How do you know when you're completely immersing yourself in a new culture, living like the locals and becoming comfortable in a place so far away from home? In Hanoi, much of daily life is shaped by the hustle and bustle of the cityscape. In the city, people move to and from their destinations by motorbike. As both a foreigner and a pedestrian, motorbikes frequently appear in my worst nightmares. Every minute, hundreds of them rumble by in zigzag fashion, on the wrong side of the road, on the right side of the road, and sometimes, entirely off the road. But today was different. Today, I joined the masses and partook in a daily ritual of Hanoi culture. I rode a motorbike to school. I have not yet decided what is more frightening, being the pedestrian or the passenger, but I do know that nothing beats the feeling of wind in your face as you swiftly maneuver the streets.It appears that a current fashion statement in Hanoi is to wear a mask while riding your motorbike through the city. I've seen colors and patterns of all kinds. I expected that the masks were worn as protection from the excessive amount of pollution in the city (from a recent guest lecture, I learned that Hanoi has dangerously high levels of sulfur and benzene in its polluted air). However, it turns out that, instead, people wear the masks to prevent their skin from tanning in the sun. This past week, my program has focused on environmental health. Besides air pollution, I have studied water sanitation, waste management (we visited the local landfill), and occupational health. Agent Orange has also been a prime topic of discussion. During wartime, the US sprayed over 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam. A byproduct of Agent Orange is a chemical called dioxin. Dioxin can result from a variety of activities such as burning trash in your backyard (a common practice in rural areas all over the world), paper pulp bleaching, forest fires, and for herbicide purposes. The affect of dioxin on human health is debated, but clear connections have been drawn to birth defects, diabetes, risk for cancer, risk for heart disease, and so much more. Dioxin bioaccumulates in human fatty tissue, and as a result, the affects can be visible in future generations. Last night, my host mom took me to a small fundraiser near our house where singers performed traditional Vietnamese music. The singers were also victims of poisoning due to Agent Orange. It was an eye-opening experience to see the suffering right in front of me, but to also witness the efforts to raise awareness of the issue. The beauty of studying abroad is having the chance to blend daily life with academic life. By seeing the health affects of Agent Orange first-hand, I have more tools at my disposal to advocate for it in the future.
Other ways I have been learning about my new home include attending site visits (such as going to the National Hospital for Traditional Medicine) and exploring museums. On Saturday, I began my morning on an upbeat note. I decided to wait in line to see Ho Chi Minh's body at rest in his mausoleum. The line wrapped around the block. There were many eager visitors to the tomb, including myself. After passing through security checks galore, I finally shuffled inside the dark chamber. Surrounded by five guards dressed in crisp, white uniforms, Ho Chi Minh laid peacefully on an ornate bed in the center of the room. No visitors could take time to stop and stare. We were prodded along at a steady pace, but I was still able to see all I needed to see. The reverence people hold for Ho Chi Minh is apparent and it was a great educational, although somewhat dreary, experience to have while in Vietnam. After the mausoleum, I headed out to the Museum of Ethnology. This museum outlines anthropological details of the many minority groups in Vietnam. It was fascinating! I got a headstart in understanding my rural homestay family by reading about the White Thai people who live in the Mai Chau Valley region. I will be living there for a week later on in the program. After the ethnology museum, I ate a delicious lunch and watched a water puppet show. Water puppetry is uniquely Vietnamese. I will be attending a full show later on this week, but here is a glimpse of what it looks like.
Before leaving the museum, I walked through a number of replica houses of the minority people. I was especially interested in this tall, stilt house that is traditionally used as a community meeting house. Inside, the floor is made of straw and you can see the ground many feet below you - it's a little scary to be so high up!
After the museum of ethnology, I took a trip to the Hoa Lo Prison, more familiarly known as "The Hanoi Hilton." This prison was used to hold American POWs during the war, including Senator John McCain. Previously, the prison was used to brutally torture Vietnamese revolutionaries by the French colonial government. Most of the original prison is no longer in existence, but the remaining part has been turned into a museum. Some cells remain intact and there are a number of preserved artifacts, including a French guillotine. The most interesting part of this experience is seeing the different discourses used by the Vietnamese and the Americans to portray the recent war.
After a busy museum-going Saturday, I slept late the next morning (in attempt to recover from a recent cold). The most eventful part of my Sunday was attending my host sister's daughter's 1st birthday! I was introduced to my entire extended host family. It was a lot of fun! In the pictures below you'll find baby Hanh and her mom (my host sister) and my host parents in the far left of the bottom photo playing with their granddaughter.
I am now feeling rested and rejuvenated to jump-start the rest of the week. I have a lot ahead of me, and I am in the process of planning for my three day weekend. I will likely go to a place called Sapa, a mountainous region at the northern border with China. Sapa is known for its beautiful views. Stay tuned for details!
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