Singapore

Playing in Viet Nam

Viet Nam was an amazing experience.  We were captured, smitten, challenged and hugged in ways we did not imagine.  It is alarming how the spirit of one country in Southeast Asia can differ so completely from the next.  And, simultaneously, how our foundational connection as human beings, our shared humanity always radiates through each exchange, each experience, each smile.  This is a country that has been beaten, battered and abused for decades.  This is a country where rebirth and rebound define each moment.  The transition from an agriculturally based population to an urban-based population is a contrast that is being wrestled with before your eyes.  To travel from the unbelievably crazy traffic of Ho Chi Minh City to the lush tropical jungles of the Mekong Delta is a healthy stretch of the heart.  The traffic of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) makes NYC look relaxed.  An endless ocean of motorbikes and cars that willingly and happily will part as you move through it—recommendation:  Don’t hesitate, just go!  The flow of the traffic will bend, curve and wrap around you without stopping so the subconscious agreement is that everyone keeps moving forward.  Safe?  Absolutely not.  Exciting?  Yes!  Traffic signs and lights are merely suggestions—you must be aware at all times.  The Mekong Delta is the center of the agricultural life and commerce in historical Viet Nam.  Each picture is like a snapshot from every Viet Nam war movie you have seen.  An intricate system of waterways bordered by quaint, poor, happy working villages of people.  I marveled at the high functioning of the system along waters that were sites of some of the bloodiest moments of the Viet Nam War.  A war that is referred to as “The American War” in Viet Nam…makes sense, more on that later.

As I searched for a central image or metaphor for this post I kept returning to Playing.  We experienced a wide variety of sensory in Viet Nam all united for me by the positive forces at play together.  Viet Nam is a socially Communist and economically Capitalist country; densely urban and beautifully lush; desperately wounded from the past, intensely proud about the future.  The extremes are intense yet those we connected with move forward happily…with an unexpected and utterly pleasant sense of play.

                                                             Playing with Water

Water Puppetry is a form of theater indigenous to Viet Nam—you will find it nowhere lese in the world.  Originated in the rice paddies, the farmers entertained themselves in waist deep water by constructing puppets that told stories of their lives.  The stories primarily illustrate the rural life of the farmer, their families and villages.   The characters are fishermen, boats, fish, farmers and musicians.  The other and more important origin of this rare form of theater was to entertain the gods and spirits so that they would not create mischief for the farmers and their families—there are deep religious roots in mysticism and superstition.  To appease the gods there are other characters:  dragons, snakes, mystical birds and royal subjects.  All of the stories have a foundation of wry humor, self-deprecation and silliness.  The action is supported by an orchestra that not only plays traditional Vietnamese instruments, but also provide the dialogue and singing of the frozen-faced puppets as they splash about.   The magic of water puppetry is that the audience never sees the puppeteers and the characters appear out of the water like they all live down there just waiting for their cue.  Puppeteers are trained for years and sworn to secrecy as to how it all works—they even have there own code language they use during shows that only they can understand. 

Contemporary performances have moved from the rice fields to special theaters where the stage is a pool of water (see photo below).  The performance we saw was enchanting!  14 short scenes celebrating rural life and embracing the spirit of what it means to be Vietnamese.  The manipulation of the puppets was intricate and complicated—it is easy to see why these are puppet masters who have spent decades training.  The movement and splashing about is complimented by exciting theatricality:  smoke rising from the water, a real rainstorm and a firework-breathing dragon.  The stories are told in Vietnamese but the storytelling is so universal it is easy to understand what is going on.  Our shared (wet) humanity.

We spent 2 days in the Mekong Delta—what a treat.  Witnessing life in the delta was a true slice of Vietnamese village life.  The “streets” are the intricate system of waterways.  The “cars” are boats.  The floating market was something to behold and exactly what it sounds like; each boat a different department…clothes, food, hardware…all there.  The village homes line the busy, super thin roads on shore all hidden within dense jungle.  One of the greatest privileges of my life was a 3-hour bike ride through the multiple villages connected by an occasional ferry.  Smiles, invitations, tea breaks..I envied the clever simplicity and complete community we saw before us.

                                                                  Playing with Fire

The American/Viet Nam War has left deep wounds in this beautiful country.  I visited the War Remnants Museum—not an experience I will soon forget.  The museum is four floors of displays and photographs illustrating the horrifying impacts of the war:  international anti-American protests, letters and artifacts condemning America’s aggressions, bloodied Vietnamese bodies, crying children, horrific health impacts of Agent Orange…(ouch).  I felt like disappearing into a corner after the first floor.  There was a flag with a tree half destroyed by Agent Orange…it looked like the AFP tree…(double ouch—see photo below).

A Vietnamese guide from a tour the previous day was adamant about me knowing her side:  “About 30% of what you will see at that museum is true—the rest is made up by my government.  Don’t feel bad about being American—both sides have a lot to be sorry about.”  Regardless of the percentage of truth in the museum, the idea of “What in the world is going on here?!” crossed my mind as it has in the multiple memorials and museums I have witnessed.  It simply doesn't seem possible that this type of organized mass destruction, mass murder, mass atrocity can happen again and again.  It never gets easier. 

I suppose one always has to remind oneself that the storyteller, the source of these memorials all over the world is important.  Whose side of the story are you hearing?  Each side has every right to tell their story the way they’d like.  This includes the need for governments to tell things their way.  I have also had the privilege of seeing Viet Nam memorials in America.  I now have the opportunity to weigh both stories.  I suppose the truth lies somewhere in between the two.

I am fortunate there was a Buddhist temple down the street from the museum.  I spent some necessary quite time there.  Buddha kept smiling.

Just Playing

We are making sure to include multiple service visits on our trip.  Important for Nate, important for us.  We spent one morning at a school for deaf and developmentally challenged children.  Kids are kids and they immediately reminded us of our shared humanity.  It felt so comforting and familiar to get on the floor with them and play.  Paper, pens and Popsicle sticks were the bridges between languages and hearing.  Ahhhh, homeJ