Journey to Peace Village

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

and I
could no longer see the forest

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

the plants dried out
and were
no longer

I came home and this white cloud
this death



I no longer wish

Labels: Agent Orange, environment, Viet Nam War, Vietnamese history

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....

Labels: Viet Nam and the West, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

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."

Labels: Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

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

Labels: religion and culture, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

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!

Labels: Viet Nam, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

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.

Labels: Buddhism, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

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.

Labels: literature, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and the West, Vietnamese history