An American Finds Fame, and Lots of Cockroaches, in Hanoi’s Mucky Storm Drains
An American Finds Fame, and Lots of Cockroaches, in Hanois Mucky Storm Drains
Cleanup hobbyist hops into mucky storm drains to retrieve trash
By James Hookway
James.Hookway@wsj.com
@JamesHookway
June 2, 2016 12:04 p.m. ET
HANOI James Kendall has a dirty way of having of fun that has made him one of Vietnams favorite Americans. ... Inching his way along a 4-foot-wide storm drain here in the nations capital one afternoon last month, the 34-year-old schoolteacher was hoping to map out some choke points caused by trash accumulating in the citys underground waterways. ... Theres some nasty stuff here, Mr. Kendall said, his actions captured by a GoPro camera on his chest and a lamp on his head. Theres some nasty stuff there, too.
....
Mr. Kendall, from Springfield, Ohio, isnt sure exactly why he is willing to jump into Hanois canals and drainage systems. Besides the sheer yuck factor, there are the dangers of cuts from obscured debris or even leptospirosis, an infection spread by rats.
One inspiration may have been Ohios own history of environmental disasters. Another was the way tons of fish washed up dead along a 130-mile stretch of coast here in Vietnam in April, which prompted Mr. Kendall and many others to wonder how much economic growth the country can absorb before its environment starts feeling even more strain.
Mostly, though, Mr. Kendall said he has come to regard Vietnam as his second home and is tired of Hanois worsening trash problem. If you want positive results, he said, youve got to do something positive.
Mr. Kendall has gained celebrity in Vietnam for his efforts to clear storm drains and other waterways. Photo: James Hookway/The Wall Street Journal