Journey to Peace Village

I returned home to the United States through Los Angeles. Spending the night there, before the flight to Chicago, I decided to risk culture shock in go to Hollywood. It was both shock and schlock!
I just arrived from a place where transportation was cheap, fast and relatively safe. In LA, I found that a taxi from my hotel to Hollywood would cost $40! So I decided to use public transportation.
LA is trying to encourage more people to use their "metro" which is a rail service. It is incomplete, however, and I ended up taking a bus over an hour to get to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater.
I wasn't disappointed with what I found. Hollywood is not only colorful, but also filled with beautiful architecture and lively steet entertainment. Tourists from all over the world flock to match their handprints and footprints against various movie stars and entertainers. Dancers, street musicians, stilt walkers and Zorro imitators fill the streets, demanding attention and dimes.
As a result, I lingered in Hollywood until well after dark. I decided to take the metro home, even though I would have to transfer twice. Along the way, I met a guy named Mike (who was also headed for the airport), a native of Hollywood who had moved to Eugene, Oregon to enjoy the mountains and outdoor activities. He asked me about my experiences in Viet Nam and we compared notes, he is well travelled in Latin America.
We were interrupted by several events. A man came along asking for money. He was blind and had an artificial eye. As a way to get money, he took the eye out of his socket and showed it to everyone. Finally, he stopped asking for money. Then I gave him some. Someone on the train said, "Lady, you shouldn't do that, you only encourage him." And he was right.
When we transferred trains, some toughs got on the bus who were threatening the passengers. A guy who Mike had been talking to about his tattoos, knew the punks, and was able to cool them off. Mike escorted me through all the dangerous stops and safely to the taxi stand. A tattooed guardian angel! He said, "I think God really looks out for us." I would have to agree! There are so many people who helped me on this journey. I thank each and every one of them!

I'm into the final leg of my journey and today I flew into Sai Gon. At the airport I was picked up by an elderly taxi driver with a 1950s vintage white Chrsyler. He navigated the clogged streets with relative ease. My digs are at the "Liberty 3" Hotel. It is a pretty nice place, again with a balcony and air conditioning. This afternoon I went to the Reunification Palace, which was the Presidential Residence when Sai Gon was the capital of South Viet Nam. An interesting experience, the place has been pretty much preserved as it was when the communists took over in 1975. There is alot of 70s kitsch to some of the rooms, with garish orange paint jobs and decorations such as lights with hubcaps as the lampshades.
Afterwards, I visited Notre Dame Cathedral, in the heart of the city. It's a beautiful church with an interesting history: built in 1873, all of the materials were imported from France. There are some touches you would only find in Viet Nam. For example, inside the church the statues of the Virgin and Jesus are surrounded by blue neon lights. This also was the case of our little church in Phung Khoang, it had a red neon cross illuminated at night during special times. It sounds chintzy, but somehow it's not.
Today I prepare to return to America. I'm in a hotel with mostly Europeans, yet somehow it seems strange to be around people who look like me. I've been around Vietnamese people for most of the trip. Viet Nam has a lot of beautiful scenery, yet its greatest resource is its people. Their hardiness, adaptability and generosity are amazing. Toi Yeu Viet Nam!

The Perfume River is a magical place in Viet Nam. Here are my impressions put in the form I like best, a poem
People who make their living on the river,
growing corn along her sides
who've learned to bathe in muddy waters
brought thick sand up from her belly
retrieving gravel from her shallows
conveyer belt
concrete fate
children swim, backs to the morning sun
boats, taken under tow,
trusting the rope
trees with crutches
in the hills above,
the dead have stone eyes
crave the green of another tommorrow

Artwork in central Hue. 

Notre Dame Cathedral, Hue 

Gates to Emperor's tomb, Perfume River
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Typical Ha Noi traffic
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A visitor to peace village
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My is one of the children I will miss the most!
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Trieus grandson gives Ha and brother in law a lesson on the xylophone (Dan Torin)
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Cua Bac church statue of St. Michael
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Thanh shows me the lemon tree at the front entrance of the Trieu home
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I write this from Hue, imperial capital of Viet Nam. This afternoon I left Ha Noi. A difficult farewell! As soon as I arrived at the airport I felt like crying. I already miss Thanh Trieu's home cooked meals. This morning I went to mass at Cua Bac, the church of the three martyrs. Ong Quyet took me via Xe Om. Afterwards he treated me to a big bowl of Pho Bo, the beef soup that is so popular. Then he took me to his home and stuffed me with more food! He gave me a beautiful picture of Mary, a statue that is just like one my mother gave me of a child and an angel, and a huge bag of tea to take home!
I am overwhelmed by the generosity of my neighbors in Phung Khoang. Last night we went to the mayor's house (he lives next door), to drop off a cake. His honor was out but his elderly parents were there and thanked me for my work with the disabled children and helping to heal the scars of the war.
As for the Trieus--as I told them at the airport through their son Ha, I cannot begin to thank them for their incredible hospitality in opening their home to me. They truly made me feel like a member of their family. Their kindness when I was sick and when I was well will never be forgotten! They always took time out to make sure I was comfortable and happy. And they gave me much too much going away gifts, including my prized lotus bean soup and the delicious Vietnamese coffee. If I had a million dollars, it wouldn't be enough to repay their kindness.

After the goodbye party with Mr. and Mrs. Trieu.
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Some of the kids at Morning Star during a quiet moment
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Hang & the gang at Peace Village
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Huy family and friends at Peace Village
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I'm getting ready to return to my real life now. Yet, this experience has seemed more real than anything I've ever done in my life. I've sweated through every pore in my body and drank in the sweet music of a child's smile. Last night, I went up to the roof of my family's home for a last look at Phung Khoang, my neighborhood. A teary full moon was out. As I looked toward the skyscrapers of downtown Ha Noi, a flicker caught my eye. On the next roof top two women and child sat cross legged before a small table filled with flowers and incense and encircled by candles. They bowed and prayed. A couldn't help but stare, even though I felt like a spiritual voyeur. Something had drawn me to the roof and I think it was to witness this. Something drew me to Viet Nam and I think it was to do this. TO LEARN, TO BE, TO GROW!

Today was my last day at Peace Village. It was very tough to say goodbye to all the kids. I brought my guitar along and we sang songs and went through our usual drill of throwing around the stuffed animals and counting police cars. (I bought a small set of police cars and we use this as an arithematic exercise) There were a lot of hugs and goodbye kisses! Hoa the student teacher, requested some songs, so I did the only ones I know by heart Fly, by Sugar Ray and Heartbreak hotel by Elvis.
I wrote ELVIS in big letters on the board.
The last thing I did was pin a Hopi hairpiece on one of the students who has severe cerebral palsy. She cannot hardly speak but she smiled and said "Thank you.."
AND THANK YOU STUDENTS OF LANG HOA BINH!!!

Yes, I'm in love with the kids. Friday will be so hard! My last class! Ha and Hang and their sisterly ways. Quyet Anh and her birdlike greeting. Dang who can make his fingers dance up the stairs of books. Naung who loves to wash down boards and swing outside and kicks much bigger kids off! Tai, who has a million dollar smile when you can coax it out. Thi, who I taught to say "Go Packers," and "Green Bay" thumbs up. Huy and his incredible family, his determination and courage. Minh who knows he is somebody.
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Today was a good day. The other night I made a hand puppet out of one of the rattan baskets from the pottery village. I put buttons on it from a worn out skirt and cut out strips of fabric to make the hair. Using the plastic flowers from a kudos board, Mr. Wicker was complete. Today I used it to teach "Eye, Nose, Mouth, Hair." Ms. Canh put it over her head Halloween style and scared the kids. They loved it. Then she placed it on top of each student's head and they squealed and roared.
We celebrated Quyet Anh's birthday. She turned 14 today and we had a beautifully decorated cake. I played "Happy Birthday" for her Mariachi style on a beat up guitar one of the bolunteers left. We also had cookies and pears. Outside there was a small table with incense burning and special white rice cake.
To top things off, after my English session with Huy he adopted me into the family as his second mother!

Today we had a good day at Peace Village. Hoa came up with a creative approach to learning English. We continued with the throwing around of the stuffed animals, but this time the students had to say the name to get a point for their team. The right side of the room was the flower team and the left side was sunshine. The flowers won 10-8 and the competition created a lot of excitement and helped to motivate them to remember. When they had trouble Hoa would do a ten count like in boxing.
In the meantime the farewells continue. I had my last session of Vietnamese today and Co Nga gave me a notebook to fill. Ang Quyet took me to his house for a lunch and I sampled some snake wine! It has fermented snakes in the bottle and tastes like whiskey. I didn't drink much....

I made the front page of the paper last Wednesday! The Trieus just gave me a copy, they had told me about it but were looking to get one at the news stand. I couldn't believe it! There I was on the front page of the Hanoimoi teaching Hang, Ha and Dang about animals. The story came on August 10, which was my mom's birthday. August 10 in Viet Nam is the day to remember the victims of Agent Orange. The synchronicity amazed me. One of the things my mom really passed on to me was a love of nature. And here I was, on the anniversary of her birthday passing those same values on to the next generation.
My mother also had a special affinity for developmentally disabled people. One of her favorite friends was my cousin Florence, who was developmentally disabled. Florence would always greet my mother with a big hug and say "I love you." Mom would respond, "I love you too, Florence."
It really has been a priviledge to teach these children. They have so much to offer the world! In a short while, you forget about their disabilities and begin to see them as kids, individuals. Each one has a sweetness and an edge.

That means "I love Vietnam!" and its the slogan for some Honda sponsored safety ads. I do indeed love Viet Nam and I am going to miss it when I leave. It's hard to beleve this is my last week of teaching at Peace Village. I have been giving the students various souvenirs. Today, little Phu left the school and I gave him the harmonica. Phu is the kid who was biting the other students. The harmonica helped him quite a bit and now he's reciting numbers and saying "hello" and "good morning" almost as well as a native English speaker! I gave Huy, the 18 year old in a wheelchair, a book on "Zachary Beaver" and some baseball patches I had when I was kid. Thi received my beloved Packer shirt.
Over the weekend I went to Ha Long Bay with the Trieus daughter, Cha. It was absolutely beautiful. I spent the entire day and the night as well cruising this "World Heritage Site" on a small boat. The bay is filled with rocky, jagged islands and spotted with mysterious caves. We toured several of the caves by foot and by a small boat. I can't even describe it--I'm trying to write some poetry about the experience and I took a ton of pictures.
So I have very mixed feelings as I get ready to depart. On the one hand I'm anxious to get home, but there's many people I have made friends with here and will miss. The people here are unbelievably generous. Yesterday I went to my student, Huy's, home for dinner. We had a fun time playing kacho and I taught Huy and his little brother a few riffs on the guitar. Huy's mom gave me a beautiful blue bracelet and a dan torin, in English a xylophone. Today I had lunch at Anh Quyet's home and he and his wife and family gave me an absolute feast: egg rolls, spring rolls, noodles, rice, french fries, duck, etc. I am surprised I could get out the door.
Of course, the Trieus stuff me every night. They also make sure I get hot water to keep clean and various treats such as seven up and orange juice. So indeed although I am glad to come home I am also sad to leave this, my other home.

The kids at Peace Village call me Co Mary. Co is the way you address a teacher. When I was younger, you couldn't get me to teach for a million dollars! Now I've been experiencing the most difficult and rewarding summer of my life. It is difficult to teach with the heat and no a.c. and when the kids get nuts sometimes. But on the other hand, I come to school and have students cme up to me with Hello and Good Morning. They point to their noses and say "nose"--kids I didn't think could remember the words. Today I was able to score a big victory, getting little Tai to come up to the board and point out the numbers one through five. Tai is autistic and usually doesn't participate in class at all. With a little coaxing I was able to get him to come up. The smile on his face was worth that million dollars!
The Autistic kids are the most challenging to everyone. Here in Vietnamese Autism very little is understood about it (for that matter I think it may be a mystery everywhere). The kids with this disorder seem to be trapped in infinity.
Tai lives in a world of fear most of the time. A cute little boy aged about seven, he screams at the slightest touch. He likes to open things, so sometimes I give him a book to look through. One book he opened fell to a chapter called "message of the mystics." I wonder if the mystics experienced a temporary kind of Autism. Another thing that works with him is giving him one of those Russian dolls. He likes the process of opening the series of dolls and then putting them back together again. You can see the joy in his face even though his hands shake.
Mai is a young woman who also is silent. She lives in a world of birdsong and sky. Rocking silently most of the time, she takes great joy in looking at brightly colored books.
Ming is my Vietnamese "boyfriend." He greets me every morning at school and loves to point at the street, houses, his shirt, my dress, motobikes, and have me name them. He takes great joy in the sound of words and we give each other the thumbs up sign.
Bao is a young man who likes to dance. Quiet most of the time, you can get a smile out of him from music and a Tennessee Waltz.
Autism is scary for me as a poet. One the one hand, it is scary to think of living in a world without words. On the other hand, the fact that I can communicate sporadically with these kids makes me wonder if words are superfluous.

We have been having quite a lot of rainy weather this week in Ha Noi. Yesterday, after getting out of my Vietnamese lesson, I could see the storm clouds gathering, even as I watched the fierce badminton players. Badminton is a popular sport over here, and everyone from little kids to seniors plays. I've heard the "birdie" whizzing at lightning speeds and what was a leisurely game that I played with my friend Celeste as a kid has turned into a racing, intense sport.
By the time I made it on to the bus, it started to rain and the twilight sky turned pitch black. So dark I got lost on the bus ride home and missed my stop. I ended up getting off the bus across the river in Ha Dong. Luckily there was a Xe Om driver there. I usually like to hire an old guy, but with the raging storm I wasn't picky. The young man had me wait until the rain let up a bit. Then we hopped on. I tried using my umbrella as a shield. This didn't work very well as the wind picked up and my umbrella turned into an unwanted parachute. The rain pelted us and we pulled over again. The rain was the same as a storm over here. Same sounds and cooling breezes. The difference was the Xe Om driver and I were able to pick up plastic ponchos for about 20 cents. Then it was back out in the pour and I watched the wet world go by, thinking how this could be Milwaukee except I wouldn't be going against traffic on the back of a motorbike.
When I got home and paid the driver, a woman was standing there with an umbrella. A neighbor, she grabbed me by the arm and led me to the Trieu home. When we arrived she pushed me toward the door! That is one of the hard, but humorous things about being here. I am often led through traffic, etc., by the hand like a little child!

Help has arrived! Our special ed student Hoa really energized the class the other day by having them toss around stuffed animals. I was holding up the different animals and reciting their names in English. The kids were starting to get the "blahs." Hoa explained the animals in Vietnamese and started tossing them to the students. She had each one hold it up and repeat its name in English. The kids responded great, many who wouldn't know the animals normally were able to name them!
At Morning Star some much needed help arrived. Two volunteers, Annette and Yenni, both from Denmark started this week. They too, are education students who want to teach kindergarten. Yenni, a red head, is especially good at keeping the students in better behavior. She is a natural teacher. They are both trying to discourage Nuop from playing with her hair, she likes to pull it out and then try to tie it into knots. I don't think that'll work, it is like an obsession with her. Yenni helped me massage Mee's limbs today, something that seems to help her muscles become more relaxed. I brought some leggos to Morning Star with me, and the kids took more interest in taking them apart than in building!

The heat is hard on everybody, not just us maladjusted Wisconsinites. The Vietnamese complain about the weather often. Fans pummel the air in churches and public squares. Women use umbrellas to shield themselves from a blistering sun. Dogs hide in shade, under benches and squeeze under low tables. Ang Quyet, my Xe Om driver, wanted to show me his dog--she wouldn't budge due to the midday heat!
The only ones who don't seem bothered are the roosters. Roosters parade on the sidewalks anytime of day or night. Most are lanky red topped guys with brown feathers who looked like they missed their last week's peckings. (Most animals here are very skinny.) But on the bus I spotted one that was actually chubby, with evervescent green feathers. A true champion!

Today I wandered back down to St. Joe's Cathedral in downtown Ha Noi. I started out photographing the Cathedral from the outside. The church is not only beautiful, but there are some unique sculptures on the outside. There is a montage of scenes from the life of Jesus that is painted onto a stone wall. The wall is not completely flat it has contours and raised surfaces, sort of like a relief map.
I went inside the church with the idea of photographing it, I had not brought along the camera during the previous visit. When I stepped inside I went to one of the side altars, dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Already there was an elderly Vietnamese woman who I had seen during my previous visit, she must be a "regular." As I knelt she gestured to me to take off my hat. Embarrassed, I didn't know what to do when I entered church, years ago we women kept our hats on.
Anyway, I prayed there and at the altar for the Blessed Virgin. The elderly woman eyed me skeptically while I was there, she must've thought I was a tourist who just got religion to have an excuse for pics!

Today there was a lot of excitement at Peace Village because we had visitors. A teachers' group from L.A. came to observe our classes. The kids, who are never camera shy, loved being videoed and photographed. They did very well with their English! It paid off that I had just finished a lesson on greetings!
Reciting the ABCs like champs, they moved on to a challenge put forward by Amanda, a kindergarten teacher.
She sang a song about foo foo the rabbitt, who liked to go around bopping field mice on the head. That is, until the good fairy comes and lays down the law. Soon we were all making hopping motions with our fingers and then the hand bop, followed by the gentle rain of the good fairy.
I must say I envied the teachers their air conditioned bus!

I've been off for two days because I caught a nasty upper respiratory infection. I ended up back at Dr. Yaron's office, I'm getting to be a regular at the Hanoi Family Practice.
Well, I got fixed up with some pills, anti biotics and the sort. My host family, the Trieus, has been making a lot of chicken soup for me! So I guess it really is the universal remedy! It is a good blend of chicken, rice, mushrooms and corn. Very tasty and filling. They are still going to kill with kindness though, they expect me to eat way more than I can and I feel like the goodyear blimp after every meal! The good thing is, though, I don't snack! And the food I eat is healthy!
I returned to work today after two days out with this latest bug. And I received a standing ovation from the kids! It sure felt great! I will miss them so much when I have to leave!

Today we had a student join us at Peace Village. Her name is Hoa and she is studying special education. She really energized the room as we went through our daily English practice. I'd gone over the weekend to "toy street" in downtown Ha Noi and bought some leggos and a panda bear for the children. She explained the Panda in Vietnamese and then gave it to each child and had them introduce themselves. Then I took the Panda and taught them the word in English.
In the afternoon I had to make a trip to the bank in preparation for my Vietnamese lessons and trip to Halong Bay. Mr. Quyet stopped and showed me St. Joe's cathedral on the way back. Mr. Quyet, like the Trieus, is Catholic, and we both bought some religious items from a small shop near the church. Bishop Joseph, the head of the Ha Noi diocese was pastor of our local Phung Khoang church, Mr. Quyet proudly told me!
St. Joseph's Cathedral is an imposing Gothic style church. A saint is buried there who was an early martyr during the introduction of Christianity to Viet Nam. His grave has a Vietnamese style portrait and a medieval type of monument with the statue of the person engraved on a raised platform.
The church is full of beautiful stained glass windows, including one of St. Ignatius!
But even more than St. Joe's, I liked a small Catholic church we stopped at on the way home. This is a plain white "mission style" church you might see in the southwest. It didn't have any stained glass, but all the windows were wide open and the background to the altar consisted of a large bronzework depicting the cross with all kinds of people gathered around it. There was a prayer service going on when we visited and you could feel the spiritual energy radiating outward. Vietnamese Catholics are only a small part of the population, but they are very enthusiastic! They have carved out a great identity using both Western traditions and their own rich heritage.