Journey to Peace Village

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.

Labels: Viet Nam and the West

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

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!

Labels: education, Viet Nam

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.

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.

Labels: ecology, education, Vietnamese culture

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!

Labels: education, Viet Nam

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!!!

Labels: Viet Nam and the West