July 4th

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! 

 

 

Weekend in Hanoi

 

The ecolodge was fully-booked last weekend, so I made a long dash off to the big city. Had to take public transportation and it was quite an experience! I got to the bus station, but didn't have to buy a ticket. I just gave the person $5 USD for a 4-hour trip (the same as STL to KC). I can hardly drive across town for $5 in my truck. One reason it took 4 hours was due to the many stops it made. Some to pick up people, and some for parcel / post delivery. It was interesting to see this happen. Nobody bought tickets. Lot's of trust in the money-changer, I suppose.

After arriving at the bus station in Hanoi, I was greeted by many people yelling "taxi" and "motorbike" very loudly. Although I needed to transfer, my first order of business was to find the WC. In public places you have to pay to pee, so I gladly paid my 2,000 dong (.10) to relieve myself. Next, was lunch and I was starving. The bus terminal is not the best place to eat lunch. It was an open-air food vendor and it was fairly crowded. I got some ramen noodles in a sealed container which looked cleaner than the bread exposed to the elements. Actually, the flies bothered me less than all the people squeezing the bread to see which loaf was softest. I only had few small bills and when I tried to pay, it was not enough. I reached for some coins in my pocket and the cashier just shrugged me off as if I were some tourist. Imagine that!

I caught a taxi and made it safely to the hotel. Dinner with some friends and afterwards went to the night market. It was miserably hot, so took a shower and went to bed. 

         

Humble Abode

 

I'm staying at Mai Chau Ecolodge, located on a winding and bumpy road nearly 3.5 hours from Hanoi. It's a very nice tourism facility about 1 year old. When they say eco-lodge, they really mean it. I found a frog hiding under my front door and a lizard in the bathroom! The room has two showers, one inside and one outside. Last night I ate some (cooked) grasshoppers with my meal. Tastes like carp, except crunchier! :) But had to drink some rice wine to wash'em down. Big gulp! 

   

Orient Express

Took my first trip shortly after arriving in Hanoi. Booked an overnight train ride to Sapa, one of the well-known cultural tourism destinations in Vietnam. Not much sleeping on the train, but it was an interesting experience. Vietnam is quite famous for the ethnic tribes which inhabit various locations throughout the countryside. They are also engaged in the tourism sector, as many visitors like to see how life was lived long ago. It's kind of like stepping back in time about 500 years. Life is quite simple, but more technologically advanced as what you might think, including motorbikes and cell phones. I ordered 'catch of the day' for lunch (which happened to be sturgeon) and took a mineral bath afterwards! Some kids were eager to take me on a cave tour for $1 USD.

Homecoming

A stroll down memory lane!  My room at VNU was still there and some of the colleagues that I worked with in 2010. More construction this time, but Hanoi is much the same as before. Just had to get a haircut - best deal in town. Some former students met me for dinner and it was nice to see them.  Of course, food is always present!  Vietnam is well-known for inexpensive, healthy and delicious food. You should try some soon! 

Soft Landing

Always nice to see friends and students when traveling abroad. It creates a new memory while reinforcing all of the previous ones. I like to think of it as good brain food, especially when you are enjoying a meal.

At Incheon (S. Korea), two of my former MU students (Kris and Chan) met me for dinner and brought along another Mizzou alumnus (Iris) from Public Affairs. In Hanoi, one of my future graduate students (Kim) met me at the airport and we had lunch together.  You know, there's something special about eating with others!  

Travel Consultant

This summer, I'll be working as a consultant for an ecotourism travel company based in Hanoi called Asia Aventura.  My only wages are room and board, but don't feel too sorry for me since I'll be housed at a luxurious accommodation, nestled deep into countryside: Mai Chau Ecolodge My job is to Westernize their operation by providing staff training and editing all of the travel descriptions. It should be fun and interesting work. I'm looking forward to returning to Vietnam after 5 years.