8:58 At Noi Bai Airport waiting for our flight to HCMC and then
home. Ride out from Ha Noi was pretty quick and check in crowds
minimal. On the ride out Maggie corrected my memory of Ho Chi Minh's
lying-on-display suit. I recalled it as pale, no doubt from the memory
of his white jacket on display at the museum. That display includes his
sandals made from tire treads and inner tubes, his "lunch box" and
helmet. It is all so very simple. It was that simplicity combined with
discipline and determination that won Vietnam's independence and
reunification. Just as American simplicity defeated the far more
sophisticated and powerful British forces in the 18th century, so too
did Vietnamese simplicity outlast American power 200 years later.
16:11
Seated on Eva Air flight 396 from HCMC to Taipei. Our flight down from
Ha Noi was short and easy. Left us plenty of time to make our
connection. In a few minutes we will leave Vietnam after 25 days here.
I'm sad to see the trip end but also very much ready to get home. I
leave Vietnam with many fond memories and a strong desire to return. So
very different from last time.
16:39 Up, up and
away! Heading for Taipei now and into the coming night. It's 1:40 am
Friday morning in Olympia now which means another 16 hours in
transit--lots of time to think and reflect on this adventure. I arrived
in Vietnam three and a half weeks ago a little uneasy and apprehensive
about the trip--not afraid and depressed like in 1970--and it all worked
out fine. We pulled off an extended, complicated trip in a very
foreign country and, most importantly, changed my whole perception of
Vietnam. It went from war, fear and destruction to peace and, if not
prosperity, certainly progress. I spent over three weeks not only
surrounded by Vietnamese but depending on them. They showed me great
friendship and hostility. A few took advantage of me but no more so
than would many of my fellow countrymen if they had the same
opportunity.
The best part was meeting the students in
my classes at Da Nang University. They were keen to learn despite their
shyness and very positive about life and the opportunities available to
them. In many respects they are like kids everywhere which re-affirms
my belief in the oneness of the human species.
This
trip has altered one of my fundamental memories of Vietnam. For the
first time in 40 years I did not experience December-January as a replay
of those months in 1970-71. This year I focused on the run-up to this
trip or the trip itself once in-country. I think that future years will
see me replaying this experience along with the orginal.
06:16
Now it's January 8 Saturday in Vietnam. We're about two hours out from
touchdown in Seattle where it's still Friday the 7th. I am somewhere
suspended in time. The next hurdle on this trip will be getting through
US Immigration and Border Patrol, a group about which I am not at all
fond. I recall being apprehensive passing through immigration in
Vietnam. The officer at my station had the hard look that I associate
with the North Vietnamese Army. As it turned out, he just checked my
documents and stamped me in. That was the first of many encounters that
made this visit to Vietnam so much different from my last. It's ironic
that I view my own country's agents with the same apprehension I felt
for my former adversaries. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised at
this border crossing as well.
18:26 PST Friday, January
7, Sea-Tac Airport: I may never get the chance to see how friendly
and/or courteous US immigration officers will be. Their computers shut
down about a third of the way through processing our planeload of
passengers. So we are all waiting, waiting, waiting. From this vantage
point, not much is happening. Maybe someone somewhere is working
frantically (well, just working) to fix the problem. A guy just walked
by with an officer, saying he was here to fix the computers. There is
also a rumor that the system is down nationwide. Could be a long night.
Showing posts with label side trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label side trips. Show all posts
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Vietnam Journal 01.06.11
Last full day in Vietnam and only full day in Ha Noi. We made the most of it, beginning at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. My intent was to visit the site and museum but skip viewing Ho's corpse but the only way into the complex is past the body so I paid my respects in person.
The line to visit the body is very regimented. Checked our back packs at the complex gate. Approaching the mausoleum we are issued carry bags for our cameras which we hand over to guards at a security booth before entering the building. We file into the mausoleum past white uniformed guards standing at attention holding SKS rifles with fixed bayonets. Other white uniformed guards instruct us tokeep our hands out of our pockets. We climb a series of stairs, making a few turns and enter the sarcophagus room from Ho's top right, pass around his feet and exit from his top left. Down a couple flights of steps and exit the building where we retrieve our cameras. It's all very respectful but Ho's pale body, neatly laid out in a high-collared dark suit, seems diminished by the the massive tomb.
The adjacent Ho Chi Minh Museum remembers a much more vital (and vertical) version of Ho than his nearby corpse. The Ho Chi Minh of history and record is not at all diminished by the massive tomb. The displays reminded me that Ho was dedicated and determined Vietnamese nationalist, which was the core of his leadership and success. Among the many Ho Chi Minh quotations was one about the duty of public officials to remember that all that they have comes from the people which imposes a duty to see that what they have is used well and for the public good. That speaks to me as a long-time bureaucratic guerrilla.
Next stop was the Temple of Literature, a public park devoted to stelae recording doctoral examinations given during the 15th to 18th centuries. Each stela is a single stone sculpture about six feet tall and is a tablet placed vertically on the back of a turtle, one of the four sacred animals in Vietnamese culture (the others are unicorn, dragon and phoenix). The tablet records the questions and answers for an individual candidate. The script is in the oriental characters used in Vietnam before introduction of the Latin alphabet in the 19th century. The carvings of the various turtles reflect the changing styles over three centuries. A few turtle noses are worn from students touching them for good luck before exams. There are about 40 stelae in all. Other successful candidates are listed but don't have individual stelae.
We had a late lunch at the Koto Restaurant near the Temple. It's a project that helps street kids learn skills that will help them stay off the streets. Food was good and well-presented. We tried to visit the Women's Museum but our taxi driver took us to the wrong location. The walk back to the hotel became an extended quest in search of an inexpensive factory second parka. In the process we saw the most incredible rush hour gridlock--cars, buses, motorbikes and a few bicycles all trying to squeeze through an unsignaled intersection. Motorbikes began streaming down the sidewalks. The din was almost more than I could handle but I managed to stick it out and we finally found that name brand parka for $20. We each bought one.
We navigated our way back to the hotel area where we both went for a massage (foot for me, shoulder for Maggie). Then showers. Maggie's asleep now. I will be any minute.
Man! What a trip!
The line to visit the body is very regimented. Checked our back packs at the complex gate. Approaching the mausoleum we are issued carry bags for our cameras which we hand over to guards at a security booth before entering the building. We file into the mausoleum past white uniformed guards standing at attention holding SKS rifles with fixed bayonets. Other white uniformed guards instruct us tokeep our hands out of our pockets. We climb a series of stairs, making a few turns and enter the sarcophagus room from Ho's top right, pass around his feet and exit from his top left. Down a couple flights of steps and exit the building where we retrieve our cameras. It's all very respectful but Ho's pale body, neatly laid out in a high-collared dark suit, seems diminished by the the massive tomb.
The adjacent Ho Chi Minh Museum remembers a much more vital (and vertical) version of Ho than his nearby corpse. The Ho Chi Minh of history and record is not at all diminished by the massive tomb. The displays reminded me that Ho was dedicated and determined Vietnamese nationalist, which was the core of his leadership and success. Among the many Ho Chi Minh quotations was one about the duty of public officials to remember that all that they have comes from the people which imposes a duty to see that what they have is used well and for the public good. That speaks to me as a long-time bureaucratic guerrilla.
Next stop was the Temple of Literature, a public park devoted to stelae recording doctoral examinations given during the 15th to 18th centuries. Each stela is a single stone sculpture about six feet tall and is a tablet placed vertically on the back of a turtle, one of the four sacred animals in Vietnamese culture (the others are unicorn, dragon and phoenix). The tablet records the questions and answers for an individual candidate. The script is in the oriental characters used in Vietnam before introduction of the Latin alphabet in the 19th century. The carvings of the various turtles reflect the changing styles over three centuries. A few turtle noses are worn from students touching them for good luck before exams. There are about 40 stelae in all. Other successful candidates are listed but don't have individual stelae.
We had a late lunch at the Koto Restaurant near the Temple. It's a project that helps street kids learn skills that will help them stay off the streets. Food was good and well-presented. We tried to visit the Women's Museum but our taxi driver took us to the wrong location. The walk back to the hotel became an extended quest in search of an inexpensive factory second parka. In the process we saw the most incredible rush hour gridlock--cars, buses, motorbikes and a few bicycles all trying to squeeze through an unsignaled intersection. Motorbikes began streaming down the sidewalks. The din was almost more than I could handle but I managed to stick it out and we finally found that name brand parka for $20. We each bought one.
We navigated our way back to the hotel area where we both went for a massage (foot for me, shoulder for Maggie). Then showers. Maggie's asleep now. I will be any minute.
Man! What a trip!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Vietnam Journal 01.05.11
09:26 Morning on the upper deck of the Hoa Binh 22. I'm looking out across the water the the islands of Ha Long Bay. They stretch into the misty distance on all sides under an open gray sky. This place feels timeless, unchanged over millennia. At least as long as I don't look the ferry dock in the distance or the other tour boats clustered here. The mountains and formations rise from the sea, giving the impression of a vast submarine canyon not visible from the surface. Under way again, I see a procession of ridges fading into the distance. The wind has picked up. Time to go below.
21:28 Back in Ha Noi. The cruise ended around 11:00 when we landed back at Ha Long harbor. We were all pretty much ready to be done. One drawback of a tour is the sense of being herded. By tour's end we were all ready not to be herded. After lunch the eight of us from our boat boarded a van for the return trip. Another Australian couple and their young son and daughter joined us. We spent the entire trip in lively conversation. The ride was more comfortable on this trip: better padding on the seats and better suspension. Only 14 in the van compared to maybe 40 in the bus coming down. The trip was still tediously long with heavy traffic which became even heavier once back in Ha Noi. The day was very hazy once we left Ha Long, much of the haze likely the result of the many trash fires we along the way and then the vehicle pollution in the city.
The Australian couple who joined us on the ride back from Ha Long, David and Sandra, suggested going for a 25 cent beer at a street pub they discovered on their previous night in Ha Noi. The Australian woman and her son from our ship's company, Kath and George, Maggie and I plus David and Sandra's daughter Indira and son Finn wandered around the corner from our hotel to the street pub which covers the sidewalk and spills onto the street outside a small shop. The beer lasts until the keg runs out. After the last beer we went for dinner with David, Sandra and their kids. Now it's late and I'm tired. Somehow I think I should be writing something more profound but about all I can do is record events. Now to sleep.
21:28 Back in Ha Noi. The cruise ended around 11:00 when we landed back at Ha Long harbor. We were all pretty much ready to be done. One drawback of a tour is the sense of being herded. By tour's end we were all ready not to be herded. After lunch the eight of us from our boat boarded a van for the return trip. Another Australian couple and their young son and daughter joined us. We spent the entire trip in lively conversation. The ride was more comfortable on this trip: better padding on the seats and better suspension. Only 14 in the van compared to maybe 40 in the bus coming down. The trip was still tediously long with heavy traffic which became even heavier once back in Ha Noi. The day was very hazy once we left Ha Long, much of the haze likely the result of the many trash fires we along the way and then the vehicle pollution in the city.
The Australian couple who joined us on the ride back from Ha Long, David and Sandra, suggested going for a 25 cent beer at a street pub they discovered on their previous night in Ha Noi. The Australian woman and her son from our ship's company, Kath and George, Maggie and I plus David and Sandra's daughter Indira and son Finn wandered around the corner from our hotel to the street pub which covers the sidewalk and spills onto the street outside a small shop. The beer lasts until the keg runs out. After the last beer we went for dinner with David, Sandra and their kids. Now it's late and I'm tired. Somehow I think I should be writing something more profound but about all I can do is record events. Now to sleep.
Vietnam Journal 01.04.11
A quiet night on Ha Long Bay. We are aboard a junk on the water after a day of cruising and sightseeing on the bay. Maggie and I are two in a party of eight that also includes a French couple, an Australian couple, and an Australian woman with her 8 year old son. We came down from Ha Noi by bus--a not exactly brutal four hour trip but long enough. Traffic was wall-to-wall tour buses and trucks. The scene at the docks was equally crowded with nmerous junks jostling to pick up passengers. Once we were on the water, the crowding eased a bit although we've never been out of sight of other boats.
Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site. Rock formations jut out of the water mostly in rounded shapes but these rock islands vary in size. One is the site of Surprise Cave, a three chambered limestone cavern. Here, too, we traveled with there crowd: boats at the dock and a steady parade of people sluicing through the cave. It's pretty spectacular, even with all of the people. Next up, we visited the Floating Village, a small community that makes its living on the sea and off the tourists. The afternoon was pretty much touching all of the bases on the tour. Dinner was good--this company feeds us well. We watched evening descend ona gray day from the upper deck and spent dinner and the evening in conversation. We dodged the karaoke, which apparently is expected. Our tour guide very much wanted us to karaoke but we just wanted to talk and play a silly parlor game. My kind of crowd.
The ride down to Ha Long took us past many fields and through small towns. I spotted four military cemeteries along the way. Very uniform and orderly markers inside some type of ceremonial enclosure. One had a statue of a revolutionary soldier holding his weapon boldly in the air. I also saw what looked like a tablet commemorating a community's dead in the war(s). Our route also passed many factories for western business and consumer products. I saw much small scale and retail enterprise at many points along our route. So even the North, with its revolutionary discipline, looks firmly capitalist.
Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site. Rock formations jut out of the water mostly in rounded shapes but these rock islands vary in size. One is the site of Surprise Cave, a three chambered limestone cavern. Here, too, we traveled with there crowd: boats at the dock and a steady parade of people sluicing through the cave. It's pretty spectacular, even with all of the people. Next up, we visited the Floating Village, a small community that makes its living on the sea and off the tourists. The afternoon was pretty much touching all of the bases on the tour. Dinner was good--this company feeds us well. We watched evening descend ona gray day from the upper deck and spent dinner and the evening in conversation. We dodged the karaoke, which apparently is expected. Our tour guide very much wanted us to karaoke but we just wanted to talk and play a silly parlor game. My kind of crowd.
The ride down to Ha Long took us past many fields and through small towns. I spotted four military cemeteries along the way. Very uniform and orderly markers inside some type of ceremonial enclosure. One had a statue of a revolutionary soldier holding his weapon boldly in the air. I also saw what looked like a tablet commemorating a community's dead in the war(s). Our route also passed many factories for western business and consumer products. I saw much small scale and retail enterprise at many points along our route. So even the North, with its revolutionary discipline, looks firmly capitalist.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Vietnam Journal 01.03.11
Flew out of Da Nang around 10:00 this morning aboard Vietnam Airlines flight 0308 . The taxi to take off was long and offered glimpses of the airport's past as one of the three largest American air bases in Vietnam during the War. I saw many revetments, concrete arches that shielded planes from mortar attacks. Also saw what I think is the Agent Orange storage area, which makes this airport one of the most contaminated sites in Vietnam. The US has finally agreed to spend $17 million to clean up the area but that amount is only half of the estimated cost and follows three decades of imact on the local populace and ecosystems. Other vestiges of the war are what appear to be control towers alongside the taxiway. They are small so were probably local traffic control at what was a very busy air base.
The flight to Ha Noi was only a bit longer than the taxi ride into the Old Quarter where we are staying. Ha Noi is a very gray city and every bit as hectic as Ho Chi Minh City. Our ride progressed from the wide open spaces to ever closer and closer places, finally reach the Old Quarter which is densely crowded, with narrow streets pack with traffic. In the US, these streets would be one-way or pedestrian only but not here. Sidewalks are packed with motorbikes and people.
At the hotel we booked an overnight trip tomorrow to Ha Long Bay which Maggie's been talking about since we arrived in Vietnam (maybe before). We explored the area around the hotel and made our way to Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Lake of the Returned Sword which is central to the Vietnamese national identity. We also got ripped off ten bucks by a very fast taxi meter but did find the vegetarian restaurant recommended by a friend. When the restaurant staff heard our tale of taxi fraud, they called a taxi they said we could trust. The fare for the ride back was very reasonable, tip included.
The flight to Ha Noi was only a bit longer than the taxi ride into the Old Quarter where we are staying. Ha Noi is a very gray city and every bit as hectic as Ho Chi Minh City. Our ride progressed from the wide open spaces to ever closer and closer places, finally reach the Old Quarter which is densely crowded, with narrow streets pack with traffic. In the US, these streets would be one-way or pedestrian only but not here. Sidewalks are packed with motorbikes and people.
At the hotel we booked an overnight trip tomorrow to Ha Long Bay which Maggie's been talking about since we arrived in Vietnam (maybe before). We explored the area around the hotel and made our way to Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Lake of the Returned Sword which is central to the Vietnamese national identity. We also got ripped off ten bucks by a very fast taxi meter but did find the vegetarian restaurant recommended by a friend. When the restaurant staff heard our tale of taxi fraud, they called a taxi they said we could trust. The fare for the ride back was very reasonable, tip included.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Vietnam Journal 01.02.11
Day two of the new year started out slow. I felt particularly unenergetic and lethargic. Something about wanting to be home now. That was not an option and we had matters to attend to on this last day in Da Nang. But first we went for coffee and fresh baked chocolate croissants at Nha Leo which did a lot to change my outlook. Later we spent a few hours at the Museum of Cham Sculpture, which houses...well, Cham sculpture. The pieces were recovered from sites in central Vietnam where the Cham culture, which was highly influenced by Hinduism, flourished between the 2nd and 15th centuries. The collection is a great deal of gray-brown stone carved into many amazing shapes.
Dinner was with Tuyet and Chuck at the Dorinly Cafe' where we talked for about two hours. Maggie and I stayed around to listen to music before heading back to the hotel.
So Da Nang is almost over. Just a wake up before we sky out for Ha Noi tomorrow morining. Four days later we head home. I will be happy to see Olympia again and sleep in my own bed. But I will also hate to see this adventure end. It's been everything I hoped it would be.
Dinner was with Tuyet and Chuck at the Dorinly Cafe' where we talked for about two hours. Maggie and I stayed around to listen to music before heading back to the hotel.
So Da Nang is almost over. Just a wake up before we sky out for Ha Noi tomorrow morining. Four days later we head home. I will be happy to see Olympia again and sleep in my own bed. But I will also hate to see this adventure end. It's been everything I hoped it would be.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Vietnam Journal 01.01.11
Today is more of a holiday than I expected. Many streets are lined with the national flag and most construction sites are shut down. The luxury hi-rise by the river that has been running 24/7 since we arrived in Da Nang is totally closed. So is the construction site behind our hotel. I saw more closed shops today than any day before. All this is surprising since we were told that Vietnamese celebrate the lunar new year at Tet. Looks like they take a holiday on January 1 as well.
Spent part of the day in a Skype call to the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers as part of the New Year's Global Day of Listening. The Afghans asked, in response to Maggie's observation that the American War was not part of the Vietnamese consciousness, how the Vietnamese have managed to recover from the war. Maggie and I offered our observations about Vietnamese industry and drive--so many people are so busy--that helped build the economic successes we've seen on this trip. Time is also part of the equation; the Vietnamese spent maybe 20 years dealing with the war's aftermath (including active hostility from the US) to really begin to rebuild.That tells me Afghans have a ways to go
Later we met students and a teacher from one of Maggie's classes for an extended discussion at a coffee house. Our conversation rambled on for about three hours and covered many topics; English and Vietnamese language, culture, history, Maggie's and my reaction to Vietnam, what we found most surprising, movies, motorbikes and more. Perhaps the most interesting topic for me was their perception of the American War. For them, it's no big deal, a history that doesn't really affect their lives which are firmly in the present. The students are interested in their education and getting on with their lives. Their parents, however, lived that history and still remember the hardships. One student said her mother always changes the channel when a program about the war comes on. In contrast, I told them about Americans who stillhave not gotten over our own civil war. The students found that hard to understand.
Spent part of the day in a Skype call to the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers as part of the New Year's Global Day of Listening. The Afghans asked, in response to Maggie's observation that the American War was not part of the Vietnamese consciousness, how the Vietnamese have managed to recover from the war. Maggie and I offered our observations about Vietnamese industry and drive--so many people are so busy--that helped build the economic successes we've seen on this trip. Time is also part of the equation; the Vietnamese spent maybe 20 years dealing with the war's aftermath (including active hostility from the US) to really begin to rebuild.That tells me Afghans have a ways to go
Later we met students and a teacher from one of Maggie's classes for an extended discussion at a coffee house. Our conversation rambled on for about three hours and covered many topics; English and Vietnamese language, culture, history, Maggie's and my reaction to Vietnam, what we found most surprising, movies, motorbikes and more. Perhaps the most interesting topic for me was their perception of the American War. For them, it's no big deal, a history that doesn't really affect their lives which are firmly in the present. The students are interested in their education and getting on with their lives. Their parents, however, lived that history and still remember the hardships. One student said her mother always changes the channel when a program about the war comes on. In contrast, I told them about Americans who stillhave not gotten over our own civil war. The students found that hard to understand.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.31.10
Lazy day. Ran a few errands early but kicked back in the afternoon before heading to the Da Nang University English language department New Year's Eve party. January 1 is not a traditional Vietnamese holiday but the English speakers will mark the occasion, at least until 21:00. We are back at the hotel by 21:30.
The evening was yet another adventure and magic moment. Tuyet arranged for a taxi that took us to a restaurant/ballroom south of the center city. The party was quite the affair with spouses, children, a large buffet, karaoke and dancing. Most of the activity was in Vietnamese but it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on. The staff--all female--we've worked with looked very different in cocktail dresses. At 20:00 Maggie and I marked the new year's arrival at the international date line. Now it's just two hours away here in Da Nang. Another 15 hours until the new year in Olympia.
It's hard not to compare this New Year's Eve in Vietnam with my first. At the end of 2010 I am happy and energized, the company of someone I love very much, enjoying Vietnamese hospitality, and looking forward to the new year. Forty years ago as the new year arrived I was alone, depressed, afraid of Vietnamese, and facing the very real possibility that I would not live to see another new year. I have no guarantee now that I will see another new year but I begin this one with joy and hope.
The evening was yet another adventure and magic moment. Tuyet arranged for a taxi that took us to a restaurant/ballroom south of the center city. The party was quite the affair with spouses, children, a large buffet, karaoke and dancing. Most of the activity was in Vietnamese but it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on. The staff--all female--we've worked with looked very different in cocktail dresses. At 20:00 Maggie and I marked the new year's arrival at the international date line. Now it's just two hours away here in Da Nang. Another 15 hours until the new year in Olympia.
It's hard not to compare this New Year's Eve in Vietnam with my first. At the end of 2010 I am happy and energized, the company of someone I love very much, enjoying Vietnamese hospitality, and looking forward to the new year. Forty years ago as the new year arrived I was alone, depressed, afraid of Vietnamese, and facing the very real possibility that I would not live to see another new year. I have no guarantee now that I will see another new year but I begin this one with joy and hope.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.30.10
Spent the morning evaluating students for placement in the English language program. Most were employees of the Da Nang city government with engineering and architectural degrees. Each had three minutes to answer my questions about themselves and their work. Most had very limited proficiency despite their professional accomplishments. I felt badly about giving them low ratings--many had studied English for years--but they simply lacked the ability to communicate with me in English. A generous score would have been no favor. As always, I listened carefully, trying to filter out all of the background noise. I found that it was usually apparent pretty soon into the interview how each student spoke English. My initial impression might go up or down slightly as the conversation progressed but never dramatically. According to Tuyet, students may study English for years but have little opportunity to speak it and are unable to develop proficiency.
Maggie and I taught our last classes this evening. Although it is very hard work, am sorry to see the classes end. I am so energized and happy speaking to and working with the students I don't mind the effort. But all things must pass and so too will this adventure. But the memory will never end. More importantly this experience will forever change my perception of Vietnam. Tonight, with the thrilling excitement of class, seems to completely blot out the memory of war, of the fear, of the spookiness that has always been Vietnam to me. That's a profound change. I now see and experience Vietnam as a place of peace and very friendly people. For that reason I can confidently say that the trip has accomplished all that I hoped for.
And it's not over. We still have seven full days left, including Ha Noi, so there is much to anticipate. Even when the trip ends, I can look forward to returning to life in Olympia, seeing friends and simply understanding all that I have seen and done during 25 days in Vietnam.
Notes from the student interviews
Maggie and I taught our last classes this evening. Although it is very hard work, am sorry to see the classes end. I am so energized and happy speaking to and working with the students I don't mind the effort. But all things must pass and so too will this adventure. But the memory will never end. More importantly this experience will forever change my perception of Vietnam. Tonight, with the thrilling excitement of class, seems to completely blot out the memory of war, of the fear, of the spookiness that has always been Vietnam to me. That's a profound change. I now see and experience Vietnam as a place of peace and very friendly people. For that reason I can confidently say that the trip has accomplished all that I hoped for.
And it's not over. We still have seven full days left, including Ha Noi, so there is much to anticipate. Even when the trip ends, I can look forward to returning to life in Olympia, seeing friends and simply understanding all that I have seen and done during 25 days in Vietnam.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Vietam Journal 12.29.12
Today's theme is "from My Quang to pizza". We began by joining Tuyet and Tien for a My Quang brunch. My Quang is a local specialty: noodles with peanuts, spices served with various meats. We had river fish. My students asked me last week if I'd had it. Now I can say yes and that it is very good.
After brunch we bought a replacement camera and shopped for a thank you silk scarf for the friend who drove us to the airport to begin this trip. At that point we were "adopted" by a young man named Anh who guided us to a nearby optical shop where Maggie ordered a new pair of glasses for $25. We had to wait an hour for the glasses so we went with Anh to a restaurant for a soda.
Along the way he told us his story. He speaks English well because he learned from his parents--that was his only education he received because his father worked for the Americans during the what the Vietnamese call the American War. As the child of a collaborator, he has no education or opportunity. He makes his living selling postcards to American tourists. For all that, he called himself lucky. No American would ever think those circumstances were lucky.
Maggie and I each did one class this evening. I worked with Ms. Hanh's class for the third time. I talked about Washington State, and what people do in Olympia on weekends. Then Ms. Hanh divided the class into groups and asked each to tell me about the relative importance of time. They expressed themselves well and displayed a very thoughtful appreciation for the value of time over money.
After class we came back to the neighborhood around our hotel for pizza at the French restaurant Nha Leo. It's run by a French expatriate married to a Vietnamese. The pizza was excellent--thin crust topped with a zesty sauce and vegetables. Dessert was a freshly baked chocolat foundant a la mode, still warm from the oven.
After brunch we bought a replacement camera and shopped for a thank you silk scarf for the friend who drove us to the airport to begin this trip. At that point we were "adopted" by a young man named Anh who guided us to a nearby optical shop where Maggie ordered a new pair of glasses for $25. We had to wait an hour for the glasses so we went with Anh to a restaurant for a soda.
Along the way he told us his story. He speaks English well because he learned from his parents--that was his only education he received because his father worked for the Americans during the what the Vietnamese call the American War. As the child of a collaborator, he has no education or opportunity. He makes his living selling postcards to American tourists. For all that, he called himself lucky. No American would ever think those circumstances were lucky.
Maggie and I each did one class this evening. I worked with Ms. Hanh's class for the third time. I talked about Washington State, and what people do in Olympia on weekends. Then Ms. Hanh divided the class into groups and asked each to tell me about the relative importance of time. They expressed themselves well and displayed a very thoughtful appreciation for the value of time over money.
After class we came back to the neighborhood around our hotel for pizza at the French restaurant Nha Leo. It's run by a French expatriate married to a Vietnamese. The pizza was excellent--thin crust topped with a zesty sauce and vegetables. Dessert was a freshly baked chocolat foundant a la mode, still warm from the oven.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.28.10
07:35 Slept pretty well. My gut doesn't feel nearly as bad as yesterday. I hammered it last night with anti-diarrheal antibiotics we brought with us. Maybe it will be better today. Still not enthusiastic about food just yet. This is a time for comfort food but that will be hard to come by in Da Nang.
Afternoon: Talked with an afternoon class at the new Da Nang University campus south and west of the center city. The class was for interpreters. The initial format was for me to speak and the instructor would ask students to tell her in Vietnamese what I told them. Then pairs of students presented a narrative to me, one in Vietnamese and the other in English. They told me about famous places in Vietnam, Vietnamese food, Valentine's Day in Vietnam, changing weather patterns and how Vietnamese families are changing. They all did well but I understood the later narratives better. Maybe I got used to their accents Or maybe the later pairs were just better.
17:28 Waiting for evening class in the teachers' lounge. A Chinese period (1600s?) soap opera is playing on the TV in the corner. Very elaborate costumes with dialogue dubbed in Vietnamese. Aside from the setting (grand palaces) and the costumes, it has the look of any US soap opera; something about the quality of the image on this screen in Vietnam looks just like "Days of Our Lives" or "The Guiding Light".
Afternoon: Talked with an afternoon class at the new Da Nang University campus south and west of the center city. The class was for interpreters. The initial format was for me to speak and the instructor would ask students to tell her in Vietnamese what I told them. Then pairs of students presented a narrative to me, one in Vietnamese and the other in English. They told me about famous places in Vietnam, Vietnamese food, Valentine's Day in Vietnam, changing weather patterns and how Vietnamese families are changing. They all did well but I understood the later narratives better. Maybe I got used to their accents Or maybe the later pairs were just better.
17:28 Waiting for evening class in the teachers' lounge. A Chinese period (1600s?) soap opera is playing on the TV in the corner. Very elaborate costumes with dialogue dubbed in Vietnamese. Aside from the setting (grand palaces) and the costumes, it has the look of any US soap opera; something about the quality of the image on this screen in Vietnam looks just like "Days of Our Lives" or "The Guiding Light".
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.27.10
This is the week for travel challenges, I guess. Yesterday, the lost camera. Today my gut is tied in knots. I made it through one class tonight and but did not have the energy for a second class. So here I am, in bed at 20:00. That's about all I can say for the day.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.26.10
Today was a lot of fun until we realized that we left our camera in a taxi as we hurriedly bailed out to catch the evening bus to Da Nang. We'd spent an otherwise fund day traveling with our guide, Mr. Tich, to Hoi An, about an hour and a half south of Da Nang. The loss put a real damper on the day and is an abrupt change from the wonderful experiences of the past week.
Before that event, we found English language books at Randy's Book Exchange (one reason we came) toured the Old City that dates back over 300 years to when Japanese and Chinese traders established their trading bases there. Hoi An was the major port in southeast Asia until ships became too large and trade moved to deeper water in Da Nang. On this day after Christmas the Old City was alive with trade: tourists and the many shops that cater to them.
We traveled from Da Nang to Hoi An by local bus. Mr. Tich handled all the arrangements. The bus was packed with people, some building materials and a bicycle. The three of us wedged into maybe two seats in the back of the bus. The trip back was similar--less additional cargo but certainly full. We discovered the missing camera en route to Da Nang. Mr. Tich called the taxi company with no definite results. He will try again tomorrow. Maybe whoever finds it will turn it in.
Before that event, we found English language books at Randy's Book Exchange (one reason we came) toured the Old City that dates back over 300 years to when Japanese and Chinese traders established their trading bases there. Hoi An was the major port in southeast Asia until ships became too large and trade moved to deeper water in Da Nang. On this day after Christmas the Old City was alive with trade: tourists and the many shops that cater to them.
We traveled from Da Nang to Hoi An by local bus. Mr. Tich handled all the arrangements. The bus was packed with people, some building materials and a bicycle. The three of us wedged into maybe two seats in the back of the bus. The trip back was similar--less additional cargo but certainly full. We discovered the missing camera en route to Da Nang. Mr. Tich called the taxi company with no definite results. He will try again tomorrow. Maybe whoever finds it will turn it in.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.25.10
Christmas Eve was the Dorinly Cafe' grand opening. Maggie and I attended. We were the only non-Vietnamese. The opening featured a nmber of fine singers and muscians, including the owner's wife who also played piano, his younger brother, a back up keyboard player and guitarist who was especially good. The owner even sang a song dedicated to us. Pretty damn amazing in a country where I am a complete stranger.
Christmas day in Da Nang looks pretty mch like any other day. Maggie and I had breakfast with Chuck [initial contact] and Tuyet [university language instructor], a long leisurely morning in a small restaurant located in a side alley off Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street not far from the university. It was the kind of alley I would hesitate to enter on my own but the restaurant was, in fact, quite pleasant. We talked of many things: English and Vietnamese language, travel plans, experiences in Vietnam and America. After about three hours, we left with Tuyet to have her acupuncturist look at Maggie's painful shoulder. He could not help but the trip took us down another side alley that we would not otherwise enter.
Made it to the Bread of Life restaurant, the place to go in Da Nang for western (mostly) food, where they serve American, Australian or English traditional Christmas menus. Shared a table with a Marine Vietnam vet who is now married to a Vietnamese woman and has two young children. On the way over we crossed the Song Ha Bridge on foot during its rush hour closure. Below us families were out on the riverbank plaza. There were kids tooling about in small electric cars, an inflatable fishing pond and food vendors.
After dinner we walked along the promenade that parallels Bach Dang Street. Lots of people were out as well, enjoying the lights and warm evenning. We saw a long line of people waiting to photograph themselves in a Christmas booth In contrast, construcion workes were on the job a a near by building site. So here we have the contrast of thr two Vietnams: one is a modern, trendy society, the other a third world country where hard work is the inevitable lot in life.
Our walk revealed to us the light show under the Song Ha Bridge: the piers light up with different colors and in sync with lights on the suspension cables. We had seen the cable lights previously but that was only half of the show. All pretty cool. In all, a good day out with Maggie.
All so much better than Christmas in Vietnam 1970.
Christmas day in Da Nang looks pretty mch like any other day. Maggie and I had breakfast with Chuck [initial contact] and Tuyet [university language instructor], a long leisurely morning in a small restaurant located in a side alley off Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street not far from the university. It was the kind of alley I would hesitate to enter on my own but the restaurant was, in fact, quite pleasant. We talked of many things: English and Vietnamese language, travel plans, experiences in Vietnam and America. After about three hours, we left with Tuyet to have her acupuncturist look at Maggie's painful shoulder. He could not help but the trip took us down another side alley that we would not otherwise enter.
Made it to the Bread of Life restaurant, the place to go in Da Nang for western (mostly) food, where they serve American, Australian or English traditional Christmas menus. Shared a table with a Marine Vietnam vet who is now married to a Vietnamese woman and has two young children. On the way over we crossed the Song Ha Bridge on foot during its rush hour closure. Below us families were out on the riverbank plaza. There were kids tooling about in small electric cars, an inflatable fishing pond and food vendors.
After dinner we walked along the promenade that parallels Bach Dang Street. Lots of people were out as well, enjoying the lights and warm evenning. We saw a long line of people waiting to photograph themselves in a Christmas booth In contrast, construcion workes were on the job a a near by building site. So here we have the contrast of thr two Vietnams: one is a modern, trendy society, the other a third world country where hard work is the inevitable lot in life.
Our walk revealed to us the light show under the Song Ha Bridge: the piers light up with different colors and in sync with lights on the suspension cables. We had seen the cable lights previously but that was only half of the show. All pretty cool. In all, a good day out with Maggie.
All so much better than Christmas in Vietnam 1970.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.23.10
We are done with classes for the week. Normally, class would be held Friday night but tomorrow is Christmas Eve and classes are canceled. We have three completely free days. I think tomorrow will be filled with errands downtown and tomorrow evening we are invited to the Cafe' Dorinly for an evening of music. The invitation came when Maggie and I stopped in for an iced Sai Gon coffee out while walking in the neighborhood of our hotel. The owner speaks English and joined us for a conversation during which he told us that the cafe' is brand new and that we are his first foreign guests. Christmas Eve will be the grand opening.
We spent the afternoon with Xuan Tich, one of the instructors at the university who also doubles as a tour guide. Our tour began as a practical one--find a bookstore that sells English language books and find an inexpensive cell phone to use in Vietnam. We were successful in the latter endeavor, less so on the former. Once the practical stuff was out of the way we went to the Pham Lap Pagoda in the foothills of Nui Son Tra. The pagoda is the site of a massive (67 meter) statue of Buddha, Mr. Tich explained some of the Buddhist iconography and traditions. He said Pham Lap is the best pagoda in Da Nang.
We spent the afternoon with Xuan Tich, one of the instructors at the university who also doubles as a tour guide. Our tour began as a practical one--find a bookstore that sells English language books and find an inexpensive cell phone to use in Vietnam. We were successful in the latter endeavor, less so on the former. Once the practical stuff was out of the way we went to the Pham Lap Pagoda in the foothills of Nui Son Tra. The pagoda is the site of a massive (67 meter) statue of Buddha, Mr. Tich explained some of the Buddhist iconography and traditions. He said Pham Lap is the best pagoda in Da Nang.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.22.10
Today we learned that the Song Ha bridge closes at 4:30 to all but motorbike traffic so our taxi ride to the university ended up costing 150 VND instead of 50 VND ($7.50 vs S2.50). We got a good tour of the northern part of the Son Tra Peninsula and crossed the Thuan Phouc Bridge which spans the mouth of the Song Ha River where it empties into Da Nang Bay. The bridge is a spectacular twin tower suspension bridge. I can see it in the distance from my hotel room.
Classes tonight were fun. One class was the beginner level class that I worked with Monday night. Tonight we played Truth or Dare, a game where groups chose cards with challenges that hey had to express in English. Once again the students were shy and soft-spoken. The second class was mostly question and answer where it seemed like I did a lot of talking but I did manage to get students to ask questions. This is my third night and like the two previous nights I am brain dead tired.
Classes tonight were fun. One class was the beginner level class that I worked with Monday night. Tonight we played Truth or Dare, a game where groups chose cards with challenges that hey had to express in English. Once again the students were shy and soft-spoken. The second class was mostly question and answer where it seemed like I did a lot of talking but I did manage to get students to ask questions. This is my third night and like the two previous nights I am brain dead tired.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.20.10
Back at the hotel now after three hours of conversing with English language students at Da Nang University. It is hard work! Maggie and I spoke to separate classes so we are both pretty tired. But it was also a lot of fun. My first session was with about 20freshman/intermediate students, all very shy and soft spoken. I probably talked too much at first but after a while we got a bit of conversation going, mainly about Christmas. My second session was with three higher level students; Moon who works for a trading company, Chan who is an economics major university student and My who is a 16 year old secondary student. That session was a bit easier but still challenging. Between the students' accents, soft voices, poor acoustics and my bad hearing I had to work very hard to understand what they were saying. I'll be doing this all week.
When we came out of the university Le Daun Street was all lit up with decorations for the holidays, very bright and very festive. Except for the dark, it could have been mid-day--all of the shops were open, sidewalks were crammed with parked motorbikes and people. Even the street corner mechanic with his air compressor and gasoline in a liquor bottle was still at work.
When we came out of the university Le Daun Street was all lit up with decorations for the holidays, very bright and very festive. Except for the dark, it could have been mid-day--all of the shops were open, sidewalks were crammed with parked motorbikes and people. Even the street corner mechanic with his air compressor and gasoline in a liquor bottle was still at work.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.19.10
More impressions of HCMC: Smoggy gray air blankets the city, not surprising given all of the vehicles spewing exhaust. Along with the exhaust is the constant din of motors and horns. Just walking around the block last night was overload.
Driving into the city yesterday we saw numerous high rises, easily the equal of anything in the US, under construction or newly completed. We also saw billboards advertising luxury condos for rent and another advertising the American School of HCMC. Somehow this just doesn't seem quite right for a nation that forced the US to abandon its attempt to save South Vietnam from the Communism. The difference is probably more the result of changing world economics and the "ultimate triumph" of capitalism that forces even Communists to accept the New World Order.
Note: later in the day we arrived in Da Nang and ate lunch at the bar fight restaurant.
Driving into the city yesterday we saw numerous high rises, easily the equal of anything in the US, under construction or newly completed. We also saw billboards advertising luxury condos for rent and another advertising the American School of HCMC. Somehow this just doesn't seem quite right for a nation that forced the US to abandon its attempt to save South Vietnam from the Communism. The difference is probably more the result of changing world economics and the "ultimate triumph" of capitalism that forces even Communists to accept the New World Order.
Note: later in the day we arrived in Da Nang and ate lunch at the bar fight restaurant.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.18.10
In Ho Chi Minh City for one night on way to Da Nang. Drove in from Cat Thien. Took about four hours, last two were in what I would have to describe as the most horrendous traffic I've ever experienced: Bumper-to-bumper in a sea of motorbikes. That was just getting to the city limits! In HCMC traffic is a steady stream the moves largely on its own with out the benefit of traffic signals in most intersections. Turning left requires a certain amount of steely determination. For all that, though, accidents seem rare.
I'm learning that Vietnam moves by motorbike. Sure, there are many lorries and large transports, including the occasional Freightliner 18-wheeler, but much travels on the back, front ad sides of motorbikes. Sometimes the driver is barely visible. Other times I marvel at the size of the lad. One went by this evening piled high with cases of beer. Maggie wondered how the springs could handle the weight. Most of the bikes are two-wheelers but there are plenty of three-wheel combinations. In Vung Tau we saw a three-wheeler loaded with construction workers pulling a cement mixer followed by another with more workers and tools.
From the looks of HCMC, Communism is more idea than practice. I see the symbols and iconography--portraits of Ho Chi Min, the hammer and sickle and posters celebrating the victory of workers and peasants--but they seemto be a mere backdrop to a go-go capitalism that rivals Hong Kong under the British. Everywhere I look in HCMC I see enterprise and plenty of decadence. Seems like the south only surrendered its political identity in 1975, not its entrepreneurial spirit.
I'm learning that Vietnam moves by motorbike. Sure, there are many lorries and large transports, including the occasional Freightliner 18-wheeler, but much travels on the back, front ad sides of motorbikes. Sometimes the driver is barely visible. Other times I marvel at the size of the lad. One went by this evening piled high with cases of beer. Maggie wondered how the springs could handle the weight. Most of the bikes are two-wheelers but there are plenty of three-wheel combinations. In Vung Tau we saw a three-wheeler loaded with construction workers pulling a cement mixer followed by another with more workers and tools.
From the looks of HCMC, Communism is more idea than practice. I see the symbols and iconography--portraits of Ho Chi Min, the hammer and sickle and posters celebrating the victory of workers and peasants--but they seemto be a mere backdrop to a go-go capitalism that rivals Hong Kong under the British. Everywhere I look in HCMC I see enterprise and plenty of decadence. Seems like the south only surrendered its political identity in 1975, not its entrepreneurial spirit.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Vietnam Journal 12.17.10
Almost noon now. Maggie and I spent the morning on a guided biological tour. Walking through the jungle with a young woman named Duyen who was very knowledgeable about Cat Thien's flora and fauna. This is about as close to the jungle I remember from the war as I am likely to see on this trip. It sure looked familiar. I could easily see myself crashing through that underbrush if I let myself dwell on that particular thought. Mostly though, I stayed in the present--on tour in a national park. I put the war aside. That is one reason I came here.
Yesterday's drive up took us maybe within sight of my former AO. I saw ridges to the east that may have been the "goddamn motherfucking mountains" where my battalion operated. Close enough
Yesterday's drive up took us maybe within sight of my former AO. I saw ridges to the east that may have been the "goddamn motherfucking mountains" where my battalion operated. Close enough
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