March 28 5 pm
Saigon
So yesterday Grace and I got back to Saigon. When we checked our email, we found an email from Stu telling us that the program might close early because of the pneumonia in Hanoi. Some US embassy people are sending their families abroad. At the very least, we aren't going to be able to travel much beyond HCMC. Everyone's supposed to come back by today, although I doubt people are checking their email.
We were stunned, we'd heard about the pneumonia but nothing about it being here. Very distraught, we drowned our sorrows with cheap vodka and expensive Hershey's kisses with almonds. (The chocolate was imported) Today, things are looking brighter - we've still yet to hear anything official, but rumors from various sources make it sound like we'll be allowed to stay, albeit at the guesthouse and only in HCMC.
Friday, March 28, 2003
March 26, 9 pm
Dalat
So yesterday, we arrived here in Dalat at about 3 pm. The hotel is really nice. Rachel, Crystal, Grace and I are in a triple on the 4th floor. We spent the beginning of the trip walking around the city. It's beautiful - there are all sorts of hills and mountains; everything is green and there are even pine trees. Last night, I noticed how cool the weather is here. It didn't get about 75 even at midday, and at night I was chilly.
The city strangely reminds me of Saranac Lake, New York, even though it is much bigger. It's got lots of hills and winding roads - very pretty and peaceful. There's a big lake in the center of town and a lot of things are situated around it.
Last night, we went out to a place that served food in clay pots. Grace had rabbit! We also met up with a friend of a friend who took us out to a cafe that served regular cafe stuff, and well as pie and cake. I ordered chocolate cake, what came looked like dense vanilla and chocolate poundcake. I ate it anyway, and it was delicious.
Today, we took motorbike taxis to the Prenn waterfall, a little outside the city. The waterfall was beautiful and you could walk right under it. I think getting there was actually the most fun, we got to zoom up and down hills and see the countryside.
When we came back to the city, we went to this incredibly funky place called The Crazy House that identified itself as an art museum. It struck me as more of an incredibly complex stone treehouse. It was a maze of stairs going up and down, occasionally ending in a room. Usually the room consisted of a bed and some random room-y things, like a dresser.
The building was made of stone or concrete and painted to look like mushrooms, leaves and things of that nature. You really have to see it for yourself.
Dalat
So yesterday, we arrived here in Dalat at about 3 pm. The hotel is really nice. Rachel, Crystal, Grace and I are in a triple on the 4th floor. We spent the beginning of the trip walking around the city. It's beautiful - there are all sorts of hills and mountains; everything is green and there are even pine trees. Last night, I noticed how cool the weather is here. It didn't get about 75 even at midday, and at night I was chilly.
The city strangely reminds me of Saranac Lake, New York, even though it is much bigger. It's got lots of hills and winding roads - very pretty and peaceful. There's a big lake in the center of town and a lot of things are situated around it.
Last night, we went out to a place that served food in clay pots. Grace had rabbit! We also met up with a friend of a friend who took us out to a cafe that served regular cafe stuff, and well as pie and cake. I ordered chocolate cake, what came looked like dense vanilla and chocolate poundcake. I ate it anyway, and it was delicious.
Today, we took motorbike taxis to the Prenn waterfall, a little outside the city. The waterfall was beautiful and you could walk right under it. I think getting there was actually the most fun, we got to zoom up and down hills and see the countryside.
When we came back to the city, we went to this incredibly funky place called The Crazy House that identified itself as an art museum. It struck me as more of an incredibly complex stone treehouse. It was a maze of stairs going up and down, occasionally ending in a room. Usually the room consisted of a bed and some random room-y things, like a dresser.
The building was made of stone or concrete and painted to look like mushrooms, leaves and things of that nature. You really have to see it for yourself.
March 25, 1 pm
On a bus to Dalat, in the central highlands, looking at some mountains
For most of the time I've been in Vietnam, I haven't really seen too many mountains. Now I'm driving through really hilly country. It's almost like Vermont, there are even pine trees. I spent the entire first half of the ride asleep, using my backpack as a pillow.
Yesterday, we went to visit a traditional farming village on the Mekong. we were supposed to look at how people live their lives and what sort of things went on there. In this village, people farmed rice and had banana trees. The houses were made out of wood and I think husks; for 3 months out of the year the Mekong floods and the water rises so high half the house is underwater. They just board up the house and live in it anyway. They're used to it.
I spent most of the time sitting with a group of local people with some other Americans. Some nice people invited us to sit in front of their house, and their neighbors came by to look at us. We were a major curiousity. At first, we had to try to get by on our Vietnamese; later Thu came to translate. One of the old men saw that I was interested in a baby chicken, and he picked it up and put him in my hand. He was adorable. Thu said he wanted to give the chick to me. I tried to explain that I lived in a city and I didn't think the chick would be happy there. So he gave me a quail that they'd caught instead, to take back to America. It was beautiful. I couldn't refuse, but I let the quail go as soon as we were out of sight. You know, the people didn't have a lot of money, but they seemed really happy. A lot of people are really happy here.
Later that afternoon, we toured a former resistance center. At this point it just looked like jungle. A red ant bit me.
On a bus to Dalat, in the central highlands, looking at some mountains
For most of the time I've been in Vietnam, I haven't really seen too many mountains. Now I'm driving through really hilly country. It's almost like Vermont, there are even pine trees. I spent the entire first half of the ride asleep, using my backpack as a pillow.
Yesterday, we went to visit a traditional farming village on the Mekong. we were supposed to look at how people live their lives and what sort of things went on there. In this village, people farmed rice and had banana trees. The houses were made out of wood and I think husks; for 3 months out of the year the Mekong floods and the water rises so high half the house is underwater. They just board up the house and live in it anyway. They're used to it.
I spent most of the time sitting with a group of local people with some other Americans. Some nice people invited us to sit in front of their house, and their neighbors came by to look at us. We were a major curiousity. At first, we had to try to get by on our Vietnamese; later Thu came to translate. One of the old men saw that I was interested in a baby chicken, and he picked it up and put him in my hand. He was adorable. Thu said he wanted to give the chick to me. I tried to explain that I lived in a city and I didn't think the chick would be happy there. So he gave me a quail that they'd caught instead, to take back to America. It was beautiful. I couldn't refuse, but I let the quail go as soon as we were out of sight. You know, the people didn't have a lot of money, but they seemed really happy. A lot of people are really happy here.
Later that afternoon, we toured a former resistance center. At this point it just looked like jungle. A red ant bit me.
March 24 11 pm
Saigon
So this weekend was the Mekong Delta! Saturday night we went on a motorbike/cart-thing ride around Can Tho and got to see a good chunk of it. Then early that morning we set off for the Can Tho Floating Market, which is exactly what it sounds like. I brilliantly chose to wear a bright white skirt to the muddy river. It actually didn't get that dirty. Thank God for small miracles. People get on their boats and go up and down the river selling fruit and other things off of their boats. We (Barrett, Co Hai and I ) got to sit on the deck of a pineapple boat and talk to the guy who ran it. He told us it takes between 1 and 4 days to sell all his 4 tons of pineapples. It depends on business. I sat there thinking, "This is why I did SIT Vietnam. I am sitting in the middle of the Mekong River eating pineapples on someone's boat."
Then we went to see (also by boat) other places along the river - places where they make rice paper and rice wine. They distill rice wine and feed the waste to the pigs. They gave us some rice wine, it tasted exactly like straight vodka. It was exactly like drinking vodka straight out of the bottle, not that I have ever done such a thing.
After that, we went to a Khmer Buddhist pagoda, where we got to talk to one of the monks. He was cool, and he spoke some English. He's only 24, and he became a monk when he was 14 so that he could get an education. He's almost finished high school. Grace said she went to see their dorms, she said it was just like a college dorm. They were all joking around and one of them was playing a Gameboy when she walked in.
Saigon
So this weekend was the Mekong Delta! Saturday night we went on a motorbike/cart-thing ride around Can Tho and got to see a good chunk of it. Then early that morning we set off for the Can Tho Floating Market, which is exactly what it sounds like. I brilliantly chose to wear a bright white skirt to the muddy river. It actually didn't get that dirty. Thank God for small miracles. People get on their boats and go up and down the river selling fruit and other things off of their boats. We (Barrett, Co Hai and I ) got to sit on the deck of a pineapple boat and talk to the guy who ran it. He told us it takes between 1 and 4 days to sell all his 4 tons of pineapples. It depends on business. I sat there thinking, "This is why I did SIT Vietnam. I am sitting in the middle of the Mekong River eating pineapples on someone's boat."
Then we went to see (also by boat) other places along the river - places where they make rice paper and rice wine. They distill rice wine and feed the waste to the pigs. They gave us some rice wine, it tasted exactly like straight vodka. It was exactly like drinking vodka straight out of the bottle, not that I have ever done such a thing.
After that, we went to a Khmer Buddhist pagoda, where we got to talk to one of the monks. He was cool, and he spoke some English. He's only 24, and he became a monk when he was 14 so that he could get an education. He's almost finished high school. Grace said she went to see their dorms, she said it was just like a college dorm. They were all joking around and one of them was playing a Gameboy when she walked in.
March 22, 2 pm
Can Tho, the Mekong Delta
So yesterday I watched the VN news with my host mother.It was mostly about the war in Iraq, focusing on civilian casualties. Of course I didn't understand the worlds, and when I asked her what happened, she put on CNN for me. Basically the US is sweeping through the desert. CNN is supposedly neutral, but I really think it's pretty biased in favor of war. They cover things like how high-tech the US army is and minimize the negatives. I know there is footage of hurt civilians because I saw it on Vietnamese TV, but CNN didn't broadcast it. They did manage to report 1000 people got arrested in San Francisco. That's encouraging.
My host mother said to me, "Don't worry, we understand that you and Bush are different." I've never heard her put so many English words together like that. She must have thought about it. That was nice.
We also had a lecture on the American War here, but it was ok. It was really chronological, like something I would have heard in the US.
Today, I got up early and went to the guesthouse, where I met Molly, Adam, Hillary, and Thu. We got a taxi to the bus station, where we had a hard time convincing people that we wanted the ghetto bus to Can Tho (we were assigned to take the bus regular people take, rather than the tourist bus) People couldn't understand why we would want the ghetto bus and kept banging on the taxi telling us to go the other way. It was funny.
The bus actually wasn't so bad, it was almost like a Greyhound. It was kinda crowded and there was no AC, but it wasn't too hot with the windows open. After a 5 hour bus ride, we took a short ferry ride to Can Tho. Then we took a kind of motorbike taxi where we were pulled by a motorbike that dragged a passenger seat behind it. It was pretty cool.
Can Tho, the Mekong Delta
So yesterday I watched the VN news with my host mother.It was mostly about the war in Iraq, focusing on civilian casualties. Of course I didn't understand the worlds, and when I asked her what happened, she put on CNN for me. Basically the US is sweeping through the desert. CNN is supposedly neutral, but I really think it's pretty biased in favor of war. They cover things like how high-tech the US army is and minimize the negatives. I know there is footage of hurt civilians because I saw it on Vietnamese TV, but CNN didn't broadcast it. They did manage to report 1000 people got arrested in San Francisco. That's encouraging.
My host mother said to me, "Don't worry, we understand that you and Bush are different." I've never heard her put so many English words together like that. She must have thought about it. That was nice.
We also had a lecture on the American War here, but it was ok. It was really chronological, like something I would have heard in the US.
Today, I got up early and went to the guesthouse, where I met Molly, Adam, Hillary, and Thu. We got a taxi to the bus station, where we had a hard time convincing people that we wanted the ghetto bus to Can Tho (we were assigned to take the bus regular people take, rather than the tourist bus) People couldn't understand why we would want the ghetto bus and kept banging on the taxi telling us to go the other way. It was funny.
The bus actually wasn't so bad, it was almost like a Greyhound. It was kinda crowded and there was no AC, but it wasn't too hot with the windows open. After a 5 hour bus ride, we took a short ferry ride to Can Tho. Then we took a kind of motorbike taxi where we were pulled by a motorbike that dragged a passenger seat behind it. It was pretty cool.
March 20, 10 pm
Saigon
So today the US started bombing Iraq, as expected. I kept up with the news on CNN (my host family has cable) The VN people I talked to don't feel that Bush is considering the people that the bombs are hitting. I was taking the whole thing really had, stressing about everything so much Sarah had to take me aside and tell me to just breathe. This is the sort of time when you want to be home, even if you think that home is wrong.
My host father mentioned to me in conversation today that my host mother had to be born in underground in the north in 1972 because the Americans were bombing.
Saigon
So today the US started bombing Iraq, as expected. I kept up with the news on CNN (my host family has cable) The VN people I talked to don't feel that Bush is considering the people that the bombs are hitting. I was taking the whole thing really had, stressing about everything so much Sarah had to take me aside and tell me to just breathe. This is the sort of time when you want to be home, even if you think that home is wrong.
My host father mentioned to me in conversation today that my host mother had to be born in underground in the north in 1972 because the Americans were bombing.
March 19, 8 pm
Saigon
It's looking more and more like there will be a war with Iraq, maybe starting tomorrow morning. Saddam Hussein isn't stepping down and I don't see any other opportunity presenting itself. It's really sad. CNN is showing pictures of Kuwait City and I keep thinking that people I know are there.
Hung told us today there was a protest in HCMC yesterday against the war by the Communist Youth League. He said it was against the US gov't going to war and not against Americans living in VN. I didn't even know it took place.
I was talking to Cherise today and she was telling me she feels bad for people studying abroad in France right now. I think it's good that there are people abroad to explain we're not all like Bush.
Saigon
It's looking more and more like there will be a war with Iraq, maybe starting tomorrow morning. Saddam Hussein isn't stepping down and I don't see any other opportunity presenting itself. It's really sad. CNN is showing pictures of Kuwait City and I keep thinking that people I know are there.
Hung told us today there was a protest in HCMC yesterday against the war by the Communist Youth League. He said it was against the US gov't going to war and not against Americans living in VN. I didn't even know it took place.
I was talking to Cherise today and she was telling me she feels bad for people studying abroad in France right now. I think it's good that there are people abroad to explain we're not all like Bush.
March 18, 10 pm
Saigon
So I got really fat today. Today was Sarah's birthday. When we told our Vietnamese teacher, she went out and bought us delicious French pastries. Then later this afternoon we had a birthday party for her at the guesthouse, which included a cake with pineapple filling (it's actually pretty good) and cool-looking daisies on top. She was very surprised.
I also went to the main post office for the first time and it actually wasn't too bad. Ijust had to go up and give them my passport and a claim slip to get my package. Today was the hottest day I can remember hear, and it was nice to sit in the post office air conditioning.
The other thing that happened today was Bush went on TV and announced he's giving Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq before he attacks it. I try to explain to people I meet that not everyone agrees with him.
Also in the Congressional dining halls they've renamed French fries "freedom fries" People here think that's pretty funny.
Saigon
So I got really fat today. Today was Sarah's birthday. When we told our Vietnamese teacher, she went out and bought us delicious French pastries. Then later this afternoon we had a birthday party for her at the guesthouse, which included a cake with pineapple filling (it's actually pretty good) and cool-looking daisies on top. She was very surprised.
I also went to the main post office for the first time and it actually wasn't too bad. Ijust had to go up and give them my passport and a claim slip to get my package. Today was the hottest day I can remember hear, and it was nice to sit in the post office air conditioning.
The other thing that happened today was Bush went on TV and announced he's giving Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq before he attacks it. I try to explain to people I meet that not everyone agrees with him.
Also in the Congressional dining halls they've renamed French fries "freedom fries" People here think that's pretty funny.
Saint Patrick's Day
Saigon
Unfortunately I did not get to spend my first Saint Patrick's Day at a 21-year-old in a drunken stupor. But I'll get to that in a second. Yesterday I moved in with my host family. They live just a few blocks down Nam Ky from the hotel, in a 3rd floor apt with a balcony overlooking the city. They're very nice to me and I have a sweet room all to myself. I think I'll learn some Vietnamese here. They're surprised about the kinds of things I don't know, like how to peel and orange with a knife.
My 4 year old host brother is a clone of Bozz at that age. He is full of energy and always running around and getting into things. Today, we had a stuffed animal fight that began with 2 plush Pikachus and escalated into a fight with all of his animals. And then he charged at me with a laundry basket on his head.
I celebrated Saint Patrick's Day by singing Irish drinking songs to Crystal and Chi Ha while Molly did a jig. Also I had some rum ice cream.
Saigon
Unfortunately I did not get to spend my first Saint Patrick's Day at a 21-year-old in a drunken stupor. But I'll get to that in a second. Yesterday I moved in with my host family. They live just a few blocks down Nam Ky from the hotel, in a 3rd floor apt with a balcony overlooking the city. They're very nice to me and I have a sweet room all to myself. I think I'll learn some Vietnamese here. They're surprised about the kinds of things I don't know, like how to peel and orange with a knife.
My 4 year old host brother is a clone of Bozz at that age. He is full of energy and always running around and getting into things. Today, we had a stuffed animal fight that began with 2 plush Pikachus and escalated into a fight with all of his animals. And then he charged at me with a laundry basket on his head.
I celebrated Saint Patrick's Day by singing Irish drinking songs to Crystal and Chi Ha while Molly did a jig. Also I had some rum ice cream.
March 16 4 PM
Saigon
So yesterday I went to Dim Sum in Cholon with Grace, Crystal, and Phuong. I ATE CHICKEN FEET. Phuong knows I like chicken, so she put some cooked chicken feet on my plate. They're covered with a sauce that looks and tastes like the stuff on General Tsao's chicken. She said I'd like it. Crystal and Grace were no help, they just smiled and agreed. My friends have no loyalty!!!!! So I ate some. Actually it was not too bad. Tastes like chicken.
After that, we did some shopping. I kinda tried to get clothes, but of course they were too small for me. So I bought a CD instead.
I was hanging out downstairs at the guesthouse in the SIT classroom at 11 PM tonight when the power suddenly went out. The room was pitch black, I couldn't see my hand 5 inches in front of my face. After freaking out for a few minutes, I slowly edged my way out. Outside, a small crowd had gathered. Crystal lead me upstairs to our room, and we stayed up late talking and rehashing a bunch of things. It was great.
Saigon
So yesterday I went to Dim Sum in Cholon with Grace, Crystal, and Phuong. I ATE CHICKEN FEET. Phuong knows I like chicken, so she put some cooked chicken feet on my plate. They're covered with a sauce that looks and tastes like the stuff on General Tsao's chicken. She said I'd like it. Crystal and Grace were no help, they just smiled and agreed. My friends have no loyalty!!!!! So I ate some. Actually it was not too bad. Tastes like chicken.
After that, we did some shopping. I kinda tried to get clothes, but of course they were too small for me. So I bought a CD instead.
I was hanging out downstairs at the guesthouse in the SIT classroom at 11 PM tonight when the power suddenly went out. The room was pitch black, I couldn't see my hand 5 inches in front of my face. After freaking out for a few minutes, I slowly edged my way out. Outside, a small crowd had gathered. Crystal lead me upstairs to our room, and we stayed up late talking and rehashing a bunch of things. It was great.
March 14 7pm
Saigon
Yesterday, we got the names and addresses of our host families. Mine is right near our guesthouse, so I'm excited. The mother is an insurance agent and the father is a music teacher, and they have a 9 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. I tried to call them today, or actually I had my friend who speaks Vietnamese try to call them. She said the daughter picked up the phone and said her parents would be back later. So I'll call back later.
Saigon
Yesterday, we got the names and addresses of our host families. Mine is right near our guesthouse, so I'm excited. The mother is an insurance agent and the father is a music teacher, and they have a 9 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. I tried to call them today, or actually I had my friend who speaks Vietnamese try to call them. She said the daughter picked up the phone and said her parents would be back later. So I'll call back later.
March 12 10 pm
Saigon
Today we went and picked up our ao dais. Mine is purple, I love it and I wore it prancing around my room. We had a lecture today on Vietnamese Catholicism; it was interesting to hear from a totally non-Catholic perspective. "You mean your father didn't tell you stories about what it was like before Vatican II?"
Saigon
Today we went and picked up our ao dais. Mine is purple, I love it and I wore it prancing around my room. We had a lecture today on Vietnamese Catholicism; it was interesting to hear from a totally non-Catholic perspective. "You mean your father didn't tell you stories about what it was like before Vatican II?"
March 11, 9 pm
Saigon
So today I had to prepare an ISP proposal to Stu and Co. They liked one of my ideas, of stalking a particular theater company and recording what they do and say and compare it to the way Americans do things. They even think I could get ahold of a place to download my photos and use Adobe Photoshop. So this is very good news. I think I'll spend ISP prep week seeing how much of that I can gather together.
Today also I was typing a survery for my group to do, in English, on the computer downstairs in the guesthouse. Chi Ha, the receptionist, tried to translate what I was writing into Vietnamese. Of couse, my Vietnamese wasn't so good that I understood everything SHE said, and we looked up a couple of words in the dictionary. Then when she got the whole thing translated, she called in the nightwatchman, who reads English, and showed him. It turns out he speaks French, too so I talked to him in French.
Saigon
So today I had to prepare an ISP proposal to Stu and Co. They liked one of my ideas, of stalking a particular theater company and recording what they do and say and compare it to the way Americans do things. They even think I could get ahold of a place to download my photos and use Adobe Photoshop. So this is very good news. I think I'll spend ISP prep week seeing how much of that I can gather together.
Today also I was typing a survery for my group to do, in English, on the computer downstairs in the guesthouse. Chi Ha, the receptionist, tried to translate what I was writing into Vietnamese. Of couse, my Vietnamese wasn't so good that I understood everything SHE said, and we looked up a couple of words in the dictionary. Then when she got the whole thing translated, she called in the nightwatchman, who reads English, and showed him. It turns out he speaks French, too so I talked to him in French.
March 10 5 pm
Saigon
Today, we had a really interesting speaker, an actress and playwright who works in Vietnamese theater. First she gave us a lecture on the older types of Vietnamese theater, which sounds a lot like classical Western theater. The characters were generally either all good or all evil, and they used easily distinguishable gestures to show who they were ( a king would walk in a very proud manner, etc.) As an added hint, the characters also wore masks that covered most of their faces and were linked with a certain type of character.
She also told us a story about her dealing with the censors. She had written a play about a boy who had the ability to read people's minds. His neighbors were not at all happy with this, and they chased him into a hospital. (His mother had warned him not to display his gift as people generally do not appreciate this sort of thing.) In her original version, he runs out of the hospital and the people kill him. The censors felt this was too negative. So she rewrote the ending so that he comes out of the hospital but cannot talk. Still too depressing. So she rewrote it again. This time, when he comes out he can say only one word, "Me" In the tone it was written in "me" means mother, but if you say it slightly differently it means "Fuck you"
She also performed a scene from a play she was once in. She'd speak a few lines and then pause, holding exactly the same pose while her lines were translated. It was a very dramatic, powerful piece in which the main character learns in rapid succession that her village is about to be conquered, no one will fight, and the person she loves betrayed them. Rough. Yet she managed to maintain an expression of horrible despair (or whatever the appropriate emotion) until it was time for her to speak again. And she made it look natural.
Saigon
Today, we had a really interesting speaker, an actress and playwright who works in Vietnamese theater. First she gave us a lecture on the older types of Vietnamese theater, which sounds a lot like classical Western theater. The characters were generally either all good or all evil, and they used easily distinguishable gestures to show who they were ( a king would walk in a very proud manner, etc.) As an added hint, the characters also wore masks that covered most of their faces and were linked with a certain type of character.
She also told us a story about her dealing with the censors. She had written a play about a boy who had the ability to read people's minds. His neighbors were not at all happy with this, and they chased him into a hospital. (His mother had warned him not to display his gift as people generally do not appreciate this sort of thing.) In her original version, he runs out of the hospital and the people kill him. The censors felt this was too negative. So she rewrote the ending so that he comes out of the hospital but cannot talk. Still too depressing. So she rewrote it again. This time, when he comes out he can say only one word, "Me" In the tone it was written in "me" means mother, but if you say it slightly differently it means "Fuck you"
She also performed a scene from a play she was once in. She'd speak a few lines and then pause, holding exactly the same pose while her lines were translated. It was a very dramatic, powerful piece in which the main character learns in rapid succession that her village is about to be conquered, no one will fight, and the person she loves betrayed them. Rough. Yet she managed to maintain an expression of horrible despair (or whatever the appropriate emotion) until it was time for her to speak again. And she made it look natural.
March 9 1:45 pm
Tay Ninh province
I'm on the bus waiting for people to return so that we can go back to the city. This morning, we went a few km away from our hotel to go see a pagoda that sits on Ba Den Mountain. I was lazy and took a cable car to the pagoda with Anh Tang. I went up to the pagoda and had a look around. Yup, that was a pagoda all right. There wasn't much that was particularly unusual about it, other than the fact that it was sitting halfway up an uninhabited mountain. The Vietnamese students told me it was put in an out-of-the-way place so that people could earn merit by trekking up to it.
There weren't any foreigners there except for us, so I drew more attention than usual. An adorable baby who was next to me in the cable car line thought I was very interesting-looking. He and I took turns making faces at each other. Quin, one of the Vietnamese girls on the trip, wanted to give him some candy. (I'm sure that's not how you spell her name, but that's what it sounds like to me.) I must have looked surprised, and I suggested that she ask his father first. She did, and he said ok. She asked me if we usually give candy to children in the USA. I said we did, but we asked the parents first.
Later on I thought a bit more about that situation and realized why I had been surprised. That situation would never have happened in the United States. Children are taught never to take candy from strangers. I might have been a crazy person who wanted to poison the kid. I don't think there are actually more crazy people in the US than in Vietnam, but people in the US are much more paraniod.
Yesterday, we went first to the Cu Chi tunnels and then to the Cao Dai temple. Cai Dai is a native Vietnamese religion that sort of blends Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, and some other stuff. It's really pretty interesting; their saints include Victor Hugo and Sun Yat-Sen.
The temple was beautiful. There were no pews, the congregation just sat on the lovely tiled floor. The ceiling was blue with shiney silver stars and painted clouds. It was held up by brightly colored pillars with dragons carved on them. The service, which we were allowed to observe from a balcony overlooking the worshippers, consisted of singing,music, and gongs. They had no sermon and no readings. It was somewhat more purely spiritual/emotional than church.
The congregation wears white and frequently bows during the service, almost like Muslim prayers. Their leaders wore bright colors, reds and yellows, and sat in a line facing the alter. Everyone sat on the floor. Someone explained that the heirarchy was based on how long a person and his/her family had been involved in the religion.
The Cu Chi tunnels were amazing. They were a center of VC activity during the war; people used them to attack American and South VN troops, as well as Saigon. We started with a lecture from a former VC colonel, who spent much of the time telling us he was glad we had come to study Vietnamese language and culture and that he hoped our countries' relatively new diplomatic relations will lead to greater understanding between us. He said he knew people wanted to live in a peaceful world, and like otehr Vietnamese I met he made it clear he knew many Americans marched against the war, both the one here and the one in Iraq. When we asked him questions, he told us to feel free to ask him anything becase he wanted a good dialogue between us.
I asked him why he joined the army. He said it was an easy question to answer, he joined because he loved his country and wanted to fight for it. He said children pestered thier parents to allow them to be soldiers and that he himself had been a VC messenger at 12. His entire family was involved in the war in one way or another, and his sisters' husbands were killed. He lived in the tunnels from 1962- 1975.
He viewed the Americans as just another group of invaders that they had to fight to kick out. A lot of Vietnamese heros are people who fought to get foreigners out of the country. Every city I've been to has a street named after the Trung sisters, who fought Chinese invaders in I believe the 13th century.
The trees in Cu Chi have grown back, for the most part. The place was a popular target for American bombs during the war.
I didn't understand how it was possible to have such an intricate system of tunnels without a lot of collapses, but then I saw the soil. At first I mistook it for concrete. It's hard and packed like rock, but when you're in the tunnels dirt scrapes off on your back. More on that later.
Although there are trees, there is very little underbrush. I'm not sure if that is because of the chemicals or not. There are still bomb craters, places where the earth suddenly dips. There are also many bits of metal strewn around because of the bombs; over the years it has become more rounded and part of the soil.
I went down in 2 tunnels. The first was easy, it had an open set of stairs for tourists to take down. Once there, we immeadiately had to stoop over. The tunnels were about half my height high and slightly less wide. At first, I tried to duck-walk through the thing, then I settled for walking doubled over, with my waist bent and my back scraping against the tunnel ceiling. You could pretty much go only one way, and the tunnel twisted rapidly and without warning. The air was difficult to breathe, like an extreme version of someone's dusty, never-opened attic. As we got deeper in, it because harder and harder to breathe. I have never experienced claustrophobia before, ever, but my skin began to feel tight and I began to panic. I knew there was really no option other than to keep going forward, so I forced myself to go on. I was so relieved when I finally saw daylight and all the group members standing around the opening to the tunnel, as though nothing scary had happened.
I also went down into another tunnel that was not altered for tourists. It was just a rectangle cut out of the ground, about 1 1/2 feet by
8 inches. It was flat and fit into the earth like a manhole cover, except for 2 metal handles that rose slightly from the top of the lid. When we first approached the clearing where this tunnel lay, our guide challenged us to find it. We looked around, pushing aside leaves with our feet until we finally found the opening. I would never have known it was there.
I got to go inside this tunnel, too. You do it feet first. When your feet hit the ground you hold your arms up and pull them in as well. I ducked my head down and looked inside. All dark, but the light from the entrance offered a glimpse of tunnel shooting out in front of me. I came back up.
Tay Ninh province
I'm on the bus waiting for people to return so that we can go back to the city. This morning, we went a few km away from our hotel to go see a pagoda that sits on Ba Den Mountain. I was lazy and took a cable car to the pagoda with Anh Tang. I went up to the pagoda and had a look around. Yup, that was a pagoda all right. There wasn't much that was particularly unusual about it, other than the fact that it was sitting halfway up an uninhabited mountain. The Vietnamese students told me it was put in an out-of-the-way place so that people could earn merit by trekking up to it.
There weren't any foreigners there except for us, so I drew more attention than usual. An adorable baby who was next to me in the cable car line thought I was very interesting-looking. He and I took turns making faces at each other. Quin, one of the Vietnamese girls on the trip, wanted to give him some candy. (I'm sure that's not how you spell her name, but that's what it sounds like to me.) I must have looked surprised, and I suggested that she ask his father first. She did, and he said ok. She asked me if we usually give candy to children in the USA. I said we did, but we asked the parents first.
Later on I thought a bit more about that situation and realized why I had been surprised. That situation would never have happened in the United States. Children are taught never to take candy from strangers. I might have been a crazy person who wanted to poison the kid. I don't think there are actually more crazy people in the US than in Vietnam, but people in the US are much more paraniod.
Yesterday, we went first to the Cu Chi tunnels and then to the Cao Dai temple. Cai Dai is a native Vietnamese religion that sort of blends Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, and some other stuff. It's really pretty interesting; their saints include Victor Hugo and Sun Yat-Sen.
The temple was beautiful. There were no pews, the congregation just sat on the lovely tiled floor. The ceiling was blue with shiney silver stars and painted clouds. It was held up by brightly colored pillars with dragons carved on them. The service, which we were allowed to observe from a balcony overlooking the worshippers, consisted of singing,music, and gongs. They had no sermon and no readings. It was somewhat more purely spiritual/emotional than church.
The congregation wears white and frequently bows during the service, almost like Muslim prayers. Their leaders wore bright colors, reds and yellows, and sat in a line facing the alter. Everyone sat on the floor. Someone explained that the heirarchy was based on how long a person and his/her family had been involved in the religion.
The Cu Chi tunnels were amazing. They were a center of VC activity during the war; people used them to attack American and South VN troops, as well as Saigon. We started with a lecture from a former VC colonel, who spent much of the time telling us he was glad we had come to study Vietnamese language and culture and that he hoped our countries' relatively new diplomatic relations will lead to greater understanding between us. He said he knew people wanted to live in a peaceful world, and like otehr Vietnamese I met he made it clear he knew many Americans marched against the war, both the one here and the one in Iraq. When we asked him questions, he told us to feel free to ask him anything becase he wanted a good dialogue between us.
I asked him why he joined the army. He said it was an easy question to answer, he joined because he loved his country and wanted to fight for it. He said children pestered thier parents to allow them to be soldiers and that he himself had been a VC messenger at 12. His entire family was involved in the war in one way or another, and his sisters' husbands were killed. He lived in the tunnels from 1962- 1975.
He viewed the Americans as just another group of invaders that they had to fight to kick out. A lot of Vietnamese heros are people who fought to get foreigners out of the country. Every city I've been to has a street named after the Trung sisters, who fought Chinese invaders in I believe the 13th century.
The trees in Cu Chi have grown back, for the most part. The place was a popular target for American bombs during the war.
I didn't understand how it was possible to have such an intricate system of tunnels without a lot of collapses, but then I saw the soil. At first I mistook it for concrete. It's hard and packed like rock, but when you're in the tunnels dirt scrapes off on your back. More on that later.
Although there are trees, there is very little underbrush. I'm not sure if that is because of the chemicals or not. There are still bomb craters, places where the earth suddenly dips. There are also many bits of metal strewn around because of the bombs; over the years it has become more rounded and part of the soil.
I went down in 2 tunnels. The first was easy, it had an open set of stairs for tourists to take down. Once there, we immeadiately had to stoop over. The tunnels were about half my height high and slightly less wide. At first, I tried to duck-walk through the thing, then I settled for walking doubled over, with my waist bent and my back scraping against the tunnel ceiling. You could pretty much go only one way, and the tunnel twisted rapidly and without warning. The air was difficult to breathe, like an extreme version of someone's dusty, never-opened attic. As we got deeper in, it because harder and harder to breathe. I have never experienced claustrophobia before, ever, but my skin began to feel tight and I began to panic. I knew there was really no option other than to keep going forward, so I forced myself to go on. I was so relieved when I finally saw daylight and all the group members standing around the opening to the tunnel, as though nothing scary had happened.
I also went down into another tunnel that was not altered for tourists. It was just a rectangle cut out of the ground, about 1 1/2 feet by
8 inches. It was flat and fit into the earth like a manhole cover, except for 2 metal handles that rose slightly from the top of the lid. When we first approached the clearing where this tunnel lay, our guide challenged us to find it. We looked around, pushing aside leaves with our feet until we finally found the opening. I would never have known it was there.
I got to go inside this tunnel, too. You do it feet first. When your feet hit the ground you hold your arms up and pull them in as well. I ducked my head down and looked inside. All dark, but the light from the entrance offered a glimpse of tunnel shooting out in front of me. I came back up.
March 7, 10 pm
Saigon
I'll make this short, hopefully more later. Today Crystal and I had lunch at Phuong's. It was delicious, and then we rode back on motorbikes with Phuong and her friend (shhhhhhhhhhh) I wore a disguise - I tucked all of my hair into one of Phuong's hats and I borrowed her face mask. A lot of people wear those here to keep from getting tan and to keep from breathing in pollution on the streets. It looks kind of like a bandana; it's a triangular piece of fabric that goes over your nose, just below your eyes. It stretches over the entire lower part of your face; you tie it in the back. I also wore her gloves, which are made of lightweight fabric and remind me of the gloves I wore to my high school prom. Most women wear them to keep from getting tan. Usually they cover your entire arm, but these only covered my hands. Of course, you could still tell I had pale skin and bright blue eyes, but it was less obvious. Crystal said I still looked white, but I swear I got fewer stares than usual.
Later on, Phuong took me and a few people to the tailor's to be fitted our ao dai. They are not entirely made; this is when the tailors pin the fabric to your body to get a good fit. They are so pretty! I'm excited
Saigon
I'll make this short, hopefully more later. Today Crystal and I had lunch at Phuong's. It was delicious, and then we rode back on motorbikes with Phuong and her friend (shhhhhhhhhhh) I wore a disguise - I tucked all of my hair into one of Phuong's hats and I borrowed her face mask. A lot of people wear those here to keep from getting tan and to keep from breathing in pollution on the streets. It looks kind of like a bandana; it's a triangular piece of fabric that goes over your nose, just below your eyes. It stretches over the entire lower part of your face; you tie it in the back. I also wore her gloves, which are made of lightweight fabric and remind me of the gloves I wore to my high school prom. Most women wear them to keep from getting tan. Usually they cover your entire arm, but these only covered my hands. Of course, you could still tell I had pale skin and bright blue eyes, but it was less obvious. Crystal said I still looked white, but I swear I got fewer stares than usual.
Later on, Phuong took me and a few people to the tailor's to be fitted our ao dai. They are not entirely made; this is when the tailors pin the fabric to your body to get a good fit. They are so pretty! I'm excited
March 6, 10 pm
Saigon
Ug. Not much happened today. I was part of a group that made a neat little presentation on ethics in fieldwork, and I gave a little spiel on photography & ethics, gleaned from my journalism classes. Stu gave us a speech on the Cu Chi tunnels, where we will be going this weekend. He said for some people it's very intense. Then we went out to an Indian restaurant and I had these spicey vegetable dumplings and bread. It was so nice to have a change of food for once! Then I went home and studied Vietnamese. And I got to talk to Cate online.
Saigon
Ug. Not much happened today. I was part of a group that made a neat little presentation on ethics in fieldwork, and I gave a little spiel on photography & ethics, gleaned from my journalism classes. Stu gave us a speech on the Cu Chi tunnels, where we will be going this weekend. He said for some people it's very intense. Then we went out to an Indian restaurant and I had these spicey vegetable dumplings and bread. It was so nice to have a change of food for once! Then I went home and studied Vietnamese. And I got to talk to Cate online.
March 5, 9 pm
Saigon
Today was fairly uneventful. I ate at the vegetarian restaurant nearby twice. The food is wonderful, cheap, and of course all veggies. I was very tired today, I'm not sure why. I had a cup of coffee this afternoon just to stay awake. I got a lot of work done, stuff I'd left until today. I have 2 presentations tomorrow, one on field ethics and on the beginning of the book 'The Tunnels of Cu Chi'. I also wrote up my experiences at the market in Cholon and the cafe next to the university. Tomorrow I have to study Vietnamese. We learned times today, and I barely remember any of it. Feh.
Saigon
Today was fairly uneventful. I ate at the vegetarian restaurant nearby twice. The food is wonderful, cheap, and of course all veggies. I was very tired today, I'm not sure why. I had a cup of coffee this afternoon just to stay awake. I got a lot of work done, stuff I'd left until today. I have 2 presentations tomorrow, one on field ethics and on the beginning of the book 'The Tunnels of Cu Chi'. I also wrote up my experiences at the market in Cholon and the cafe next to the university. Tomorrow I have to study Vietnamese. We learned times today, and I barely remember any of it. Feh.
March 4, 10:30 pm
Saigon
Good day today! After Vietnamese class, I went down to VNN (internet cafe) and talked to people on im for 2 hours. Then this afternoon I went walking and I ended up at the pagoda on Vu Thi Sau; it was beautiful and peaceful, a nice contrast to the busy city. I'd love to go back there with someone who knows what things mean. This evening, we went out to Cholon (Chinatown) with some Vietnamese students. We had fried chicken! I missed the really-horrible-for-you American food. There were some Khmer street kids around our table, taking the scraps. When we finished, I went around the corner and bought them some sandwiches. The girl I gave them to looked surprised and said "Thank you" to me in English.
Saigon
Good day today! After Vietnamese class, I went down to VNN (internet cafe) and talked to people on im for 2 hours. Then this afternoon I went walking and I ended up at the pagoda on Vu Thi Sau; it was beautiful and peaceful, a nice contrast to the busy city. I'd love to go back there with someone who knows what things mean. This evening, we went out to Cholon (Chinatown) with some Vietnamese students. We had fried chicken! I missed the really-horrible-for-you American food. There were some Khmer street kids around our table, taking the scraps. When we finished, I went around the corner and bought them some sandwiches. The girl I gave them to looked surprised and said "Thank you" to me in English.
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