N E P t u n e: Culture

Need, then... no nead

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 06:50:25 GMT

Just "need" and "no need" that I have seen in my life...

I need even just a shirt to warm me up... until I could get a nice jacket, I would throw the shirt away... cause "no need".
I need a bowl of rice to contend with hunger... until I could get a yummy pizza, I would not want the rice anymore... cause "no need".
I need a bicycle... until I could have a motorbike, I would give the bicycle away... cause "no need".
I need a gulp of water for the thirst... until I could get a big bottle of water, I could waste some to wash my hand... cause "no need".
I need a book to read... until I would have a computer and could access the internet, I would throw the book into the storehouse... cause "no need".
I need some candle for light... until I would have electric light, that would be called being plenty more candle... cause "no need".
I need a slipper... until I would get a real nice shoe, the slipper could be thrown away... cause "no need".

...

I need you for help... until I could manage somehow by myself, I would throw... no, NO; absolutely NO.

......

So, tell me how "need, then... no need" is in your culture?

Designed for all friends

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:01:03 GMT

(Please click on the picture to see the larger version)

Dear everyone,

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the holidays. Please find out the attached picture above which is my Chirstmas & New Year card for you made from a picture I took at the lagoon area in Hue last few days. The picture is about a boat with new fishing-net going to the lagoon to fish. I hope and believe the fishermans on this boat would catch lots of fish and get enough food for their families. The meaning of the picture itself is my wish for you in the new year. I wish you will reap lots of success in the year of 2008.

Merry Chirstmas and Happy New Year !!!!

This is for all of my friends whom I don't have the email address and I could not send by email.

Turkey day

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 05:23:16 GMT

(This is a late post on Thanksgiving)

Well, my very first real Thanksgiving and it was a great experience. We ate a lot of food and had a fun game making a turkey from sundries. Let remember what we had that night... Turkey and stuffing, Mashed potatoes with gravy, Sweet Potato casserole, Green Bean casserole, Glazed Carrots, Cranberry sauce, Home-made rolls (bread) and Salad. And for desserts, we had Pumpkin Pie, Spice Cake, Sugar cream pie, Apple Pie, Pumpkin roll (with cream cheese), Ice cream and Whipped Cream. (Thanks Marc for helping me all of these names). I didn't bring the camera with me that night so following are pictures from Marc's camera. I don't have pictures of all kinds of food we ate but that is really an awesome meal. Also a great time meeting some new friends. Yup, had fun !!!

Thanks Ken&Heather for inviting me to come. And thanks everyone for showing me about American culture and holiday. I love you all.

An old story on a dolphin in a fishing village

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:54:37 GMT

I was rummaging in my heap of pictures in this computer and I found these old ones. They made me think of a story that happened last 4 years and I decided to tell you what the story is. Here you are, the pictures I've just mentioned:

I got to know this story from a field trip to a mangrove forest in Hue for a research essay when I was an undergraduate student. It was a nice and sunny day and we were a bit tired driving to Ru Cha, the mangrove forest I mentioned above (sorry, this link is in Vietnamese, but you could see some pictures). When we were taking a short rest at a corner of the forest, we found out an old man was trying to move a big fish onto his bamboo boat. He brought the fish to a spacious place on the land and at that time people in that village came to see. The fish is called "ca' o^ng", a slang word that local people used to call that kind of fish and it means a whale; but in fact, I think he is much more alike a dolphin. When that old man (he is the man wearing black shirt in my pictures) saw the dolphin, he was still alive. By tradition of fishing villages here, it is spiritual if someone meets a "ca' o^ng". Anyone should treats him well if don't want to have a bad upheaval in their fishing life. A fishing man's life always closely attaches to water, sea and ocean and risk could be anywhere. So that made fishing people believe on "ca' o^ng" much more.

Back to the story, then, that old man and other villagers started to do the ritual work with the dolphin (now he already died because it was too dry up there). What they did are similar with a ceremony when a man dies. They put paper money around him, burned incense, worshipped and prayed and especially, they built a coffin for him (see the pictures and don't forget to click on them to see the larger versions).

We left Ru Cha when the fish's ceremony had not finished yet. But we could guess people would bring him to a nice place in the forest and bury. And whenever people there are going to head for the open sea and catch fish for their daily life, they could come there to pray for a lucky sea journey.

Thanks culture

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:04:12 GMT

Most of Western people say "sorry", "thanks", "excuse me" most of the time. Vietnamese people are different.

Actually, in some cases, say "sorry" or "thanks" in Vietnam sounds too formal so people don't like that much. But what I want to mention here is a different story...

I was feeding my fishes this morning in the living-room and I heard a woman spoke out loud outside my house, on the roadside. I looked out over and I realized she was talking to me through the glass door (cause she was standing outside and saw me inside through the glass door of my house). I walked to the door, opened it and asked her: "Can I help you? Are you asking me something?". I saw clearer behind her big grey raincoat, she is a nun...

She asked: "Where to buy a digital dictionary?" I guess that is what she said when I had not opened the door yet and she just repeated.

I said: "Uhm, I don't think you could get a digital dictionary around this area. You should go to bookstore and they should have digital dictionary there."

The nun: "what bookstore?"

I answered: "I think you should cross Trang Tien bridge and come to Phu Xuan bookstore. That is the biggest one in Hue so you could have many choice for your digital dictionary there."

Then, she made a U-turn with her bike and went away...

I still kept my eyes on her, looking she was biking step by step. I still stood in front of my house and seems like I was still waiting for something...

Do you think she should say "thanks" to me?

...

The door had still been opened... until she was hidden from my view.

Identify 'Viet kieu'

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:40:53 GMT

Meeting with people, including Viet kieu (Overseas Vietnamese) who have been here, in Vietnam, I have experienced that there are some kind of Viet kieu that we could find out easily if we really have "an eye" on what they express.

I temporary classify Viet kieu by their appearance and action; and I have these 6 following groups of Viet kieu:

1/ Barefoot Viet kieu

These kind of people are very common, even more common than some of the local Vietnamese. Usually, barefoot Viet kieu had left Vietnam for some reasons that they might not want to do but they have. That could be finding family members or relatives after 1975, or having no more relatives after the war, or being drifted, or something like that. This kind of Viet kieu always wish to come back their home country, Vietnam. They work hard abroad (even very hard), try to save their little money to go back Vietnam to visit and help relatives if they still have. They have never been fussy including time while they are back in Vietnam. Most of this kind of Viet kieu could eat cheap and traditional food (which could make your stomach sick if you are not familiar with) and they wish to eat them. They even feel fine sleeping on floor... I like meeting with these Viet kieu.

2/ Stuck-up Viet kieu

These Viet kieu could actually have money or don't but when they get back Vietnam, they always prove to be rich (some even pretending). They brag about what they have or what they know abroad. Most of stuck-up Viet kieu think that local Vietnamese are cloddish, Vietnam in their mind is still like poor Vietnam in the war time. They might not read or get any update about their motherland. This kind of Viet kieu had left Vietnam because they might be guaranteed by relatives, or crossed the border before or after 1975 to escape from the miserableness, or some other similar reasons. These people work hard too, normally.

3/ 'Fop' Viet kieu

I don't have sympathy with this kind of Viet kieu, sorry. I don't like. Most of 'fop' Viet kieu are younger generation, were born abroad. They are familiar with expensive life in Western countries so when they go back Vietnam to visit they usually complain (at anything they see). Certainly, things in Vietnam can't be better than in developed countries, in general. 'Fop' Viet kieu compare everything so... complaining a lot is easy to understand. 'Fop' ones have something is a little bit similar with stuck-up Viet kieu.

4/ Business Viet kieu

Yes, clearly, huh? they are business men. they do business in the foreign countries where they live and they want to have opportunity to work in their home country. They come back Vietnam to visit as well as to learn how Vietnam market is. Business Viet kieu might be born abroad or left Vietnam some time in the past. What they think about is doing business and that is good for Vietnam. These people could also be stuck-up ones or big-heart ones that I am going to mention next.

5/ Big-heart Viet kieu

This is a group of Viet kieu who have been successful in their life. Most of them do business and become rich. These people owe heavy "debts" to Vietnam and in their mind, they always think of how to help their home country. They have advantage to help and they do. They spend money that they hardly earn on helping their relatives, or their hometown or even country (higher level) to build new houses, or give funds to have job for example. Many big-heart Viet kieu help people through programs like support to the poor or the sick, also through some scholarship/fellowship programs,... etc. I really admire and appreciate these people.

6/ Sabotage Viet kieu

These Viet kieu are really really bad. Of course I don't like them, no one like them except themselves. For some reasons, they come back Vietnam to do something or perhaps work abroad for the purpose of sabotage nowaday Vietnam. It could be political sabotage or making econimic damage (at national level). At less serious level, this kind of people plan to swindle local Vietnamese people or organizations or company. Some using the Viet kieu mark to find a wife. Certainly, there still are many good Viet kieu marry local Vietnamese people; I absolutely agree; but what I mention here is that marriage without love and happiness (called: buying a wife).

So, I might miss 1 or 2 or even more other groups of Viet kieu in this list. If anyone have any idea, please leave a comment. A Viet kieu could be listed in 2 or 3 different groups mentioned above at the same time like a business Viet kieu might have a big-heart. But, I have never seen a 'fop' Viet kieu acts like... the 'barefoot' way; yeah, never.

Questions on Tet from Julie's class

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:29:27 GMT

Hi you all,

I got an email from a close friend today. She is teaching the international kids at a school in Delaware and she had printed off one of my post on Tet in Vietnam for her students. She told me they are interested in Vietnam and I'm glad to hear that. She sent me an email that involves some questions from her kids and I think my reply email has some more information on Tet as well as Viet culture that could be helpful for some of the readers of this blog. Here you are...

Hi Kids, (Sorry, I've found out they are not kids, Students.)
Thank you for being interested in Tet in Vietnam and also for giving me questions. I will answer them all individually.
1. How many days does Tet last?
Officially, Tet lasts 4 days which are the last day of the old year (it might be the December 30 but sometimes, it is December 29) (oh, please note that all the dates that I mention here are on lunar calendar), and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of the New Year. But in fact, it depends on who that Tet will last. If you work for the government agencies, your Tet will be from the December 29 to January 5); to me who work for a University (same with high school or college), Tet often lasts 15 days, from December 25 to January 10; people who work for businesses or commercial companies, their Tet last just 3 days (last day of December and January 1 and 2), at some places, just 2 days (without January 2).
2. Is Tet for 10 days?
If you are a teacher or a lecturer or a student, your Tet could be that long (maybe longer).
3. Why didn't you work on the 7th and 8th day of Tet?
I did work on the 7th and 8th day of Tet this year, but at home. My job restarted on the 10th day of Tet his year but I had a new class right on that day so I decided to have 2 days working at home to prepare for my class. I could have those 2 days off to hang out with friends but I enjoyed Tet enough before so back to work 2 days earlier is better for me.
4. Where is Tet celebrated? At your home?
This is an interesting question. Yes, Viet people celebrate Tet at home. Almost everyone try to come back home for Tet because being home on Tet is very meaningful to them. I did mention on my blog that Tet = family reunion, and the poorest people are the ones who could not have chance to be home on the New Year's Eve. It's similar with Thanksgiving or Christmas in America and that's culture. Nowadays, in the big cities of Vietnam like Hanoi or Hochiminh city, some people celebrate Tet not at home. They travel with their families, maybe abroad or other places in Vietnam during the off days of Tet. But generally, most of Viet people still do the traditional way that is celebrating Tet at home with family.
5. Do you pray and drink alcohol every day of Tet?
We just pray when we have worship. In Viet culture, especially in Hue, my hometown, people worship many times on Tet, 5 or 6 times I think and each time has different purpose. Nowadays, people are trying to make it easy and they worship just 2 or 3 times on Tet. But please note that not all families worship on Tet. Some families don't do that, most do and they do differently. Some people are still very traditional and they worship 5 or 6 times, some just do 2 or 3 times; that depends on their faith. And certainly, people pray when they worship. This point is like in America, people have faith in God, some don't and what you pray to God are similar with what Viet people pray at the worship on Tet.
Regarding drinking alcohol, not everyday, that depends. But if you come to see people or people come to see you on Tet, almost every house your come or your house will bring alcohol to drink together. Alcohol could be beer or wine or strong liquor...
In the olden time, Viet people made wine (at home) from rice to drink on Tet and just the well-to-do families could have money to make wine. When the society has been developing, people's lives have been improving, they don't make rice wine anymore, they now just have to go to the market to buy alcohol and they have more options: beer or fruit wine or Western liquor, etc. And also, most of people have chance to buy alcohol (not just the rich ones). People choose what kinds of alcohol to use on Tet depend on the weather. If they have a cool Tet, most of them will prefer wine but if a warm Tet, would be beer.
6. Why was your plan easily broken when you stopped by your friends' houses?
7. Why is it hard to plan things on Tet?
Well, visiting people on Tet is a culture and that is not the reason of "hard to plan on Tet". The reason is when you come to visit a friend for example, and you thought you would stay at his or her house for 15 minutes and then have to leave to visit another one's house. Certainly your friend will bring food and beer or wine to entertain you. 15 minutes passed already and you want to cut off the talk to leave but usually, it's not easy to do that when there still are foods and beer on the table and the talk is still good. Maybe someone come there (your friend's house) and that is the one you know, then the talk will be longer and more food and wine on the table. This is very different with American culture. In America, perhaps if you want to leave, just say I have to go and go. Viet culture is different. In America, if someone knocks your door while you are busy, you just say "I'm sorry, I'm very busy now ...” in Vietnam, you have to say "hi, come in..." first. If you do American way here, people will say that's indelicate. That's culture. And certainly, no one want people think that he or she is indelicate on Tet.
8. What is the thing that you put in your stomach most on Tet?
It depends, but with most of men, I think maybe alcohol because every house you come to visit on Tet serve alcohol and food (food are different among families).
9. What do you like to eat most?
You mean on Tet? Uhm, vegetable. Because most the food for Tet are made from meat so I'm often fed up with meat very quickly on Tet. If someone serve vegetable (like salad) when I come to their house on Tet, I will really enjoy that food.
10. Does every house have alcohol on Tet to entertain guests?
In the olden time, no, just families that had enough money. Nowadays, maybe yes; rich people have expensive alcohol, poorer people have cheap alcohol.
11. When was your best Tet?
Uhm, when was my best Tet? Actually, I always enjoy Tet. Perhaps Tet on the climacteric year of mine is a bit more interesting than other years. What does climacteric year mean? I am at the age of the Pig and years of the Pig are my climacteric year. People say in the climacteric year, something special will happen (maybe good special or bad special). I had my climacteric year once when I was 13 and that was a good year to me. This year is also my climacteric year and I am waiting for anything special, I hope good special. And please note that this year is also the climacteric year of Mrs. Hillary Clinton. I wish she will have a good special event in her life. Hillary Clinton, me & the year of the Pig (you were right Marc).

Okay, I hope all of my answers are useful and if anyone of you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask Ms. Julie Louis to send them to me.
Best wishes,

Tuan.

Decoration for Tet

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:59:24 GMT

Decoration for Tet became culture and some stuff could not be missing for that. Most of Viet people decorate their houses for Tet by using flower and bonsai. In the North of Vietnam, people have to have peach blossom on Tet. It could be small or big, a branch or a whole tree, but almost every house you come during Tet, they would have red or pink peach blossom. In the South of Vietnam, people have apricot blossom instead of peach blossom in the North. How about in Hue? I mean in the Centre? Both, apricot or peach blossom. But apricot blossom is more popular and more traditional than peach blossom. Today, however, people use both. Following are pictures on the apricot blossom tree of my family this year.
(Be sure to click on the pictures for the larger view)

Readers of this blog might know the story on the death of my fish and since then, the fish tank had been empty. I have set up a new fish tank for Tet, with 11 carps and some little colourful fishes, green light, white pebble and plastic seaweed.

We also got a couple of chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum is pretty popular on Tet and if you go to the flower-show, about 70% of the colour there are yellow and 99% of the yellow are from chrysanthemum. Here they are; sorry that the pictures were taken at night so pretty dark, but don't tell me you can't see the yellow...

This year, the very first time we have tulip in our house; very cute. They bloom and unfold in the daytime but fold at night, that's strange and interesting. Tulip flower smell so good...

I just miss orchid this year...

New Year's Eve party

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:10:00 GMT

    Actually, I'm almost getting drunk while I'm typing this post so I may talk nonsense somewhere in this writing and please overlook that, eheheh... Today is New Year's Eve party day to me; my family had a party and at school, my department had party too. I've got back home from the party with my colleagues and I drunk pretty much so that's why I had to say sorry at the very first word of this post...
   At the end of each year (all of the period of time that I mention in this post is on lunar calendar), the Viet people often have 2, no no, maybe 3 or 4 times to worship (you could say "party") and 2 of them are on the 25th of December (5 days away from Tet) (sorry, I was lying ; 1 is often on the 23th of Tet, that is Kitchen God's worship; and 1 (New Year's Eve party) is usually on the 25th) or around that (some families have that earlier, some have later; my family's is today, the 23th). The first worship calls Kitchen God's worship. What does that mean? Each family in Vietnam has a Kitchen God at their kitchen; some families as mine have that at other place in the house; that depends on where is the "good" places to put the Kitchen God; my family? honestly, in... my room, eheheh I know, but I have had fun being with... him in my room . Normally, the Kitchen God lives with the family for almost whole year so he could know very well what have happened to the family, what's wrong with people living there and what they need, what are their difficulties, etc. And then, at the end of each year, he has to go up to the heaven to report to God on what he has learned; so God could know about that and do something to help people living on the earth better. So the purpose of Kitchen God's worship is that to say goodbye to the Kitchen God leaving the family to go back the heaven.
   This is a picture of my family's Kitchen God in... my room

And then, the second worship is New Year's Eve party. My families and most of the others I think often have that party with 2 meanings; one is to close the old year and two is to wait for and welcome the ancestor coming back home for Tet (we say "to eat Tet"). Today, there still are some families do 2 different parties but my family always do one with 2 purposes and that's what we had today. Make sure you will take a look on the attached pictures at the bottom to see what we prepared and cooked and had for the party. And the following are some pictures to show you how we serve food at the worship.

In addition, Viet people also worship right on the New Year's Eve (at midnight, at the hour that time moves from the old year to the new one) and on the 3rd of Tet, a worship to say goodbye to the ancestor. It will be better if I mention these worships in a later post. Some families would have another (yeah, another) worship to welcome back the Kitchen God from the heaven but my family have never had that.
So Tet is coming, the biggest holiday of the Viet, the most important holiday of the Viet is coming. Tet = family reunion; people are coming back motherland, coming back home at this time of the year and I will try to show you how Tet smells. But I have to say bye for now.

Hue wedding season

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:03:56 GMT

You are going to marry; you are planning for your wedding and you are trying to have the most wonderful wedding which is a very special event of your life. But, yeah, the question is when is the perfect time to do that? what season is called wedding season?

When in Hue, we only have 2 seasons (not as lucky as some of you have 4 real seasons): the rains and dry season, it's hard to have a wonderful weather time for marriage. I went to the wedding of a colleague few days ago, it was raining so hard and it has been raining here for more than a week, non-stop. I saw people got wet arriving at the restaurant, including me. I was such standing on 2 basins of water when my shoes were soaking, of course no suit, no decking out, no cool hair style. So, the rains is out of my wedding season list. One of the things to know that raining season in Hue (from September to April) is not like it's raining in the morning and evening and stops in the afternoon. It still follows the rule which is raining and raining and raining all the time and even you don't see the sunlight during the season. It doesn't sounds good for wedding, does it? But in fact, from December to February, that time is wedding season here even it often rains hard at that time of the year. You know why people say that? cause that's the beginning of spring, the season of love (might be right at somewhere but not in Hue, I could say).

   If when you think the rains is not the real wedding season in Hue, dry season is thought of. Don't rejoice hastily; Hue is famous for its severe weather conditions. Dry season? hot, even scorching and baking sun. Anyone wants to get marriage in Sahara or at the deserts somewhere, under the heat? No, of course no and dry season here definitely isn't wedding season. If my whole family (parents, me and sister) receive 30 or 40 or more wedding invitation cards during the rains, just 10 or the best is 15 invitation cards in the dry time.
   So as I said, there is not wedding season in a year here? "You are picky, Tuan". No no, if you put some ice (very cold water) into boiling water (I mean very hot water), you would have warm or cool water. Perfect! In August, September or April, May, when the season is changing from hot, dry to rain, cold or conversely, the weather is number one (Tuan says that). So take advantage of that to organize your wedding. I recommend that because I love that time of the year, eheheh. I will say April, May, August and September are the months of love in... Hue. But if you ask someone else, he or she will say that you should marry in wedding season, at the beginning of spring even though he or she may know Hue doesn't have the concept of "real spring" but just... forget then.
   If any of you have your wedding organized in Hue, I hope you will meet good weather (don't forget to invite me ). My wedding? In April. But... I have not known what year yet. I need a girlfriend first.

Happy teacher's day

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:11:48 GMT

Yes, it's Vietnamese teacher's day today; the day for honouring people who work for the education career. To me, this year is a bit different than the previous ones cause I am also a teacher beyond I need to express my thankfulness to my teachers as I did in the past years. Actually, when some one asks me how many teachers I have, I don't even know how to answer and maybe no one of you can know how many people who have taught you in your life. But I bet everyone can point out to some of your teachers who have the biggest influence on your life. Perhaps some of them stand at the big turning-points of your study process, some appear at the important changes of your life-work, even some have their role on your marriage...

I invited my two BIG teachers for dinner last night, as a chance to introduce them to my parents. It was such as a beautiful Sunday yesterday. I have done pretty well the final exam of the class that I don't really interested in and complained in the previous post. And then I had fun with my colleagues at my boss' place when we celebrate his new house. And a nice and warm dinner at my house. It's really a perfect day, isn't it?

Today, HUS did not celebrate teacher's day as big as they did in the previous years because we have had a supper big party and activities to celebrate the 30 years foundation anniversary last few weaks. We had a short meeting to say the congratulations to all teachers of the college. And we went back our Department and had talk with our students when they came to see us. It's funny to be both teacher and former student, that you have to drink wine for teacher as well as wine for student, that means you can get drunk easier. Thousands reasons for me as well as other ones to drink and I could not refuse. But anyway, we had fun in our day.

If you are a teacher too, I would love to say happy teacher's day to you. Even you are not from Vietnam and you don't celebrate the 20th of Nov, I still hope you had a good day today. All the best!

Learn Tet Trung Thu

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 14:46:56 GMT

   The Mid-Autumn Festival (Traditional Chinese: 中秋節, Simplified Chinese: 中秋节; pinyin: Zhōngqiūjié; Korean: Ch'usǒk or Chuseok 추석/秋夕; Vietnamese Tết Trung Thu; Taiwanese Tion Chhiu; also known as the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, or the August Moon Festival. In Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia, it may be referred to as the Lantern Festival, similar in name to a different festival which falls on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year) is a popular Asian celebration of abundance and togetherness, dating back over 3,000 years to China's Zhou Dynasty.
   The Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Lunar calendar (usually around mid- or late-September in the Gregorian Calendar), a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar. At this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake, of which there are many different varieties.
   The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Lunar calendar (the other being the Lunar New Year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Asian family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. It is also common to have barbecues outside under the moon, and to put pomelo rinds on one's head. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. Together with the celebration, there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting sweet-olive trees, lighting lanterns on towers, and fire dragon dances. Shops selling mooncakes, before the festival, often display pictures of Chang'e, floating to the moon.

Dragon dance Moon cake Chang E

From June 03 to June 11

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 09:49:39 GMT

Hue Festival 2006

Hue Festival 2006 Official Website:

http://www.huefestival.com

Also from the trip to the countryside - The village images

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 05:50:19 GMT

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Hello Vietnamese Countryside !!!

Something no one can explain

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 16:03:40 GMT

The story begins with a strange thing that I have heard from people in my family. Three years ago, a hermitage in the countryside of my grandmom side vibrated when people were making ceremonial offerings for its owner who died more than 40 years ago, meanwhile no train or van running around there. Actually, it is the hermitage of my grandmom's brother. My uncle related that it was long time ago, when the American war was still happening in Vietnam. He was working for the Vietnamese military that was garrisoned in the forest at that time. Once, he came back home to visit family, and recognized a big banian tree on the courtyard of his house that could make the weak bamboo house falls down by its strong roots.

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(The banian tree was next to the cement tank that you could see on the picture)

And he decided to cut the tree down. But his grandmom did not allow him to do that because she said the tree is "the house" of his uncle who died few years before then. Then, he said "uncle could come in our house and stay there; if I don't cut the tree down, the house would fall down". And he cut the tree down as what he was going to do. Some neighbours came to take some firewood of the tree and they were sick for some days, that is what I heard from my uncle. But he was okay because he said, maybe uncle has never hurted his nephew.

After that, he built a small and simple hermitage by wood instead of the tree and it was the new place for his uncle's soul. Everything went okay until the summer of the last three years. My grandmom saw the hermitage was too bad and asked her son to build a new one as well as repair the house... And the opening day of the new house and the new hermitage came. We organized a party to celebrate as the Vietnamese tradition.

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(The house) (And the hermitage)

When everyone was making ceremonial offerings, the hermitage suddenly vibrated. Water was shaking, the flower vase inside it was vibrating as there was someone is shaking it and the fruits fell down under the ground. But everything around there was still quite. Everybody scared a little bit and some of them (including many of my relatives) came and touched the hermitage and they felt it was shaking too. Even my grandmom and granddad (who died 3 years ago) who had never believed about religious and superstition, they were absolutely thunderstruck with what they were seeing. People kept praying and talked together that he (the owner of the hermitage) might be happy with the new "house" and he wants to let us know that he has known what is happening. The hermitage vibrated for about 45 minutes and has not vibrated again since then.

I went to the countryside again this morning and came to visit that house where some of my relatives at my grandmom side are living there.

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Today is the dead anniversary of my grandmom's father. We brought a lot of things from Hue for the anniversary and relatives in the countryside did everything as the rule of a traditional anniversary meanwhile I have no idea about that.

First, we came to visit the tombs of people in the family and weeded the areas around the tombs. Then, arranged the offerings in its right places and began making ceremony.

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Vietnammese people believe that when they burn something, the dead people would receive it, so certainly, the paper offerings were sent to the dead relatives by burning.

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The two nearest above pictures are on the tomb of my dad's uncle; a person that I have been related a lot but have never seen any picture on him. He is a very nice person and really loves his nephews and nieces but he is addicted to cigarette. He died in Hanoi and his remains was moved to Hue, his hometown afterward. The information on the headstone is that: Grave - Mr. Nguyen V. Dang - Died on 21st Dec Lunar calendar - Live to be 60 - Son: Ng. V. Chau - Daughter-in-law: Le T. Chau - Eldest grandson: Nguyen V. Hien - Built together - 1995.

Back to the ceremony, we came back home to do the second one at home. The "procedure" is almost similar with what we did up to the hill, at the tombs.

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We did talk about what happened with the hermitage 3 years ago and let see if it happens again this year or not but no, nothing was strange ...

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(Inside the hermitage this morning)

When people were busy making ceremony, I was walking around the garden to get some vegetable to bring back Hue. Vegetable there is so good and safe because not pesticide. A neighbour called me to his garden when he saw me looking for the best vegetable to get and allowed me to get anything in his garden. That's great and I got a lot, enough for a week. Then he asked me coming in his house and take a picture for him because he saw I was wearing my camera. Certainly I said yes. He told me he want to have a picture with his mom who died already. He came to the altar and took a picture inside it out that is covered carefully by a big piece of cloth. That is his mom's picture. He put the picture up on the table and asked me to take a picture of him and that picture...

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The next picture is on his grand daughter and her close friend.

So, I have learned many new and interesting things through the trip to the countryside and I am going there again.

The 8th of March

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 03:40:00 GMT

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY !!!

Have you received any flower for this day? I am sure you have a lot. And this one is also for you ...

Wonderful day !