Photo Story
Hellooo Vietnam!
ID # 2881
“All I know of you is all the sights of war.
A film by Coppola, the helicopter’s roar.
One day I’ll touch your soil.
One day I’ll finally know my soul.
One day I’ll come to you.
To say hello… Vietnam.”
Through these images, I hope” Vietnam” will become more than just the name of a famous war to you. Through these personal stories, I hope to be able to give you a better understanding of the culture and way of life in Vietnam. Most of all, through these re-visited reflections, I hope to be ablle to find the Vietnam in me that I have somehow lost bit and pieces along the way.
*This Photo Story is geared toward students in Grade 8
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Da Nang Buddha Hill (Linh Ung Temple)
Buddhism is considered to be one the biggest Vietnamese traditional religion and has had great effect on Vietnam culture, historically speaking and in modern time. The picture above is of the “Linh Ứng” Temple, the largest pagoda in Đà Nẵng City which was built under the reign of Minh Mạng King in 1919. Situated on a hill, the temple gives a breathtaking views of the city, overlooking the vast South China Sea. It took my family and I almost 45 minutes to climb up all the way to the top of the Buddha Hill before reaching the temple’s door. After finishing the ritual of burning incense and paid our respects to Buddha, we were able to take a walk around the premises with one of younger monks there. The temple architecture is a perfect blend of contemporary style and traditional design. My favorite part of the tour was when we were able to climb inside the tower (The Bodhisattva statue itself). Looking out from the 17th floor into the endless mountain range and open sea , my mind could not help but wander off into a spiritual realm between earth and heaven.
Quoc Hoc High School
Being the first and also the oldest high school in Vietnam, Quốc Học was originally the school exclusively for children of the royal and noble families. Even after more than 100 years since it was built, the school still manage to keep its original French colonial-style construction. I visited Quốc Học for the first time in a scorching hot day last summer. It is perhaps the most mesmerizing high school campus I have ever set foot in. Mix in with blocks of classrooms is a big soccer field, a basketball court, several badminton court, a swimming pool, as well as a block of dormitory. As you can see in the picture, the school is a beautifully painted picture of red French design building in the backdrop of endless rows of large shady trees. According to my friend, Lộc, who was a student there and also my tour guide that day, Quốc Học is nationally famous for its student academic achievements and their high prizes in international competitions.
My Neighborhood
My permanent home address is 10 Nguyen Quang Bich, Hue, Viet Nam and this is a picture of the street I grew up on. The first thing I noticed in moving to the U.S. was how different the neighborhood here was in comparison to back home. Unlike many suburban neighborhood in the states, these houses were built at different time period that has been passed down from generation to generation. People rarely ever move to another home since it’s hard to sell their old home and even more difficult to buy or built an entirely new house. In addition, since the land is small, houses often locate very close to each other and the relationship among neighbors is quite unique. It’s common for people to keep their front doors open through out the day until before bedtime. Being able to walk in and out of each other house uninvited is a norm there which in turn promotes a bond that help keep the neighborhood even more close-knit.
Tell me, what was your neighborhood like growing up?
The Wedding Bell
While I was visiting my home country this past summer, I was able to be a part of my big sister’s wedding as her maid of honor. The wedding ceremony is a crucial aspect when talking about any culture. Modern day Vietnamese weddings contain a mixture of both traditional ceremony and contemporary style. The ceremony usually last the whole day and ends with a banquet at night. The bride is then to follow her husband back to his house and is not allowed to come back to visit her parents for at least the next 7 days.
If you have to choose a wedding ceremony different than that of your own tradition, which one would you choose?
A Café Society
What’s everywhere in Vietnam and is absolutely amazing? Café Shops. It was almost impossible to escape one of these bad boys in every single city that I visited. Unlike many modern countries in Asia, there is not a Starbuck’s in sight here. These café are mostly private and family own. I can’t tell you enough how much I love that. Why? Because that means every shop is designed in very unique style, the way in which they make their beverage drinks is vastly different, and best of all, the price. From the street corner to five-stars hotel overseeing the whole city, the price range varies so much that it’s easy to pick and choose wherever fit your pocket the most.
The Value of a Family Meal
As with any culture, a home-cooked meal is a fundamental aspect of the Vietnamese. This is a multi-course meal that my older sisters has prepared in welcoming me home when I visited Vietnam 2 years ago. As illustrated above, a typical meal for the average Vietnamese family would include: a large bowl of steamed white rice, individual bowls of rice, fish and a stir-fry dish, a bowl of broth, and most importantly, dipping sauce. Ever since I was young, my parents have instilled in me a sense of appreciation for quality time around the dinner table. It represent love and care, being shared over a familiar and comforting atmosphere. I understand that not all children grew up in my hometown were lucky enough to have as positive of a childhood as I did. And for that, I’m immensely grateful. As simple as a family is, it is the seed of happiness that I hope every kid in my home country, if not across the world, to be able to experience.
People don’t usually just go here for a coffee run before a busy work day. Some of my deepest conversations with friends took place in a café. Not to mention, I know plenty of Vietnamese couples who can track the progression of their love story base on the coffee shop in which each important moment happened in. If a common date for a student in the U.S. is going to the movies then a typical date for those in Vietnam is going to their favorite coffee shop. The above picture is of my two favorite items: fresh watermelon smoothie and coconut jello. As you can see, in addition to up-to- standard quality, the presentation of these drinks play an important role in keeping the customers coming back as well.
Photo Credit: All were taken by me