Virtual-Doug

In Memoriam

I knew him briefly, but I quickly understood why my student – the one who introduced us – called him Uncle.

Dr. Bưu Châu passed away recently from a heart attack.

Sometimes I see older faces in Huê, and I wonder what those old eyes have seen.  I found out when I asked Châu.  He was older than me, and had seen much.   

He was a physician – French trained in Sài Gòn after school in Da Lat.  He finished medical school in 1968, and returned to Huê, but was drafted into the southern army in 1972.  He left his homeland and went to America, where he spent five years in Mississippi learning English well enough to take his medical examinations.  The rest of his time in America he spent in Houston practicing public health.

Age brought retirement and a yearning to live in Việt Nam again.  You see, he was the son of mandarins.  He belonged in Việt Nam.  He belonged in Huê.

His grandfather had been a mandarin in the courts of the last two emperors.  He built a stately home on the banks of the Phú Cam canal, and though some of the buildings are over 100 years old, they had been passed on to Châu.  Along with his family, Châu had endured the horrific battles of Huê in 1968 when at one point the front line was literally the wall separating his home from a school.  The Communist forces thought the home was a pagoda and didn’t enter it.  His sister had kept the beautiful old place intact, and he wanted to live his remaining days there.

And he did.

Enter through gates that seem to seal you away from the busy street outside.  Quiet gardens and neatly trimmed trees tell you this is a place of contemplation unhurried by the world.  The whole place has a patina of age carried gracefully. There is no reminder anywhere of the damage done in 1968 when the roofs were blown off and bullets gouged the walls.  All is serene now.

The home is actually three buildings – a guest house (built in 1910), a house for worship (built in 1889), and the main residence (built in 1901).  In the center is a covered porch for greeting guests.  I wonder how many deep conversations took place there . Châu told me he often read the morning paper and enjoyed his morning tea in this place.  I understand why.

The residence is like a museum.  To his regret Châu could not read these classical Vietnamese ideographs, but he certainly enjoyed the ambience.  In the main sitting room were many cherished relics from the past, when his grandfather was a man of honor in the court of Emperor Khai Ðinh.  By the way – what you see in the photo are not Chinese characters, but classical Vietnamese characters based on the Chinese system.  Today’s Romanized alphabet was developed in the 1600s, and adopted officially in the 1920s, but some official documents are still written in classical form, much like some university diplomas are written in Latin in the United States.

Châu was not a man who brooded over the past – he was a man of vision who saw great things ahead for Việt Nam.  We obviously had a mutual interest in my young student – so full of ambition and promise.  Of course, he had his concerns that the young would deviate too much from the traditions that had made Việt Nam strong, but he also would tilt his head, and tell me with a wry smile, that Việt Nam had been buffeted by foreign cultures many times in the past, yet had always remained Vietnamese in its heart.  He knew the young would experiment, then find the same soul of Việt Nam – just redecorated with new ideas.

Dr. Bưu Châu – may your honored soul rest in peace.  I look forward to many conversations over tea sometime in the future.

Tet: The Year of the Dog

We’re in Thailand.  We work with an agency (like most other English teachers in Việt Nam) that places us at our university.  Our particular agency has teachers in China, Việt Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and Tibet.  The only time we can be sure all universities are not in session is during the lunar new year – and that means we will miss Tết again.  I’ll just have to return to Việt Nam as a tourist before I can experience Tết.

So – what’s the big deal?  Tết  is rather like having your birthday, Christmas, and New Years Day rolled into one – plus some more.  Tết  is far and away the biggest holiday in Việt Nam.  It is a time when you fix up the house, prepare special food that is not made the rest of the year, travel back to your home to be with family, to pay homage to one’s ancestors, to give small gifts of money  to children (and, in some cases, to adults too.)  The first visitor to your home determines your luck for the upcoming year.  It is a time to forget old grudges, to renew friendships, and enjoy life. The holiday itself is only three days long, but in reality, the country is almost closed down for two weeks. 

Vietnamese God has already posted some stories in Tết , and I’m sure he will continue to do so.

So – chúc mừng nǎm mối – happy new year to all.

More on the Mystery Guest Blogger’s Illness

She’s out.

The docs tried hard, but they have no idea why the MGB had those incredible headaches.  Blood tests, CT scans, x-rays, and a thousand questions didn’t tell us “why.”

And we don’t care.  After all, when you ask The Big Guy to remove the pain, why be picky about the technicalities?  She is pain free.

The Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok has to be seen to be believed.  Layered  commented about the hospital that looks like a luxury hotel – and that is exactly what it is.  Entering the lobby is just the same as a hotel – uniformed doorman opening the door with a greeting, a mezzanine floor with three fast food joints plus a white-linen-table cloth-sit-down-restaurant.  The care was superb, and professional staff excellent.  To show for it all, the MGB has a bunch of pills to take, and a bandage on the back of her hand where the IV line was.  She must return for a consultation with the neurologist in two weeks.  Thanx for all the thoughts and prayers – they were felt and appreciated.

But – the adventure continues.  We had planned on being in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on January 29th for the annual meeting of our teaching agency.  When we hurriedly  scurried off to Bangkok, all those flights and hotel reservations were cancelled.  So – here we are in Chiang Mai at the absolute height of the tourist season, and no reservations.  Yeah – we got a room for one night, but couldn’t afford to stay here the whole time – its way outta our budget.  So, we’ll vagabond it awhile until the conference begins.

You will see some other postings appear in the near future that I had already loaded on the server – just to be sure my loyal readers have something to read, but we’ll try to post something from Chiang Mai just to let you know our world is still revolving.

New Photos

I love faces.  I guess I am intrigued by faces here in Việt Nam because they are so different from mine.  I find a level of expressiveness I seldom see elsewhere.  Look to the right for a new photo album titled "Faces of Việt Nam."  I'll add to it on occassion.

We Interrupt This Blog . . . .

We have had an unexpected and scary time recently.  I am writing this from Bangkok, where the Mystery Guest Blogger is in the hospital.

Last Saturday evening, we went out to eat with our teaching friends visiting from China.  Upon return to the Guest House, the MSG suddenly experienced an extremely severe headache – the kind that makes you scream and can’t walk.  After awhile, it calmed down a bit, though still painful, but flared up again to the same very high levels.  She was only able to describe it as feeling like all the veins in her head were the size of her fingers and that the top of her head was about to blow up.  After sleeping fitfully through the night, we decided to use the international health care company used by our agency.

On Sunday, a call to an English-speaking physician in Sài Gòn sent her to the Huê City Hospital for a CT scan.  I took her by taxi on a rainy cold night, and was met there by an American Registered Nurse who speaks fluent Vietnamese.  The scan was done, the report negative, and we went home.  The pain had subsided considerably, but primarily because she was taking a combination of Tylenol and codeine.

Monday, and another call to Sài Gòn.  The physician ruled out high blood pressure, but still did not have a diagnosis.  He strongly suggested we go to Bangkok where she could have advanced tests done.  The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent getting ready, including booking flights, taking care of her, and fielding the concerns of our many, many Vietnamese friends.  (By the way – our visas also were due to expire in early February, so we had to get those renewed before leaving.  I was due at the Immigration Office at 3 PM, and due to leave for the airport at 4.  Close, but we made it.)

Arrival at the hospital in Bangkok was late, and we finally could drift off to sleep at 2 AM.  Presently, the MGB is feeling fine – she has no more pain than the kind of soreness one has after a bad headache.  She is still a bit sensitive to noise and light, but fine otherwise.  The great mystery is her blood pressure – it was extremely high in Huê, but is normal now.  She is awaiting the results of some more tests and a visit from a neurologist.

One last comment about our many friends in Huê.  Readers of this blog know how much I love Việt Nam and the Vietnamese people.  I am not kidding about that – it is not something I say to be polite.  Here’s why I am so effervescent in my love of these people:  it is for the way they show compassion and love for us.  I spent a major portion of a hectic day fielding the concerns of the many Vietnamese who called, text messaged, visited, or otherwise tried to help.  A fellow teacher came out in the pouring rain (remember, they ride motorbikes here) bearing flowers.  A married couple came to the hospital to see the MGB – and brought flowers.  The folks from the International Relations office of our school came – bearing flowers – and speeded up our visa process.  Our western friends (especially the nurse) all helped, ran errands, and made sure the MGB was comfortable. 

At present, we have no way knowing how this will work out, but I know in years to come, when remembering our time in Huê, we will remember the kindness of these people who used to be strangers.

This and That

Some housekeeping.

One commenter who wished to remain anonymous, but was obviously raised in the south, wants to know if the regional differences in language still exist.

Oh yes – very much so.  Northerners complain they cannot understand the lazy southerners, and say others have a “Huê accent.”  Of course, southerners say the northerners talk too fast.  But, there are real differences in pronunciation.  For instance, the letter D  (not Ð – that is a different letter) is pronounced like a Y in the center and south.  Northerners say it with a “dz” sound.  In another example, the word anh is pronounced “ine” in the north, but aaaaan here in the center.  There are many more regional differences.  Of course, Hanoians say they speak the only proper Vietnamese, while the Saigonese scoff at that idea.

Another commenter wanted a running dialogue on Tết .  Sorry to say, I will not be in Việt Nam during Tết .  I have a business meeting I must attend.  More on that later.  But, in the meantime, you can feel the excitement in the air.  I’ve had students return borrowed books lately (Tết  is a time to get out of debt).  We’ve seen walls painted up, and women cleaning out the house.  People whiz by on motorbikes laden with packages.  People come by the guest house just to visit and be social.  But, the Vietnamese must know we are here because they went out of their way to make the Mystery Guest Blogger feel welcome.  They named some cookies after her!

Finally, this marks almost a year since we came to Việt Nam.  We were in Thailand last year by this time , taking our training for living and teaching in Việt Nam.  The past few days we have been joined by a married couple who came to Asia with us and now teach in China.  We share the feelings – we have come so far in one year, yet know more than before that we will never truly know Asia.  Folks who visit Việt Nam for two weeks know enough to go home and write a book, but the longer one lives here, the more one knows how little one really knows.

The Huê Tourists See: Part 2

For the more adventuresome, you can go by xe ôm.  Xe is part of the word for motorbike, and ôm means hug.  You guessed it – you rent a motorbike and a driver – and hold on for dear life!  By the way – I strongly recommend against renting your own motorbike.  Yeah yeah  yeah – I know you can ride a motorcycle, but the traffic in Việt Nam is so different, you can easily become a statistic.  Read the entire series I wrote on Two-Wheeling in Việt Nam.

For shorter trips, there is the uniquely Vietnamese cyclo.  Trust me on this – you will not have trouble finding a cyclo in Huê.  You will have far more difficulty shooing the drivers away.  Somehow, I can’t quite shake the negative image of a poor Asian man pedaling a big western colonial official around, so I don’t use them.  But – try it once.  With both a xe ôm and a cyclo, be sure to negotiate the price before the ride – and beware of ruses such as “No no.  15,000 đông is for one person.  There are two of you.  You must pay 30,000 đông.”

On the north side of the river is The Citadel.  Essentially, it is a walled city, built by the first Nguyên emperor, Gia Long.  (Say yah loam). For you North Americans - think of it as a gated subdivision.  The thick brick walls were built much as an old walled city in Europe would function – to protect the citizenry.  There are homes and shops and businesses inside the Citadel just as there is anywhere else.  Unless you are interested in seeing everyday life in Huê, there is not much for a tourist to see.   But, within the Citadel is the Imperial City, and inside that, the Forbidden Purple City.  This was where the emperors lived and ruled.

Only the Emperor was allowed to enter through the center door of the Ngọ Môn gate.  Today, its where the entrance fees are collected – and where our friend Julie had her picture taken.  Inside the gate, many buildings and areas have been restored.  A combination of  difficulties has been hard on the Imperial City.  The French were none too kind during the war of  independence from 1946-1954.  The battle for Huê in 1968 took another large toll, and in the first few years of reunification after 1975, the area was neglected because it represented the feudal past.  This building was once the waiting area for those seeking an audience with the Queen Mother.

In 1993,  UNESCO declared all the monuments in and around Huê a World Heritage site.  Today, tourist entrance fees of 50,000 VND (about $3.15 USD) are being used to reconstruct the entire Imperial City.  If you are a history buff, and if you are willing to slow down from the usual tourist pace and read all the information, the Imperial City is a rewarding tour.

The Imperial City is a gateway into Việt Nam’s past.

The Huê Tourists See: Part 1

Regular readers of this blog might not know Huê is a major tourist destination.  Maybe I am guilty of being a bit snobbish  - after all, what expatriate wants to be mistaken for a mere tourist?  I’ve even gone so far as to post stories that decry anything “touristy.”  Both Homesick for Huê   and More Homesick for Huê  were stories I tried to tell about the city most tourists don’t see.

But Huê is indeed a tourist mecca – and with good reason.  It was the seat of the last dynasty of emperors to rule Việt Nam.  The Nguyên dynasty may have gone a bit overboard with the opulence, but they also left behind some true treasures. 

As always, be sure to click on the pictures so you can see the full size version of the photos.

Huê is a pretty and graceful city, with the Perfume River bisecting it into the older north side, and the newer south side.  (See the link to the map of Huê at the left.)   It is spanned by three bridges – the ugly old railroad bridge, the “new” bridge  (built in 1970 by the Americans) – and this beautiful old bridge.  Known today as the Trường Tiên bridge, it was built way back in 1897 by the French, who named it after Governor-General Paul Doumer.  In 1968, Communist forces destroyed the northernmost span in an effort to halt the advance of American Marines intent on recapturing the Citadel.  Today, only bicycles, motorbikes, and cyclos are allowed to use it, though an occasional taxi sneaks through.  It is quite narrow.  On many nights it is lit by  lamps that change in color making the bridge a truly beautiful and romantic sight.

On the western fringes of the city (and off the map) is the Thiên  Mụ Pagoda.  It is possibly the most famous landmark of the city.  Perched atop a hill overlooking the river, it may be reached by either dragon boat or by motorbike.  It was built way back in 1601 by the governor of the province to fulfill a prophecy by a fairy-woman (Thiên  Mụ) who appeared on the high hill and predicted a pagoda would be built to ensure the country’s prosperity.  In my opinion, the shrine itself is more impressive than the tower.  However, common respect kept me from taking pictures of people at prayer.

West of the city, and strung among the hills surrounding the meandering Perfume River are the tombs of the Nguyên dynasty kings.  These are extravagant – dare I say ostentatious!  Emperor Tự Ðức reigned the longest from 1847-1883, and Việt Nam lost its independence to France during his rule.  His tomb is much more than a mere resting place for his body – it was also a place for him to “get away from it all,” write poetry, or dally with one of his many wives.  There are at least six major buildings on the site.  The tombs of other emperors are worth seeing.

But how to see Thiên  Mụ and the tombs?  The easiest way is by dragon boat.  Go to any tourist place in the city to book one.  The length of the trip, and the places you go vary, as does the cost.  Often, you can get an entire boat for yourself.  The boats are docked at the foot of the old bridge on the south side.

To be continued.

One Building’s Construction

I was a bit startled yesterday when I walked over to take the usual photos – and nobody was around.  The gate was padlocked.  Hmmm.  I suspect folks are getting ready for Tết.

Though the weather has been nice lately, little work has been done outside the house.  Since the gate was locked, I couldn’t get inside to see if more rooms had been finished out.

Paul had once commented that he was curious how the windows are installed in Việt Nam.  Here is a closer shot of some of the second story windows.

It Won’t Take Long – Did It?

That was a quick day and a half in Singapore.  Thanx to the Internet, the whole trip was very inexpensive.  Sorry Michele – not many pictures, but some stream-of-consciousness thoughts.

While walking the concrete canyons this morning, we realized the city seems quiet.  It shouldn’t be quiet – there is lots of traffic, and lot of tall buildings.  Aha!  No tooting horns (I don’t think we heard a horn once), and no roar of motorbikes.

There are a large number of churches.  Near our hotel was St. Andrew’s Cathedral – all white and British looking.  On the ride to our hotel from the airport, the cab driver was playing Christian music on the radio.

Ya just gotta see the IT mall!  It is geek heaven.  A six story mall, filled with technology stores.  Oh, there is the occasional place to eat, and a small sporting goods store – but the rest of the mall is filled with computer stores, digital photography stores, HDTV stores, gadget stores, mobile phone stores – you name it.  If it has a chip, its in that mall.  If that mall doesn’t have it, and they can’t get it, you don’t need it.

Eating appears to be the main hobby of Singaporeans.

I have never been in a city that even approaches the cleanliness of Singapore.  It sparkles, and they have kept nicely groomed green patches all over the city.

After living in Việt Nam where there is only one ethnicity, it was startling to see so many ethnicities living together.

Okay – here is one photograph.  I have no idea what the advertising was for, but it was funny to see this on the side of a cab.