A missed opportunity

Thursday 6^th November 2008

Some of the kids I teach at weekend, at a school Birthday Party.

Andy, one of the teenage students at KTV, has become very friendly with Michael, and his mother who is also a friend of Co Mai, has ‘adopted’ him into her family. Mark and I have an invitation to lunch next Sunday along with Michael and some others. I was talking to her last night as she waited for her youngest son, to take him home. Actually she understands only a little English and I understand no Vietnamese, but I thought I understood her to say that after lunch on Sunday she’s booked a minibus to take a group to Kampuchea. How far is it to Cambodia? I must have misunderstood so I waited for an interpreter, who turned out to be little Michael.

Yes, that’s the plan. Apparently it’s only a couple of hours travelling to visit a special temple just over the border. “But my Visa is for single entry only. I can’t leave Viet Nam or they may not let me in again!” I tried to make them understand. I really don’t want to be stranded in another country before its time to leave! “Oh what a pity” Co Oan kept saying. I’m so sick! I haven’t been anywhere really special yet and this would have been a wonderful opportunity. Oh well, ce’st la vie! Maybe another time... !

I’ve come to a decision about my travelling plans. Mark can’t afford to take time off work just yet as the school will be closing for two weeks in late January. Everyone takes time off for Tet, their New Year celebrations and that’s the best time for him to go travelling with Michael, probably on their bikes! I really don’t want to be traipsing around Asia alone, so I’ll forget about going to Singapore overland and fly instead. In the meantime Mark can take the odd few days off so we can visit some of the most beautiful and interesting places that we’ve been learning about from our students. This is always a good topic of conversation in our classes.

One of the books I bought in Saigon is the diary of a young woman, a highly qualified doctor from a professional family in Hanoi, who cared for the sick and injured in the jungles of mid Viet Nam during the war. Although this was all going on while I was a young woman, my scant knowledge is based on the horrific pictures we saw on the TV News and tried to forget while we ate dinner. I’m finding her account very moving and am getting a better idea of what these friendly, gentle people went through in their struggle for independence. Her diaries, which are very personal, were found and kept by an American soldier after her death, and have only recently been translated and published. He personally returned the originals to her 81 year old mother just a couple of years ago.

The majority of people in this country were born after the conflict and memories of that war seem to be just history as far as most people are concerned. Far from viewing America as an enemy, the US is admired and aspired to and many Vietnamese go to there to study or work. Michael from Louisiana is loved and admired, in spite of, or because of, his crazy American ways! On this subject, I must congratulate at least half of the American people on their choice of a new President. I trust it signals a new wind of change in their policies!!!

Although this is a communist country, there’s no sign of repression or atmosphere of fear and it certainly doesn’t stop people getting rich if they can! However, the majority of people are very poor and get by in the usual ways people scratch a living. An English Teacher, on the other hand, is relatively well off, even though we’re struggling at the moment. It’s a hard life!