April 29, 2012 (Sunday) — Today is the big day of our trip, the reason we came: the 20th anniversary celebration of the founding of Hanoi’s Baha’i community.
I have a lot of notes and photos to document this milestone and will upload them Any Day Now. But while I’m organizing, please enjoy this video of the performance which opened the celebration. It’s a traditional Vietnamese “rice dance”, performed by a group of young women that includes Huyen, one of the two who guided Zabine and me during our second-day outing.
This video found its way onto YouTube minutes after it was taken and while the celebration still was barely getting started. My impression is that it’s the very first video coming out of event, though not the last.
How wonderful it is to have this exciting site to look forward to each day! Thank you so very much!
I am a close friend of Denny and Marsha [Rule], have been for many, many years. I currently live in a teeny tiny town just outside of Toledo, OH. My husband, Marc and I, are actually home front pioneering! We have formed our little Baha’i Group and are enjoying our teaching experiences; learning as we go along and trying to do our best.
You know, I think we owe Denny a HUGE thank you for bringing us, and so many, many others together. I look forward to KEEPING up with you! Thank you so very much for this wonderful, wonderful opportunity to come along with you on such a bountiful journey. God be with you.
Thank you, Kathy. Yes, I agree that Denny and Marsha are terrific. Did you learn about this site from them?
Please note that although I’m trying to post frequent updates about the Vietnam trip, there won’t necessarily be new stuff every day. At times there might even be weeks in between, depending on how busy Stonehaven Press and my other Baha’i and non-Baha’i projects keep me. (Also, please remember that this isn’t a “Baha’i” site, per se. Over time, many articles, if not most, will be much more generic.)
May I therefore suggest that you subscribe to the site using the “E-mail Updates” form in the upper right column? This way you will be automatically notified whenever there is new material. And in any case — thanks again, and God bless you and your wonderful group.
Dear Gary, It was so good to find you again. I love reading about your trip to Viet Nam. Joel Smith shared your site. Hope it continues to be a wonderful adventure for you.
Thank you, Linda, and many thanks also to Joel. He’s indeed a great friend.
Dear Gary,
Thank you for your almost daily report and this beautiful video.
Dear Gary,
Loved the videos. Would you please post more videos of the Vietnamese Baha’i community.
Thank you.
Thanks, Jasmin. There’s much more material to follow, including photos, video, and narrative. Please stay tuned, and consider subscribing to the blog via the “Email Updates” form at the upper right.
One perpetual wrinkle is that the more things are going on, the less time and energy remain to document them. As a chronicler of events, I prefer — in theory anyway — to remain detached. Almost a disembodied watcher, continually transmitting my observations. But the reality is that I’m caught up in the vortex of experiences I’m striving to share. These pull me along, day after day, nonstop, affording little opportunity to process and less to share.
I’m therefore playing continual catch-up, posting occasional updates in hope of retaining enough viewers for when I finally get to upload the rest of the wonderful sights, sounds, and discoveries with which Zabine and I are blessed.