Life continues to be fascinating and inspiring. Could I ask for more?
The view from the rooftop of our building (looking toward District 7 and District 5 beyond)
Two stories today – that will come together eventually.
Parent teacher conferences were three weeks ago. As usual, when first meeting with parents, I ask,
“why do you choose to send your child to this school?” In my mind, they have a choice. Nine of my eleven students are Vietnamese, none
of them have dual nationality. There are
public schools, countless private Vietnamese schools, and 12 international
schools in the city. I feel it gives me
more focus, more purpose, if I understand why parents are choosing to put their
4-year old on a bus for a ride to school that lasts as long as 85 minutes. Most of the conferences were translated by my
very able bi-lingual Teaching Assistant.
As one father spent a considerable amount of time speaking to her in
answer to my question, I pondered how far I was from my oldest brother (I
remember watching the draft lottery the year his birthday was pulled) shooting
at this man’s father in the early 70s.
This father made his choice based on his perception that
current Vietnamese schools are not developing the character that he wants for
his children. He did some research and
felt the school where I work was the answer.
You can see how that provides me with more purpose when I’m working with
his child.
Second story:
Recently, a friend was in the country with Habitat for
Humanity. S2 and I met up with her and five
members of her group, providing them a brief tour of what we know about the
center of the city, known as District 1.
We met at the Post Office, a Colonial building that makes me
feel like I’m in the 1800s (in a good way).
It is a well-known landmark and always seems to be open. I went with some things to mail, because no
trip there would be complete without using the glue brush, as one paints the glue
on the stamps that have to be attached (no meters here!). Let me know if you want a post card. They are still sold here. Or, if you want one of those incredible
pop-up cards, I can arrange that as well.
Of course, I need your address as well.
So, we met the group of 6 and pointed out some nearby sites:
the cozy book street located next to the post office and my personal favorite,
the fish pedicure (which I was eager to try until I just ran a search to find
out what they are called and found out about all the dangers of one). We strolled down “the walking street” and
ended up on the balcony of a tea shop watching the world go by (including a man
sitting backward on a motorbike as he towed a helium canister). It was therapeutic to visit with people not
related to work. They had moving stories
about the work they’d just done.
From there we moved onto a nearby Hindu Temple they read
about. I stood in the temple befuddled
by the notion of all the religions that are in this area, and the length of
time such practices have been here.
We ended up in a “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant that a
colleague showed me. I like the family
atmosphere of the place. We were seated
upstairs, between the air conditioner and the fan. I chose the Morning Glory and Beef with an Avocado
Smoothie. The waiter was very attentive
to the large group, meeting everyone’s drink needs. Once he placed the food order, his curiosity
got the best of him and he returned to ask if anyone of us had been there during
the Vietnam war (here it is usually known as the American War). A self-admitted History buff, he wanted to
hear our perspectives and knowledge.
He was adamant that he had great respect for the U.S.,
because they did not use their full power.
At the time, I was still watching the Ken Burns 10-episode documentary
on Vietnam (as per my brother’s suggestion).
The series is detailed and offers explanations that, as a child, I was
not aware of, but when all the pieces go together, I have more understanding
for what a difficult situation the American/Vietnam War was for so many
people. I had to admit, the waiter was
correct. The series never mentions that the
U.S. contemplated dropping an atomic bomb.
Certainly the U.S. dropped a lot of bombs, but not the one that would
have obliterated the conflict.
As I’ve combined my knowledge about Vietnam and the war that
raged on here for years (I highly recommend the Ken Burns series, check your
local library or Netflix) with the words of the parents of my students, I feel
like I’m living in a remarkable place, at a remarkable time. I am teaching the son of a man that wants me
to develop “human integrity and intellect” so that his son will become a global
citizen. Could I ask to be part of a
greater task?
Some recent photos:
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