The house by the sea is old, so old that its owner, the abstract Vietnamese-German artist known as Ki-em, has no idea of its real age.

Some 50 km north of Nha Trang, an immense field of salt runs along beside the street. The house is located on the shore at the end of a village road.

A women bamboo screen give on to a green garden whit rows of coconut palms and guavas dripping whit fruit. Standing among them are terracotta pots of all sizes, used to store fresh water or process fish sauce in this salty region where Ki-em's childhood memories reside.

The lamp standards look like 15th century Cham towers. A brick wall stands in middle of the garden, facing out to sea. It is piece of installation art which can be seen from far away.

"Everything here I have collected, inspired by memories of my homeland, and times of hardship in my life," said Ki-em.
It all gave me the feeling of returning to my own childhood home-walking along the beach in the morning, swimming in the sea, having a freshwater bath in the garden, falling asleep on a swinging hammock.

An open pavilion serves simple food: rice whit salt flavoured with sweet basil, claypot meat and fish, colour sticky rice. In the evening we barbecued seafood on a blazing fire, lulled by the lapping waves.

by Thanh Binh (THE GUIDE - July, 2005)