February, 2003
Each time I go to Asia, I return with accolades. I loved China, both times and Thailand the once. And here I am again, singing the praises of Vietnam. How can I describe a feeling? It was about getting off the plane in Hanoi and almost immediately seeing gorgeous rice fields with loads of people in conical hats, bending over and tending the rice. It was the bicycles parked on the divides and the water buffalo wallowing in the mud. It was the shades of green, the shimmering water, the number of people all working all together, all creating an image that was spectacular. It was the blue skies and warm weather. It was a wonderfully glorious package of sights, sounds and smells.
Of course we expected our guide to be friendly and welcoming and Hau was that from the start. But we did not expect the gracious welcome we got with every smile. People, people you did not know or expect to, looked right into your eyes. Once you smiled, they all smiled in return.
On our first venture out of town, we drove along some gorgeous territory. Every time Hau saw something he thought we might be interested in, he had the bus driver stop so we could get out and take a picture. One afternoon, we were driving by a village having a Sunday festival in honor of TET (their New Year). We stopped to take a picture of the village
people gathered around a ring with two teenage wrestlers and an official in it. Before we knew it we were invited to join them. The guys went first. It was down a funny, sandy hill and did not look that inviting for my sandals, so I stayed at the bus while the children, seeing us, came to greet us (and stare). After about ten minutes, when the guys got invited to sit with the town elders, have some tea and join in the wrestling, I couldn't miss the chance to get closer. So, down I went, wildly happy that we were so welcomed.
Hau was a wonderful guide. He was very sensitive to our needs - our physical needs for the moment, our questions of history, our need to understand the war, our need to know what his people felt then, our wonder at how well his country was receiving us, our wonder at how well the work engine seemed to flow under communism and for everything about Vietnamese customs that we could think to ask. Even better, he was extremely bright. His English was flawless - this though he had never been out of the country - and his vocabulary tremendous. We never had to beat around the bush with our questions either. And he had the best sense of humor in the group. Putting it in a nutshell, I learned a lot from him and enjoyed seeing him on a daily basis.
And, as much as I love Asian food, I think the Vietnamese have cornered the market on cuisine. Their food was wonderful. Each meal - except for one, and that was our first Western meal - were made up of nine or ten dishes (just a few bites of each---- thank goodness). Each menu varied and each place we had a meal seemed like it was the best. But, then it got better.
As for my visions of the country.... I will always remember the community spirit I felt when I saw the children holding hands as they bicycled to and from school. I will remember their uniforms and how one bike held several kids at a time. I will remember how a four year old walked along the highway to school and how a six year old was in charge of biking his friends or brothers and sisters to school along a busy rode. I will remember how families looked close and loving and how one motor scooter was the family car. I will remember the beautiful girls on their way to upper school in their white ao doi with their pony tails hanging down their backs. I will remember the swept concrete floors of their simple homes, the site of city private homes built to vary in height and color and design. I will remember the orphanage and how loving it seemed even there. I will remember the men sitting out on children's sized chairs, having a beer in groups of four or five or six. I will remember the food, being sold everywhere on the streets, the PHO, and the sate's grilling on a charcoal fire. I will remember the little boy in his slacks, his ironed shirt, his tie, with a school bag trying to (in perfectly good English) sell us some books or cards or note paper during the night.
Yes, seeing Vietnam is seeing people come to life and grab for a future. It is not about seeing beautiful antiquities or buildings or museums. Still, we saw many things, enjoyed every day, and grew a deep respect for the people, their culture, their history and their skills. I believe the beauty will follow, after.
By the way, if anyone reading this is interested in a commercial or investment venture in Vietnam, (It is not a bad idea. Vietnam is ripe with opportunity to develop manufacturing and industry.)