Vietnam celebrates independence, but it isn't on the fourth of July. Just a regular day for them, but not me. Couldn't fly a flag or explode any fireworks, so travelled to a culture village where I saw some local artisans at work. Amazed to see the level of detail, especially by hand. Much of the rice planting is manual labor, with help from some farm animals. Americans depend on machines for mass production, to make more money, to have a higher standard of living. Not entirely so in Vietnam. Everyone wants a good life, but our consumption varies considerably. Life is hard here.
Had a nice celebration at dinner with some Mizzou students last night. The MU alumni living in Hanoi met with some Vietnamese students who are coming to the US for the first time this fall. They invited me to tag along because one of those students was mine. Kim will be working with me as a TA and Prof. Joe Hobbs in the Vietnam Institute on campus. She and her roommate are eager to start a new life and I get to play a role in that. How refreshing!
It's amazing how a lot of people around the world work so hard to just live every day, and their talents and contributions to the world around them flourish all the more. Very few people in the developed world posses a legitimate excuse to do less.
ReplyDeleteAmericans have many lessons to learn from others worldwide, but our judgment is often clouded by a feeling of superiority.
ReplyDeleteThanks Professor Mark for having traveled back to Hanoi to join the dinner ! When Mizzou tigers knew that you are in Vietnam, everybody were excited to meet you !. It is great to know that you enjoyed the time with us ! : )
ReplyDeleteThanks, had a great time!
ReplyDeleteSmall world.
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