Nothing Stays the Same, Living Is Changing - Part 1

Feb 23, 2007 - Red Beer Microbrewery



Dec 9 2007 - Painted Baskets In Old Quarter of Hanoi

Buddhists do not believe in a permanent and fixed reality.  To them everything in this world is subject to change as well as alteration.  Impermanence and change are truths in our existence according to Buddhism.

As a non-Buddhist, I struggle with both the changes as well as accepting many of the changes I realize and encounter in my life.  Change is inevitable - we all know that yet we spend a great deal of time fighting change and spend a great deal of resources to resist the effects of the changes.

The ability and skill to adapt easily to changes are keys to happiness.

Earlier this month, my wife, Duangchan, and I returned to Vietnam for the first time in seven years.   Our last visit to Vietnam in late April 2008 did not go as well as we had expected or even planned.  For that trip, I had planned to visit the Can Cau Market and the Bac Ha Market.  I trusted someone to make all the arrangements for me since they were Vietnamese and involved in the travel industry.  In the end my wife and I adapted to the changes and enjoyed ourselves despite not getting to see the markets.  Duang, based upon that experience and some others while we lived in Vietnam, vowed to never to return to Vietnam.

On the late April 2008 trip, we visited the rice terraces of the Sapa (Sa Pa) region.  The terraces were filled with water and covered with newly planted stalks of  rice.  After seven years respecting Duang's vow, I determined that I wanted to return to Sapa to photograph the rice harvest and to finally visit the Can Cau and Bac Ha markets.  I told Duang that I was going and that she could come with me if she wanted to.  She changed her long standing vow to never return and agreed to go with me.

Unlike eight years ago, I handled all the arrangements myself.  After extensive research on the Internet I had found some highly recommended inexpensive lodgings and restaurants for our entire trip.  Our trip would be 9 days with 7 days in Vietnam.

After flying and staying overnight in Bangkok, we flew on an early flight to Hanoi.

Everything in this world is subject to change as well as alteration.  Impermanence and change are truths in our existence.

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, our introduction to the changes in Vietnam commenced.  We arrived at the newly opened (8 months old) international terminal, "Terminal T-2".  Terminal T-2 cost almost one Billion US dollars to construct. It was bright, immaculately clean, and extremely efficient.  We went through Immigration with no troubles at all.  Duang, being Thai, did not need a visa - since our last visit the ASEAN community has evolved to the point where citizens of member nations do not need visas to enter other member nations.  I still needed a visa which I had obtained prior at the Vietnam Consulate in Khon Kaen, 90 minutes drive south of our home.

Upon arrival in the Immigration area of Noi Bai, there was a large line of people waiting to be processed due to the arrival of several international flights.  Off to the side I saw some officials surveying the situation. Two minutes later, 5 uniformed people hustled through a door into the processing area and quickly set up 5 additional processing stations.  A Supervisor motioned me to stand in line at a station designated "Vietnamese" - it was obvious that their goal was to speed up the processing for everyone.

Processing was quick and efficient - conducted by pleasant and friendly government agents - an unexpected surprise and welcomed change. After clearing Immigration, we went to the baggage carousel and found our two bags circling along  the conveyor - it could not have been more than 15 minutes after docking of the plane at the terminal.

After meeting our car and driver from the hotel, we left the airport to encounter more change in Vietnam.  The old secondary roads from Hanoi to Noi Bai have been superseded by a new super-highway (Vo Nguyen Giap) - wide, smooth and fast.  Vo Nguyen Giap is 6 lanes wide plus 2 lanes for emergency stopping lanes. Rather than crossing the Red River using the old historical bridge Long Bien Bridge, we crossed an extremely modern suspension bridge, Cau Nhat Tan Bridge, 8.93 Km long and cost $639.2 million US dollars.  The bridge was financed by Japan and resembles the modern bridges of Japan as well as the New San Francisco Bay Bridge in the USA.

Surrounding the superhighway are small villages, bright green rice paddies and vegetable gardens.  On small country roads, people on bicycles and motorbikes could be easily viewed going about their daily life.  All in all it was quite an impressive introduction to Hanoi as well as Vietnam ... even for someone who had been there a few times before.

The weather had not changed much from when I first arrived in Vietnam in September 2007 - heavily overcast with scattered showers.  Just as before, the weather was constantly changing throughout the day.  From previous experience and my Internet research, we were prepared physically as well as mentally for the less than "ideal" weather.

We stayed at a small, highly recommended, hotel in the Old Quarter.  Upon checking into our room, I was shocked to find a computer in our room.  I excitedly pointed out to the clerk that someone had forgotten their computer in the room.  Very tactfully, he informed me that we had a "Family" room with free WiFi which includes a computer in the room (pretty darn good for our $21 a night room) $21 a night?  That's correct - that is what it cost us.  Using the appropriate Internet discount lodging websites you can get rooms for 40-60% off listed/walk-in rates!  It is the only way that we travel!

Duang Resting At Our Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel

The hotel staff was extremely friendly and more importantly, helpful.  In the end, they arranged transportation for us from the hotel to the train station on the night of our last day at the hotel.  More importantly they arranged for their car and driver to pick us up at train station 6 days later at 5:30 A.M. and drive us to the airport.  We were charged the going rate for the transportation but without the risk and worries of arranging it on your own.  The increased service and friendly attitude of hotel and restaurant workers was definitely a change that we could easily accept - a much welcomed change!

Some things have not changed ... yet.  A traveler has to be aware and cautious of transportation scams in Hanoi - especially with taxis.  On our last trip I realized that we were being taken for a ride one night when I recognized that we had passed the same location along the lake for the third time. I confronted the driver and when we got to our hotel I refused to pay him.  We ended up inside the hotel with a heated discussion.  He threatened to call the Police.  I said "Good, I want to talk to the Police!"  I then paid him what I thought the trip should have cost it had been direct.  The hotel staff then said some things and the driver left.  Unfortunately, this still occurs in Hanoi. Arranging transportation through a highly recommended hotel is one way to avoid such problems.  I had also determined the names of some reputable taxi companies on the Internet.  On this trip we had no issues - even when got confused, or was it lost, on our walks throughout the Old Quarter - we hired "cyclos", Pedi cabs to get us back to the hotel.

I had developed a walking trip of the Old Quarter from my Internet research.  The end product was a three page Google map with notes added  for what the street was once famous for, locations for specific items, and recommended highlights.

Life Along Hoan Kiem Lake

Early into our first walk around the Old Quarter changes were apparent.  The French pastry and ice cream stands at the southwest end of Hoan Kiem Lake are gone.  My plan was to have lunch a beer or two at Red Beer Microbrewery at #97 Ma May Street.  When we got to #102 or some number close to that, I realized that we had walked by what was THE PLACE in 2008 to enjoy some beer and food.  We turned around and realized when we got to #87 that we had missed it again.  Once again we reversed direction and stopped where it should have been.  Perplexed I asked some people where was "Red Beer".  Most people had no idea what I was talking about even despite my best efforts to pantomime the signature poster for the brewery. Perhaps if I had taken off my shirt when I struck this pose they might have understood.

Signature Poster for "Red Beer" in 2007

Eventually, one man said that he remembered the place, that it had moved, and he did not remember where it moved to.  This was a change that I had not anticipated but I could easily adapt to.  In my research that had confirmed the location of "Red Beer" (????) I found an appealing restaurant with good recommendations called "Moose and Roo" also on Ma May Street.  We were hot, thirsty, and hungry so we went into the restaurant.

Duang With Her Lunch and Eventual Dinner at Moose and Roo Grill

We enjoyed a very nice lunch and I also enjoyed a free beer because of their promotion that day for Pulled Pork Sandwich.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering about following my walking tour map.  Wandering following a map?  Yes.  I know it had to be me but it was like  there was some reversal in the magnetic fields that was interfering with my internal navigation.  For the two days that we were in Hanoi, I was dazed and confused.  I was following the map but after a block or two, sometimes three, I would realize that we were headed in the wrong direction!

Some Things Have Not Changed - Thankfully!

Perhaps my inability to precisely and efficiently navigate the streets of the Old Quarter was attributable to the confusion and distractions all about us.  The narrow streets of the Old Quarter have not changed.  Many of the streets change their name Hang Bo becomes Hang Bao, Hang Be becomes Hang Dau but not to be confused with Hang Dao which is on the west side of the lake and not the east side!

The throngs of cars, vans, motorbikes and buses still clog the streets and constantly honk their horns - honking to tell people to get out of their way, honking to tell people that they are going to turn, honking to let other people know what they think of their driving skills, honking and honking some more.

The sidewalks are clogged with either parked motorbikes or "cafes" set up for people to drink tea out of glasses.  I was often left wondering if anyone actually worked in Hanoi other than shopkeepers and "café" workers.

More than once I have offered advice to people about crossing streets in Hanoi - "Don't expect anyone to stop or even slowdown for you to cross the street.  Watch the traffic very carefully.  When you anticipate that it will be safest for you to cross, make eye contact with the oncoming traffic, and give body language that you intend to cross, then commence crossing the street in a steady and determined pace - do not slow down and do not speed up - the traffic is aiming(?) to be where they have calculated where you will not be when they get to you"  That has not changed and remains very good advice.  However it did seem to be a little less difficult than our last visit - I suspect because there may be more one way streets - less confusing when you only have to be stressed out in only one direction.

On the second day in Hanoi, we went to another restaurant that I had researched over the Internet.  I did not plan to go there but there was an intersection of time and place in our wanderings which made it a good spot for lunch.  In the back of the restaurant, on the wall of a staircase leading upstairs, I saw four old and dusty hand painted baskets - the first ones that I had seen during this trip.  In 2006 -2008 these handicrafts were everywhere, often covering the entire exterior wall of a building.  I asked our server about why I had not seen any and where I could find them now.  She replied that people weren't able to sell them before so now they do not make them very much.  The Free Market making changes - no doubt!

One change that has taken place in the Old Quarter which I do not like, or rather struggle to adapt to, is what I call the homogenizing of the area. Before, even in 2008. the various streets retained their unique craft (guild) identity. Hang Bac - "Silver", Hang Bong - "Cotton", Hang Bo - "Baskets".  Along the streets you would find shops catering to a specific commodity or product.  Today the streets are becoming less and less unique with one street being pretty much as the other street.  One transformation is the proliferation of two types of shops - small travel shops offering tours of Halong Bay and Sapa and specialized coffee shops.

Coffee Shop - Selling Weasel Coffee

The specialized coffee shops sell various coffee paraphernalia, ground beans, and whole beans.  The rage now is selling "Weasel Coffee" - coffee beans that have been eaten by a certain animal (I believe more like a civet than a "weasel"), digested, and eliminated.  The "processed" beans are collected and processed by people to produce a very special and expensive coffee. These shops seem to be on every street ... both sides of the street.

Hat Shopping in the Old Quarter

The quaintness of the Old Quarter is evolving, albeit changing for the worst in my opinion however there are still many pockets, oasis, where a vision and flavor of the past remain.



Bamboo Vendor Enjoying One of the Fruits of His Labor

The Beer Man Cometh

Hanoi Delivery Man

Hanoi, despite the changes, remains an exciting and extremely interesting place to visit.  It remains one of my favorite destinations for people watching and interacting with the people.

The Huc Bridge

There were additional changes to discover during this journey ... changes of places, things, and people - some of them much easier to accept than others, some of them much more personal than others, but all of them offering opportunities, rewards, and alternative adaptations.  But that is for Part 2 to be shared.

Love During My Time of Cholera

The news out of Haiti in regards to the current cholera outbreak continues to be a concern.  People continue to contract the disease, suffer, and for some; die.  The outbreak appears to be spreading and given the living as well as sanitary conditions in Haiti its spread is no surprise.

As a child I remember reading stories of people suffering and dying from cholera in WWII prison camps or in Southeast Asia jungles.  From school history books, I learned of historical cholera outbreaks in America as well as in Europe due to the lack of proper sanitation facilities and procedures.

Cholera to me was an old historical disease of far away places that as a person living in Connecticut I had no reason to fear.  Cholera was a disease of the old and primitive world.  Cholera, in the modern world, was a disease found only in exotic lands such as Bangladesh - so I thought.

In September 2007, I started working on a project in northern Vietnam.  I was assigned to a project in the Halong Bay area not far from the port city of Haiphong and about 3 hours north of Hanoi.  Once again the exotic and distant lands that I learned of during my youth from books, newspapers, television, and movies had become part of my life experience.  Just as I had visited the "lost" Inca city of Machu Picchu, rode upon the waters of Lake Titicaca, climbed the ruins of Angkor Wat, and enjoyed the natural wonders of America as well as Canada, I was enjoying the opportunities of a far away land.

I arrived in Vietnam in early September, and after settling into a rented villa I returned to Thailand in Mid-October for a weekend in order to bring Duang back to Vietnam.

Later in the year I attended a special dinner hosted by our Chinese client in their facilities at the job site.  The "Team Building" dinner was held on a Friday night and besides copious amounts of vodka and beer, there were many seafood dishes.  Some of the seafood was raw and we ate it without hesitation or concern.  After an uneventful weekend, I returned to work on Monday morning.  During the morning, I started to not feel very well.  After lunch, I was very sick.  Getting sick at work is never a pleasant experience.  Getting sick at this particular job site was extremely unpleasant.  Toilet paper was not stocked in the stalls; what you had to use was what you brought with you.  Worst of all, there were only squat toilets.  Western flush toilets did not exist at the job site.

Inside of each stall was a 8 inch high tiled raised platform.  A toilet bowl was built into the raised platform with the top of the bowl flush with the surface of the platform.  The contents in the recessed bowl were removed by opening a valve to let a stream of water flush the contents down the drain pipe at the bottom of the bowl.  I have used squat toilets but I am still fearful of two things when using them; dropping my wallet into the toilet, and soiling my clothes.  I address my fear of dropping my wallet into the toilet by removing my wallet from my back pocket and relocating it deep into a side pocket of my trousers.  As for my fear of soiling my clothing - I am working on convincing myself that the geometry as well as anatomy prevent such a disaster from happening.  However I am not a true believer - yet.  As an added precaution; after I get in the proper location, assume the squat position, I use my right hand to grab and pull my trousers as well as underwear forward out of any perceived danger zone.  To date I have always been successful so I doubt that I will change my practice.

Being sick at both ends is always unpleasant but in Vietnam using a squat toilet it was even greater challenge and even more unpleasant.  I did not manage to make it to quitting time.  I had the company driver take me back home.

Duang immediately wanted me to go to a doctor or to a hospital.  I had severe vomiting and diarrhea.  I was unable to anything down or in me.  I had had amoebic dysentery before when I lived in Algeria so I realized that I did not have dysentery.  I did not have a temperature so I suspected that I did not have food poisoning.  I suspected that I had a 24 hour virus that would pass without intervention.

I tried without any success to keep myself hydrated the remainder of the day.  I made a home made batch of rehydration fluid - boiled water, sugar, and salt, but like everything else my body quickly eliminated it.  At bedtime, Duang attempted once again to convince me to immediately see a doctor or to go to the hospital.  I was still convinced that I had a 24 hour virus albeit unlike any virus that I had experienced before.  My diarrhea had evolved to cloudy watery discharge with a slight fish odor.  Most alarming was that each discharge was about one quart in volume.  I finally relented and promised Duang at 10:00 P.M. that if I were not better the next morning I would go and see a doctor.  As I promised her I could see that she was very concerned and had two streams of tears silently running down her cheeks.

At 1:00 A.M. , I experienced my worst attack.  I sat on the western style toilet with a plastic bucket in my lap.  It was truly disgusting.  After awhile Duang entered the bathroom.  I told her to stay out.  I did not to be in the bathroom with myself let alone subject her to the situation.  She refused.  In the manner in which she refused to leave, I knew that further argument with her would be futile.  She stood by me wiping my forehead and neck with a cool damp washcloth while I suffered the ravishes of my ailment.

We spent a long and fitful night together, mostly spent in the bathroom.  At morning's first light, I called the Site Manager and informed him that I would not be into work that day.  Around 8:00 A.M. I called a Vietnamese friend and asked him to take me to a doctor or to the hospital.  I then checked the Internet for email messages.  As luck or good fortune would have it, there was a "Warden's Message" from the US Embassy in Hanoi.  The "Warden's Message" informed Americans living in Vietnam that the Vietnamese government had announced a breakout of severe diarrhea in northern provinces and that some of the cases had been diagnosed as Cholera.  That definitely piqued my curiosity.  I googled "Cholera" and researched the disease.

Cholera is a bacterial infection transmitted by fecal matter in water.  The most common means of becoming infected other than drinking contaminated water is to consume raw or improperly cooked shellfish. Yes, I had done that.  The incubation period for Cholera is 1 to 3 days after exposure.  Yes, I had eaten raw shellfish 2.5 days before the start of my illness.  Not everyone gets Cholera from an exposure.  The articles stated that several people could eat the same food and not all of them would be stricken with the disease.  Susceptibility to the disease was ties to acidity levels in the stomach, blood type, immune system vitality, and to a certain extent luck. Some people who live an areas where the bacterium Vibrio cholerae is widespread develop a certain resistance to the disease.  This appeared to also be my circumstance.  After exposure, some people will only develop a case of diarrhea while others come down with a very serious case of the disease.  A symptom of cholera is vomiting.  Yes I had that for sure and it was a reason why I knew that I did not have amoebic dysentery. The diarrhea associated with cholera is sometimes referred to as "rice water".  Yes, once again that applied to my condition.

One half an hour later, my friend returned to our home with a heavy set middle aged woman on the back of his motorbike.  He had gone to the hospital and brought back a doctor.  She had a small leather "Doctor's Bag" with her.  She was wearing a simple white head covering - the type that you used to see being worn by Russian or North Vietnamese Doctors or butchers in newsreels, documentaries, and films during the 1950s and 1960s.

The doctor examined me in our bedroom with my friend translating and Duang witnessing.  After checking my vital signs, she rubbed my temples with a medicinal oil and then rubbed some of the same oil on my abdomen.  Since I knew that she was either a Buddhist or an atheist, I did not panic in mistaking her oil treatment to be part of the Catholic Church sacrament of Extreme Unction also known as "Last Rights".  I was feeling bad; very bad but I didn't feel last rights were warranted at that time.  She then cut some white patches of paper and placed them on my temples.  I had seen that before - it is the method of giving people medicine for headaches.  The doctor gave me an injection to help stop my vomiting.  I told her that I thought that I had Cholera and as luck would have it, I had another episode while she was examining me.  She asked that I not flush the toilet until after she inspected the contents.  She confirmed that I did have Cholera.  She told me to return to bed and she would return at 1:00 P.M. and check on me.

As the hours went on, I could not keep anything in me.  Although I was no longer vomiting, my diarrhea was unabated.  I also realized that I was becoming dehydrated.  When I pinched the skin at the top of my hand it very slowly returned to shape - a sign of dehydration.  I was also becoming quite light headed - another sign of dehydration.  More importantly, I realized that I was developing a rapid pulse.  Light head and rapid pulse are also symptoms of electrolyte imbalance due to the flushing of essential mineral from the body by the profuse diarrhea.

As promised the doctor returned at 1:00 P.M. .  On this visit she brought some IV bags to infuse me.  After taking my vital signs she announced that I would not be going to the hospital.  She said that I previously had a lower than normal body temperature.  If my temperature had not returned to normal by the afternoon, she was going to admit me to the hospital.  Lower than normal body temperature can be a symptom of Sepsis (massive infection).  With that concern removed, she focused on treating the Cholera.

There is no cure for Cholera.  There is a treatment for Cholera which is to keep the patient rehydrated while the infection runs its course in 24 to 48 hours.  Since I was initially unable to keep myself hydrated orally and by the afternoon I could not physically drink enough to keep up with the fluid loss from diarrhea let alone make up for the deficit that I was experiencing, I needed to be infused with fluids and electrolytes.  The coat rack from our bedroom was brought to the side of the bed and used to hold the IV bag.  The doctor hooked me up to the IV equipment and watched over me.  When the second bag of IV fluid was completed, she left - around 6:00 P.M.  Talk about personalized medical care!  The entire afternoon, Duang remained at my bedside.  She wiped my brow and held my hand - the hand not associated with the IV.  A patient could not have hoped for a better nurse.

I spent the next day regaining my strength and was good as new the following day.

The medical statistics are that fewer than 1% of the people who get prompt, and adequate fluid replacement die.  However more than 50% of the untreated people with severe Cholera die.  Antibiotics are sometimes used to expedite the treatment but antibiotics are not required to prevent death.  Fluid replacement is essential to prevent death.  In severe cases of Cholera the patient needs to be infused with fluids to maintain blood pressure and electrolytes while the infection runs its course.

From my personal experience with Cholera, I have a greater appreciation of how people who are in prison camps or do not have access to medical care can die from this disease.  I believe that if I had not gotten treatment when I did, I would have died within 24 hours.  The insidious nature of Cholera is in how rapidly it can become fatal.  The symptoms are no more severe than a normal virus infection or case of food poisoning but it is rapidity that the infection dehydrates the body that is the major risk. To ignore it or to deny treatment for a short time is really a matter of life or death.

In the case of Haiti there also a problem of containing the outbreak.  Cholera is not passed directly from person to person.  It spreads through contamination of water and food consumed by others or I would imagine direct ingestion of infected fecal matter. In my case in Vietnam, I had access to adequate sanitary facilities.  We had plenty of clean water and soap for washing our hands and disposing of waste.  Duang and others in my presence were only at risk of infection by me if my fecal matter some how entered their digestive system - extremely improbable.  However living in a tent city or refugee camp in Haiti neither provides an adequate means for disposing of waste matter, preparing foods in a sanitary manner, or ensuring clean water for drinking.  There is no wonder that the outbreak continues and that it is spreading.

My experience demonstrated to me that you do not have to have multi-million dollar facilities to treat most diseases.  I was treated in my own home.  The victims in Haiti have neither which stacks the odds further against them.

My experience with Cholera demonstrated to me that promptly seeking medical attention can be a life or death decision.  I had waited perhaps too long but adequate medical care was readily available.  The people in Haiti do not have adequate medical personnel or sufficient supplies readily available.  Any delay on their part can have dire consequences.

It was this experience that I realized or perhaps it was that I accepted that Duang was truly committed to our relationship - for better or worse.

I had experienced her love during my time of Cholera.

Hmong Textile Art - Sapa Vietnam

Yesterday I wrote a little about Hmong textiles. I attempted to do some research over the Internet to provide some specific details on it but I had no success.

There are many sites that are selling Hmong textiles but little information is available regarding the symbolism, techniques, or history of the handicraft.

Without any background or facts to cite or to justify my appreciation of Hmong and other Hill Tribe Textile art, I find my situation to be be like that of Justice Potter Stewart in 1964 when he was dealing with a obscenity (pornography) United States Supreme Court case. He stated that he could not define it "But I know it when I see it".

So it is for me with Hill Tribe Textile art. I can not define it but what I see I like and know it to be art.

We have seen and purchased Hill Tribe textile art in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In our home we have 7 pieces decorating the wall and furniture. We have two large Yao pieces stored away that we have to figure out how to most effectively display. My favorite Yao piece is 4 feet wide by 6 feet long and is completely covered in very fine and detailed colorful needlepoint. We purchased the piece one and one-half years ago from the Yao Grandmother who had worked on it for a year and three months. We paid 3,000 baht ($100 USD) for it. A piece of art for $100 - another reason why I enjoy being in Thailand so much.

As you travel the Hill Tribe regions of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, you will encounter many women and girls sewing, weaving, embroidering, and needlepointing. The results of their efforts are often for sale at very reasonable prices. If you prefer not to buy anything, you can photograph the walking art galleries that pass you by on the village roads or the works of art on display in the booths along the road.

Hill Tribe clothing in itself are works of art. They contain many artistic elements - embroidery, needlepoint, profusion of colors, batik, applique, metalwork, cross stitching, and beadwork. The only other clothing that I have found that approaches the uniqueness of Hill Tribe traditional clothing is on display at the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning , Montana on the Blackfoot Indian reservation.

However examples of the Indian handicrafts and artistic skills are not available for sale.