Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Finding Vietnamese poetry
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
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
Labels: literature, music, poetry, Viet Nam
Monday, July 16, 2007
Four Months and Counting
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.
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.
Labels: education, music, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and the West
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Universal Stephen Foster
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/
To find out more about Stephen Foster go to:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/
Labels: culture and society, music, Viet Nam and the West
