by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist(read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)

I detest the shallow appellation “sleepy Santa Barbara” for our vibrant and involved community. Yet having just returned from the better part of a month in Vietnam and Cambodia, I can see how it might fit to an outsider, at least one from Southeast Asia.

Vietnam and Cambodia both bustle with phrenetic activity. Vietnam in particular seemed the least like a communist country of any I have visited, including forays in Cuba, Russia and China. The street hustle was nothing short of entrepreneurial.

Our guide seemed open and sincere in his discussions of social mores as well as politics. “You can ask me anything inside the bus,” he remarked once. “Out in public I may not be as open.”

Our guide said 80 percent of Vietnamese are atheists, though religious practice is not forbidden. In the Kingdom of Cambodia, 80 percent are Buddhist. Orange-robed monks were common on the streets there, and most homes and offices sported a postbox-sized gold shrine or spirit house for daily prayer.

Poor families sometimes give a child to be raised and educated by the monks, visiting their children on Saturday family days.

While the average Vietnamese and Cambodians salary is the equivalent of only $100 to $150 per month, I saw few people begging. One difference may be the importance of family. Despite the entrepreneurialism mindset, Asian society is not individualistic.

The family unit is very strong, with many marriages still arranged, children responsible for aging parents, and ancestor worship. Adult children are often sent abroad to earn money.

Almost all activity takes place on the street. Pedestrians, bicyclists and cars compete with myriad motor-scooters. Many scooters zip by with mom, dad and two or even three kids in a tight human sandwich.

In addition to all modes of transportation, the city streets support cooking, cleaning, selling, laundering, and all types of manufacturing. The only activities I did not see on the street were fishing, sleeping, and public displays of affection.

Crossing the street on foot presented an apt metaphor for life in both countries. Regardless of whether you’re at a light signal, a stop sign, or in the middle of the block, you focus on the spot on the other side of the road and slowly walk in a straight line. Two hundred vehicles could pass around you in all directions, but somehow pedestrians are avoided.

The relative calm of the people despite the chaos showed me they know how to live in close proximity.

There are costs to the population density. Industrial emissions, coal combustion and ubiquitous vehicles strain the environment. The air was choking and the water foul. I wore a mask most days and bought a pack of 10 in pleasing plaid fabrics: the new fashion statement.

Back home I can breathe deeply, appreciative of what we have and mindful of taking care of our environment. Smug I am not.

The Western world’s spaciousness, cleanliness, and green practices have often been at the expense of developing countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. We shipped them our plastics and electronic trash for decades; only recently have they begun to refuse our refuse.

We also exported our political grievances, resulting in (for one example) land mines and unexploded bombs still present in more than one-third of the land in six central Vietnamese provinces from the Vietnam War. Scientists now document fourth-generation babies born with deformities caused by Agent Orange.

There seemed to be little animosity from these travesties. Both countries welcomed tourists, and students were eager to practice English in the streets and parks. I was amazed and appreciative and remain so back in relatively sleepy Santa Barbara.

Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist

Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.More by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist