I have been in Vietnam now for 10 days, and this has been long enough for me to gather some of my feelings together about this culture, this country, this world that seems so different from our North American one.
First of all, I try hard not to feel it, but my guilt about my (what I thought was simple and sustainable) lifestyle at home and my reliance on fossil fuels during this leg of my summer experience is strong. The next strongest emotion is hopelessness. It seems, after completeing Otesha, where my world was so very full of hope and positivity for the health of the natural world, that I am now seeing and experiencing a culture that seems to have a lack of knowledge, or maybe just a different socio-economic situation that leads them to pollute, dispose, and destroy the beauty that is our world. There are just so many people here. Too many for our planet to handle. All of the time I was with Otesha, we were trying to openly and positively present choices to people in Canada, and there was always an option for that choice in the locations that we visited. Here on the other side of the world, it seems that even if the people had the choice, they would not be able to take it, because, they can't afford to, because, they may not be versed in the topics. I do feel that the western world has a big impact on the condition of the environment, and we Westerners have ample opportunity to live more simply, it's hard to see such a large portion of the world's population living with no idea of the future, rather they can look just to tomorrow.
But then, I visit and stay in the homes of the Northern Vietnamese H'mong tribe people, where they have farmed their stunningly gorgeous rice terraces for hundreds of years, and I see them working the land with water buffalo, and walking their short legs everywhere, and my hope is renewed. These people still live simply, even though they are eager to see things like electricity come to thier villages. They grow sweet potatoes and corn and squash and beans, for themseleves and for the Sapa market (and may I add sauteed sweet potatoe greens are sooooo delicious). They have beautiful gardens, simple homes, and a great abundance of clean water that is smartly channeled through bamboo eavestroughs and narrow aquaducts, ensuring that every rice terrace is saturated for growth. They even use the power of water to feul their rice mills, and they use hemp to weave material and they grow indigo to dye thier clothes. It is an area of vietnam that specializes in handicrafts, where the local's speak thier language and english, but they have never been taught to read or write, and have never been outside of the nothern mountain area. It's hard to know whether these people are truly happy with their one room homes, their squat toilets, and arranged mariages. From the tour guides that I had three solid days with, I would say they are fiercely proud of thier culture, and are excited to share it with the tourism industry, which fuels thier local economy.
I would say I still have alot to process and think about. After seeing the extraordinarily busy Ho Chi Minh City, visiting a Catholic convent and orphange, seeing the way the peole live in the Mekong River delta; then journeying North, seeing the stunningly beautiful Halong Bay, and noticing it's over exploitation and dirty waters, and visiting and staying the in homes of the H'mong peoples of Northern Vietnam, I have already seen and experienced so much. It has happened so fast, and I still need to think about what I have seen and gather my thoughts to communicate them with you all. I have tried here to do that a little....Tomorrow a new country: Loas! All and all I am so glad I am on this journey in Southeast Asia, and could not appreciate spending it with anyone else except my amazing buddie and sister Krista. I am endlessly glad to be here with her, and I am excited to keep experienceing all these crazy new things, and really learning more and more with her by my side.
Hope all is well wherever you are :)
P.S. This computer will not check my English spelling, so, forgive my errors!! and man, I could write for days about the way senses are in overdrive here in vietnam...the smells, good and horrible, the infinite city noise and the quiet hill tribe villages, the delicious tastes of fresh viet food, but the sights of some scary foods in the market and in street stalls, the feelings of appreciating my safe home space more then ever before...
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