The Friendly Side of the World

Reese and I were apprehensive at first with how the Vietnamese would treat us. I mean, our countries were at war for a long time and that type of thing does tend to make friendship tricky.

After a week here, though, I can't help but love Vietnam. I've finally realized the proper way to be is smile all the time, nod (bow) to everyone you see on the street and say "Xin chao." I always get a big smile and "Xin chao, xin chao!" in response. Yes, there are a lot of street vendors and some of the cynical westerners here are quick to pass it off as them just being friendly to your wallet. I don't believe that for a second.

This weekend we were in My Tho, a small city of 300,000 people on the Mekong River. I'll get pictures of that ready for later and I took a lot of them. I got a real glimpse into the future of Vietnam's tourism industry there.

We had lunch on one of the islands in the middle of the river where they grow many varieties of fruit. They treated us to afternoon tea accompanied by pineapple, jack fruit, dragon fruit and many others. As we drank tea and snacked some musicians played traditional music. One woman sang along with them and then two young boys in traditional clothes sang some more songs. Again, I've got lots of great pictures, so just wait.

Lunch was on another island and afterward I got up to wander. The whole place was like one huge, well-manicured garden with some small, stone arch bridges over the little canals. I found a narrow bridge over one canal made of a log no thicker than 6 inches with a bamboo railing. It reminded me again of Taiwan where I have memories of sitting on my dad's shoulders as he traversed narrow planks across canals to get from one part of Hai Oh to the other.

Once across that bridge I saw a man getting a huge python out of a cage. Just then the U of M students caught up with me and all the women took their turn holding the snake. Again, pictures of that to be posted later. None of the men wanted to hold the snake. I don't do live snake, thank you very much!

Right next to the python area was a monkey bridge. Another bridge made of narrow logs with bamboo railing but raised up and much longer. Took some more pictures of everyone trying it out, testing their balance and mettle by making it all the way from one side to the other.

I loved that everything was just there for you to discover, and one beautiful, amazing thing naturally led to the other. It reminded me of a Japanese tea garden except that right next door were obvious signs of poverty. We saw where people made coconut candy and got a tour of a traditional Vietnamese rural home.

Our guide, Mr. Long, told us that we could just walk into anyone's house in My Tho whenever we wanted just before he walked into a room where an old woman was taking a nap. She got up, smiled at him and excused herself so we could see her bedroom.

This, of course, made us Americans very uncomfortable, but I've grown to trust Mr. Long well enough and blazed the way. Then I finally remembered something from my childhood.

I once got in trouble at the age of 8 or 9 when I lived in southern, rural ND. My mom one day sat me down and explained that I couldn't go over to my friend's houses when they weren't around and play with their toys. I didn't understand why I couldn't, but respected Mom's wishes, of course.

I'd learned in Taiwan that kind of behavior was acceptible. I went over to my friends houses whenever I wanted and played with their toys, slept in their beds, ate their food and nobody thought ill of me.

So, it's the same here. To westerners it's so very foreign, and we think of it as a lack of privacy. I believe the Vietnamese don't see it that way. They don't believe they lack anything except a sense of imposition. You're never in anyone's way and you're never inconveniencing anyone. That's why traffic can be slow, chaotic and hectic and when you cross the street people slow down their scooters, look at you, smile and say "Hello!"