-^-for posterity-^-

what adventures have i had while you have been sleeping?


today we left early for some traveling in rural vietnam. we drove hours before finally arriving at the provincial capital where we had a meeting with the head of the investment and planning committee or department or something. we sat in this large room on large seats drinking bottled water and feeling important. we were just trying to find out how interested they were in further development of handi-crafts in some of these really rural areas. it was quite a lesson for me.

we left the huge office building. it was ornate. we headed towards the countryside where we were to meet with some local artisans. we met one in a run down row of houses. he was making some wonderful stone carvings. there were about 20 people running around and they all stopped to look. the next place we stopped was in a more rural area. we traveled about 1.5 hours over dirt roads, honking and swerving all the wile, until we arrived at the next stop. this was another group of stone cutters but there was something very different: they seemed wealthier. we stopped and had lunch which consisted of a bunch of plates placed in front of us and everyone diving for everything with chopsticks. i held my own and, while in mid chomp of some mystery meat, someone informed me that what i was eating was only pig stomach. it was cold and tough. hard to swallow. there's something about putting some animal's stomach in your own stomach that is unnerving. stomachs don't seem like they should be eaten. from vegetarian to rural vietnamese cold pig stomach tester. whew.

well, we finally determined that these other artisans were rather wealthy cause they owned the mining rights to a mountain. so much for helping the least of these. we left that town confused. everyone was still coming to the bazaar thought.

we also had to stop at a ceramics village while we were passing out these flyers. we visited some people's home and saw their work. it was truly incredible seeing where all this product comes from. they are just families with their own ideas and their own desires all working at making traditional art. we watched them and listened to their stories. one was about 4'10" and had funny facial hair and the other was skinny and wore the hugest square glasses that made him look like a comic book character.

the're also coming to the bazaar.

on the way home, we stopped at an 11th century buddhist temple. it had a tower in front of it that dated to the 12th century and was about 60 feet tall. it was refurbished but still displayed many original bricks. this is not a tourist attraction. it's in the middle of the rice paddy with no one around. we went in the temple and the old monk showed us around. our translator burned incense and prayed. i left money. my only gift. the gift of privilege. we left after all of these children were following me around laughing. there's something unnerving about having 8 middleschool kids following you on bikes giggling. just isn't right.

well, we got some people to come to this crazy bazaar, we talked to political leaders and we visited an 11th century buddhist temple. not bad for a day in hanoi. i could have done without the pig's stomach though.