This is my final hello or sabaidee from Laos! I'm writing from the beautiful lobby of the Villa Maly hotel in Luang Prabang. This hotel is a newly renovated house from the French colonial era - in fact, it just opened a few months ago. The lobby, rooms, pool area, and breakfast patio are very European (including the guests here!) and absolutely pristine. Even the sink in the bathroom is like a piece of art, crafted from a massive painted urn with a gold hammered bowl at the top. In a few hours we leave for the airport where we fly from Luang Prabang to Ha Noi and then to Da Nang later tonight. We stay in Da Nang at a beach resort for 4 days and then transfer to HCMC and GO HOME IN LESS THAN A WEEK!! I am so excited.
Our time in Laos has been fantastic. If I were to recommend anything to someone wishing to travel to this country, I would absolutely recommend going to this city. It reminds me of Vietnam in so many ways yet at the same time it could not be more different. In a lot of ways, I think that this trip to Laos has helped me to better understand Vietnam - I am not as far removed from Vietnam as going home to the US yet, but there are so many contrasts I have been exposed to here (cultural, historical culinary, the pace of life here etc) that have helped me synthesize my experience in Vietnam and provide context to my life there this past semester.
The streets of Luang Prabang have a similar Asian and exotic feel as parts of Vietnam, but it is as if people take a deep breath before hitting the streets and move a whole lot slower, with a constant smile on their faces. Everyone (I am not exaggerating) is friendly and smiling and not NEARLY as pushy as the Vietnamese people are. Although there are tuk tuks everywhere to be ridden, the drivers don't harass you as they do in VN. Even the night market we went to is so enjoyable! It is not hot, people don't push, the streets are clean, there is space to walk or even stroll, and you don't have to haggle as much with vendors nagging at you constanty, as is the case in many, many markets in Vietnam. This city is a lot like the Asian version of Key West in terms of its tropical feel and urban pace - just replace all the rainbow flags from Key West with Buddhist monks or statues of Buddhas and it will be as if you are here with me!
In terms of the more historical aspects of this city, the centrality of Buddhism in this culture, this country, and this city specifically is really important to point out. Beginning in the very early morning (around 5:30 AM), the sacred atmosphere and spiritual life central to Luang Prabang becomes evident. Around 5:30 AM, young Buddhist novices dressed in their yellow robes with orange tied belts parade through the streets in a single line, begging bowl in hand as they follow the narrow streets. Villagers come out each morning lining the sidewalks as they offer to the long line of monks different food items, which the novices fill their bowls with. This food is the only food they eat all day and the reason that Lao Buddhists are not necessarily vegetarians as they are in VN - the novices take and eat whatever food the community offers them. This usually means sticky rice, bananas, or instant noodle. Speaking of sticky rice, it is an absolute staple in the diet here, as is curry. Two foods I will definitely miss when we leave! The sticky rice is like the bread of the meal, sticky enough to dip with and is always eaten with your hands. It is eaten from small baskets, always.
Luang Prabang has a beautiful setting in the moutnains of northern Laos on a narrow peninsula formed by the NamKhan river joining with the Mekong. There is a dramatically less amount of visible poverty here compared to Vietnam. In fact, people live in actual houses here in the countryside. Development seems more widespread too - powerlines are not jumbled together, the roads are consitently more reliable, and more people drive cars. This is probably due to the much smaller population here. The entire country has 7 million people, compared to Vietnam's 84 million people. The per capita income here is much higher compared to Vietnam.
Also Luang Prabang has a long history of being the choice location for many temples (there are 32 remaining in this VERY small town of the original 60). We have had the opportunity to visit many (maybe too many?) temples including Wat Mai, Wat Sene, Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Visoun, Wat Aham, and Wat That, all ornately decorated with massive and tiny Buddha statues, mosaics, colored glass, engravings, and lots and lots of gold. We also took a long boatride along the Mekong and visited a rice wine-making village and a few caves filled with tiny sculptures of Buddhas and climbed to the top of an incredible waterfall. We even went through a Hmong village, which was so interesting to me after reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which is one of my favorite books written about a Hmong family from Laos living in the US. This country has been so impressive and so beautiful! Definitely a good decision to come here...I don't regret it for a second!
If there is a computer at our next hotel I will post one last time from Vietnam, but if not this might be my last post from Asia! I can't believe this time is nearly over, but I feel like I have really gotten everything from it that I can and that I wished to. Happy early new year!!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sabaidee ("Hello") from the Land of A Million Elephants: Laos
Sabaidee! That is Laotian for "Hello." I am writing to you from the business center of the amazing, beautiful, and elegantly luxurious hotel we are staying in in Vientiane, Laos, the capital. In the language here, the country Laos means the Land of A Million Elephants, so I figured this would be the most appropriate title for this post! Although I have yet to see an actual elephant here other than the elephants decorating the artwork and tapestries abundant in this country, the word is that they can be found in the countryside and remain a sacred animal to many here.
We arrived in Vientiane after an intense 2 day in a row overnight train experience to and from Sapa. We arrived from Sapa to Hanoi at 4 AM two days ago and then went directly to the airport for our flight here. We arrived to this amazing hotel exhausted and dirty from trekking and not showering in two days. As soon as we got to the hotel, however, we were greeted so warmly by the staff here dressed in the traditional Laos dress and holding their hands in the prayer position, which is considered a polite gesture upon seeing someone for the first time. Their beautiful dress, which is similar to the many tapestries and silks my dad has brought back from India during his travels, is so distinct from Vietnamese fabrics - it is amazing that these countries are so close together yet so different. In addition to the obvious differences in attire of the people here, their skin is much darker than Vietnamese and their eyes lighter shades of brown. In fact, the Laotian people look much more Thai and even Indian than Vietnamese people do. My parents laugh when I continue making these comparisons to Vietnam, but after all, this has been my only point of reference for the last 4 months. When exchanging money, I unintentionally converted the currency into VN Dong rather than US Dollars to understand the exchange rate. Another example of a time when my parents got a kick out of the influence Vietnam has had on my thinking and behavior!
Upon entering the lobby of this hotel, which was decorated just beautifully with bright white cushions on the couches, which contrasted the dark wood used on the floors and other furniture, we were ushered into a seating area to enjoy freshly squeezed orange juice with orchids decorating the glasses. What luxury!! It was delicious. We settled into our rooms and took a shower. When I say take a shower, I mean take the best shower I have possibly ever experienced!!! Okay, maybe my perspective is a LITTLE off considering where I have lived this semester, but in any event, this shower was amazing. There was even a private garden for each shower inside a three walled structure, made visible from inside the shower through a huge glass window.
After showering, we headed into town with our guide for a short tour of the city and a glimpse at several structures we looked at in more depth today, such as the city's arc de triumph and many, many ancient Buddhist temples. We had lunch at an amazing restaurant, which like a few restaurants in Vietnam I love, is an NGO to train street children on food preparation and the restaurant business. We had delicious tofu curry, fresh mushroom spring rolls, sticky rice, Lao beer, and all sorts of eggplant, tomato, and mushroom dips. There is definitely a strong Thai and Indian influence on the food, but at the same time, so many similarities to Vietnamese food and culture - such as the rice, fruits, street vendor foods, and cultural mannerisms.
One huge difference: IT IS QUIET HERE!!! I never thought I would appreciate quiet so much. I used to think people were crazy for going on a vacation to a cabin in the mountains in the middle of nowhere where there are no other people, only quiet nature. Now I think that vacation idea is absolutely brilliant. Quiet is a wonderful thing! After being in Hanoi and HCMC for so long, I really have adapted to the constant and almost malicious sounds of the streets - the honking, chatter, oral advertisements etc. It wasn't until I was removed from it, however, that I realized how much the noise can affect you! There are so many less people on the streets here, so many less motorbikes, so many less cars. It is wonderful. For the first time since before Vietnam, I have "checked out." Even though I was on vacation in Vietnam once my parents got there, I was always on-call, helping with communication and making sure the trip went well. Now I can really relax...and I am!
Today we visited beautiful Buddhist temples (one of which had over 10,000 tiny Buddha statues nestled intricately into little lotus-shaped alcoves on all inside walls of the structure - incredible), stupas, and we climbed the arc de triumph, which is modeled after the one in France and overlooks the entire city. We were told by a Canadian woman we met in Sapa that Laos is a sleepy place compared to Vietnam. It is! This sleepiness was so visible as we stood at the top of this massive structure overlooking the city where the tallest building is only 13 stories tall. The pace of life here is literally a slow-motion version of Hanoi or HCMC that is so evident to me that I feel like I can touch it. It also has a much more European feel than Vietnam, even though it is much less developed. There is a central plaza and many more European cafes and coffee shops (the coffee here has such a unique flavor...just when I thought Vietnamese coffee was a one of a kind flavor!). It is cleaner and generally more tolerable and enjoyable.
Tonight we leave for Luang Prabang where we will stay for 3 nights and then head back to Vietnam for a final 4 day stay at a beach resort in Danang. I can't believe that in a week from now I will be leaving Asia! Time has flown by. I can't wait to be home!!!
We arrived in Vientiane after an intense 2 day in a row overnight train experience to and from Sapa. We arrived from Sapa to Hanoi at 4 AM two days ago and then went directly to the airport for our flight here. We arrived to this amazing hotel exhausted and dirty from trekking and not showering in two days. As soon as we got to the hotel, however, we were greeted so warmly by the staff here dressed in the traditional Laos dress and holding their hands in the prayer position, which is considered a polite gesture upon seeing someone for the first time. Their beautiful dress, which is similar to the many tapestries and silks my dad has brought back from India during his travels, is so distinct from Vietnamese fabrics - it is amazing that these countries are so close together yet so different. In addition to the obvious differences in attire of the people here, their skin is much darker than Vietnamese and their eyes lighter shades of brown. In fact, the Laotian people look much more Thai and even Indian than Vietnamese people do. My parents laugh when I continue making these comparisons to Vietnam, but after all, this has been my only point of reference for the last 4 months. When exchanging money, I unintentionally converted the currency into VN Dong rather than US Dollars to understand the exchange rate. Another example of a time when my parents got a kick out of the influence Vietnam has had on my thinking and behavior!
Upon entering the lobby of this hotel, which was decorated just beautifully with bright white cushions on the couches, which contrasted the dark wood used on the floors and other furniture, we were ushered into a seating area to enjoy freshly squeezed orange juice with orchids decorating the glasses. What luxury!! It was delicious. We settled into our rooms and took a shower. When I say take a shower, I mean take the best shower I have possibly ever experienced!!! Okay, maybe my perspective is a LITTLE off considering where I have lived this semester, but in any event, this shower was amazing. There was even a private garden for each shower inside a three walled structure, made visible from inside the shower through a huge glass window.
After showering, we headed into town with our guide for a short tour of the city and a glimpse at several structures we looked at in more depth today, such as the city's arc de triumph and many, many ancient Buddhist temples. We had lunch at an amazing restaurant, which like a few restaurants in Vietnam I love, is an NGO to train street children on food preparation and the restaurant business. We had delicious tofu curry, fresh mushroom spring rolls, sticky rice, Lao beer, and all sorts of eggplant, tomato, and mushroom dips. There is definitely a strong Thai and Indian influence on the food, but at the same time, so many similarities to Vietnamese food and culture - such as the rice, fruits, street vendor foods, and cultural mannerisms.
One huge difference: IT IS QUIET HERE!!! I never thought I would appreciate quiet so much. I used to think people were crazy for going on a vacation to a cabin in the mountains in the middle of nowhere where there are no other people, only quiet nature. Now I think that vacation idea is absolutely brilliant. Quiet is a wonderful thing! After being in Hanoi and HCMC for so long, I really have adapted to the constant and almost malicious sounds of the streets - the honking, chatter, oral advertisements etc. It wasn't until I was removed from it, however, that I realized how much the noise can affect you! There are so many less people on the streets here, so many less motorbikes, so many less cars. It is wonderful. For the first time since before Vietnam, I have "checked out." Even though I was on vacation in Vietnam once my parents got there, I was always on-call, helping with communication and making sure the trip went well. Now I can really relax...and I am!
Today we visited beautiful Buddhist temples (one of which had over 10,000 tiny Buddha statues nestled intricately into little lotus-shaped alcoves on all inside walls of the structure - incredible), stupas, and we climbed the arc de triumph, which is modeled after the one in France and overlooks the entire city. We were told by a Canadian woman we met in Sapa that Laos is a sleepy place compared to Vietnam. It is! This sleepiness was so visible as we stood at the top of this massive structure overlooking the city where the tallest building is only 13 stories tall. The pace of life here is literally a slow-motion version of Hanoi or HCMC that is so evident to me that I feel like I can touch it. It also has a much more European feel than Vietnam, even though it is much less developed. There is a central plaza and many more European cafes and coffee shops (the coffee here has such a unique flavor...just when I thought Vietnamese coffee was a one of a kind flavor!). It is cleaner and generally more tolerable and enjoyable.
Tonight we leave for Luang Prabang where we will stay for 3 nights and then head back to Vietnam for a final 4 day stay at a beach resort in Danang. I can't believe that in a week from now I will be leaving Asia! Time has flown by. I can't wait to be home!!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Alive and Well!
Hello! I am sorry that it has been so so long since I have last written. I do, however, have a very legitimate excuse - my laptop broke. It is a long story that I don't even want to begin describing, so I am now on a computer in the ecotour company in Sa Pa (where it is freezing temperatures) in northern Vietnam with numb toes (3 pairs of socks later) and my entire family bundled up in our muddy clothing beside me. You would think from this description that I have been roughing it once again in Vietnam over the last week and a half since my family arrived in Vietnam. But that, in fact, is not the case, minus today being the exception. The day my program ended (December 14) was a very bittersweet day. It was very sad to say good bye to everyone in my group, especially after the intensive 4 months we have spent together, just 8 of us. I do realize that the difficulty in saying good bye is only a true indication of the close friendships I have made with them here. Even though everyone is home, I have still been in touch as best I can so far,and I think once I get back home, this communication will remain and be more possible.
After the tear-filled trip to the airport, I went out to lunch with Thuy (program assitant) and Alex, who was also staying longer in Vietnam. After lunch I checked into the beautiful Bong Sen Hotel in downtown Saigon where I stayed the night by myself before my mom and sister arrived the following morning (my dad came 3 days later because of work committments). Although I was worried the night alone would be lonely after saying good bye to everyone, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I strolled along the Gucci, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton filled streets just outside the hotel, a foreign and "non-Vietnam" experience I had yet to have in Vietnam. As I walked around that evening alone, feeling confident in the Vietnamese environment that I remember was so intimidating to me just months ago, I realized that I really have grown up and changed since I got here months ago --- this realization has become even more clear since my family arrived. I'm not babysitting them by any means, but let's just say I have come in handy communicating and getting around this crazy place. I can't get over the fact that people can get used to anything - there are so many aspects of life here, daily events, and national quircks that have become so normal to me, that I don't even think about them or get shocked by them anymore (e.g., all the trash on the sidewalks, people spitting everywhere, the difficulty in speaking English/getting the correct order in a restaurant, cockroaches, rats...the list goes on). Having my parents here and recognizing their reactions and shock that I somehow managed to live happily here for an entire semester has really made me see how much this country has enabled me to grow and how much this experience has challenged and rewarded me simultaneously.
Although there is this strong desire inside me to just get home, which I CAN'T WAIT to do, I had a great time showing my family around the "real Vietnam" as I call it- this means the broken sidewalks around the University, the grocery store I went to, the old, tattered track (which I got to run on with my dad - half of the track was blocked off so we ran 100 meters over and over and over....typical running experience here). We have had quite an intense traveling experience after we left HCMC - we spent a few days in the central area visiting Hoi An, Hue, and Da Nang, and then Ha Noi and a luxurious cruise along Ha Long Bay. Last night we took the overnight train from the local people-filled train station in Ha Noi to Lao Cai, arriving at 5 AM and then driving an hour on the foggy roads with zero (and I mean zero) visibility to Sa Pa. Today we spent the day trekking in the incredible terraced rice paddies with local Black H'mong girls (google Sapa, Vietnam, or BlackH'mong ethnic minority people to see pictures of this incredibly beautiful place). Even though it was freezing temperatures, the hike was great. We also had a chance to visit the market this morning before the trek, where my family got to experience yet again the smells and grime of Vietnamese markets - including the slaughtered dog meat dispersed throughout the market. At some point when I have my computer alive and well again I will post a picture of the dog head from the market. It is a very traditional winter food here - the yin yang concept applies to food here too. Dog meat is considered a warm food so it perfectly complements the cold of winter. The perfect "Vietnamese hot dog," some say. Although I have eaten bird saliva (which I made my sister and dad try too), cow blood, and a whole bunch of other crazy things, I have never and will never venture to the dog department!
I had a great time in Hanoi also showing my family my daily life there - we had dinner at some of my favorite restaurants and street food places (yes, that's right, I convinced my mother to squat in the insanely crowded old quarter of Ha Noi and eat street food...we have a picture as proof of this noteworthy experience for her). I showed them my infamous Lotus Guesthouse, where I lived for 6 dollars a night and endured the construction noises of the room below me made possible from the massive hole in the ground of my ant infested room. Of course they completely renovated the guesthouse since I lived there, so I couldn't REALLY prove to them that I survived that experience! They also met some of my Vietnamese friends and just in general got a good feeling and sense of my life here in Vietnam. It was amazing for me also how many of the street vendors I went to routinely remembered me - when they met my family they hugged and embraced both me and them. I couldn't believe it and couldn't have enjoyed it more.
Tonight we spend our second night in a row on the overnight train back to Ha Noi where we will then go directly to the airport there for our flight to Laos. We spend 5 days in Laos before heading back to Danang to spend our last 4 days at a resort on the beach (Whew! That was a mouthful in words...can you imagine in reality?) Despite the hectic traveling, it is nice to be living in much more luxurious hotels etc. This has definitely been a trip to remember so far...
When I find another computer I will update more...but until then, I hope everyone is well and having a great winter break!!
After the tear-filled trip to the airport, I went out to lunch with Thuy (program assitant) and Alex, who was also staying longer in Vietnam. After lunch I checked into the beautiful Bong Sen Hotel in downtown Saigon where I stayed the night by myself before my mom and sister arrived the following morning (my dad came 3 days later because of work committments). Although I was worried the night alone would be lonely after saying good bye to everyone, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I strolled along the Gucci, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton filled streets just outside the hotel, a foreign and "non-Vietnam" experience I had yet to have in Vietnam. As I walked around that evening alone, feeling confident in the Vietnamese environment that I remember was so intimidating to me just months ago, I realized that I really have grown up and changed since I got here months ago --- this realization has become even more clear since my family arrived. I'm not babysitting them by any means, but let's just say I have come in handy communicating and getting around this crazy place. I can't get over the fact that people can get used to anything - there are so many aspects of life here, daily events, and national quircks that have become so normal to me, that I don't even think about them or get shocked by them anymore (e.g., all the trash on the sidewalks, people spitting everywhere, the difficulty in speaking English/getting the correct order in a restaurant, cockroaches, rats...the list goes on). Having my parents here and recognizing their reactions and shock that I somehow managed to live happily here for an entire semester has really made me see how much this country has enabled me to grow and how much this experience has challenged and rewarded me simultaneously.
Although there is this strong desire inside me to just get home, which I CAN'T WAIT to do, I had a great time showing my family around the "real Vietnam" as I call it- this means the broken sidewalks around the University, the grocery store I went to, the old, tattered track (which I got to run on with my dad - half of the track was blocked off so we ran 100 meters over and over and over....typical running experience here). We have had quite an intense traveling experience after we left HCMC - we spent a few days in the central area visiting Hoi An, Hue, and Da Nang, and then Ha Noi and a luxurious cruise along Ha Long Bay. Last night we took the overnight train from the local people-filled train station in Ha Noi to Lao Cai, arriving at 5 AM and then driving an hour on the foggy roads with zero (and I mean zero) visibility to Sa Pa. Today we spent the day trekking in the incredible terraced rice paddies with local Black H'mong girls (google Sapa, Vietnam, or BlackH'mong ethnic minority people to see pictures of this incredibly beautiful place). Even though it was freezing temperatures, the hike was great. We also had a chance to visit the market this morning before the trek, where my family got to experience yet again the smells and grime of Vietnamese markets - including the slaughtered dog meat dispersed throughout the market. At some point when I have my computer alive and well again I will post a picture of the dog head from the market. It is a very traditional winter food here - the yin yang concept applies to food here too. Dog meat is considered a warm food so it perfectly complements the cold of winter. The perfect "Vietnamese hot dog," some say. Although I have eaten bird saliva (which I made my sister and dad try too), cow blood, and a whole bunch of other crazy things, I have never and will never venture to the dog department!
I had a great time in Hanoi also showing my family my daily life there - we had dinner at some of my favorite restaurants and street food places (yes, that's right, I convinced my mother to squat in the insanely crowded old quarter of Ha Noi and eat street food...we have a picture as proof of this noteworthy experience for her). I showed them my infamous Lotus Guesthouse, where I lived for 6 dollars a night and endured the construction noises of the room below me made possible from the massive hole in the ground of my ant infested room. Of course they completely renovated the guesthouse since I lived there, so I couldn't REALLY prove to them that I survived that experience! They also met some of my Vietnamese friends and just in general got a good feeling and sense of my life here in Vietnam. It was amazing for me also how many of the street vendors I went to routinely remembered me - when they met my family they hugged and embraced both me and them. I couldn't believe it and couldn't have enjoyed it more.
Tonight we spend our second night in a row on the overnight train back to Ha Noi where we will then go directly to the airport there for our flight to Laos. We spend 5 days in Laos before heading back to Danang to spend our last 4 days at a resort on the beach (Whew! That was a mouthful in words...can you imagine in reality?) Despite the hectic traveling, it is nice to be living in much more luxurious hotels etc. This has definitely been a trip to remember so far...
When I find another computer I will update more...but until then, I hope everyone is well and having a great winter break!!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Pictures from Fieldwork
Fish sauce display and me at Cho Hom open air market in Hanoi where I did my middle-class urban interviews
Trang (my translator and friend from Hanoi University) in Cho Hom during day of interviews
Fish sauce seller in Cho Hom who I interviewed
Fruit and vegetables in market
Fish sauce delivery man came while I was interviewing!
Commune Health Clinic located in Thon Dong Ba Village (where I did rural micronutrient malnutrition interviews)
Thong Dong Ba Village
Fish sauce display in the village just outside the house I conducted some interviews
Wonderful woman I interviewed in Thong Dong Ba village - she suffers from severe iron deficiency anemia. Her children eat rice porridge 3 meals a day, and she spends a total of 1 dollar a day on food for her family.Pictures from the North
Massive tirantula we came across during a hike in Cuc Phuong National Park
Beautiful Halong Bay
Girls at sunset on Halong Bay
Muong Ethnic Minority Village we stayed in during the excursion
Worst flooding in Hanoi in 20 years (from early November)Saturday, November 29, 2008
The Final Weeks
Hello! I'm sorry that I have been a little MIA the last few weeks. I am now back in HCMC happily living with Alex again in a guesthouse that has no internet, hence the lack of blog posts! I ended my time in Hanoi on Thanksgiving day. I loved everything about Hanoi, from the area I lived, the street vendors, the park and lake nearby, the general feel of the city, and especially the work and research I was doing. Other than my guesthouse being absolutely awful (I'm talking…there were ants infesting my bed, I could reach the ceiling it was so low, no windows, they were doing massive drilling in a room below my room and because I had a gigantic hole in the floor of my room, which opened into the under-construction room, it was like living IN the construction site). I've learned that these inconveniences are truly insignificant – in fact, I was living luxury compared to the way that most people in this country live. I have to say that living with Alex again in HCMC is a relief. Living alone was great for the schedule I was living during that segment of my research, but living entirely alone in Vietnam does take a toll on you even when you don't realize it. I can't describe the relief I felt when I landed back in HCMC. I love Hanoi, but something about this city is so comfortable and familiar. Alex and I returned to our pho hole-in-the-wall "restaurant" where they welcomed us realizing we had been away for some time. We returned to the track, where all the old ladies remembered us as well, smiling as we ran past. Even the sticky rice ladies near the university remembered us when we visited this morning. Things are just falling into place here, as strange as it is to think that in two weeks from now, I will be formally finished with this incredible experience. It will certainly be over technically, but what I have learned this semester and especially the last few weeks living alone here, is absolutely indispensible and irreplaceable. I couldn't be more thankful.
Speaking of thankful, happy late Thanksgiving! One would think that being in Vietnam for Thanksgiving would mean no turkey, gravy, pumpkin pie, or mashed potatoes. But think again! Alex and I splurged on a Thanksgiving dinner at the New World Hotel, which is the hotel Bill Clinton stayed at during his famous visit, and the hotel that I longingly looked into each day on the walk to school from my home stay, hoping that one day I would be able to set foot inside. That day finally happened. The food and wine were great, but greater than that was the fact that out of the six or so Americans also eating dinner there, two of them were from GREENSBORO. Yes, that's right! We all sort of raised our wine glasses together as we sat down wishing one another a Happy Thanksgiving and asking one another about where we were all from. After a minute or so, it became clear that two of the men (both in the furniture business, one of them lives here doing quality control at a factory nearby) were from Greensboro, one graduated from Grimsley and one from Smith. What a small world. It was definitely the most memorable Thanksgiving I've ever had. I couldn't have missed my mom's pumpkin chiffon pie more, but nonetheless, I made due with what I have here. On the walk home at around 10:30, Alex and I passed a woman digging through the trash, clearly in the squatting position she would be for the remainder of the night…out on the street. We felt full, happy, and content that we had just allowed ourselves to spend money on a real dinner, but seeing this woman made us squirm inside. We gave her the rest of the money we had in our money belts and walked home. You just can't get away from these situations here – we felt like we were in a bubble of luxury in the hotel, but once you step foot back onto the street, this bubble explodes right in your face and leaves you with a sense of guilt, or rather just plain reality. I enjoyed and loved every moment of my Thanksgiving indulgence, but not without recognizing how lucky I truly am for what I have and how the majority of people here cannot say the same.
I wanted to write about my research and field work the last few weeks. As you may now, I am studying the cultural influences on iron fortification of fish sauce and how national efforts toward widespread fortification can alleviate micronutrient malnutrition, specifically iron-deficiency anemia. I know that sounds like a mouthful, which it is, but I couldn't be more interested in my research topic. In essence, I am studying the nutritional impacts of iron-deficiency anemia in Vietnam and how the role of fish sauce in the Vietnamese diet affects will affect the success of the national project. In terms of fieldwork, I think it's most important to start off explaining the incredible advisor that I have been lucky enough to work with. She is a PhD candidate from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, but is from Vietnam and conducting her research at the National Institute of Nutrition about social marketing of iron-fortified fish sauce. Her American experiences, however, have helped significantly with the language barrier that tends to get in the way of successful verbal interactions here in Vietnam! I spent a few days at the National Institute of Nutrition using their library and primary sources available there, but the majority of my research came from the work I did in the field. With the help of Van and her contacts through the NIN, I was able to set up a day of rural interviews in Thon Dong Ba village with severely micronutrient malnourished women. Van was kind enough to accompany me on the hour trip to the village and be my translator. I conducted pretty in depth interviews with four women over the course of the day. I also had the opportunity to visit the commune health center and see the facilities (or rather lack of them). For a few thousand people in the neighboring communes, there is only one medical doctor. The entire courtyard was filled with plants, which were all the herbal remedies used in the facility. The interviews with the women, however were the most memorable. They were so open to sharing information about their lives, their food intake for their families, the percentage of their budget that goes toward buying meat, fish sauce consumption patterns, and experiences with IDA. One woman, for example, had arms about half the size as mine and was at least five inches shorter than me. She was tiny and clearly malnourished. She had a family of six (which she was embarrassed initially to tell me since there are family planning regulations about having two children – but she and her husband wanted to have a son, so they had children until she gave birth to her fourth child). She and her husband are rice farmers and get by in the off-season by reselling vegetables in a nearby market. Each day, she spends less than one dollar on food for her family. I just couldn't fathom it…it means that her children literally eat no meat, just rice porridge for three meals a day. After the interviews, I gave each woman about six dollars as a token of my appreciation, and realized that I was providing a week's worth of food for most of the women. I also used my grant money to donate six month's worth of iron tablets for each of the women I interviewed. I just couldn't sleep at night knowing that these women and their families were not eating enough each day to survive, let alone the micronutrients to keep them healthy.
The next segment of my fieldwork took place in Hanoi proper. I interviewed four more women through Van's contacts at NIN. Basically we contacted another health center near Van's home and recruited three more women who had recently visited the clinic for IDA. I also did about 10 interviews of fish sauce sellers in four different markets (two supermarkets and two traditional open-air Vietnamese markets, which were totally isolated from any tourists…I was definitely the only white person for miles!). One of the students I befriended from Hanoi University was my translator for the market interviews. Finally, I did a short questionnaire for the Hanoi University students. All in all, I did 17 interviews and 15 surveys. The results were fascinating – I will share them in my next post! For now, I have to go! I hope all is well with everyone there. Can't wait to be home!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Northern Excursion & Being a Non-Tourist
(This post was supposed to be posted almost 2 weeks ago…I'm sorry!!!)
This excursion is our last one in the program before ISP begins. It has been different from other excursions we have had because we are constantly moving and changing locations. Since the last time I posted, we have spent a night in the forest, slept in a stilt Muong house, and rowed boats through a bay of caves and rock cliffs. The general theme of the trip has been more ecological/environmental based. Before we left to the forest, we spent two days in Hanoi doing as much sightseeing as we could given the flooding circumstances. We ended up having to cancel many of our scheduled trips because the flooding completely devastated most areas of the city. People were without electricity and clean water. Upwards of 50 people have died so far in and around Hanoi proper. We even had to reserve a larger bus so that we could drive through the floody streets. On our way to our lecture at the Institute for Social Development, for example, there were parts of the road that were so flooded that men were literally fishing in the street and catching upwards of five fish at a time. The cost of food has nearly quadrupled since the flooding started, which is even evident in the very minimal selection of fruits on the side of the road driving in the villages. One village we drove through had boats delivering instant noodles to the people because they were unable to even leave their homes, let alone travel to a market. In Hanoi we also ate lunch at a restaurant that is an NGO for street children and runs a program to get them off the street. We also visited the Temple of Literature, which considered to be the first university in Vietnam. It had a completely Chinese feeling to it – the rich red colors interspersed throughout, the architectural design similar to a pagoda, and the intricately designed gardens that were expansive throughout. On our last day in Hanoi before leaving for Cuc Phuong National Park, we were supposed to have an all-day seminar at the National University in Hanoi. Because of the flood, however, the entire university was shut down and many areas of it destroyed. We ended up having the same lectures in the guesthouse. Although the lectures were all quite interesting and we also had the chance to spend more time with the Hanoi University students (one of which agreed to be my translator for my ISP!), I had a hard time being stuck in a dark room all day without any sunshine.
Luckily the rains slowed by the evening and we were able to take a long walk around the lake and attend the water puppet show, which is a traditional and trademark element of Hanoi. It is a puppet show, which incorporates Chinese and French influence but has a uniquely Vietnamese twist to it, which is particularly evident in the content of the puppet show stories. The marionette puppets are all intricately designed, ranging from dragons, snakes, to people, and are controlled by a group of about four or five people standing behind the bamboo wall. The most distinct feature of this puppet show is that it is done in two or so feet of water. Vietnamese singers provide the background songs to this production, which left us in our wonderful second row seats a bit wet by the show's end after getting splashed quite a few times throughout the program.
After the show, we walked along the streets by the lake on our way to a late dinner. Co Thanh just radiates energy when she is walking along the streets of Hanoi, which helps fuel my own intrigue with the city. On this walk, we saw so many exciting things, from clothing stores, street vendors, pharmacies, and hotels. All the streets here are compartmentalized – there are streets entirely devoted to shoes, to cups of fresh fruit with yogurt, to scarves, to pharmacies etc. Unlike in HCMC, the sidewalk in Hanoi is an actual sidewalk where people walk. There are even spray-painted lines structuring the rows of parked motorbikes in some parts of the city. In the middle of our walk, Co Thanh quickly crossed the street and told us she would be right back. We saw her talking with a street-vendor woman selling sticky rice. Co Thanh came back to our side of the street with two bags full of sticky rice, each ball of which was wrapped individually in newspaper and felt hot to the touch. Because the walk to our restaurant for dinner was far, she wanted us to have a chance to experience this sticky rice. This is the vendor where she enjoyed sticky rice as a child growing up in Hanoi. Looking back at this small food vendor, nestled away onto the sidewalk of this street, I realized how appreciative I am of Co Thanh and her desire for us to see Vietnam not as tourists. I'm not exactly sure what I am here, but I know that no tourist stops on the side of the road and picks THIS woman to buy rice from. As I bit into this foreign food, I realized that this country is becoming less and less foreign to me after all. I'm learning to enjoy this increasing degree of comfort and confidence in both myself and life in this country with each passing day.
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