders. Trying to make sense of situations is a very Western pastime. Things are either black or white. In Asia, they can be grey, or black and white at the same time. Or neither. Some things aren't meant to be explained. They just "are." You can see why it gets confusing for newcomers.