Journey to Peace Village

You can't go home again?

2009-08-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Thomas Wolfe quote "you can't go home again" has been used so much that it has been a cliche. But yet it sums up my somewhat ambivalent feelings about returning to the USA after two and a half years.

Don't get me wrong. I'm very excited about coming back to see my family and friends. However a lot has happened since I left and I fear the reality of the losses that have occured setting in.

My uncle's wife, Aunt Flo, and my good friend Ann Uttech both have died since I left. I know coming home there will be a big void and I will miss their presence very much. Aunt Flo was always very kind to me when I visited my uncle, greeting me with a warm smile and delicious food. She was a very compassionate person and very supportive of my dream of going to Vietnam. I know everyone in my family misses her deeply.

Ann Uttech was a prime mover in getting me back into poetry. She helped me turn my life around and see that dreams could have substance if you honor your heart and put some muscle and work into your goals. Ann helped me reawaken my creativity and find my voice. And finding and honoring my voice, being able to express myself through poetry and writing, this literally saved my life.

I will miss them both and grieve their loss. However, I have a lot of people to return to. I'm very excited to see the many family and friends I left so long ago. I'm also thrilled about being reunited with my writing group--the women who have continued to encourage me to develop my voice and who were with me during some of my darkest days--including the death of my mother. I know that whatever souvenirs I bring to all my circle of loved ones, it will not be enough!

Which brings me back to the question "can you go home again?" I believe that maybe this is the wrong thing to ask. For home is not a physical place, however much we are tied by bonds of blood and memory. Home is not even, to quote another cliche, where "the heart is."

Instead, we carry our home with us. The heart is where home is.

Agent Orange Day

2009-08-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

First I saw a thin white veil
dropping from the sky
a smell
like guava

the white covered me

and I
could no longer see the forest

the fish rose up
to the top of the water
no longer

fish

the plants dried out
and were
no longer

there

I came home and this white cloud
this death

followed me

and my children

and my grandchildren

I no longer wish

for a future

what's left for tomorrow?

--Operation Ranch Hand

A poem dedicated to those afflicted with Agent Orange

Today was Agent Orange Day in Vietnam, a day set aside to remember the victims of the defoliant used during the Vietnam War. The chemical has effected thousands of people in Vietnam, causing severe health problems for those exposed and birth defects in their children and descendants. It has also effected many American and other vets who fought in Vietnam.

The center that I work at Lang Hoa Binh, works with those effected by Agent Orange as well as children with other disabilities. It is heartbreaking to see those effected by this terrible weapon.

Today at Peace Village we had some special activities to mark the occasion.The children were given some snacks and the classrooms were decorated by orange balloons, donated by a Korean insurance company. I had a special guest as well, my house mate Chris came out for a visit. The children love vistors and Chris was no exception. We all enjoyed forming Vietnamese words with the scrabble set and the kids, as usual were great teachers as well as students.

For further information on Agent Orange, you can look at these websites:

http://www.orangecarers.com/

Orange carers has visited Lang Hoa Binh!

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/our-programs/post-conflict-rehabilitation/vfas-programs-in-vietnam/

http://www.vn-agentorange.org/

Teacher becomes student

2009-08-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson: you're never too old to become a student. I became a student of Mai Huong today. She's a young woman with a learning disability that I normally teach English and math.
When I came to class today she was making a friendship bracelet. It was a perfect opportunity for role reversal. Sewing is something I just am not very good at--I don't have the patience. And sure enough, soon I had almost tied myself in knots trying to imitate what the kids were doing.
Huong Mai took control. She patiently showed me how to loop the multicolored string and how to make an overhand and underhand knot. By selecting different colors you can make all kinds of patterns (we were working on a diamond pattern). She said "teacher" so happy that she could teach me something. I said "teacher ret tot!" We went over the colors, repeating "red, yellow, white, orange, green."
I try to do this as often as I can with the students, give them an opportunity to teach me something. It is so important that they realize that they too can be teachers, that they have something wonderful to contribute. This is one of the main reasons I became a teacher, when I volunteered with these fantastic young people four years ago, I soon realized that I was learning more from them than I could teach!
This is the secret joy of teaching--the teacher learns from the students. Where else could I learn how to sew a rainbow and weave colors between my small fingers? By the end of the lesson, I had helped make a friendship bracelet!

By the Numbers

2009-06-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

One of my activities this hot, hot summer is helping my student Chien try to find a job. She just graduated from the University of Communication and Transport and is eager to enter the workforce.

I've been helping her to practice her interviewing skills in English. She's been applying to a number of places. Monday she went for an interview at a Vietnamese firm. The company turned her down as soon as she handed in the application form. "They didn't like it that I was born in 1986," she said. "They consider it an unlucky year."

I was confounded and annoyed by this ridiculous superstition. Numerology and astrology is very common in Viet Nam, she explained. People pay up to 200 USD for a lucky SIM card number for their mobile phones. Another client of mine, Mr. Nam, explained that his wife is a "tiger." This refers to the year in which she was conceived. He went on to explain that many of his wife's classmates have had trouble getting married because a female "tiger" is considered an undesirable mate.

Just one example how cultures can be very different and can have a big impact on lives.

Ha Tay Visit

2009-05-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes, I'm really proud of my students. Last week I went to Ha Tay near Hanoi with my student Huy. Huy is handicapped, but he never lets that stop him from achieving his goals. He organized a trip to Ha Tay to cheer up his friend Linh.

Ha Tay is a beautiful rural area near Hanoi. I was stunned by the lush green fields and as always, the wonderful the hospitality of the people.

Chien's graduation

2009-05-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

I was very happy to attend my student Chien's graduation last week. Chien graduated from the Transportation and Communications University. Chien is an outstanding student; she's received top honors from the University and is fantastic in English. I work with her on a regular basis to help her achieve her dream of taking a master's program overseas.

The graduation is interesting because there wasn't a "cap and gown" ceremony. Basically I just attended her presentation of a thesis she did on traffic problems in Hanoi. Although I'm still not fluent in Vietnamese, her confidence and well put together power point spoke for themselves.

I had the pleasure of visiting her parents and hometown. Chien's family is not wealthy, they don't have running water and run a small farm growing tea. She is the most hardworking student I've ever met and I love teaching her!

Milwaukee vs. Hanoi, a statistical comparison

2009-04-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

Tooling around Hanoi, I've often felt that it really wasn't much bigger than Milwaukee in terms of physical size. For example, going to Hoan Kiem Lake feels like going from about 35th street to the lakefront. Yesterday, one of my students, Thu, printed out a picture of Bar Harbor Maine and was shocked at the width of the roads and the spaces between houses. I told her, yes, this is typical, even in much larger cities.
The other day I checked on Wikipedia--Milwaukee vs. Hanoi and found this is true! However, there's a lot, lot, lot more people! Here's the lowdown:

Milwaukee: population 602,191(city only)
land area: 97 square miles or 251 square km
Hanoi: population: 6,232,940 (metro area)
land area: 71.9 square mies or 186 square km

So there you have it, an area smaller than my hometown, but packed with houses, traffic and people!!!

Luang Prabong

2009-04-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long delay. I've been having Internet problems and time problems--getting enough time to download this stuff.

I recently return from a trip to Lao. My first time in this country. I went to the old capital of Luang Prabong, a city in the north of Lao. It's about an hour flight from Hanoi.

Luang Prabong is a very relaxing and magical city. It's filled with old temples and surrounded by gracious mountains. I had an interesting experience of tutoring some monks at one of the temples. They were all around 20 years old. Most young men in Lao become monks for a short time as part of their education. It was interesting to talk to them because you realize that Buddhist monks are just regular people like anybody else. They have a good sense of humor and many have pretty good English skills.

I'm including a short film I made with highlights of the trip...

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

2009-02-02T04:30:00.000-08:00

Chuc Mung Nam Moi means happy new year! Tet is the new year that is Christmas, thanksgiving, easter and new years all rolled into one. I spent five days eating, drinking beer, eating, drinking wine, eating, drinking champagne, eating, drinking whiskey, eating, singing karaoke, eating, eating eating. There are many special foods that are cooked for Tet. Most require extensive preparation. The chief is banh chung cake, a square cake made from rice and pork. I've had this every day since Tet (Jan. 26) I got so much!

I visited many of my students homes. The highlights included visiting Huy's 88 year old grandfather, Chien's beautiful country home and Thu's house for lots of food and karaoke. I love Tet because it's a chance to meet my student's families and eat lots of delicious and unusual foods!

Get Riel

2009-01-30T00:38:00.000-08:00

Cambodia has a very complicated currency system. They have their own currency called the Riel (pronounced Real)--but it is "non convertible" it cannot be used outside the country. Because of this and the influx of tourists in recent years, the U.S. dollar is the most popular currency and can be used almost anywhere. In western parts of the country, the Thai Baht is also accepted (in fact visas must be paid for in Thai Baht, not Riel!)Cambodian currency has no coins, and when you receive change for something purchased in USD, any change lower than one dollar will be paid with Riel. (4000 Riel = 1 dollar).

Cambodia's economy is growing rapidly. In 2007 the GDP soared by over nine percent and foreign investment stood at 600 million. But with the recent economic crisis, Cambodia's hopes to climb out of poverty remain in doubt.

S-21

2009-01-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

Between 1975 -1979 the Pol Pot Regime killed almost 3 million Cambodians. I visited one of the chief concentration camps, known as "S-21."

S-21 was the chief camp in Phnom Penh, the capital city. During the early days of Khmer Rouge rule, the population was forced to evacuate the city and made to labor in the countryside. In the ghost town, S-21 became a place of horror and hopelessness.

Almost 20,000 adults died at S-21 and an equal number of children. Anyone suspected of opposing the paranoid Pol Pot was murdered. Women and children were brought to the center, photographed, and taken to "the killing field" where they were clubbed and then had their throats slit. Men were tortured and forced to confess to their crimes. As time went on, the machinery of death became more efficient, the victims were numbered, with special shaped badges indicating the group, and in the last year the badges were both numbered and dated. Up to 800 people a day were killed.

A visit to S-21 is a poem of sorrow. You see pictures of those who were murdered, and shed tears for the victims, many of who were very young. Guards were anywhere from 14-20 and one wonders how a teeeager could commit such horrible crimes.

Our guide was a 43 year old Cambodian woman. She was separated from her family at 10 years old and forced to work in the fields. Workers where given 3 spoonsful of rice gruel a day, twice a day. Her mother died during the time the family was separated and she couldn't remember how to read by the time the Pol Pot era ended.

I didn't know what to say to her.

Kampot

2009-01-21T04:47:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few days in the peaceful town of Kampot. This has really been the highlight of the trip to Cambodia. Kampot is a former French colonial getaway and has many aging French villas. Some are in disrepair but many are started to show signs of new life. It's become somewhat of a tourist getaway for those wanting a mellower vacation than Sianhoukville.

It's slightly inland so there's no beach. But there are some interesting sites nearby such as pepper plantations and a cave pagoda "Elephant cave." There are many NGOs there trying to help disabled people. For example, Tracy and I went to the Epic Cafe, run by deaf people. I loved "Bokor porridge" a kind of oatmeal with lots of fruit. It's a variation of one favored by Khmers (which includes fish!)

Another highlight was a visit to the Kampot music school. This teaches orphans and disabled children how to play traditional Khmer music. The children had varying skill levels but were very lovely!

We also met a Buddhist monk named Mina who is teaching English to local children. Tracy bought him some books and I worked with him on game ideas.

I hated to leave Kampot!

Child Safe

2009-01-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

One of the serious social problems in Cambodia is human trafficking and especially child prostitution. This is especially a problem in Phnom Penh and Sianhoukville. The hotel we stayed in is part of "child safe" a program by local businesses to try to curb this problem. Child safe businesses train their employees to be aware of the signs that a child may be in trouble or be involved in a prostitution ring. There are also programs in Sianoukville for at risk kids and for those who have been victims of abuse. In Phnom Penh there was dramatic police raid in which they shut down a "sex village"in which hundreds of children were held prisoner.

But the problem is huge. Thailand has been kicking out many undesirables Westerners and many head for Cambodia. As the police in Thailand have tried to crack down on human trafficking, many operations have gone across the border to Cambodia. These sex slavery rings not only operate in Cambodia, but also ship girls to other parts of Asia. In fact, many of the girls (and sometimes boys) who are involved in child prostitution come from Viet Nam or China. This is certainly one of the saddest aspects of life in Cambodia and a symptom of the enormous poverty in this country.

To find out more please check these links:

http://childsafe-international.org/CAMBODIA/CSCambodia.asp

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/cambodia.htm

http://www.gvnet.com/childprostitution/Cambodia.htm

Kep

2009-01-18T03:22:00.000-08:00

Today we had some fantastic adventures in Kep. Kep is a small town in Southwestern Cambodia. It's mainly famous for delicious crab and Tracy and I had a great meal at a seafood restaurant. The beach is nice, although not "white sands."

Kep was a colonial town during the French Occupation and still has the ruins of many French villas. We explored one of these overlooking the beach and found two little boys with animal traps. They are among the poor people who live on or near the old estates. In the ruins of splendor wilderness encroaches and life goes on.

New Country, New Rules

2009-01-17T04:21:00.000-08:00

This week Tracy and I made our way into the Kingdom of Cambodia. The first couple days have been an adventure. First we were hassled at the border crossing at Had Lek. The procedure is--you give the authorities a passport and a small wallet sized photo. You fill out a form. The border guards stamp twice to confirm identity and payment of the 1100 baht visa fee. Well they pulled us aside. I thought they would complain about mine because I have all those visa renewals in Vietnam. But they had a problem with Tracy's: one of the guards had forgotten to stamp it paid. The tuk tuk driver was going to take it back for 20 baht, but Tracy didn't want to part with passport and was afraid to get on the motobike. So I ended up going and we got it cleared up without having to resort to any serious bribery.

The first night we stayed in Koh Krong. This is a border town with the reputation as kind of a "Wild West(ern Cambodia)"place. It's well deserved. There were a lot of dicey looking westerners in one of the restaruants and one of the locals offered us some marijuana. Proably a scam for a shakedown by the cops or a robbery. There were flyers for bars offering "Babes, Booze and Billiards." At the restaurant, we were seated next to a jaundiced German who alternated between belching, a hacking cough and bellowing for service from the waitress. The streets were totally unlit. Except to go to check emails, we stayed in the room and watched "The Legend of Curly's Gold"(City Slickers 2).

Then it was off to the main city on the south coast, Sianhoukville. The journey was surprisingly smooth, the highway system has been created by the Thai army in recent years. Last year, four bridges were completed, allowing uninteruppted travel between the two cities. (Before one had to use ferries four times to complete the journey to Sianhoukville. The drawback, we had to sit behind the stairs to the bathroom, which was decorated with a sign reading "Piss Only Please." It stank and we were relieved to get to Sianhoukville.

This city has a reputation as an up and coming Margaritaville, appealing mainly to backpackers and middle aged men looking for the illusion of virility. But one of the guests in Trat said that there was more to it than that, and I really wanted to have a little beach time on this vacation. So we booked a room at the seaview hotel. It was a very nice hotel, only yards from the beach, but it no longer had a seaview because a building was going up directly in front of it. Sianhoukhville is experiencing runaway growth as a cheaper alternative to the beaches of Thailand.

The beach was very crowded and there were a lot of shady types. As my friend and supervisor, Eliza said, it's a good place to go for body piercing and tattoos. This being said, the water was nice and we had a fabulous meal at the restaurant in the evening. The hotel is run by a very nice British family and their chef is French with 30 years experience in gourmet cooking.

So Cambodia is gradually improving. For even more stories go to Tracy's new blog at:

http://travelingtrue.blogspot.com

Trotting off to Trat

2009-01-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

I started my vacation with a surprise and then a peaceful getaway. The surprise was that I met my homestay family, the Trieus, on the plane to Bangkok! They were on the way to visit their son, Ha, who works for the Red Cross in Bangkok. It was fantastic to see them again and I got to practice some more Vietnamese! Ha droveme with his parents from the airport and I saw his place, a fantastic apartment on the 31st floor in downtown Bangkok! The views were spectacular.

I followed this with a mini shopping spree in downtown Bangkok. The highlight--I bought the game "Clue" from a Toys R Us in Siam Square. I'll play it with Chien and Thu, and maybe for larger groups if I can figure out how to adapt it to the classroom.

The next day it was off to meet Tracy in Trat! I was so excited to see her again. I fell in love with Trat as I was hopping a bus back from Koh Chang last year, now that I spent another two days there--I absolutely think it's great. Trat is a small port city near the Cambodian border. Normally, it's just a jumping off point for the islands of Koh Chang. But Trat on it's own has a lot to offer.

We stayed at a great and cheap little guesthouse called "The Orchid." It has a beautiful garden in the back with many flowers and is run by a woman named Jun. There are a lot of beautiful temples in the area and many charming cafes. It's just a great relaxing city.

Next stop: Cambodia

Viet Nam Co Nen!

2009-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

There was a great deal of excitement in the last few weeks because of the victory of the Vietnam soccer team in the AFF Cup. This is a tournament involving all the countries of Southeast Asia. Vietnam won its first major tournament with an exciting last minute goal at MY Dinh Stadium in Hanoi. People went wild and there was celebrating in the street.

I joined them and wore a headband that read Vietnam Vo Dich! Victory!

Synchronicity at Christmas in Hanoi

2009-01-06T19:41:00.001-08:00

I had a very good but busy Christmas. Almost as hectic as back home. A lot of cover work for other teachers and a lot of shopping! But I still managed to enjoy the holiday.
I performed a poem at the Christmas talent show and got a positive reaction. At Lang Hoa Binh, the children were thrilled with their gifts and sharing in the spoils of candy I won with my poetry.
I went to Huy's house on Christmas Day after attending mass at St. Joe's Cathedral. It was the coolest thing--I wrote a poem about a boat in the morning and then Huy and his family gave me a painting of a boat at lunch! Talk about synchronicity! In the evening I had a small party for some of my students and a staff member from work, Ms. Quynh. It was fantastic. We had pizza, drank Dalat wine and sang karaoke. I bought a karaoke machine for my house and obtained an English karaoke DVD in Thailand. A great time!

Thanksgiving in Vietnam

2008-11-28T03:54:00.000-08:00

I had a real unique Thanksgiving. Inviting my students over for dinner, I rounded up a chicken and some of the fixins for a not quite traditional dinner. Chien and Thu tracked down some corn and sweet potatoes. (The sweet potatoes here aren't orange and taste "planatin like.) They also got some fruit and cucumbers.

I set to work on the chicken and dressing. The chicken was a small "Quan ga," a special Vietnamese chicken about five or six pounds. I don't have an oven, so I simmered it in orange juice (from freshly squeezed oranges) and white Dalat wine. I made some dressing from bread, apples, onions, garlic, and seasoned with some thyme I luckily snatched up at the Fivi mart.

The chicken was a huge hit. It turned out juicy and tender and unlike other Thanksgiving, no leftovers. The stuffing was different. It wasn't quite as good as back home, but it generally tasted the same. The Vietnamese were intrigued by it, but preferred the standby of rice. Cucumbers took the place of pickles, and were accented by hot pepper. The fresh corn was delicious and sweet.

All and all we had a great time and the Vietnamese loved Thanksgiving.

Rabies scare

2008-11-18T03:45:00.000-08:00

A week ago Saturday I was bitten by a dog. This led me to experience anxiety about an overlooked health problem--rabies.

I'd gotten a wide range of immunizations when I left the United States, but unfortunately rabies wasn't one of them--the shots are quite expensive, and who thinks they're going to get bitten by a dog?

We think of rabies as kind of a joke. Foaming dogs chasing people, people turning into werewolf wannabes, etc. It's not really a laughing matter, especialy in the developing world. Unfortunately, rabies is a serious health issue here in Vietnam--as it is in most developing nations in Asia and Africa. I washed the wound out and went to the doctor. I was lucky--the dog is a neighbor's and is kept inside most of the time. So the dog's health could be monitored just to make sure he didn't have the disease. The only treatment left to me was to get a series of five vaccinations--I've had three already and will complete the treatment next month.

I was still anxious about the whole situation, because if the dog had rabies--well, there's no good way of saying it, the disease is fatal 99% of the time.

So I got educated in a hurry about an overlooked disease. According to the World Health Organization, more than 55,000 people die of rabies every year, most in Asia and Africa. Between 30-60% of deaths occur in children under 15. This is largely due to the fact that dogs are not routinely vaccinated for rabies as they are in the West.

Ten million people per year receive post exposure treatments (I'm one of this lucky group now).

For more info about this overlooked disease:

http://www.worldrabiesday.org/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/

The Election

2008-11-17T03:42:00.001-08:00

There was extensive coverage of the election even here in Viet Nam. Barack Obama is very much of an "unknown" here, so there have been many articles in the Vietnamese media and on TV giving people basic biographical information.

If anything, there was more of a pro McCain sentiment among the Vietnamese--he's a known figure here. Not only did he spend more than five years in Hoa Lo prison ("the Hanoi Hilton")--he also was a key figure in normalizing relations with Vietnam in the 1990s. Above are pictures from his visit and a memorial built on the spot where his plane was shot down in 1967. Cindy McCain made a visit to Ho Chi Minh City this spring to promote aid for hospitalized children.

This isn't to say people are against Obama, they just don't know much about him. Hilary Clinton was the preferred Democrat during the primaries, she was well known from the Clinton visit to Vietnam.

After initial bafflement, I found participating in the election quite easy. I downloaded a "backup" ballot from the internet and also sent a request to the city of Cudahy. They were remarkably efficient, sending me both a federal and state ballot! So I ended up (following the instructions) sending in three ballots to Cudahy.

The expat community was quite heavily for Obama. There's a real sense of excitement and expectation of change. Meanwhile, local people try to find out more about the next president....

The Great Flood

2008-11-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

Photo on Flickr, from "Hanoi Mark"

Last weekend a great flood inundated Hanoi. We received almost 2 feet of rain within 2 days! The streets were flooded, and yet for many of us life went on. My school was located on high ground, as is my neighborhood. Ryan, a young teacher from Australia, and I ended up teaching all the classes Saturday afternoon! We each had more than 50 children! On Sunday, more teachers made it to the school, but I still had to teach eight straight hours, followed by more on Monday night. I was exhausted! When I go through things like that, I'm amazed at my coping skills.

Ironically, my adventures were minor compared to some of my fellow teachers. Kenny was trapped in a school for several hours because the streets were impassable and Phil, after losing water in his apartment, got stuck on a flooded bus. Shelly tried to get to school, but her cab got stuck in waist high water and began "buckling."

Fellow teacher Colm Pierce is an extraordinary photographer. I'm including links below to his website as he took much better photos than I did:

http://colmpiercephoto.com/content/view/25/44/

http://www.colmpiercephoto.com/

(Click "Hanoi underwater" for a fantastic slideshow")

First Lady of Greece

2008-10-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I had th privilege of meeting the first lady of Greece at Lang Hoa Binh. May Panou Papoulia is the wife of the president of Greece, Karolos Papoulia. She has a degree in psychology from the Sorbonne and worked as a psychologist for forty years before retiring in 2001. She has a keen interest in the education of the developmentally disabled.

Mrs. Papoulia announced that the Greek government was giving the school 40,000 euros during her visit. She also spoke about the suffering of Agent Orange victims and the need for the international community to become more involved.

I was very excited to talk with her for about five minutes, as well as other members of her party, including a French official from UNICEF who volunteered in Vietnam for five years. Mrs. Papoulia is a very dynamic individual while putting you very much at ease. The event was very exciting for the children and she gave each child t shirts commemorating the 2004 Games in Athens.

An exciting day!

Mid Autumn Festival--mooncakes

2008-10-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Recently I got to celebrate the mid Autumn festival in Vietnamese style. After going to the party at Lang Hoa Binh, we had activities all during the week. It was especially interesting to visit Xuan Dinh, a neighborhood where many shops bake "mooncakes." Mooncakes are a treat associated with the festival. They come in a variety of flavors, including "lotus." (That's my favorite.) Some are baked, others are served unbaked. Westerners have a variety of reactions to them. Many don't like them, especially the unbaked variety. It is quite different from what you might imagine a "cake" to be--but it is quite rich and one small mooncake is quite filling. I'm including some of the more interesting photos from the bakery.

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of a horrible event in our recent history--the 9/11 attack which killed over three thousand people in New York City. This year I decided to remember the attack in a more active way--by visiting the children at Peace Village.

There's a big holiday coming up, Mid Autumn festival--which is a time to give children presents. It so happened that at Peace Village they were having a party for the children on 9/11. So I bought some gifts, both educational and fun and brought them out to the children.

I really felt this was the best way to honor my country and those lost--buy serving others. I'm glad to hear that both candidates on the presidential campaign have emphasized the need for service to others as a way to improve as individuals and as a country.

On this day, we can't help but feel sorrow and pain. But it's very satisfying to be able to give others joy. One small step toward peace.

Tam Dao Hill Station

2008-09-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

It's been awfully hot this summer so I decided to escape the heat of Hanoi, if only for a day. I organized a short trip to Tam Dao Hill Station, an old French resort about 30 miles out of the city. It was adventure getting out there. The guidebook said the bus left from a station not far from my house. It was wrong and my friends had to pile on a packed bus to head out to the other bus station near my house. At first we couldn't find the bus, but finally we headed out.

Shortly out of town we had to transfer buses. Then it was on to a small town and a cab to get to the actually mountain town of Tam Dao.

It was worth the trouble. The waterfall was refreshing and the mountain afforded beautiful views. The fresh air was rejuvenating. We strolled through the town and visited an old church--partially destroyed in the war years and slowly decaying. It's being restored, a project that only started 20 days ago.

I hated to go home and the journey back was even more of an adventure. The bus broke down and we had to wait. I had a beer and by the time we were done, the buses were less crowded and we ended up making it to Me Linh "hypermarket" a sparsely packed mega mart near the Hanoi airport. A nice meal among the stores hawking Korean lounge chairs and then home....

Co Loa Citadel

2008-08-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

I recently paid a visit to Co Loa Citadel with my students. This is an important ancient site right outside of Ha Noi.

The citadel was built around 200 B.C. by one of the legendary kings of Viet Nam, An Dương Vương. He had a magic crossbow that could kill hundreds of soldiers at a time. Again, the turtle theme comes up, as the crossbow was given to him by a golden turtle.

The king had one daughter, My Chau. She married a Chinese general. Eventually, she told him about the crossbow and he was able to learn its secrets. With this weapon, the Chinese were able to conquer Viet Nam. In anger, An Dương Vương killed his daughter and her body was turned into a stone which is found in the temple today. A priest was telling my students the legend in detail. I wish I knew more Vietnamese!

The buildings on this site are very old and there is current archaelogical work going on in the area. Ha Noi is going to celebrate its 1000 year anniversary in 2010 and this site is due for a "face lift."

Vietnam at the Olympics

2008-08-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Viet Nam isn't a top competitor at the Olympics. There's only been two silver medals won at the Games since the country started competing in 1952. One came this week and electrified the country. Hoang Anh Tuan pulled an upset and won a silver medal in the men's 56 kilogram weightlifting competiton.
He lifted a total of 290 kilos (600 pounds) in the snatch and "clean and jerk" phases of the competition.

Vietnam doesn't put a lot of budget into international sports (except for soccer). In soccer, while they haven't made it to the Olympics, they improved mightily in the Asian cup, making it into the quarterfinal round and beating rival Thailand.

This is not to say that the Vietnamese are not sports minded. People are great at participant sports and you see many folks of all ages playing soccer, basketball, table tennis and badminton. This is reflected in the coverage of the Olympics on tv. Live coverage of the Games is broadcast all day and into the night. There is more coverage of sports that are unusual in the US--including badminton, Judo, table tennis, volleyball and weightlifting. This doesn't mean I haven't been able to keep up with some of the activities of team USA--last night I watched James Blake upset Roger Federer and I've been treated to games of the men's and women's basketball team.

All and all watching the Olympics gives me a chance to improve my Vietnamese and learn about some unusual sports.

My Students: Truong

2008-08-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

Truong is my newest student. He was working with George before he went back to England. Truong is an agriculature student who is going to Israel in September. I'm trying to do a lot of work to help him with listening and speaking skills. He's got great vocabulary and is creative. When we went to the Co Loa castle he showed me how to make a whistle from a banana leaf!

My Students: Huong

2008-07-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

I first met Huong in 2005 when I volunteered at Lang Hoa Binh. Since I returned last year, I've worked more with Huong. She's very good at math and I've been helping her with algebra and geometry. Huong has cerebral palsy, so she has trouble with motor skills and control, but she's very smart. She also helps with writing Vietnamese and I coach her on writing in English. Huong always works hard and has a great smile. She's very enthusiastic and a pleasure to teach!

My Students: Huyen

2008-07-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

Huyen is a dynamic student. She loves speaking and is interested in a career in marketing (ideal choice, I think). Huyen is a great cook and has given me some lessons in Vietnamese cooking. She's interested in studying overseas in Australia.

One of my highlights of Tet was visiting Huyen and her family in Thai Nguyen, a small city about 50 miles from Hanoi. They gracisouly opened their home to me and my friend, Tracy and we learned about many special kinds of Vietnamese food.

Huyen is a fan of Roswell and has gotten me into a Korean soap opera that's popular over here.

My Students: Chien

2008-07-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

Why am I still in Viet Nam. One of the main reasons is that I'm working with some fantastic students. Over the next few segments I'm going to give you a few bios. Chien is the hardest working student I've met. I taught her at Apollo in December as a beginner and she's worked her way up to being able to read novels and write short essays in English. She listens to VOA everyday and keeps a file on her computer of words and their history in the English language. She's studying transportation engineering at a university near my home and I tutor her once or twice a week. She loves Columbo and other murder mysteries. I had the pleasure of meeting her family just before Tet. Chien lives in the country, about 3 hours from Ha Noi. Her family was extremely generous and welcoming. It's an extremely rough ride to get there and this is one of the reasons Chien wants to be a trasport engineer. It's her dream to build better roads to lift her hometown out of poverty. Chien recently received another scholarship to continue to study at the university. Her family can't afford to send her to college without financial aid. I'm helping her to study for IELTS/TOEFL so she can pursue her dream to do graduate work. overseas.

The long ride home (Thailand vs. Vietnam)

2008-06-18T04:39:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic journey to Danang and Hue. It was a great time there and I loved the festival. But the journey home was a tough, tough road.

I decided to save money and take a sleeping bus. Big mistake. It was worse than the sleeper trains in Viet Nam!

I hoped because it was a tourist bus that it would bemore comfortable, but actually I was stuffed into a small metal cot for 12 hours. Worse, it was an upper cot in the middle, so I hesitated to get down. There wasn't really any room to move in the bus, anyway. My backpack was bulging with souvenirs, I had a conical hat and a painting, so I couldn't even try to turn over. It's another one of those experiences I never would've imagined before I came here. (And I wouldn't think I could get through it, either).

To make matters worse, the bus took off with my luggage when we finally arrived in Ha Noi. I had to visit four different offices of the tourist company to retrieve it. By the time I got home I was exhausted and basically just zoned out the rest of the day.

This brings up a bit of advice for first time travellers to Southeast Asia. I would always advise going to Thailand first. The overnight train ride from Chiang Mai to Bangkok was a breeze compared to this (or the VN train). The seats converted into beds so you weren't lying down all the time. The buses in Thailand in general are comfortable and very cheap. And the mixup in the baggage? There's very little chance this would've happened, and retrieval would've been much easier. (although I have heard that there are problems with stolen baggage on long haul buses from Bangkok to Phuket/Krabi. In general, the infrastructure is better in Thailand and things are better organized. Vietnam is still very much a barter economy as opposed to a service economy.

But even with this rough return, my trip to the center of the country was fantastic. Once you get your feet wet and are ready for the adventure, come to Viet Nam!

Hue Festival Day 2

2008-06-12T05:56:00.001-07:00

The second day at the Hue Festival was even more incredible than the first. I went to 3/2 park and saw an art exhibit. All the paintings were done by disabled children and were on the subject of fairytales. Here Tam met Sleeping beauty and superman shook hands with King Huong.

The colorful paintings were hanging from clothes lines and I shopped around, finally deciding on a beautiful rendering of Tam, the Vietnamese Cinderella.

That evening I went to the Citadel for more events at the musical festival. The Citadel was astonishingly beautiful at night, the paths being lit by candles and Chinese paper lanterns. The stage I wanted was at the back, but I sampled some Thai music and dancing on the way. Finally I arrived at the stage, which was set inside the ruins of a small house. One mahogony chiar sat in the orange lit frame while we sat on plastic stools waiting for the show to start.

First came the Ao Dai Fashion show. Both older and younger women modeled versions of the Ao Dai, the Vietnamese long dress. The styles varied from daring new designs more like evening gowns to the century old classics. The fashion show was followed by Co La, an all women's Vietnamese folk group that uses traditinal instruments to play everything from Celtic to jazz music. They were incredible musicians.

After Co La I was going to leave but there was a fireworks show. Then at another part of the Citadel I stopped to watch a Cambodian dance troupe. This was unique performance as they were backed by Vietnamese traditional musicians. After leaving the Citadel I went back to the hotel. This was perhaps the highlight of the night. A French street band called S.N.O.B. (System for clearing the ears) was playing at a bar next to the hotel. The brass band was brilliant with their takes on everything from Jewish folk music to Led Zeppelin. I went back to the hotel after playing some air guitar and just kicked back and enjoyed the tuba!

Hue Festival 2008

2008-06-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon I finally arrived in Hue! It was so exciting to finally make it to the Festival. This is something I wanted to see since I heard about it this January!

The Hue Festival is held every two years and celebrates the cultural heritage of Hue. Music groups from Vietnam and around the world are invited to participate. I specifically came to see American jazz singer Coco York. For months I'd been dying to hear some music from back home.

Coco York was worth the wait. The Los Angeles based singer gave Vietnamese music lovers a quick introduction to jazz through her versions of classics such as On a clear day. Backed by a highly talented trio of musicians from Sai Gon, Coco gave all of us a lesson in scat and showed that jazz is one of the great gifts of America to the world.

The Union of Young Vietnamese in France gave an innovative dance performance. Combining traditional elements with hip hop, they brought East and West together. Through it all were kids in the audience with "Mr. Yellow Cat" masks on. Mr. Yellow Cat is the logo of the fest. He was created by Thoma Vuille from Switzerland and has made appearances all over the world.

Cao Dai

2008-06-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

One of my most intriguing experiences in Danang was visiting a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a religion that is unique to Southern Viet Nam. It was founded in 1926 and combines elements of all major religions: including Christianity, Buddhism and Taoism. Like Buddhism, followers of Cao Dai seek to break the cycle of rebirth through prayer and ascetic practices such as vegetarianism. They also practice seances to relay divine information.

The most striking symbol in the temple is the "Divine Eye." The Divine Eye is the symbol of God.

Cao Dai was important in the politics of South Viet Nam during the war years. It still has many followers (about 8 million) and with recent liberalization policies in Viet Nam it has again become a vital cultural force in the country.

for further info you can check this link:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cao_Dai

Surprising Danang

2008-06-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

I spent the first few days of my latest trip in Danang. (Including my birthday). It was a surprisingly nice city. Danang is overlooked on most tourist trips, if anything a quick pause between Hoi An and Hue. But it has a lot of charm in its own right.

Called Tourane by the French, Danang is the third largest city in Viet Nam and the principal city of the center of the country. It was important during the Viet Nam war because it is very close to the DMZ, (the dividing line between the old north and south). A lot of American troops were stationed in and around Danang, and I saw some of the remnants, including a large, decaying army base and helicopters, etc., on display. Danang is also home to "China Beach" which was an R& R center. China beach is pretty empty these days and I only got to lounge around in a beach chair, as I couldn't find anywhere to secure my belongings and change into my swim suit. That's how empty it is. There's one high end resort near the mountains on China Beach and there are more being developed, so it may not be this pristine for long.

I also went to the "Marble Mountains" a chain of mountains which are a geographical break between North and South Vietnam. It was absolutely beautiful with spectacular views of China Beach and greater Danang. There's a spectacular pagoda on the top of one of the mountains(actually several located in caves within the mountains). My guide for the pagoda was Nga, an elderly Vietnamese who has the flexibility of an eighteen year old. She helped me to climb and shimmy through the caves to some of the hidden treasures such as a reclining Buddha cut out of the rocks. At one point she even pulled me up a difficult to navigate rock ledge.

My room was a restful retreat from the activity. It afforded a spectacular view of the mountains and the "rooster church" an old pink cathedral built by the French. Every morning I was awakened at 4:30 a.m. by the church bells calling the faithful to prayer!

I'm glad I got delayed in Danang on my way to the Festival in Hue!

Chiang Mai, Part 2

2008-06-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

ON my second day in Chiang Mai I went to Doi Su Thep, a mountain about half hour out of the city. It's an important sacred site in Thailand. The story goes that a holy man from India came to visit the king of Lanna (the first kingdom of Thailand) with two relics, tiny pieces of bone from the Lord Buddha himself.

The king wanted to honor these relics the best he could. He placed the first relic in the pagoda near the royal cemetary. He couldn't decide what to do with the second relic. Finally, he decided to put it in the pack of one of his elephants, and the animal would decide where to put the relic. The animal climbed the highest mountain near Chiang Mai, circled the top three times, and then laid down and died. Thus the king decided to have the temple built at the top of the mountain.

Many people from all over the country visit this sanctuary, and it's the custom to circle the main temple three times, then place lotus flowers and incense by the shrine. I followed the custom and took in the spectacular views and wonderous art such as the Hindu influenced statue of the Earth goddess.

Chiang Mai Part I

2008-05-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

I took the train up to Chang Mai from Ayutthaya. It took about 12 hours and cost less than 20 US dollars. A beautiful trip ascending through mountains. We went passed rice paddies, green green, rainforests, rivers and mountains under mist. I arrived at Chiang Mai at 8:30 pm in a rainstorm. The guesthouse was by the bustling nightmarket, but I was too tired to go out.

The next morning, I did some business, visitng the university and some language schools. Chiang Mai University is a huge, bustling campus very similar to UWM. I had some time finding the language department, but finally met Khun Sriwilai. The Thai language department is small, but the students get personal attention from an experienced teacher. The campus is interesting, a large group of students were doing exercises in the courtyard as I arrived. The Thai school year is just starting!

Later, I did some visits to the temples. Chiang Mai is a historic city full of Buddhist temples. It was the home of the first Royal dynasty of Thailand (well before Ayutthaya). The name Chiang Mai means "elephant city." Elephant motifs are everywhere.

At nightfall I went to the market. This is a fantastic experience. I saw a fantastic puppet show, see: http://www.youtube.com/user/maryecroy
It brought together a variety of people, Muslims, Buddhists and foreigners such as myself. Everyone was enchanted by the spectacle.

I bought some clothing and some food for the students. It's a fun place, except some of the women dressed in Hmong clothing are pretty aggressive. They follow you trying to get a sale.

There is a wide variety of tourism in Chiang Mai. Many restaurants are geared toward the Japanese, but there's also German, Chinese, Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Roaming the nightmarket is like visiting the UN.

I went past some rather dodgy looking "Karaoke" places fronted by women sitting "on display" in miniskirts. The places, with plenty of Japanese writing, featured pictures of the women in even racier clothing and provocative poses and bragged of special "VIP" rooms that could be rented for some private "singing time."
To end the evening, I found a massage place and got a traditional Thai massage. (Right next door to one of the karaoke places). You might think that the massage places would be sleazy; but most in the night market area seemed "legit." The place I went to was typical-- there are a group of masseuses from young to middle aged dressed in yellow polo shirts with the royal emblem and loose fitting pants. You can get a good massage for about 10 dollars an hour. Thai massage can get rough though as they do a lot of chiropractic type pulling and manipulating of the limbs and put the full weight of their hands and elbows on the back to get rid of tension. I chose one with "an herbal compress" which is a ball with herbs. It's steamed and put on sore spots and the joints of the body. After the full treatment I got a great night's sleep.

Ayutthaya 2

2008-05-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

I stayed in Ayutthaya an extra day because it was so interesting. There are many, many temples and historic sites. I spent the morning at a royal temple that had been destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Then I walked around the public park and wound up at the local museum. It has a small museum with modern interactive exhibits on the history of the island of Ayutthaya. On the second and third floors there is an art museum. Although small I lingered for a long time, listening to the blues music being played over the internet as a Thai man painted. It shouldn't have fit the scene but somehow did. The most fascinating piece was a minature that you view through a big magnifying glass. This is a scene of a hillside flled with tiny elephants and matchstick bridges....

Later in the afternoon I went to the ruins of another Wat. This had been built in 1364. A few cavings were visible in the remnants of the towers, but the dominant figure was a headless Buddha facing west. The eternal song of birds was everywhere.

The Royal City

2008-05-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Today I arrived in Ayuthaya, the old royal city. This place is fantastic! I'm going to extend my booking one more day. Everywhere there are old palaces and temples. Today I visited a temple that commemorates I Thai King who fought in a battle that ensured peace in Thailand for 200 years. Right in the middle of my visit, I found myself surrounded by soldiers. This particular temple is dedicated to soldiers and there were about a hundred there to learn all about the site. Many took pictures, others took notes. Then a flood of school children came and they were very friendly. They wanted to know my name and nickname (most Thais have a nicknamed based on some characteristic). I was embarassed to say my nickname is Bulldozer so I wouldn't own up to it.

I've seen something here I haven't seen much of in Asia--wildlife (except for fish). I saw a small squirrel type animal climbing around at the shrine and I've seen a lot of wild birds, including some ducks and geese. The shrine was very serene and I was able to sit by the water and relax, something I haven't really done since I left the States.

I'll post pics when I can, but the USB port isn't working here.

Serendipity in Bangkok

2008-05-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

I had an extraordinary day in Bangkok yesterday. It went all the way from the frustrating to the sublime. Upon arriving at the airport, my taxi driver got lost trying to find the hotel and it took about two hours! After a short rest, I decided to explore the neighborhood and head for Panthip Plaza.

Panthip plaza is an electronics supermall in downtown Bangkok. I always go there to get videos and for any other needs. It also boasts an AW root beer, so I treat myself to this. This time I bought a Thai Sim card, a karaoke cd and dvd of "The Man from UNCLE."

Leaving the mall, I wanted to find the Brahma statue of the Erawan shrine. From the map given by the hotel, I knew it was somewhat nearby. Wandering through the neighborhood, I found a Dunkin Donuts! This was a treat, so despite the heat I had two jelly filled donuts and coffee. Where else could you get donuts and coffee while sitting by a Buddhist shrine?

I continued my walk and found "Central Mall." This is one of the most upscale malls in Bangkok. Inside it has real designer made clothing for US style prices ($100 and up). It even has a "doggie spa" with special treats, houses and toys for dogs.

What was suprising was what was outside. There was a pair of shrines and people praying and lighting incense. One was to a goddess and the other to a "Ganesh" (Hindu elephant-man) type spirit. So, with the background of %50 off signs there was the smell of incense and the atmosphere of prayer:
And then we are found
in between the whistles of the traffic cops
"Big Sale" background
and the screaming fonts "%50 off through June 1"
,
so this shrine, why here?
can you make the sacred any Where?

Alone she rises
Golden Woman
Seeker of all our dreams
One for whom no change is necessary
here is love, here is truth and above all
a clear patch of sky

After leaving central mall, I had given up on finding the Erawan shrine. Then I heard the clanging of bells across the street. The Chinese community was giving a dragon dance and acrobatic performance. It was the Erawan shrine! A fantastic place. Like the shrine at Central Mall, it is tucked in among the shops. It was put near a hotel because an Thai Admiral who was also an astrologer said that the ground needed to be sanctified when the Erawan hotel was built in 1955. Now it's a center for many different ethnic groups in Thailand. Along with the Chinese, I saw a wonderful Thai dance performance to traditional music. The Thai dancers were given gifts of fruit by an Indian woman. The shrine itself has elephants donated by the Chinese community in Singapore and the shrine is to a four faced representation of Brahma, so I saw many Indians as well as Thai praying there. It was fantastic to watch the dancers among the swirl of incense, in the rain with the occasional clang of the Skytrain overhead. This is why I love Bangkok!

King Hung's temple

2008-05-06T04:59:00.000-07:00

On April 30, Victory Day here in Viet Nam (the fall of Sai Gon), I went to King Hung's temple in Phu Tho. Phu Tho is about 50 miles from Hanoi and it was an adventurous bus ride over two hours to get there, topped by a motorbike ride down heart stealing steep drop roads.

This is a very special place in the history and culture of Viet Nam. It honors King Hung, the mythological first King of Viet Nam.

King Hung is the subject of much folklore in Viet Nam. He was one of the children of Prince Lac Long Quan and Au Co, a fairy queen. After they married, Au Co gave birth to a pouch containing 100 eggs. The eggs hatched children. The prince and Au Co cared for the children on the grounds of the current temple. Eventually, 50 of the children went to the sea, and 50 to the mountains. These were the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. One of the children who stayed in the mountains was Hung, who became the King.

The temple has five separate shrines on the mountain. You have to ascend a series of steps to go to the temples. Eventually, you go down to the bottom most shrine, which is a well where Au Co bathed the children.

It was a fascinating insight into Vietnamese culture and belief. I was the only foreigner there. My student Chien took me and Huy's mother Huyen also came (she had never been there before either). Chien's friend, appropriately named Hung, also came. It was very interesting to hear their reactions to the shrine. A fascinating museum is next to the shrine and the museum features many archaelogical finds going back 5000 years.

Remembering Paradise

2008-05-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

I'm just getting around to it now, because I have a day off for International Worker's Day. In February, I had the most fantastic vacation ever. I visited Eastern Thailand with my friend Tracy from TEFL school. Specifically we went to Koh Chang, which is about six hours by bus from Bangkok.

The main island is Koh Chang, which is about 45 minutes by ferry from the mainland. Tracy and I stayed in a bungalow at a place called "Boutique Spa." The rooms were bungalows about five minutes from the beach. They were very quiet and included a porch. The spa offered a restaurant and massage therapy. Hiking on the island was actually more interesting than the beaches. The interior is almost untouched and we hiked through a natinal park to a small waterfall. The trails were in classic rainforest. The actual island of Koh Chang was kind of touristy, so we moved on to Koh Wai.

This was truly paradise. It's a very small island with only two or three resorts. The waters were clear, blue and sparkling with tropical fish and coral. I went snorkeling and Tracy taught me how to Kayak.

Nicky, one of the staff at the resort, actually visited Milwaukee! He had been to the US a few years before and very much wants to go back. WE talkedto him while munching on ice cream from the States. At night, we played a "stacking game" popular in Thailand. It's a game where you have blocks and take out one at a time while trying to keep the stack intact. The person that makes it collapse is the loser.

I really felt sad to leave the island and wished I had more time in this obscure paradise.

International women's day

2008-04-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Sorry about the delay, but I've been feverishly busy since Tet! I've been doing my classes and covering for other teachers. I've had some fantastic experiences--for example, I taught at a primary school called "Nguyen Sieu" where the kids treated me like a superstar, chanting my name "Mary Mary Mary!" and mobbed me in the hallways. I've even visited Thailand twice to try to straighten out my paperwork mess.

More about that later. Right now I want to tell you about International Women's Day. International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. It's a huge deal here in Viet Nam and people rush off to buy flowers for the women in their lives. It fell on a Saturday and I had just a fantastic day! I was showered with flowers by the children in my classes, especially the early morning kindy class. A few kids slipped me candy as well. The teachers room was just filled with flowers and my xe-om driver had a tough time getting them all home! It was very fantastic and I felt incredibly happy. This was the type of experience that makes it rewarding to be a teacher! I've never gotten so many flowers in my life!

Finishing Tet in Hue

2008-03-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

We finished our Tet odyssey in Hue. After a wild and cramped overnight train ride from Hanoi, we arrived in the morning greeted by a drizzle. The train looked like something out of the 1930s and we were stacked 6 to a room in a hard sleeper. I actually managed to sleep despite the bumpiness of the ride.

My main fear was using the squat toilet on a moving train. Somehow I managed to "hold on" and was relieved in more than one way when the journey was over.

But it was worth it. Hue was as beautiful as ever! My coworker and friend Nhien showed us around on the second day and we were able to see a brand new temple dedicated to a Vietnamese princess and ring "the peace bell." The peace bell is located at the top of a mountain and it was an arduous journey.

To end the day we sampled delicious Hue cuisine made by Nhien's mother. This included special Southern Tet cakes (fried) and many dishes featuring shrimp with salty and spicy sauces. Finally, Nhien took us to Vy Da village, and great highlight for me because it's where the poet Han Mac Tu wrote one of his most famous poems. It was a fantastic day and a great way to end Tet.

I can't get over the hospitality of my friends, students and colleagues. They allowed my friend Tracy and I into their homes and hearts. I've wanted to celebrate Tet in Vietnam for a long time, and it surpassed all my expectations. I had a fantastic time!

Happy Tet part III

2008-02-12T03:13:00.001-08:00

On the second day of Tet, we went to Thai Nguyen to visit my student Huyen and her family. After a harrowing drive hitting huge potholes, Huyen took us to her home. They had a fantastic kumquat tree, complete with lights and decorations. Huyen's mother had prepared a delicious meal and we met many relatives and friends who visited on Tet to wish good health and happiness. It is customary to visit your friends and families and share a tea or wine and wish everyone well. After the delicious meal, we visited Huyen's grandma and met her many cousins. Finally, Huyen took us to a very good museum about the many ethnic groups that live in the region.

Happy Tet part II

2008-02-12T02:29:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Tet, Tracy and I joined thousands of Vietnamese in visiting temples. We walked first to a temple near the Ha Noi zoo that included a shrine honoring people killed in the war. We then took a long walk through almost deserted streets to Quan Thanh Pagoda at West Lake. Turning the corner, we went from an empty area to West Lake, which was throbbing with life and people. The pagoda was flooded with people lighting incense and burning fake money to appease their ancestors. Most of the money is US dollars!

We had a coffee at a nice cafe across from the lake and went home to fill up on the Banh Chung that Huy's mother had given us. That night a swirl of fireworks filled the air.

Happy Tet

2008-02-07T03:44:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone from Viet Nam! Today is the first day of the New Year, called Tet here in Viet Nam. It is celebrated at the same time as the Chinese New Year and shares some of the customs with China. But there are many customs unique here.

I've had a fantastic Tet and have learned so much. Before the holiday even started, Tracy (my friend from the States and from TEFL school) and I went into the countryside to visit my student, Chien. She lives on a small farm about 50 miles outside of Hanoi. It was just an incredible experience. It is very difficult to reach, because it is only accessible by dirt roads. But it is worth it. Chien's family and neighbors are very friendly and hospitable. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. It's the authentic Vietnamese way of life!

Chien's mom had prepared a delicious meal that included many special foods that are eaten at Tet. One is Banh Chung, a kind of rice cake filled with egg or pork. It takes about 10 hours to make and is the centerpiece of the meal, kind of like turkey on Thanksgiving.

In fact Tet is kind of like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and Easter all combined! It welcomes the New Year and the start of spring. People gather with their families and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. On New Year's Eve, people have parties, drink beer and champagne and go to fireworks shows or make their own! My friend Tracy, who's visiting from the States, and I attended three parties on New Year's! First we went to my student, Huy, and ate dinner with him. Then we went on to Huy's aunt's house. Finally, at home, the landlady had prepared a dinner for the tenants, myself, Tracy, and two Indian men who work for a steel company as engineers. Needless to say, I was stuffed!

For videos of this super Tet, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/maryecroy

Getting Ready for Tet

2008-02-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning. Tracy and I watched the Super Bowl and were shocked to see the Giants come back. I loved the half time show with Tom Petty. "She was an American girl raised on promises..." How fitting to hear that now!

Then it was off to the market to lay in a bunch of supplies for Tet. We bought a whole chicken, assorted vegetables, a kilo of meet. I also bought presents for my Vietnamese friends and I want to get some "ornaments" to decorate the Tet tree. My tree is a large branch from a peach blossom. It's just starting to bloom. Although sparse, it's beautiful. Spring is where you find it.

Gearing up for Tet

2008-02-03T04:10:00.000-08:00

Things are getting crazy over here. Everything is gearing up (or perhaps you should say winding down) for Tet. The stores are packed as everyone is on a buying blitz for the Lunar New Year. I had my last day of class for ten days and I'm totally exhausted. People buy gift packs and ordinary supplies as everything shuts down at the New Year. Most people spend Tet with their families and the vast majority of businesses close for three days. Hanoi becomes a ghost town!

My friend Tracy has arrived from the States and we're gearing up to. Tracy has been a huge help to me with shopping and helping out, and I've been showing her around the town. I'm going to visit some of my students over Tet and Tracy's coming too. It should be quite an adventure as we greet the "Year of the Mouse."

Poem in Vietnamese

2008-01-15T00:07:00.000-08:00

January 11 was an incredibly warm day! While Wisconsin was locked in freezing rain and fluffy snow, we were in the 80s! I couldn't believe it. I used my newly learned Vietnamese vocabulary and wrote a poem about it.

11-1-2008

Mưa đong tư nhân mưa xuân!
Mưa đong quen vảo mơt ngây

Nông qưa! Nông qưa!
Tôi thich nông vảo môt ngây!

Qủa đau mưa ơ phô
Tôi hanh phưc vảo môt ngây

Winter pretends to be spring
Winter forgets for one day

Too hot! Too hot!
I love the heat on one day!

strawberries rain on the street
I'm happy on one day!

Happy New Year and Thoughts on 2007

2008-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

2007 has certainly been a year of radical change in my life. I started the year in Milwaukee and ended it living in Ha Noi!

It's been a year of unprecedented challenges for me. Adjusting to life in a foreign land and trying to learn something about the customs and cultures whille trying to do somewhat of a midlife career change has made me reach down into the depths of my mind, body and soul. I've done things I never thought I could accomplish. And I don't mean the kind of things you might think. I'll give you an example:

New Year's Eve I received a bicycle from one of my fellow teachers, Sean. He's going back to New Orleans for a few months and didn't want the bike anymore. So I travelled "downtown" to his hotel to pick it up. It was too far to ride the bike, so I ended up having to take it by motorbike. I thought I was going to hire an extra motorbike and have them tie it on to it, but I ended up having to hold on to the bike! So here I am, holding on to a 40 pound bike sitting crossways on the seat, and clutching onto the drivers shirt and bike with one hand. I don't know how we did it, but we managed to drive the bike about three or four miles through the crowded Hanoi streets back to the apartment! This is just something I never imagined doing!

New Year's in Vietnam is celebrated differently. Some people exchange gifts, but it is just not a big deal. The big deal comes about a month from now during Tet. It is curious that the most popular New Year's song isn't "Auld Lang Syne," but "Happy New Year" by ABBA! In fact, I had to teach my students "Auld Lang Syne" (which I thought was important because it was written by Robert Burns. To jog your memories of this song here's the link to you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcLMH8pwusw
with a video of ABBA.

When I was a teenager, I thought ABBA was kind of a Swedish cornball band. But looking at the video I have a new appreciation for them--the sentiments of the song are quite sweet and needed in a war torn world.

The Lyrics:
No more champagne
And the fireworks are through
Here we are, me and you
Feeling lost and feeling blue
Its the end of the party
And the morning seems so grey
So unlike yesterday
Nows the time for us to say...

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don't we might as well lay down and die
You and I
Sometimes I see
How the brave new world arrives
And I see how it thrives
In the ashes of our lives
Oh yes, man is a fool
And he thinks he'll be okay
Dragging on, feet of clay
Never knowing he's astray
Keeps on going anyway...

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don't we might as well lay down and die
You and I

So I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and joyous 2008!

Christmas in a far away land

2008-01-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

Thefamiliar things are still here. Santas and Trees. Lights strung and glittering. Even the carols: We wish you a Merry Christmas, The First Noel (and a newer one We will live forevermore because of Christmas Day). But the shops, schools and offices go on. It's a decoration, not a reason to come home.

Most people don't exchange presents on Christmas, as Tet is the big holiday here. Some songs such as the ones above and "Jingle Bells" are familiar, and even have Vietnamese versions. Other customs such as Christmas stockings and reindeer, Wisemen and Angels, are totally unfamiliar. It's a weird thing to experience Christmas here!

But it was not an empty Christmas!

I went to St. Joseph's and that was the most familiar. I bought a creche at the book shop there and a few days later attended a packed mass on Christmas morning. This really again got me in contact with my spiritual roots. Just as enriching was going to the Christmas party at Lang Hoa Binh on Christmas Eve. The children just lit up at the presents I gave them. The joy they felt really was the best gift you can get! Then I went to Huy's house on Christmas Eve. I passed on a tradition that I rreceived from my friend Barb of pizza and scrabble on Christmas Eve! It was a blast! People from the neighborhood came and it was a great party! I received a coat, ornaments and a cute coffee cup from Huy, his family and Huong, a neighbor who I also teach! It was just a super day!

You can see more about my Christmas on my you tube and my space websites.

www.myspace.com
(look for lawalsh)

www.youtube.com
(look for maryecroy)

New Helmet Law

2007-12-21T03:07:00.000-08:00

Viet Nam recently enacted a helmet law. Like Thailand, all people riding motobikes in Viet Nam are required to wear helmets. This is part of a safety campaign to reduce the number of accidents and traffic deaths. Almost every day I go past a big electronic sign that keeps count of the number of accidents and deaths this year and last year. It reminds me of when I was a kid in the 60s and saw these types of totals on the front page of the newspaper. Most people seem to be complying with the law and on December 14, the day before the new rule went into effect,there were huge lines to buy helmets. Fortunately, my school provided me with a free helmet.

A Vietnamese Wedding

2007-12-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to go to a wedding last week. My landlady's daughter, Ngoc, got married on Wednesday.

There are some familiar elements to the Vietnamese wedding, such as the wedding cake and a white gown; but many customs are quite different. For one thing,most people get married in Autumn or Winter. There are very few weddings in June or in summer. The wedding is usually paid for mostly by the groom's parents, because the bride comes to live with his family and takes care of his parents in their old age.

The wedding is not necessarily on a Saturday or Sunday. Great care is taken in selecting a "lucky day" as deemed astrologically and numerically. Certain dates such as the 24th and 28th are considered unlucky by default.

Two celebrations take place over two days. One is given by the bride's family and the second is given by the groom's family. Most of the pictures I'm posting are from the reception given by Ngoc and her family. On the second day, the groom comes to the bride's house and asks permission to marry her. Gifts are presented on trays
carried by happily married relatives. The couple then goes to the ancestral altar and asked for the blessings of the ancestors to the marriage. Then the groom and bride depart for their honeymoon after an enthusiastic reception by all.

Kindy Class

2007-12-04T02:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a long time and my apologies for this! I've been frightfully busy and one of the reasons is this bunch! For the past three months I've been teaching four "Kindy" classes on weekends. Kindy classes are for our youngest students, kids anywhere from three to six years old. These classes are a lot of fun, but they are very energy draining and challenging. The kids are "little sponges" they can absorb all kinds of lanuage. But you have to keep things fast paced and yet repetitive enough so they learn the words. It's hard to keep the kids focused all the time and I have two teaching assistants to help me chase "em" down and keep them on task.

Generally the kids are pretty good and love projects such as coloring and drawing. Sometimes they are perfectionists and try to create something for the Louve when we're trying to learn words like "hand" or "apple" or "house." I enjoy especially singing songs with them and playing the Wheel of Fortune. All my students love earning money, even if it's only play money!

Bowling Night at Apollo

2007-12-03T02:52:00.000-08:00

Bowling night at Apollo was a great cultural crossroads! Our Vietnamese staff members came up of the idea of a gathering at the Hanoi Star Bowl, which is right near one of our campuses. I finished dead last, knocking over only 46 pins! But I still had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere of a 50s style bowling alley meets Vietnamese culture. For example, a woman in Ao Dai greeted the bowlers and then orders were taken by waitresses on roller skates. Ms. Hong, our scheduler, gives a game try even though she is five months pregnant. I also snapped a picture of Tim, a teacher from Florida, sampling Vietnamese food with chopsticks between frames. The meeting of cultures is often unpredictable, and sometimes very fun!

Independence Day

2007-09-02T03:19:00.000-07:00

Today is September 2, Independence Day in Viet Nam. The streets are lined with flags and today and tonight there will be parades and fireworks to celebrate.

Ho Chi Minh wrote and delivered the declaration in 1945. It is striking to see the similarities between this document and our own. Perhaps not so striking, since he based it on the American declaration.

It begins: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"

This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America m 1776. In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free.

The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: "All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights." Those are undeniable truths."

Then there is a long laundry list of misdeeds by the French. When I went back and looked at our own document, there is also this list of misdeeds by the British.

At the time of the speech in 1945, there were American OSS agents who were in contact with Ho Chi Minh. They actually advised Washington to recognize his government. Ho Chi Minh wrote eight letters to Truman asking for U.S. recognition and assistance. Truman, fearing Ho Chi Minh's obvious communism, refused and the rest is history. Historians often debate how much bloodshed could've been avoided if Washington had took the OSS agents advice.

I speculate a little on these historic points, but mostly I'm just enjoying a day off. I've been working very hard at the school and am adjusting to my "Kindy" classes. I love working with our littlest students, it keeps me energized! In fact, I find it much easier than working with adults or teenagers. I just don't have the same rapport!

For more info on Vietnam's declaration: http://coombs.anu.edu.au/~vern/van_kien/declar.html

For comprehensive info on the American declaration:
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Highway 1--Here and there

2007-08-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

I started reading "US 1" in the Muriel Rukeyser book I bought here. It's a great anthology that includes a poem about workers afflicted with silconitis. Rukeyser investigated a case that happened in West Virginia in the 1930s. The poem incorporates excerpts from congressional hearings and stock quotes more brilliantly than I've been able to weave materials from daily life.

I was in awe at the way Rukeyser brings these different strands together. Standing alone, the transcripts and stock quotes are the banal products of modern life, but when dropped into a poetic context--the description of dying workers and lost dreams, the work becomes mirror and voice to the exploited--and to those who would seek change in our society.

This is the intellectual Highway 1 I travelled, with thoughts of the past, mountains and what it means to be an American in the most abstract and actual sense. But I also got gritty on Highway 1 here in Viet Nam.

I took a taxi down this road to teach at the ABB company which has its Viet Nam headquarters just outside the city. Highway 1 is the closest thing Viet Nam has to a freeway, and it is like the U.S. road system: a three lane highway with stoplights every few kilometers. But it is at the same time unlike any U.S. highway. It's three lanes of cars, motorbikes and bicycles all living in a benign chaos. The traffic here rages against American sensibility.

Finding Vietnamese poetry

2007-08-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks visiting Lang Hoa Binh have been a revelation. We've been blessed with the volunteer efforts of Toan, a young man who is studying at the university. He has an excellent voice and has been teaching the children various folk songs. Lucky for me, he also speaks English and has been able to translate these songs.

One of my favorites is "The white storks."

The white storks fly
across green rice fields
the white storks circle
above the houses
Yeah
The white storks bring happiness
to those who work on the farm
the white storks are farmers
who work hard all their lives
and still face hardship

Toan translated Yeu, a word that means love, as work in this poem. Thus work becomes love. What you work for is what you love.

Vietnamese poetry and song glorifies work the same way we glorify love. And this is fitting in a country where many women still tote terrific loads on poles across their shoulders. I couldn't believe it, the other day I saw a guy catch two bricks in the crook of his arm, like he was catching a couple of cans of soda.

Here is another poem/song in the same vein, an ode to the sun.

"When the sun rises"
Because of the sun
my homeland has a source of light
because of the sun
the trees are green
and the rice plants grow well
because of the sun
many children can happily sing in the rice fields
because of the sun
many farmers can work conscientiously on the farm
because of the sun
the farmers still work hard
despite difficulties

Finally there is this song, which is so rhythmic I came close to learning it in Vietnamese in one lesson.

"Oh my homeland"
the sun rises
three legged stove burns
sea of rice,
tide of grass,
bamboo forest sings lullabies
white storks fly
wind blows the kite
Welcome full Moon!
oh, my homeland

Finding an American Poet

2007-08-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

I found a compilation of Muriel Rukeyser's work in a bookshop in Ha Noi. Several years ago I was introduced to her work by the women's writers circle and poetry maestro Dano, but I never realized how many years ago she wrote. She seems very cuttent but actually she began writing poetry books in 1935 and died back in 1980.

Reading her work, I can see her innovation and ability to create a vision which is uniquely hers, but yet is representative of our country and culture. Here we see how the struggle for justice can become a pulse and a breath.

The book seemed to be waiting for me to take it home. Rukeyser made here own trip to Ha Noi in the 1970s, puting her feet where her pen was in the pursuit of peace.

Her poem "Flying to Ha Noi" is a simple but revealing description of not only the trip, but her life odyssey.

Flying to Hanoi

I thought I was going to the poets, but I am going to the children.
I thought I was going to the children, but I am going to the women.
I thought I was going to the women, but I am going to the fighters.
I thought I was going to the fighters, but I am going to the men and women who are inventing peace.
I thought I was going to the invenotrs of peacebut I am going to the poets.
My life is flying to your life.

What I find most intriguing is the term "inventors" of peace. Perhaps this is a metaphor that is useful in trying to gain insight in this seemingly fruitless dream.

Peace is usually seen as an undiscovered land (Shangri-la) or a lost original state (Eden). We look to history and maps to discover the secret of peace. But Rukeyser, the pilot, the poet, the mother and daughter sees it in a different way.

Peace is something that never has been. Yet it is possible. It can't be discovered but has to be created Wright style, with bicycle chains and a vision and understanding of how to simplify the problem. It can only be created by people who have suffered the horrors of war.

People like the Vietnamese. People like us, post 9/11.

For more information on Muriel Rukeyeser's life and work, you can check out this link:

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/rukeyser/rukeyser.htm

Four Months and Counting

2007-07-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

What can I say about my experience in Viet Nam after four months? Exasperating? Yes!

As my friend and co teacher John said, "Nothing's easy here." Between the language barrier and the lower standard of living, things we take for granted at home become a challenge that sometimes makes me feel like pulling my hair out. You can't expect anything to work like it does back home.

I put a Harry Potter DVD in the TV for my kids yesterday as a last day in class treat. It took a half hour and three of us to get it to work, me, the security guard and the administrative assistant, Mrs. Ting. Finally Mrs. Ting swapped out DVD players and got it working. The sound was fine, the picture was perfect. The only trouble was that the subtitles were for a totally different movie, some epic about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

I tried to get rid of the subtitles, but the menu instructions were in Vietnamese. So when the subtitles started to get a little too salty and the soldiers were talking like, well, soldiers, I had to cut short the movie. The class, which was teenagers got a big kick out of it, but I could be in big trouble. So what, I thought would be a cakewalk class turned into a frustrating, ninety minute ulcer starter.

What can I say about my experiences these past four months? Uplifting? Yes!
I go to Peace village every week and I'm greeted like a favorite aunt. The kids always surprise me. I've been working with an eight year old boy, Khanh, who has severe cerebral palsy. He always gives me a big hug. We play basketball with my Packers Nerf ball and I help him build with Lego's. It turns out that he's very good at math. He can add, subtract and multiply and even use a computer. He answered every problem I gave him correctly and legibly.

When I come home at night, sometimes uplifted, sometimes bemused and bedraggled, I often turn on Vietnam's TV 4. They show a lot of traditional Vietnamese opera. Listening to the poignant singing and hauntingly beautiful instruments makes me know I'm supposed to be here, despite the hardships and struggles. For there's something in the music that heals my soul.

Call it purpose.

Paperwork nightmare

2007-07-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

We had a big meeting yesterday of American citizens regarding getting work permits. Once a person has been working for a time in Viet Nam they need a work permit to continue. Unfortunately, the requirements have been changed recently and it's led to a very complicated mess.

To work in Viet Nam a foreigner needs a background criminal check in the country of origin and a notarized copy of any educational degrees or certificates the individual holds. This was something I didn't realize when I left the states, there was no mention made of it on the places I researched, including Apollo. I brought along a transcript from college and the results of a medical exam.

This was not acceptable once I was hired. It seems that the documents have to be notarized in the country of origin. I had this done with my criminal background check, however now they've added another step. The notary has to be notarized by the state government as being legit. My transcript didn't work either, they want a copy of the degree (which is God knows where in storage) and that needs to be notarized and then the notary needs to notarized by the state. It reminds me of one of those episodes of MASH where Radar explains the various forms that the Army requires.

The process is simpler for British citizens, they can take their documents to the British Embassy, which will stamp them as being authentic. In other words, the government will back the holder in their claim of authenticity. The US Embassy will not do this, they will only certify that the holder of the documents "says" they are authentic.

This I find most ironic, a fine point of grammar (but important, to be sure) may force me to leave here at the end of September, short of my goal of spending a year in Viet Nam.

Visit to the Ha Noi Zoo

2007-07-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

Today I ventured out with three of my fellow teachers for a visit to the Ha Noi Zoo.

It's not like a zoo back in the USA. It's more a combination of zoo and Chuck E Cheese. There are all kinds of kids rides and games and many vendors selling toys. The animals are almost an afterthought.

Many Asian zoos are dismal places where the animals are not in good condition. On this count, the zoo was better than some I've heard of; but still not that great. The condition of the animals varied from species to species. The monkeys were in great shape, healthy, fat, rambunctuous. The hippo was fat and sassy and my co teacher Gauda was able to get her to catch crackers. Other animals did not fare as well. The ostriches were bare on their backs, losing feathers, probably to malnutrition. The deer were very skinny. The tigers were a bit thin too, although the female recently had cubs that seemed to be very healthy. The mother had been rescued from an illegal animal market in Hue.

There are many types of birds at the zoo, mostly tropical species. There was a large bird with a very bony head, I don't know if this bird was just malnourished or if it was supposed to be like that. It's whole body looked prehistoric.

It had rained in Ha Noi and was a little cooler, but this didn't matter. By the end of two hours in the Vietnamese humidity, I was drenched with sweat. Still it was an interesting experience to get another insight into Vietnamese culture.

The power of poetry

2007-07-01T03:15:00.000-07:00

I had lost faith and then something dropped out of the sky into my locker and brought me back to my senses again.

One of my most problematic classes is filled with surly teenagers. The last place they want to be on a Sunday afternoon is cooped up studying English.

I approached a poetry teaching session with this group with absolute dread. How could I generate even a few words out of this sullen, silent group? I gave them a sheet of words to help. Actually, I gave them to my co-teacher, Lisa.

So, yesterday when I came to Apollo I opened up my locker and found a pile of magic. These sullen, moody kids had produced some terrific, creative, poetry. They wrote in the shapes of stars, boxes and suns and found ways to relate themselves to the stars, the moon and even Pluto. Their words defied gravity and my expectations.

We posted their work in the classroom today and they were very happy to see it go on the walls. Excited chatter filled the classroom as I struggled with the sticky putty and tacks to display their grammatically jagged dreams on the walls. Grammatically jagged, just like adolescence.

I was wrong to ever doubt Poetry.

Always write poetry,
write standing
sitting
lying

write poetry knee deep in flood,
limping through the village
or falling off a barstool

write after kissing
and before eating
during prayer
and on waking

write when you fear the future
regret the past
or cough up the present

write when you're thankful
when you're angry
especially when you're in despair

there is nothing better then this
to write from your heart
even when all else
fails

A ride into the countryside

2007-06-25T03:48:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a time since my last entry. Just when I was getting settled into my teaching schedule and getting into the swing of things,I slipped and fell on my kitchen floor. I banged up my left knee pretty badly. I went to the doctor the next day and he took an xray. It isn't broken (they don't think) but itis sprained and I've een limping around Hanoi for a week now.

The knee seems to be gradually getting better. So today my friend Mr. Quyet picked me up so I could get my clothes from the tailor shop. After that he took me to visit his mother in the Vietnamese country side. The language barrier is always difficult, Mr. Quyet does not speak a word of English. Mr. Quyet's mother is 90 years old and lives in a suburb of Hanoi. We proceeded past farm fields and I even saw my first mechanical rice harvester, I small machine being driven by a farmer. Once there, I was treated royally and stuffed with all kinds of delicious Vietnamese food. Mr. Quyet's mother put me to shame, she was so spry and could even sit on the floor while I could just limp into a chair.

I also met Mr. Quyet's brother and his wife, who live next door. They have a large garden with fruit trees and they also raise some huge hogs! These porkers were well over 100 pounds and all quite done in by the heat.

I started out wondering if my knee could hold out, but I did fine! I really feel better now after the visit as I was getting pretty bored being in the apartment or at school all the time.

Mitch Miller and Me

2007-06-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

Who could have dreamed all those years ago? Four decades in fact. Mitch Miller is my best friend as an ESL teacher! My mother was a huge Mitch Miller fan. We watched his tv show "Sing along with Mitch," and my mother had all his records. I grew up listening to such moldie oldies as "The Old Gray Mare" and "I've been workin on the railroad."

How the most obscure parts of childhood come back. In strange ways, but ways that make you smile and laugh! We have a book at Apollo called "Songs and games for children," and what dya know, Mitch's favorites are prominently sprinkled throughout the book! I've been able to utilize these old standards to help my teaching.

I've been workin on the railroad = present continuous tense
Billy Boy (Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy) = Can, abilities
The Old Gray Mare = Adjectives
Take good care of yourself = personal care, health and exercise

The children generally love these songs and catch on very quickly. Some even are humming the tunes afterwards. I find it delightful to teach them these songs and sing along. It is one of the highlights of my week and I often find myself singing or humming these songs as I walk home on the busy Ha Noi streets.

Further info on Mitch:

http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Mitch-Miller.html

Hear Mitch:
http://www.rhapsody.com/mitchmiller

Thoughts on Ly Thai To

2007-06-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

Ly Thai To is the King Arthur of Viet Nam. It is said he was given a magic sword to repel a Chinese Invasion. After the enemy was defeated, a turle snatched the sword from him while he was on a boat in Hoan Kiem Lake.

Unlike Arthur, Ly Thai To is an actual figure who lived about a thousand years ago. It is interesting that his big staatue near Hoan Kiem Lake doesn't show him with a sword, but holding a scroll of the law. He is most valued for restoring law to VietNam rather than for feats of battle. After the magic sword is returned to its source, the words, the law, remains.

Bleached Paper Street

2007-05-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been busy adjusting to full time teaching and trying to find good internet outlets on this side of town. I moved into an apartment on Cau Giay street about three weeks ago. Internet connections are not as reliable as the guesthouse and I've had a hard time even taking a break to post.

The apartment on Cau Giay is very nice. I have a marble kitchen, a living room and a large, airconditioned bedroom. I have a brand new tv with cable so I can keep up with CNN and some of the tv programs in the US, such as American Idol.

Cau Giay is about 5 miles west of the center of Ha Noi. On the map it is right near the "Thu Le park." (The extreme left of the picture.) It's also quite near to the diplomatic quarter. The street name translates into English as "Bleached paper street" because this used to be the business here. However, it is now a commercial center and paper bleachers are nowhere to be found.

I'm still adjusting to the hustle and bustle of teaching. Every weekend I teach 8 classes of energetic youngersters, ranging in age from six to about sixteen. Three nights a week I teach adults. The hours in the classroom add up to about twenty per week, but it takes at least another twenty to plan for classes. My class planning tends to be pretty labor intensive, too, because I like to create my own games and worksheets. Just the other day I created a "Gilligan's Island treasure hunt" to teach contractions. It worked pretty well, too, even though the students had never heard of the classic tv show.

We've entered the summer time here in Viet Nam and it is unbelievably hot! Temperatures in the nineties every day with high humidity. This makes me appreciate the apartment even more, and I hardly go out except to go to school to teach. Thank heavens, the school is airconditioned.

Language maze

2007-04-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

My biggest difficulty in Viet Nam is the language barrier. Together with the cultural differences, it makes me feel like I'm running around in a huge maze.

Here is an ongoing saga that illustrates this:

I have been teaching a few weeks at an outfit called American International College. It is Vietnamese managed. I was working at a center in Kim Ma, the diplomatic area of Ha Noi. They also had a Tuesday night opening at a brand new center.

When I asked the Vietnamese secretaries where it was, they didn't know the address. However, they gave a map with directions and the street on which the school was located. They also gave me their phone number.

I took the information back to the guesthouse and Thom, the receptionist, called and took down the address. So I went to the school and started teaching.

The week after Easter I received a call from the school that I was laid off from the Kim Ma school due to low enrollments. But, I would continue working at the new center.

Last week I brought my timesheets and other information to the school. I have to have the timesheets signed by the director of the center to get paid. Then, towards the end of class, there was a power failure and everything went pitch black.

I picked up my bag and we all managed to get out by using the light from our cell phones. Unfortunately, I had left the timesheet and directions plus address in the room during the commotion.

I didn't realize my oversight until the next day. I had no address and no phone number for the school. We called the other school and got a phone number. Then, checking the center, we took down an address.

It didn't match what I remembered. I thought maybe they misunderstood. Luckily, I had taken the bus part way home on several visits to the school. So, I had to take a motobike to the bus station and then try to retrace my route to the school. I boarded a bus I thought went to the school.

Because I read Vietnamese very poorly, I was on the wrong route. When I realized this, I had to disembark an extremely crowded bus. This took me a few stops.

I made my way back to the original bus stop and this time took another bus I was sure would go to the right location. This time I was fortunate and made it to the school.

At the school, I explained to the secretary that I had lost my timesheets (I tried to do this on the phone but it didn't work.) She told me I would have to talk to the person I dealt with on Tuesday nights. I took down the address so I could get back there this Tuesday.

So now I have to talk to the director about this tomorrow. The timesheets are the only way I can get paid (about $130). And since I am moving on to a better job, they may very well not be very cooperative about this. I will keep everyone informed about this ongoing trial!

Why I Love Teaching!

2007-04-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

I can tell you why I love teaching. The reason is because of events like this:

Yesterday I went to volunteer at Lang Hoa Binh as I do every Tuesday. I brought along some alphabet puzzle games. After we all got a workout in our Vietnamese, I put the puzzles on the table, the students eagerly gathered round to work on putting them together, one in the shape of a turtle, the other in the shape of an elephant.

Two of the boys, both mentally and physically handicapped, were working on the elephant puzzle. They had quite a time with it, but were determined to get the letters in their correct places. Finally after trying many, many possible combinations and determined to do it on their own, they fit a key piece in and gave each other high fives! This was a big victory for them! Both have disabilities in their hands which effect their dexterity. Both have many things in life which they cannot do. But this was something they could do. Their joy was contagious, and I thought to myself this is why I became a teacher.

Universal Stephen Foster

2007-04-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

One of the familiar songs I hear most often is Stephen Foster's O Susanna. I hear it being played by street vendors and traditional Vietnamese musicians. And I always smile. This lively song has been heartily embraced by Viet Nam. What would Foster think, who died in obscurity in the Bowery well over a century ago? It must be the tune-- for the whimsical words make no sense! "It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry. The sun so hot, I froze to death, Susanna don't you cry!"
To find out more about Stephen Foster go to:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/

A shopper's paradise

2007-04-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I paid a visit to the Night Market, which is right off of Hoan Kiem Lake in "downtown" Ha Noi. This place is a shopper's paradise. I walked down streets closed to traffic, block after block. Tourists and local people alike could shop from everything from clothes to cellphones, books to bakery. Most items were reasonably priced, I bought a pair of dragonfly earrings from $2!
This is one of the interesting things about the Vietnamese economy. There are very few western style shopping malls (I've only found one in Ha Noi and one in Sai Gon, so far.) There are less "big box" stores. Most shopping is done in little stores which fill the streets. In the part of Ha Noi in which I am staying The Old Quarter, there are also streets which are devoted to a particular business. For example, one street I pass every day is lined on both sides by eye glass vendors. Another street has toys, another is filled with gold vases and objects to decorate the home. Viet Nam, still ostensibly communist, has a free wheeling entrepeneurial economy!
Here's a link to a picture courtesy a German visitor (sorry I'm having problems with my camera right now.)
http://www.geogr.uni-goettingen.de/kus/pics/vn14/vn2006_hn_aq_night_market_28cm.jpg

Ha Noi in Spring, a Must Feel

2007-04-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived in Ha Noi three weeks ago, the coolness was a welcome relief from the steam ovens of Sai Gon and Thailand. However, as time has passed, I've noticed myself and everyone around me coughing and sneezing. It is chilly and damp all the time.
This is bad enough in Wisconsin, but the problem is that there is no central heating in homes in Viet Nam. Unless one is fabulously wealthy, it is just not affordable.
I didn't think this would be a problem until I started living here. What's 60 degrees, anyway? But since there is no heating and a lot of rain, everything is always damp and has a musty smell. My sheets are damp when I go to bed at night, and damp in the morning. My clothes are damp unless they have been freshly laundered. My room has the feeling of a basement because it's so damp. I'd like to burn some incense, but I'm afraid of burning the place down.
Ha Noi is located in a river delta, so perhaps this isn't surprising. It is nestled between mountains, which tends to trap the damp air during spring. So the same reasons that made it a very attractive place to settle down has also made it a soggy city.
You might think the Vietnamese are tougher, but they are hacking all the time, too.
So, welcome to Spring Achooooooooo!

Change

2007-04-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

I had my first creative inspiration since I've arrived. Wandering into a little cafe near the guesthouse I saw this beautiful painting.
It made me write this poem called Change
One more cup of water
That all it needs
And as you pour it something changes.
Yes, steam rises. You feel the colors, the yellows and reds hidden in the heat that winds arounds your hands, caresses every space between your fingers and settles inside the billows of your sleeve. It rides above your skin, part sensation part undiscovered rainbow.
For the first time you realize that this curling warmth, this sweet growing generation is more than the sweet kiss of flame or the wild tryst of calderon and water.
It's something in you.

My first weeks as a professional teacher

2007-04-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

My first weeks as an English teacher:

Scary
Surprising
Challenging
Fun

I work with both children and adults. The kid's classes are the most difficult. The kid's are high energy and don't always want to be there. To add to the challenge, the school I work for rotates me around to different classes due to a teacher shortage. I never know what group I'm working with until I get there! This is very stressful on me as a teacher and has forced me to "think on my toes." To varying degrees of success I'm able to engage their interest. So far they're favorite activity is passing around a Packer nerf ball I have and challenging them to words.
The adults are easier to work with and I have a steady group. But they are perfectionists! They want to learn how to pronounce words perfectly. They do pretty well although I'm having a lot of problems getting them to distinguish t-s sounds in words like "carpets." They invariably say "carpests."
Any suggestions in this regard would be joyfully welcomed!

Perfume Pagoda

2007-04-03T01:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a journey to Perfume Pagoda, one of the most famous Buddhist shrines in Northern Viet Nam.
It's located about two hours outside of Ha Noi by bus. When our group left the bus we piled onto a small rowboat for a half hour journey down the Nest River. Arriving at dockside is only the bigging of the trip to Perfume Pagoda.
At dockside there are many different shops, where you can buy offerings for the shrine and memorials for your loved ones. There are also many food shops. The most interesting were stalls where you can buy freshly baked breads shaped like crabs, fish and various other animals.
From there it is a climb up a mountain. And I mean climb! You start out making your way up a shallow incline on a path paved with loose stones worn smooth from the feet of many before you. This is a treacherous walk of several hundred yards.
After that, it's a series of endless, rough hewn steps cut into the mountain, interspersed with breaks of relatively level ground. The trek takes about an hour to an hour and a half. By the end I was drenched by sweat and huffing and puffing. Vietnamese people shook my hand congratulating me on my stamina.
But I was still not there. Next is a descent into a cave at the top of the mountain. The cave is accessible only by a series of wet steps, once again made of rough hewn rock cut into the mountain. There is a rope to hang onto, but sometimes it dips to low for a relatively "tall" Westerner like me to reach.
Finally I arrived. The grotto is beautiful, with an eerie light bouncing off the stalagtites and several Buddhist shrines blazing in golds and reds. It's called Perfume Pagoda because in the last century it was rife with incense burning. The incense is banned now, but many people leave offerings of food in hopes for achieving spiritual or temporal goals. As our guide, Cuong, explained, Perfume Pagoda is the place to go to request good luck in life, finding a suitable partner for marriage, success in a career, or any other need you have in life.
The whole process of strenous climbing and descent can't help but remind one of the hard work we need to put into life and the times we must "descend" to gain a new birth or go to the next stage of our lives.
For me, the most impressive sight was being in the grotto and then looking back out at the light streaming in. It was like walking into a rebirth. Which is what I hope for, a rebirth in career, a rebirth in creativity, a new song to fill my heart!
For more information on the pagoda:
http://www.vietscape.com/travel/chuahuong/

Return to Hanoi

2007-03-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I returned to Ha Noi. The children at Peace Village were very glad to see me and I'm going to work there as a volunteer once a week. I am also working for pay as an English teacher at American International College. Right now, I'm working with kids, anywhere from first grade through high school. They're quite challenging and take a lot of energy. I'm exhausted when I get done! I also visited my homestay family last week and they were very surprised and happy to see me! I'm going to have Easter dinner with them.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I've been having real technical problems in Ha Noi. I can't find a computer that will post my pictures this time and I've had a lot of problems even accessing this blog.

Sai Gon, Young Hip City of Bowlers

2007-03-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

One of the amazing things about Sai Gon is the incredible mix of traditional Vietnamese culture and all kinds of imports from the West. Last week I paid a visit to "Diamond Plaza" I high end shopping mall in downtown. The first three levels were all high end stores with the latest from Calvin Klein, Gucci, etc., and at Western prices to boot.
The third level consisted of a KFC, Pizza Hut and the Diamond Bowling alley. Diamond Bowl is a center with arcade games, pool tables, and all the bowling you would ever want, even in Milwaukee. The crowd there is not exactly Joe Lunchbucket, either. I saw a young Vietnamese woman sporting jeans and tattoos completing strike after strike. Young men in Mohawks and avante garde shirts despaired their spares. All to the ever present beat of techno music and a bar serving carrot juice and mango margaritas. (Sorry about the poor quality of this photo)
Then to top off the night, I went to the Star marks cafe near my guesthouse. This place is part coffee house, part nightclub and cocktail lounge from the 60s. The coors light dance team was there, Vietnamese breakdancers who do upside down spins while wearing motobike helmets and break dance moves that would be a hit on mtv. They gave me a free beer and filmed me cheering on the dancers and told me I may be on a commericial on tv soon!

Hello Vietnam!

2007-03-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

It felt terrific to step off the plane in Sai Gon. I've returned to Viet Nam. And what better way to kick off an introduction to this beautiful country than to give you a little taste of the Mekong river. The Mekong River is the 12th largest river in the world and is the agricultural and commercial heartland of Vietnam. Over 60 million people depend on the Mekong for their livelihood and their food. These include not only Vietnamese, but people in the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos.

To watch the video, copy and paste the address below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaG1ozVWoXs

Goodbye Thailand Part II

2007-03-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

I couldn't leave Thailand without paying a tribute to another unique feature found throughout the country. These are the "Spirit Houses." Thais normally put up a "Spirit House" when they establish a business or move into a home. This is a little house for poltergeist like spirits to live in. They also leave offerings of food and tea to make sure the spirits are comfortable and don't cause trouble.

Goodbye Thailand (Part I)

2007-03-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have too many pictures of Wat Po and Thailand to put on just one blog entry, so I have to split them up. I'm including on this one a fascinating drawing I photographed on the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. This, as far as I can guess, is a drawing of the key body points or "chakras" used in Traditional Thai massage and other healing techniques. Thai massage, as well as other parts of Thai culture, is heavily influenced by Indian culture. In Thai massage and healing, they incorporate many techniques and concepts from Yoga. It is interesting to note that for a time in the early twentieth century traditional Thai healing was outlawed as the country tried to modernize and Westernize. However, it is on the comeback now and some Western medical practitioners are trying to study the techniques to see what can be learned from these ancient healing practices.
To learn more about Thai massage go to:
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/ancient_thai_massage.html

Graduation night

2007-03-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it took me a while to get the pictures together but here is a little gallery of pics from the finishing days of my course in Phuket. I already miss the students! Slibcha, especially, who is featured in these photos. He is a terrific kid and very bright! He always is eager to learn and also to help the other students.
Right now I am in Saigon doing some school evaluations and good old fashioned tourism. It's a busy city but does have its charms. More about that later....

Rollin' down the (Bangkok) River

2007-03-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday I had a fantastic experience touring Bangkok by river. River boats are used extensively for both tours and for everyday transportation. I even found myself in a "boatjam" hull to hull with a half dozen boats waiting to go through the many locks set up to control traffic on the waterway.

Still, it's a relaxing way to see the city. Many temples were built along the riverbank, and the Grand Palace, which was the former home of Thailand's king, is also accessible via boat. Many businesses such as restaurants and coffeeshops are set up with docks to lure the hungry tourist. And there are many homes built along the riverbank, everything from modern looking ranch style to dilapidated shacks made of corrugated metal.

The river itself is nothing to brag about. It is heavily polluted. But the sights along the banks make it a treat!

Wat Pho

2007-03-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I paid a visit to Wat Pho, also known as "The Reclining Buddha." Located in the heart of Bangkok, Wat Pho is one of those "must sees." The image of the reclining Buddha is a city block long and symbolizes the passing of the Buddha into Nirhvana. The feet are inlaid with mother of pearl and inscribed with 108 characteristics of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho is site of the first university in Thailand and is still a center of learning. As I tooled around the large grounds I saw people in a classroom studying and also noted many galleries and libraries with old manuscripts.

It is also a center of Thai Massage. Thai Massage utilizes a variety of techniques familiar in other styles of massage, along with some chiropractic type manuevers. It is not just a gentle massage, so be forewarned! In fact, I went to the spa at the hotel. I didn't get the Thai massage but a more generic type and the masseuse still did some of the limb and digit type stretches. But I did feel better afterward!

Cooking and other adventures in Bangkok

2007-03-10T04:32:00.000-08:00

I flew into Bangkok last night and am already regretting I only have two days in this beautiful, but congested city. This morning I attended a cooking class at the Silom Cooking school. Our teacher, Nusi, is an experienced Thai chef and helped us pick out the ingredients at a "wet market"--basically just a big open air market where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood and meat. Then we returned to his school to prepare the foods and various sauces by hand using small machetes and a large mortar and pestle. My classmates were two Austrailians, and a chef from Israel who has been travelling in India and Thailand to create new recipes for his business in Tel Aviv.
The experience was full of vibrant colors, fragrant smells and delicious food. There are many varieties of rice, corriander, basil and ginger that unfamiliar to the Westerners but easily and cheaply available in Thai markets. Nusi ran us through our paces with everything from creating curries to the proper way to shell prawns for an exquisite soup. It was an experience that my taste buds will be demanding for years to come.
Then in the afternoon I hopped on a Thai bus and headed for Lord knows where. I had a terrific tour of parts of Bangkok on a crowded bus with all the windows popped open because there is no air conditioning. I just enjoyed the sights and jumped off at a stop near the elephant pictured above. It's right near a large technical university. As I type this, I'm in an internet cafe surrounded by kids and young people playing shoot em up and monster fighting games. I don't know where I am exactly, but fortunately, Thai taxis are easy to get from anywhere and relatively cheap, so I should be able to venture back to the hotel.

Long Live the King

2007-03-10T04:08:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me as an American to understand the Thai people's devotion to their king. His image is ever present in Thailand. Most homes and businesses have at least one picture of the king prominently displayed. Criticism of the Monarch, King Bhumibol, is punishable by jail time. Anything which impinges the dignity of the king is also strongly rejected. In fact, the musical "The King and I" is banned in Thailand because it treats the king too lightly and comically. He and his wife Queen Sirikit have four children and are considered the pinnacle of Thai society.
Instead of being a distant and detached figure in the manner of many Western monarchs, the King is looked on as a father figure by the Thai people. To criticize the king is seen as an insult not only to him, but also to an integral part of any Thai person. It is much the same as it would be to insult Jesus to a Christian. The figure of the king has become a part of what every Thai person idealizes as the best part of themselves.
King Bhuminbol for his part, has ties to the U.S., being born in Massachusetts when his father was studying medicine at Harvard University. His father worked tirelessly to improve and modernize health care in Thailand. King Bhuminbol and his family have themselves been involved in many projects to improve life for the poor and disenfranchised in Thai society. This is another reason why he is so beloved by the Thai people.
It is also interesting to note that King Bhuminbol has reigned since 1946. He is longest monarch in the world and is the longest reigning king in the history of Thailand.
I bought a pin with a heart on it and Thai script. I didn't know what it said until the hotel manager, Khun Tipp translated it for me. It says "We love the King!" I wear it proudly now.
Long Live the King! Long Live the Thai people!

The many faces of Phuket

2007-03-07T22:16:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to graduate from my TEFL program here in Phuket. The program was pretty intensive and I feel proud of getting through it! I've worked with a lot of great students and found myself really enjoying teaching! The culture in Thailand is unique, but there are a few things to remind one of home, such as the holstein cow in front of a local restaurant!

So here are a few selected scenes of life here.

Grammar is fun!

2007-03-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

Not really. Or only up to a point. Over the past three weeks, I've learned more than I ever dreamt I would know or could know about tenses, conditionals and a host of cute infinitives, countable knowns... How passive is your voice? Pretty limp by the end of a three hour session in a room without aircon.

It all paid off today when I took the test and got a 97%! I even did pretty well with phoenetics, those funny little symbols that are meant to help one pronounce words but seem "all Greek" to me.

I feel like I've learned a lot in this class. And most of it is due to Greg, a self professed "Grammar Geek" who teaches the lessons with a lot of zest and a wealth of knowledge. Greg is a Jimmy Buffet style pirate of the English language who can split hairs with language and keep everyone on track with colorful examples and most of all, enthusiasm for words!

Buddhism in Thailand

2007-03-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

The vast majority of people in Thailand are Buddhists and the religion is an important part of the cultural fabric of life here. Today is a public holiday in Thailand-- Makabucha Day; it is the day that 1250 disciples of the Buddha gathered to listen to his first speech after enlightment. It is the day he outlined Dharma Buddhist religious teachings. There are big ceremonies at the temple tonight where people gather with candles and flowers to receive and give blessings.
I had an extraordinary experience as well today. I went to visit Wat Khun Chi, a small Buddhist temple near my residence. It started off as any visit as I cast admiring glances at the artwork and peacefulness of this island within the bustling town of Phuket. Then I heard a bell.
A bell ringing, sounding off clear and strong among the cackling roosters. I followed the sound to a path behind a small, ordinary looking building.
There were women in white there, looking very much like the sisters who educated me when I was growing up. I looked around and listened to the chanting coming from an upstairs room. A younger nun explained that they were praying and it would last for two hours. I was hesitant to go up the stairs. Would I be allowed in?
An older nun indicated a place to put my shoes and gestured me to go up. I ascended my stairs and gathered there were women of all ages, from teenagers to those in their nineties. Most sat on the floor with their legs tucked behind them, chanting. In the front was a shrine with a large statue of the Buddha, flanked by two statues of men on either side, draped in saffron gowns. The altar also had smaller statues of Buddhist saints leading horizontally to the big statue. It was actually a small chapel and there were about twenty nuns, novices and laypeople gathered there, along with two tabby cats who were sleeping at the entrance. I stayed for almost the entire service and it was quite calming and uplifting. At the end one of the nuns unwrapped several long planks of bamboo, which had some of the scriptures on them. Even though I couldn't understand a word, I felt myself in the presence of people of great faith and I was struck by the similarity to many of the Catholic rituals I have attended throughout my life.

Breakfast with Phuket's Finest

2007-03-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

I have a regular place to eat in the mornings where I have a good Thai breakfast of rice. tea, small pieces of bread and coffee. This place is also a regular breakfast spot for a contingent of about eight officers from the Phuket Police Department. They buy me breakfast on a regular basis and we exchange words in both Thai and English. Today I told them about Wisconsin and pulled out a scarf that was my mother's. It has all the major cities in Wisconsin along with recreational activities such as fishing and skiing. Despite a wind that rippled through the scarf, I was able to point out Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin.

If things fall through with a job in Viet Nam I perhaps can work as a translator for the Phuket Police department. They did very well understand when I said they were Phuket's Finest. I then said the best, and they nodded heartily saying "Yes, yes we are the best!"

A Day at the Beach

2007-02-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

I finally was able to go to the beach on Saturday. Beaches are the heart of Phuket's tourist industry with sparkling white sand and crystal blue waters. The beach we went to is called Ni Harn is considered one of the quieter ones on the island.

About 11 a.m. in the morning, Tracy, Rudo and I piled into a tuk tuk which is a sort of small truck adapted with seats. It is a less expensive way to get around town for tourists. It took a good forty minutes to get to Ni Harn beach.

Once there one finds a series of seaside restaurants offering everything from Mexican cuisine to traditional Thai favorites. On the beach there are a variety of languages being spoken, English, German and Italian being the top three.

I had borrowed snorkeling equipment from my classmate, Gene. Soon I was in the water trying it out. I found the flippers too cumbersome on both land and sea, but I soon learned how to snorkel and spent about an hour in the water. Snorkeling give you a peaceful feeling as you are very aware of the cycles of breathing and feel immersed in gentle waves. The patterns of the sand below and the sudden appearance of rocks as black landmarks makes one both alert and fluent in the language of harmony at the same time. It was a fantastic experience that not too long ago, I never would have imagined I could do!

The Church in Thailand

2007-02-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday I had a very interesting experience attending a Catholic Church in Phuket. My motobike driver had trouble finding it, and I actually had to hire a second driver who took me to the Church of the Assumption.

It is a very nice little church of adobe white brick. I came in time to catch the end of the mass in Thai. The church is run by the Stigmatine Fathers, which is an order that I had never heard of before. It turns out they are an order that was founded in 1816 in Verona, Italy by St. Gaspar Bertoni. For more information, see their website:

http://www.estigmatinos.com.br/

At the end of the Thai mass, I received a Chinese New Year's blessing from the Director General of the order,who happened to be in town as part of a worldwide tour of the provinces. He gave me an orange (traditional during Chinese New Year) and I said "grazi." So here I am an American in a Thai Church receiving a blessing from an Italian priest. The English mass which followed was a tremendous multicultural experience. Assumption Church has a great choir which performed a beautiful guitar mass. The people attending included Thais, Filipinos, Koreans, Italians, Germans and English speaking people from Australia and, of course, the USA. A wonderful experience!

More from Andaman tours!

2007-02-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

Here are a selection of photos from the tour. By the way, you can always email me at:

lawalsh@hotmail.com

Rescue Me!

2007-02-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday a friend of mine, Tracy, and I went on a nature tour of the island. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to a Gibbon preserve and Thai national park. The gibbon preserve was very interesting as we arrived early in the morning and heard the apes "singing," which is hard to describe except as a "long, haunting call." Most of the apes had been rescued from abusive owners in various parts of Thailand by either tourists or Thai people. The animals had been kept in small bird cages, or beaten for singing, which is their natural instinct to try to find mates. Now the animals are kept in a large compound where they can sing, swing and play. Volunteers from overseas help take care of the animals and have established three families, with hopes of eventually releasing the offspring into the wild.

Right from the gibbon reserve, we climbed up to a beautiful waterfall. This was quite a challenge for me, however, because the ride on the motobike the night before had destroyed my shoes. All I had left to wear was a pair of open toed shoes that were not designed for walking. Fortunately, we had a great guide, a young Thai man named Nicky. He helped me up some of the steeper portions of the hillside. There are steps cut into the hillside, but they are very rough and uneven. He was always there to take my hand and make sure I didn't "take a header" down the trail. Nicky led us under a thick canopy of rainforest to a small waterfall. The water was clean and cool and I splashed my face with it. We beat the other tourists there so it was absolutely quiet except for the music of the waterfall. The waterfall was not so intense as it will become in July, when the full force of the water makes for a grand sight.

After going to the park, we stopped at an elephant camp and watched a monkey show and rode a Thai elephant. Thai elephants are smaller than their African and Asian cousins, but still are very impressive animals. This was my first time riding an elephant and I was a little scared. But actually the elephants have a slow, steady pace and it is quite calming to "be onboard."

To finish the outing, we went on a canoe ride through a mangrove swamp. There was an incredible amount of vegetation and these trees rising out of the water. I saw a wading bird that looked like a small stork. The lunch at the restaurant nearby was spectacular. Vegetables and chicken was served in a delicious Mussaman curry sauce and fresh fruits and vegetables were carved into the shape of hearts, flowers and butterflies.

Our guide for the outing was Nicky. Not only did he save me from possibly breaking a bone, but he was extremely knowledgable about Phuket island. He told us that about 200,000 people lived on the island. Fifty percent are foreigners; many are Burmese refugees working in the tourist industry as laborers, and a sizeable chunk are "Europeans;" non Thai people from Australia, North America and Europe who have decided to retire or live and work in Phuket. Before the tourist industry exploded, the majority of people worked on rubber plantation. Rubber trees are highly resilent and can be harvested for about 14 years. When the trees are being harvested for sap, people get up at around 3 a.m. and carefully cut the trees. The work needs to be done during the coolest part of the day. Rubber planters practice crop rotation so that when some trees are at the end of their life span, there are others ready to take their place. The old trees are chopped down and sold for firewood.

So it was a very adventurous and educational day in Phuket.

Chalong festival

2007-02-17T01:29:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a unique cultural experience. A group of us from the school went out to the Chalong temple festival. This an annual festival at one of the bigger Buddhist temples in Phuket to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The closest approximation is the Wisconsin State Fair. There are all kinds of vendors in the areas surrounding the temple selling food, clothes, jewelry, etc. Some traditional Thai music is featured on a stage and for the kids there is a big ferris wheel. Very close to the temple there are some religous rituals going on. People lit incense topped by little flags and put them on a huge sand mound. Others lit incense on small shrines nearby and some people even put up pictures of loved ones on these smaller shrines.

Perhaps the most adventurous part of this visit was getting to and from the temple. On the way there, a group of six of us managed to find a taxi. However it was not a large taxi and ended up with four of us in back and two on the front seat next to the driver. Then on the way home, my friend from Michigan, Tracy and I flagged down a motobike. I sat on the very back and my foot ended up resting on top of the pipe. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, the sole of my right shoe had been melted by the heat! The staff at the hotel was especially concerned by this and helped me hose down the shoes. Fortunately, the heat only damaged the shoe and not my foot. So today one of things on my list to do is shopping for new shoes. I'm down to a pair of open toed shoes that look nice but are not very handy for walking.

Hello Thailand

2007-02-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Thailand very late Sunday night. On the way to the hotel, the cab driver and I counted 7-11 shops. There were 9 shops. This is a very touristy area with McDonald's, Dunkin donuts and "American steakhouses" filling the streets.

Still it is very beautiful. There are many colorful and fragrant flowers, glittering green hills and the songs of exotic birds to greet you in the morning. The people are very friendly and the students I've started to work with our very eager to learn. For example, right now when I am at the computer, the woman who runs this internet cafe noticed I had the sniffles and gave me a tissue.

Our class of student teachers is also an international mishmash. There are about 5-6 Americans, an equal number of Australians, and also British, French, and a Guyanese person.
The ages range all the way from an eighteen year old to a retired engineer in his sixties. Most are an adventurous lot, with even our younger members being very experienced travellers.

I've been kept so busy I haven't had a chance to check out the beaches or the other landmarks of the island. There are many "Wats" here, temples for the Buddhist religion, and also some Chinese temples. I see one nestled in the distance, but I can't figure out how to get to it...

Wandering Singapore

2007-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

I arrived very late Thursday night in this Tiger of the Pacific. Singapore is a jewel of Asia. The first sight below plane was a traffic jam of ships in the port. Singapore is the busiest port in the world.

The city deserves its reputation as being very clean and safe. The people are courteous and hardworking, and this island country has achieved the highest standard of living in Asia. In many ways, it is like being in the USA, there are McDonald's everywhere and a lot of advertising for products from the US and Japan.

Last night I opened my adventures by walking away from the hotel and just taking in the neighborhood. I went past a Catholic Church named St. Michael's and many residential apartments. Eventually I found a subway station but didn't have small enough bills to chance the ticket machine. I took a cab to Chinatown; which was bustling with the upcoming Chinese New Year. I had some delicious noodles and mingled with the many people, Chinese and non Chinese alike enjoying the color of the holiday. Most memorable, an older Chinese woman who carried who dog around like a baby, taking in the sounds, smells and sights. The smell of garlic and onion and hope everhere. I hope to have pictures soon.

I plan to go to Little India today. Although in many ways Singapore is a fine model for how to create a good and properous society, it is not a utopia. Most of the people are Chinese, but, there are a large minority of Indian citizens as well. There is an undercurrent racism, most of the Indian people do the menial jobs such as cleaning up at the airport and street janitors, etc.

A lot of excitement and speculation has been created by the planned opening of two casinos in 2010, The population is expected to double from four million to eight million by then. There is a large amount of development in the harbor area, where a casino is going in financed by the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. There is a huge shopping mall and after getting lost in Chinatown, I took a bus and just happened to end up at the waterfront. A huge queque of people were waiting for taxis, something I had just run away from in Chinatown. I negotiated a ride back to the hotel with a shuttle service for about $16 USD, which was a little less than the asking price for "express service." When I arrived back at the hotel, two talented jazz singers were performing at the piano bar. They asked where I was from-- but somehow interpeted Milwaukee as being Kansas. I was too tired to correct them. We'll see where I am from today!

Starting the Journey--THANK YOU

2007-02-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

Now that I start my Journey, I have so many people to thank. My generous colleagues at Marquette University, who gave me such a terrific sendoff. My manager at NRCSA who has given me much sage advice and guidance. My friend Ann who is boarding Franklin. My Uncle Leo and Aunt Flo who have been so kind to me in helping me with this transition. My cousin Pat who is helping handle the sale of the car.

THANK YOU.