Our day began with an amazingly comprehensive overview of Vietnam's geography and history from our guide Huy. We learned that a more accurate way to write "Vietnam" is "Viet Nam," meaning the Viet people; we heard about the flow of coastal settlement from north to south matching the hospitality of the terrain and resulting in a long, skinny S-curved country; we observed the French architecture of the bright yellow-orange government buildings, a strong statement about the prominence of official buildings. We viewed Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and the modest houses where he lived in Hanoi in the context of his larger life story...the fascinating journey of a man dedicated to the nationalism of the Viet people against the odds of colonialism and occupying forces over many, many years. We learned that many of the participants on our tour have a strong emotional connection to the "American war" years and as a result seek a more nuanced understanding of Vietnam's history and culture.
Rusty, that shade of yellow-orange is exactly the same color you painted the ceiling of my childhood bedroom. Hmmm.
ReplyDelete