Tag Archives: Vietnam

Where We Left Off

“What’s going on with the Tamale?”

Thus inquired my friend Patricia, just last night. As a subscriber to this blog, she no doubt was puzzled at not having gotten any updates for the past four-and-and-half months. Okay, fasten your seat belts:

Peter & Zabine It was May 8-9 when Zabine Van Ness and I returned to Seattle from Hanoi, via Seoul, Korea. (See the previous article, Seoul Pancake.) I spent most of the next two weeks in Seattle as a guest of Zabine and her husband, Peter Van Ness, pictured at left.

A highlight of this visit was Seattle’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the visit to America by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, son of the Baha’i Faith’s founder, Baha’u’llah. And for me, the chief highlight of that celebration was being its keynote speaker — one of the highest honors of my life.

Cheri-slides Finally — finally! — got back to Knoxville May 22 (having left April 24). Got back to Cheri. My dear, sweet, beloved Cheri. In our 26 years of marriage, we’d never been apart for a whole month. As great an adventure as this Vietnam/Seattle  trip was, the physical distance from her made it one of the toughest months of my life. Maybe hers too.

From that moment this till, I’ve been immersed in book-publishing stuff, web-publishing stuff, writing, trying to mow faster than our lawn can grow. And yes, there’s a lot more to log here by way of specifics. Please stay tuned.

To all the wonderful folks I met, and the many new friends I made, on this trip-of-a-lifetime — thank you for being there. Can’t wait to see you all again. Hopefully, next time, accompanied by Cheri, so the trip-duration won’t matter.

Blending in in Vietnam

One faithful reader complains of difficulty in picking out my friend Zabine from the group photos posted here. The reason is that Zabine and I, as seasoned world travelers, have learned to blend into a crowd of Vietnamese.

Here’s a picture of the two of us blending in. Zabine, you’ll notice, does it better than I do. It takes special skill to fly under the radar when you tower over the folks with whom you’re blending. Still, don’t you agree I could do worse?

Days Three-Four 170

Be that as it may, Zabine blends very well, height-wise. So long as she’s surrounded by really tall Vietnamese men. With women, maybe not quite so well. Note below the extent to which “Shorty” (as her friends know her) does or doesn’t blend with typical Vietnamese women. She’s in the center. Please disregard her friend Barbara, who, as a fellow-Westerner (on Zabine’s left), blends almost as well as I do.

Days Three-Four 172But unlike Barbara, Zabine and I face a further challenge in the blending sweepstakes: We not only are taller than our Vietnamese counterparts, we’re also (ahem!) significantly wider. After nearly two weeks of striding through packed crowds with my bird’s-eye view, I have yet to see a single overweight Vietnamese person. I’m told they exist, but cannot confirm this from observation. Width-wise, I blend in best in my own land, where two-thirds of us are overweight and one-third are obese.

Details, details. Here we are below, blending into the audience at Hanoi’s 20th anniversary celebration for the founding of its Baha’i community. Bet you’d never have spotted us if I hadn’t circled us in red, huh? Except maybe for the telltale white hair. Hmm. We might need to work on that in a nation where most everyone, young or old, has black hair (or near-black). Maybe some henna…

AudienceHuyen Speaking of black: Our young friend Huyen told me yesterday that her name in Vietnamese literally means “black” (referring to eyes and hair), and is therefore synonymous with “beautiful” since in that cultural context black is considered beautiful. Wow! Reminds me of the Sixties when our African-American friends fought to popularize that same truth with regard to dark skin. How wonderfully they succeeded! (And yet, how tragic that in that community — or too much of it — darker skin still is deemed aesthetically inferior to lighter.)

But my point… Let’s see, did I have a point? Oh, yes, something about blending. But I can’t write any more about that right now. It’s time to go practice my chopsticks, so that our Vietnamese hosts (and expert chopstick-wielders like Zabine) don’t have further need to stifle their laughter and make polite excuses next time the bite I’m fumbling with flies across the table and hits them in the forehead. For those of us who practice blending, the challenge is never-ending.

Hanoi: Baha’i 20th Anniversary

For Zabine Maryam (Linkins) Van Ness, this has been a journey of 20 years. For me, it only felt like one.

Hanoi-FlowersWe arrived Sunday morning at the hotel in Hanoi where the Baha’i community was gathering to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding. Stunning floral arrangements were everywhere. Many of these, I hear, were sent by the government, which recognized the Baha’i Faith here four years ago and with which the friends now have very good relations. Wishing to offer support, government officials were taken aback to discover that the Baha’is could not accept funding from outside sources. They therefore sent flowers as – I assume – did many other institutions and individuals.

Traditional Vietnamese costumes were much in evidence, alongside Western business attire. Throughout the day, Zabine was warmly greeted both by Vietnamese friends and by foreign dignitaries who remembered her humanitarian work in their respective countries.

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Days Three-Four 086 The new National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Vietnam, elected the day before at the annual national convention, was introduced. Among the members is Tahirih Hong Le (the only woman), daughter of Le Loc, a longtime friend of Zabine’s from the Old Days. Le Loc once served as chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of South Vietnam , and later as chairman of the NSA of unified Vietnam.

Cameras were everywhere – traditional cameras, cell-phone cameras, you name it. They were snapping continuously. I mostly took photos of people I didn’t know in groupings I didn’t recognize. They all seemed to want Zabine in the picture. Occasionally they even wanted me, which was awkward since, willing though I was, I really preferred to be wield the camera. But of course I occasionally gave in and turned it over to one of the friendly volunteers who always stood ready. Thus I ended up in some very memorable photos.

It was impossible not to notice that iPhones and iPads were everywhere. More than once, I had occasion to try to type my name and e-mail address or web-link into someone else’s contact book. I say “try” because I kept tripping over an unfamiliar keyboard layout, and oddly accented characters would pop up at times for no apparent reason. The extraordinary customizability of Apple products is of course is one reason why iEverything permeates world markets iEverywhere. (But I digress.)

Some prominent government officials attended the celebration. They were of course treated with highest honors, befitting their high rank. Recognizing the Baha’i community as a force for social progress and stability, the government of Vietnam has been very supportive since granting official recognition in 2008.

No one introduced me to the officials in attendance, however, and I blush to confess that I’m not sure which (if any) of my group photos include them. At the time, I wasn’t even sure whether individuals of such high station would be comfortable having their photos taken by a visiting American. So for reasons of cultural sensitivity I exercised caution, only to hear later that that very caution might have been perceived as culturally insensitive. (Sigh!)

Baha’i Counselor George Soraya of Indonesia gave a rousing keynote speech. He emphasized Baha’i principles of obedience to government, peace, education, loyalty to government, the oneness of humanity, Baha’i non-participation in partisan politics, cooperation with government, non-violence, and obedience to government.

Days Three-Four 119 Another moving address was from a beautiful lady (Mrs. Tran Thi Bich) who was the second Hanoi Baha’i, having been enrolled 20 years ago by the first believer, Dr. Dao An Son. Sadly, the latter’s whereabouts are currently unknown, although the National Spiritual Assembly made every effort to find her during the lead-up to the celebration.

There were stage performances of various kinds – guitar, dance, vocal – all of them excellent. There was a beautiful slide show, highlighting the events that gave birth to the Hanoi Baha’i community, as well as its two decades of growth and progress since that time. The slides included several from the presentation prepared by Zabine (see the previous article on this web site).

At the appropriate point, Zabine herself was invited to stand and was introduced befittingly. As noted earlier, she can rightly be regarded as mother of the Hanoi Baha’i community, having enrolled that city’s first believer in 1992. (See previous article for details.) Although she received rousing applause from the audience, she was unable to address the convention: Her visa did not arrive in time for her to seek and obtain government clearance for such an address.

After the celebration, we found ourselves in a sea of tearful goodbyes. Language and culture aside, the high emotions would have been familiar to anyone who has experienced the close of any Baha’i school, conference, or other large gathering: No one wanted to go. But time moves on, and hotel rooms must be cleared for the next gathering.

We went for lunch, later, at a nice restaurant with a large group of celebration attendees. While I ate, Zabine mostly ignored her food in favor of negotiating Very Great Things with a prominent Thailand Baha’i. Her newfound friend, Rosalie Huibonhua, watched from across the table with growing concern and finally told me, “We have to make this woman eat!” I was like, “You think I can make Zabine do anything?”

Well, of course I can’t – and I’m pretty sure that’s the way things are supposed to be.

Vietnam: Hanoi Beginnings

April 29, 2012 (Sunday) – As I have explained, the stated reason Zabine Van Ness and I are in Vietnam is that the Hanoi Baha’i community, on the 20th anniversary of its founding, wanted to honor Zabine for her role in that seminal event.

That “stated” reason is of course their reason – and a good reason it is indeed. But it isn’t Zabine’s reason for accepting the invitation. She came here with the hope that she could assist and empower the Vietnamese friends today, perhaps even more than she did in the past. “The celebration is about the last 20 years,” she says. “It’s time to be working on the next 20.”

That’s what she has done, from the moment the plane touched down. More about that later. Zabine, however, has a passion for documenting history and has put together a fabulous slideshow about the events 20 years ago that launched the Hanoi community. She and her then-husband, the late J.T. Linkins, taught and enrolled the first Hanoi believer, Dr. Dao An Son. The circumstances were harrowing: J.T. almost died, under circumstances that might easily have triggered an international incident.

But he didn’t die, and all was well that ended well. Please click the image below to read the amazing story. It is in PDF format, and you will need the free Adobe Reader software (adobe.com) to view it. If you have it installed already, you should be able to view it in your browser window. (And please be patient – it’s a large file and may take a few minutes to download.)

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Eat, Pray, Love, Shop (Vietnam Style)

April 27, 2012 (Friday) – Having enjoyed our motorcycle ride, we were set for a busy day.

SecondDay001 First, we sat in on a committee meeting at the home of a Baha’i friend, met many members of the Baha’i community, along with a visiting Counselor, George Saroya, from Indonesia. Lunch at an outdoor noodle cafe. Delicious food. Did I mention that I am not normally adventurous with unfamiliar cuisine? So far, however, I’ve enjoyed all kinds of new dishes I don’t recognize, can’t pronounce, and that taste unlike anything I recall. It’s turning out to be a treat, not a challenge. (But stay tuned!)

SecondDay014 After lunch, we were turned over to two wonderful young Vietnamese women, Ha and Huyen (pronounced “When”). They escorted us on a long trek through downtown Hanoi. Shopping, sightseeing, learning cultural history. Too much to easily absorb, much less summarize here – but amazing stuff. Long walks, long bus rides. (Riding a bus in Hanoi feels just like riding a bus in any American city, or at least that was my take on it.)

SecondDay020 In the evening, we attended a Baha’i Feast observance at a private residence. At least 50 to 60 Baha’is attended – almost all of them Vietnamese. Rare exceptions included our hosts, Michael and Selena, who are American; ourselves, and a couple of visitors attending for the same reason we are: To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Baha’i community in Hanoi.

SecondDay023 Speaking of which, Zabine was recognized and honored for her role in teaching and enrolling the first Hanoi believer, Dr. Dao An Son. She’s thus regarded by the Baha’is here as the founder of their community. Asked to speak, she conveyed loving greetings from hundreds of well-wishers from throughout the planet. Zabine has unnumbered Internet connections: more than 4500 Facebook friends, just for starters. She assured them (through her interpreter) that this immense worldwide community is vibrant with admiration for everything the friends in Vietnam are accomplishing.

Tomorrow (Saturday) happens to be Vietnam’s annual Baha’i convention, where the National Spiritual Assembly is elected. Since Zabine and I can’t attend that, we aren’t sure how we’ll be spending the day: That is up to our hosts. But Sunday is an open anniversary celebration to which everyone is invited – public officials, private citizens (Baha’i and otherwise), and visiting dignitaries.

Hanoi from the Handlebars

April 27, 2012 (Friday) – Our busy day started with an unexpected treat – motorcycle rides for Zabine and me. We knew that Baha’i friends were coming by to pick us up, and I suppose we expected a van or car or something. But the most normal mode of transport in Hanoi seems to be the motorcycle, so it was our time to be initiated.

Motorcycle Prep1 Major streets in Hanoi are narrower than those in Ho Chi Minh City. There are good lane markings when there’s no construction going on – but there is a lot of construction.

Nevertheless, motorcycle travel in Hanoi is safe and stress-free. Until you get out of the driveway. Connecting alleys are okay, except for the requisite right-angle turns at high speed. Then you enter a major thoroughfare, and the rules change. Including, apparently, the rules of physics: Standard equations that govern momentum, drag, gravity, and quantum thermodynamics no longer apply.

Motorcycle Prep2 Hanoi has six million people and three million motorcycles, most of which are on the street simultaneously. (Okay, not literally – but a high percentage.) There also are large numbers of large buses, smaller buses, SUVs, cars (regular and compact), bicycles, pedestrians, and other moving objects.

At any given moment, each of those moving objects appears to be on a high-speed collision course with at least five other moving objects. Often a lot more. Time and again I wanted to yell, “You’re heading straight toward an oncoming bus!” Or we’d be zooming toward the back of a car ahead of us, going in the same direction, when an SUV would zoom past that car through an opening that appeared half its size. Milliseconds before the SUV would pass, my driver would slip between the two vehicles and tool nonchalantly along.

How I wish I had photos taken from the back of that motorcycle. Or better yet, a video. But waving around a camera phone during the actual ride wasn’t an act that leapt to mind as rational. I held on tightly. It was fun, sometimes in the way an extreme carnival ride is fun. Our drivers were highly skilled and completely accustomed to the traffic environment, so the reality is that we were – statistically speaking – quite safe. I’d say we were at least as safe as one is driving a car during Knoxville rush-hour traffic. Probably a lot safer.

And yes: I’m looking forward to doing it again!

Motorcycles01 Motorcycles02

Vietnam Arrival

April 25, 2012 (Wednesday) – We are now in Hanoi. Considering my many (mis)adventures with travel, domestic and foreign, the trip here was amazingly smooth and stress-free. Well, as stress-free as 18 or so hours on an airplane can be.

We landed in Seoul, Korea (Incheon Airport) right on schedule (okay, a couple of minutes late). The first thrill was discovering that our cell phones could connect to the airport’s free wifi hotspot. So I texted, then called, my beloved Cheri. Actually heard her voice (though what that voice was saying was that she couldn’t hear mine very well). Zabine and I passed through airport security to board the plane to Hanoi. Then ensued a four-hour flight, during which we both tried to catch a bit of sleep.

Landing, debarking, and baggage collection – smooth. Immigration entry checkpoint, even smoother. Zabine and I both recall travels where involved a lot of entry paperwork. Here we were greeted by a brisk customs official who checked our passports and visas, confirmed they were in order, stamped them, and waved us through.

Vietnam-iPhone First 196 Then a thrill: As we walked left the airport proper, we spotted three men holding a sign that read “Baha’i”. Ecstatic greetings and introductions ensued. Zabine, who has been to Vietnam twice before this trip, well remembers when no such openness would have been possible. Having official government recognition for the Faith makes all the difference. As is typical in Baha’i circles, we all were like lifelong friends, nay family, within five minutes.

A car ride followed, during which we learned all about Hanoi and Vietnam. Zabine was astounded by how much, and how rapidly, things have changed. A major surprise was the relatively small number of bicycles, once much more common, and the corresponding prevalence of small motorcycles. Everyone seems now to get around that way.

We were taken to the home of Dr. Hao Van Le and his wife, Dr. Khinh Le, who are providing hospitality during our stay. Their home has, among other amenities, very high-quality wifi. (That’s why I’m able to post blog updates like this one.)

As the home tour completed, we were rapidly descending into jet-lag-reinforced comas. Zabine and I therefore retired to our separate sleeping rooms. I did, however, take a few minutes to call Cheri over a free wifi VOIP phone service. To my amazement, it connected instantly and were able to talk as easily as if we were in the same room. (More on that later.)

Vietnam Journey Unfolding

April 24, 2012 — Zabine and I are in flight –Asiana Airlines– somewhere between Seattle and Seoul. We’ve travewled 1550 of our 5210-mile total;our altitude is 36,000 feet, ground speed 532 miles per hour, and current outside air temperature — a balmy minus-70 degrees F. (Guess if I get too hot, I can always go perch on the wing!)

Sense of time, utterly mixed up. Between Knoxville, my home, and Hanoi, our ultimate destination, the time difference is 12 hours. (But does Daylight Saving Time factor in, and how?) Twixt Seattle and Hanoi, 15 hours –at least that’s what the web site said. What I don’t know is what time zone we’re in right now, or where the international date line is, or what time it is now, locally. (Is there even such a thing as local time when you’re 36,000 feet high?) My iPad clock reads 6:05 p.m., but that’s just what the time WOULD be if we hadn’t left Seattle and lost Internet access.

This I know: Asiana is one classy airline. Boarding was a breeze, despite the hugeness of the crowd getting onto the packed plane. Accommodations are comfortable and spacious; the flight crew, uniformly friendly, briskly efficient and genuinely caring. I wish domestic air travel were as easy as this, but it just isn’t.
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