From Ancient to Delicious

As recommended to me by every Vietnamese person I have met, I went to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology. And they were right! This was the most comprehensive ethnological museum I've ever encountered (and probably the only one). The most interesting thing about it was that the tribes and culture presented here are still very much alive. I was initially annoyed that they would put something that is still very much alive in a museum. However, because the Viet people far outnumber the smaller H'mong or Muong tribes, the intent is to promote understanding, so that these ethnic minorities will not die for the sake of modernization. Interesting idea (the above photo is of a traditional Banhar community hall).

Right next to my hotel is the "Ancient House" on 87 Ma May street. It's not very ancient, really... only just over 100 years old. However, the city of Hanoi has started renovating many of the old houses located in the Old Quarter (the most expensive land in Hanoi, and yet in shambles). Called a "tube house" for the 6-8 meter wide storefront and 30 meter length, this old artisan's dwelling and workshop, originally housing one family, housed five families from 1954 to 1996... one family in each room. No one lives here anymore, to allow the house to stand as a classic example of the original architecture in the area. Now, the city is restoring houses and allowing the occupants to continue to live in them. Oh, and yes. The picture above is of the original toilet. I guess you have to have really great aim...

This is looking southwest, from the southeast side of West Lake. Hanoi is growing like crazy, but without a city plan... so the growing is haphazard (and it's all thanks to the communist need to control everything through beaurocratic b.s.). Still an impressive view, though, right? If there weren't so much smog, you would also be able to see the mountains behind the city. THOSE are really beautiful!

Yes, Vietnamese food CAN be delicious. However, I've had more than my share of strange rodents and non-kosher body parts. The worst so far is boiled blood (I thought it was brown tofu at first...). And, to its credit, all the sauces that the food is cooked in taste so great, that even the mole/possum I ate yesterday wasn't that bad. All in all, everything that is available in the States is truly fantastic here! Above is a picture of Cha Ca (from the famous restaurant Cha Ca Le Vong). Fried fish, with wilted Vietnamese veggies, rice noodles, and yummy sauces and peanuts = recipe for deliciousness. :) The Portland restaurant, PokPok offers something similar... they even reference this Hanoi restaurant for its creation, it's THAT good!

Xin Chao!

Ok, so after a couple of packed days of meetings with building authorities and secretaries of important people, I've decided to post some of the wonderful cultural things I've discovered! 

As expected, Vietnamese cuisine is superb... albeit a little strange at times. I'm not sure if I can get used to eating some of the fish dishes here... but overall it's pretty delicious!

I've also discovered the secret to 100% success in regards to crossing the street; inch across, no matter what car or motorbike you step in front of... ;)

Ok, so aside from arranging meetings and establishing contacts, I've been doing some exploring as well! I was lucky enough to find the water puppet theater by Hoan Kiem Lake (it's actually not that hard to find). I'm not sure that I understand the advantage of having the puppets splash around in the water, but I was still "wowed" by the beautiful craftsmanship of the puppets themselves! And the traditional music was quite enchanting. I highly recommend.

I also had the opportunity to go to church on Sunday. After a 20 minute taxi ride that cost just over 100,000 dong (about $6), I arrived at the meetinghouse to find myself in the midst of about 15 college students from Utah, and 15 college students from Vietnam. The Utah students were on a study-abroad tour of asian businesses, and the Vietnamese students made up most of the ward. The branch was so friendly, though, that I just couldn't pass up the invitation to speak next Sunday... hehe... I also discovered that Vietnam is now allowing Vietnamese missionaries to openly proselyte! There are many stipulations, including a 6-month limit per area (they can serve 6 months every 6 months), and the fact that the missionaries must be native to Vietnam... but what a surprise! 

Lastly, before I go to bed: if you're planning on coming at all to Hanoi in your life, I would suggest you go next year. 2010 is the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi's "birth." In preparation for the festivities, the city is conducting all sorts of wonderful restoration projects. I'm pretty sure that most of the projects will not get done in time for the celebrations, but I'm happy they're at least getting done! Much of the restoration focus is on the Old City, but some of the basic city services are getting an upgrade as well (this includes the possibility of a high-speed train!). Now, if only they would institute a garbage-collection system that didn't involve scraping it off the street...

Vietnam 101:

I know. It's amazing. I made it to 'Nam alive and in one piece! I have to admit, it was pretty disheartening to still be picked up by the scam artist taxis, despite my efforts in trying to avoid them... and even more so when my wallet was $200 lighter... boo.

Rocky beginnings aside, here are some things I've learned so far in my crash-course introduction to Hanoi:

- Plan on taking 3+ showers every day. Even as a guest in someone's home, you will probably be offered the opportunity, so take it! And no, your own sweat does not count as a shower.

- Trust the taxi driving, but not the drivers... lines and direction of traffic mean nothing to anyone, and yet I have yet to see an accident!

- There's a reason they wear long sleeves and ventilation masks while motorcycling around the city (the air quality is horrific).

- Don't walk too slow or too fast across the street, or you're toast.

- The fruit is so good here, it just might convert you banana haters into liking them.

- Don't be alarmed when vendors follow you for a block with their merchandise, telling you to "buy the pretty fan!"

- Sidewalks are not for pedestrians. Need a place to park you motorbike? or start a barbeque? how about throw/collect garbage (not in bags, mind you)...

- Motorbike capacity = 3 adults or 1 adult+4 kids

Well, I'm off to dinner at my newfound friend's house! 

"Fake Authentic" Branches...?

It's not wood! It's a USB memory stick! Maybe the perfect product for Portlanders...

An Authentic Product of the 80's... :)

Hipsters are NOT Authentic

Ok, so I'm a little bitter that my front wheel was stolen in front of the school yesterday in broad daylight...!!!!!!!!

That being said, I'd like to say that the 'cult' of the hipster is one of the least authentic social groups I can currently think of ('indie' kids often fall into this category as well). In their efforts to be part of the 'counter culture,' they have created an image-driven social network where your degree of 'authenticity' is measured by how tight your pants are, how sweet your ride is (bike, not car), and how big your lensless glasses can be. They are not as independent as they may like to think... unless you can be independent collectively. But perhaps this isn't all-bad?

I've been thinking a lot about what it means for an individual to be truly 'authentic,' and I think I'm coming to the conclusion that it's not the people that are inauthentic; it's the social groups and the role of products within these social groups. No matter how 'hipster' or 'indie' someone is, each person comes from entirely different backgrounds which dictate their reactions to, and choices in the world around them. I would like to believe that because of the human ability to make conscious decisions and value judgements, it is impossible to be an inauthentic person. However, this does not mean that people are then excluded from participating in inauthentic activities, or associating with inauthentic groups. 

A term that runs very close to inauthenticity for me is 'trendy.' When ideas like global warming become trendy, they become less authentic. For me, 'trend' implies a lack of knowledge about the object or idea that is being designated as such. So, when people decide to get rid of their 3-year old car and trade it in for a more environmentally-friendly hybrid car, they are not reacting to the actual need of the environment, but rather the trend based on the needs of the environment (because if they were to think about it, the impact of going through so much material has a greater impact than how much gas one may save).

Back to hipsters. In the end, the hipster and indie cultures provide a blanket of security that protect individuals within these groups from confronting the idea of being individual. Authentic people are everywhere, but are typically hidden by the facade of a chosen group-identity. 

"The Hunt For Gollum"

My friend recently showed me "The Hunt for Gollum," a fan-created movie response to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

While the story was really pretty lame, I was extremely impressed with the quality of the acting and graphics. Not only did they seamlessly copy the style and mood of the trilogy, but they succeeded in creating beautifully rendered computer-graphic scenes. Overall I was quite impressed!

This reminded me of a discussion we had in class at some point related to music mixing vs. video mixing. Because the movie was so well done, from what I understand the 'copyright' infringements were excused as long as the fan-movie didn't make money (which then allows other fans to see it for free online). After exploring the site a little more, it looks like the group of people who made "The Hunt for Gollum" are now trying to make a feature-length film (possibly for profit). While it is unfortunate that the movie was not allowed to make profit, I feel the 'corporate' response was pretty understanding. It makes sense to let fans create quality 'remixes'! Also, by allowing fans to carry-out such intense projects, the film industry can see what their audiences are craving. It's brilliant, really!