destruction, creation, history, and identity

Vietnam is a phoenix. It has created an identity for itself out of its own destruction. I've been to a few different places now, and so much here still reflects the war. I mean, there are the obvious places - the War Remnants Museum, the Cu Chi tunnels - but even then, these things are broadcast to everyone that this is why they should visit. And I agree - you can't ignore something like that, such a huge influence not only here, but worldwide, and, you know, Lest We Forget. Especially when one sees it happening again. Lest We Forget. I saw the same words used by the same sides, the lines drawn, the support cast. That was 30 years ago. Haven't we remembered yet?

But here. Part of it may be the fact that it's so recent - one can still look around and see results from then. It's not like the 100 Years War or something like that. I've seen the craters (though most of them are ploughed flat again), I've seen the shrapnel (there were sections that they estimated had 1 kg of shrapnel metal after the war per square km), and I've seen the pictures of the victims of Agent Orange (many of them around my age). Maybe including it in their consciousness helps them deal with it. Do they still think about it? Is it an occasional thing, when they walk by a museum or souvenir stand? They changed the flag after the war - the bottom half used to be blue, to symbolize peace. After peace was achieved, they removed it, leaving the red and yellow for the blood and skin of the Vietnamese, and the star for the Party. That flag is everywhere. Are the feelings?

This brought up another, related issue. History. How do they teach it? And, on a larger scale, what is considered necessary historical knowledge and how is it taught in every country? The obvious answer is biased, and it almost always will be. I mean, really, what government will fund an education system that will make it out to look bad? (Well, maybe Canada. I did take Grade 12 How We Screwed Over the Natives.) Especially in countries with significantly historical events occuring within or with them in the last, say, 50 years that aren't the Western world - Vietnam, Korea, Russia, Japan, Israel, etc. And places where government control is iron-fisted - the Congo, China, Cuba, Iran? Lastly, places where strife is ongoing - Sudan, Iraq, Haiti?

It's one of our most important traits/abilities/detriments(?) - as humans, the fact that we can remember, record, repeat it, and we do. But it's also the easiest way to manipulate people - rewrite history, teach them what you want them to know, make them feel wronged, feel right, feel just, feel hated. Is it possible to just give the story? A friend who studied history once gave me the straightest answer possible: no. It's all about interpretation. *Sigh* I just don't see how we can interpret even this any differently.

the heat is on in saigon

Ah Saigon.

After an exhausting 15-hour train ride down to Saigon, home of, well, everything Vietnam War (see the previous post). Naturally, our first stop was the War Remnants Museum. It was numbing, depressing, and yet, wonderful. Also, really well organized. First, there was actual military equipment used (and left behind) in the war. My favourite part, a tribute/gallery of war photographers followed, with some amazing photographs - napalm exploding below planes, planes crashing, soldiers, a trail of craters kilometers long from bombing runs. A recreation of the jails and torture centers followed with descriptions and pictures (there is no way to describe this fully having seen the pictures, suffice to say that things were done that I think go beyond what being human is), and a small gallery of shows of support against the war in other countries. The largest and most powerful gallery was mostly one of photos. These photos showed the result of mines used in the war. Possibly most disturbingly, they showed the on-going damage caused by Agent Orange, complete with two misshapen fetuses in jars along with pictures of those who have continued to live against the odds. Lastly, they showed massacres, or their results. One particularly disturbing photo showed an American soldier holding the incomplete, but still recognizable, remains of a Vietnamese and laughing. Another showed four soldiers crouching around the head of a decapitated Viet Cong soldier - that was from an American magazine (possibly Harper's, but I'm not sure). The last piece we saw, after the atrocities, was a quote from the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..." I felt numb.

Next up were the Cu Chi tunnels, another bit of history from the war. These are part of the massive network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong soldiers to fight the war in South Vietnam - they needed some way to fight an army that ended up being about ten times the size of theirs, all included. The real tunnels were tiny (80 cm tall), and we were able to go through a model of one (larger for tourists - these were 120 cm tall by 60 cm tall). I managed to duck-walk through the entire thing (100 m), though it was no walk through the park (er, obviously, I guess) - most people ducked out after the first 30 m. It was dark, hot, and close-quarters down there. To think that the soldiers used to go for hours through those things with no light... We also had a terrific guide who was very young at the end of the French Occupation, and who had worked a bit with the Americans as a translator for the war. He freely shared his opinions with us of the Communists, of the War, and of war in general. He even got into his opinions on Iraq. Fair enough, if you've been through a war in your own country.

The last day in Saigon, then, was a special trip to a park. Not just any park - this was (as it turned out) the park made to cover everyone's interests. There was a zoo, a bird park, a dinosaur park, a large garden, a lake, rides, a monorail (man, if there was a real-life version of Lyle Lanley, he sold them this one. It squeaked as it went), a model chinese temple, ice sculptures, stages for performance, restaurants, a ferris wheel, a water park, a co-op store, all sorts of statues, and to top it off, large statues of animals made from plates wired together. It really has to be seen to be fully believed (pictures soon). I also saw an art museum with art dating back to the 3rd century and a pagoda, but come on, do those have dinosaurs? I think not.

All in all, a terrific city. Highly recommended. Next, the Mekong Delta by boat. And bus.

downs and outs of police control

While buying some fruit today, the woman at the store we were standing in front of suddenly gave a shout and ran across the street. Two police-looking guys (someone else pointed to them later and said, "Police,") pulled up in front of a store, and there was a flurry of activity. All of a sudden, the store was trying to pull down tarps, bring in fruit, and get things away from these police. Two more police pulled up, then a truck, and the police started taking some equipment, then a basket of small, orange-like fruits. We wandered off before the situation was 'resolved'. It was really bizarre.

ngos that work

Something that we've found that I like are the pages in the Lonely Planet books that talk about local efforts being made by NGO's - namely, the ____ing with a cause (ie shopping, dining, etc.) These are places set up by those not looking for a monetary profit, but looking to help locals. A portion (or, even better, all) of the profits go to their cause - be it helping disadvantaged women, getting kids off the streets, or towards conservation.

Yesterday, we went to an Asian tapas restaurant run by a group called Friends, which help kids get off the street and trains them in a variety of functions. The whole set-up includes hairdressing, fixing electronics, cooking, and serving. The food is wonderful, the staff is the most courteous I've encountered in Asia, and, all things considered, the prices are quite reasonable. Plus all the free clean water you can drink - something to be treasured. We're going to try their new restaurant tonight. They also offer an amazing cookbook, which I also purchased. Delicious, easy-to-make Asian recipies (tapas, drinks, desserts - basically, all the best dishes from their menu) with hints from the student cooks, art by the students throughout, and wonderful, creative photography.

Today I went to Le Rit's, created by a group helping disadvantaged women to re-enter the workforce. A terrific three-course lunch (complete with homemade ice cream!) for the low, low price of $5US. Admittedly, it isn't the bargain price that you can get food at here (it's not hard to find a meal for $1-2US), but totally worth it.

We also found a theatre (though it's not an NGO) called Sovanna Phum created by students from the School of Fine Arts that helps preserve local art and culture, and even took in a performance of shadow puppetry (similar to Indonesian wayang kulit, though the differences were there and made it that much more wonderful) and circus acts (including jumping, balancing, and contortionism). After all the paying guests arrive, they even let local kids in to enjoy the show, and that they did! I even had some kids next to me singing with the performers on one song.

To be honest, I've really enjoyed these places, and knowing that you're helping out, even a bit, as you learn about Asia gives one that little bit of warm fuzziness that's just so nice to have.

If you're in Phnom Penh, here's the locations:

Friends: 215 St. 13 (right by the National Museum)
Romdeng: 21 St. 278 (about three or four blocks west of the Independence Monument)
Le Rit's: 14 St. 310 (south of the Independence Monument)
Sovanna Phum: 11 St. 360 (corner of 360 & 105)

saigon traffic

I gotta say, even having lived in Taiwan for two years, even having broken bones in Taiwan traffic, there's almost nothing like Vietnam traffic. Scott couldn't give Hanoi or Saigon a grade above the other, so I'm going to assume they're pretty much the same. It really is an adventure in itself, flying through this orchestra of honks and roars. I think I saw more motorcycles than cars on the roads - honest injun.

Having been in Phnom Penh now and seeing the traffic here, I can see how it's different. In Vietnam, they use the horn to announce anything (though they adopt differing tones with it to show differing things): "I'm here", "I'm going through this light", "You're in my way", "Man, I love the sound of this horn", and so forth. In Cambodia (thus far), horns are only used to announce things out of the ordinary, making for a much, MUCH quieter traffic environment.

I took a video of the traffic around me at one particularly busy roundabout (or traffic circle, as my brother likes to say). (5.6 MB QT video)

over the river and through the..uh..wats

Leaving Saigon was a happy/sad time. We had seen a lot there, but the noise was getting overpowering. With all the traffic (see previous entry) and hustle and bustle and music and people and heat (up to 32 degrees C, and this is the end of February!), Saigon could sometimes be an assault on the senses. Still, the food was terrific, the Vietnamese people (especially once you got off the tourist road) were quite nice and friendly, and colour still pervaded many nooks and crannies.

Time marches on, and so did we, this time on a boat. we were headed up the Mekong River, one of the longest rivers in the world, working its way down through China, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia before spilling out in one of the largest and most fertile deltas in the world. A lot of the trip was spent on boats, which was relaxing and refreshing after a cramped train ride into Saigon (despite the constant drone of the engine). We saw a lot of terrific things (though we missed the floating markets, unfortunately), including fish farms, mosques, naked children splashing around on the side of the river shouting "Hello hello hello!", and lots and lots of farming.

There was actually a fair amount of development on the river. Of course, almost everything was either on stilts or had a second level (one of the pictures shows various flood levels from past years, and in 2000, it was about 15-20 feet higher than the current level. It's the dry season now), but there were cities and towns, with all the basic amenities that we had seen in other places in the countries. Actually, it was a commentary on consumerism and on what's made here - space may be at a premium (not so much in this fairly laid-out country, but the cities are still packed), but we saw so many TVs. There was even a giant widescreen TV in the train station in Hoi An for people to sit and watch while they wait.

Relaxing was the name of the game as our border crossing came and passed. While we were waiting for visas to be processed, the locals jumped into the boat to sell things. Some kids got my cards while we were filling out forms and started playing a form of Big '02. I played for a bit, but they kicked me around. The final arrival into Phnom Penh was, if there is one word to describe it, bumpy, but watching the sun set over white lotus flowers, open fields, and palm trees in the distance pretty much made it worth it. That being said, we collapsed on the bed as soon as we found a room.

vietnam views

A picture is worth a thousand words. My Vietnam pictures are finally all up and commented and such. You can see them here.

happy duodecennial

This week is the twelfth anniversay of A Word A Day, or AWAD. If you don't know it, it's a wonderful celebration of the English language, sending out a word a day, plus a newsletter at the end of the week with stories and replies of subscribers generated by the words sent out that week. Anu, the creator, has two books out, and keeps plugging away at this. If you're looking to expand your vocabulary FOR FREE (and maybe pick up a few useful Scrabble words at the same time), give it a try!

what remains of the khmer rouge

The Khmer Rouge (KR) were a group of rebels who, after fighting the government of Lon Nol for five years, marched into Phnom Penh in 1975, promising happiness and prosperity for all. What actually happened has gone down as one of humanity's greatest crimes against itself. Most children were forced into being child soldiers, carrying around machine guns when they were as young as six or eight. People were forced out of cities to work in long hours (anywhere from 12-20 hour days) in agricultural communes to grow rice for the government to trade to China for weapons to fight the Vietnamese. They were underfed and many died of illness, malnutrition, or sheer exhaustion. They were sometimes considered the lucky ones.

Anyone caught stealing was killed on the spot. (I read a story about a boy who was killed for stealing pig slop.) Many were taken away on trucks to be 'questioned' about previous associations with the former government or evil thoughts towards the current one. Almost all of these people were never seen again.

The museum known as Tuol Sleng, or S-21, was the most notorious detention centre in the entire rule of the Khmer Rouge. Many of these people ended up there - depending on which estimate you use, it could be 14,000, 17,000, or 20,000. Only seven people who entered its doors as prisoners left alive over the course of the three-and-a-bit years it was open.

We silently walked around the compound itself (it used to be an old high school before they slapped iron fences and barbed wire all over it), taking in everything that had happened. They had pictures (that the KR had taken) of victims after 'questioning'. We saw the torture rooms essentially as they had been set up, the cells that they had stored people in (no bigger than 2.5' by 6' or so), mug shots that they took of the victims (filled three rooms), a movie that interviewed people who had lived through the time of the KR, and numerous exhibits - paintings, photos, biographies. It was absolutely horrid to see what people had done to their own countrymen.

A couple of days later, we followed up with a visit to the killing fields. This is where people were sent to be killed, to be brutally honest. Sometimes it was after a session in S-21, sometimes it was straight from the back-breaking work in the fields, with no trials, no explanations, and most of the time, no bullet - they didn't want to waste precious ammunition, so they clubbed or stabbed most of the people found there.

This, in a way, was even more disturbing, as the evidence presents itself right there. There's a tall temple filled with the bones and skulls of the dead that they dug up from the site - over 8900 victims. The hardest part in walking around and seeing the holes in the ground is knowing what's still down there. You can easily see bits of clothing partially buried and bones that have been exposed by the rain and footsteps of visitors. The fields themselves aren't big, but they're enough. Lest we forget.

The final, and unfinished, part of our time in Cambodia that dealt with the carnage of the KR was our visit to the Landmine Museum in Siem Reap. I'm really glad we got to see this place, it's a treasure, as is the man who runs it. Aki Ra was forced to be a child soldier after his parents were killed by the KR when he was just six. He fought with the KR, then against them in the Vietnamese army, then against them again in the Cambodian army. When he finally stopped fighting in the early 1990s (as the KR only left power in 1979. They didn't stop fighting), he used his knowledge of war (as that was what he had been doing his whole life) to help clean his country of mines.

He has been working on just that since then, helping to make the Temples of Angkor safe for tourism and helping to clear the country of UXO (unexploded ordinance). He estimates that he has cleared 40,000 mines himself using only a knife, a stick, and a hoe. He actually lives on the same land as the museum, and has also set up a fund and a bit of a school for kids affected by land mines in Cambodia, teaching them skills so that they can still be productive, as many of them are cast out by their families since they cannot work. He has information all over, articles published about him worldwide, and of course, loads of defused mines. It's entirely supported by donation and sales of souvenirs (and they're not expensive souvenirs). It's simply appalling to think that these horrible things are still around, and even worse, still being used today (they're part of the US' war in Iraq, and a number of countries still endorse their usage. Not surprisingly, most are engaged in some kind of simmering warfare).

All of these contained elements of death and hope. The Cambodians did not seem as eager to promote and sell this aspect of their past as the Vietnamese did of the Vietnam War. The frame of reference was obviously quite different - the Vietnamese were fighting a foreign invader and won, the KR were doing it to their own people, and everyone lost - but the places we visited seemed more monuments to rememberance than tourist museums. The Cambodians aren't proud of this time in their past, but with the absence of so many of their brothers and sisters, they don't want to forget that time, either. It was so easy at the time to slip in to the mindset.

The Cambodians are proud of how far they've come, and while they have a shadow over their shoulder, they also have sunlight on their face. People like Aki Ra and many more organizations that we saw throughout the country are looking after their countrymen, giving kids injured by mines or who lost their parents chances that they didn't expect to have. They are a friendly and strong people, and though they still face so many challenges, I think they will continue to fight for the strong country that they once had.

Incidentally, if you ever want to find out more of the story of the KR from someone who went through it, read First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. I'm glad I read it before experiencing all this. It's not the best writing, but it tells a story that needs to be told and gives bit of the complex history leading up to the events.

[later]

I forgot to mention, even though it was right in front of me. This tragedy can be considered the worst mass murder ever in human history; not because of the number, but due to the percentage of population. The 1972 census of Cambodia showed a population of about seven million people. The generally accepted number of people killed by the Khmer Rouge is 1.7 million. That's about a quarter of the population. Sickening.

the bird flu

I know it's on everyone's mind these days - I saw an article the other day that the UN thinks that it'll be in North American within a year. We've received numerous warnings from concerned relatives and friends (thank you, it is very appreciated to know that you care for us!). However, I wanted to share a bit of what it's like, why there is reason to worry, and why it can't be helped.

Birds are everywhere here. Having lived in Taiwan for two years, I was used to chickens around. In the bit of Asia I've seen so far on this trip, it's even more, and they're not caged at all. Birds wander around everywhere - ducks, chickens, roosters. The thing is, they're a part of the lifestyle. Birds are peoples' source of meat, eggs, and income. People also become close to them - they're pets. There's a reason that major illnesses have come out of Asia - it's the closeness these people share with the animals.

However, it's not as simple as destroying the animals. Even vaccinating them is quite the task. Here's a parallel that is not too far off the mark: Say that the health authorities say that pollutants in the air from vehicles could cause a form of deadly bronchitis that is easy to transmit. All form of vehicular travel that causes pollution must be stopped immediately. Could it be done? No. Even if the government enforced it, there would be chaos. People would defy the law. Especially if there was no alternative provided. Now imagine a similar situation, except not only does the government take away your car, you don't even have the money to buy a bicycle, and they close down the market in your town. That's life for many people here in SE Asia.

What do we do? That's a very good question. Right now, the best of what can be done is being done, with the vaccinations. People are hitting hard times, though - governments, eager to please the West (and to avoid their own health-care disasters), are both vaccinating and decimating the fowl in their countries, often at the cost of the citizen. All we can do is hope. Funny, in this age of science and medicine and triumphs, nature can still show us up with a bunch of birds.

phnom penh is more than just killing

After all of the sobering acounts of the killing that occured in Cambodia, I elected to see a few different things in Phnom Penh before we moved on. As Chris was quite sick for a day, I got to see these for myself. First on the itinerary was the National Museum. And although it did contain mostly statues with some artifacts, it was still a neat museum. The museum itself, however, even said that art and architecture are so tied together in Cambodia's past that one cannot fully appreciate them apart from each other - you have to see them together (i.e. at the Temples of Angkor). Still, as you walked through, you could easily see Cambodia's love for Hinduism, then the gradual change over to Buddhism instigated in the 13th century. They also had a photo exhibition from the Temples throughout the museum - terrific pictures. Made me excited for Angkor myself!

The other, and definitely more exquisite, part of my explorations was the Royal Palace. The official residence of King Norodom Sihanouk (who, as I write this in Luang Prabang, is coming here to visit tomorrow!), this was certainly quite the display of wealth. The coronation chamber was about all that was open in the main hall (as it's still in use, a lot of it isn't available to the public), but the entire place seemed covered in gold. What was even more impressive was the Silver Pagoda, known as such because of its floor - 5000 silver tiles weighing 1 kg each! And if you think that's rich, you should see the rest. Gold and silver everything, ruby rings, emerald-and-diamond-encrusted cigarette boxes, and a 'life-size' Buddha made of gold that weighs 90 kg and has 9584 diamonds placed all over it. Buddha certainly knows how to live it up.

Unfortunately, photography was expensive or not allowed in either place, so there are no pictures. I did buy postcards of the Silver Pagoda - not everyday you get to see that kind of wealth flaunted.

Christine also did a Cambodian cooking course (see next entry), but I skipped it to pick up our passports and get all of my Internet stuff caught up. I just love you people too much. And then, off to Siem Reap, and the Temples of Angkor!

beatocello

As I mentioned in the NGO post, there are a lot of grassroots organizations here built by the people, for the people. Another one of these that we found that deserves note is Dr. Beat Richener, better known around Siem Reap as Beatocello.

This man was a doctor for a private-run, private-funded children's hospital that provided free healthcare to anyone who needed it. He left when the Khmer Rouge came into power, but was invited back by the king himself to start his services again with the government, after being stultified by years of war. And so an amazing legacy was born. With the fourth hospital just opening this past Christmas, he has definitely made his mark. And does he sit on his haunches? Far from it.

Instead, this amazing man gives cello concerts every Saturday night to an ever-changing audience. In between pieces, he tells the audience about the plight of the Cambodian people - 65% of the people have had or have tuberculosis, many have no money for health care, and more - and how the Western medical mindset has to change - that poor people need more than just the medicine they can afford. His hospitals - run entirely by private donation - provide services to anyone who needs it, be it the poor mother who cannot pay (and, on a tangent, they require the mother to stay with the child through treatment) or the prime minister's grandchild (just in a couple of months ago). Unfortunately, he has had WHO officials come in and tell him that his hospitals are too sophisticated - that health care of this level is too much for a country like this. He fights this belief all the time, going so far as to publish it. And he keeps fighting. He showed a video of the dengue outbreak here that occured during the summer of 2003. 853 cases of SARS that summer worldwide, 10,000 cases of dengue fever in children in Cambodia. Which one did you hear about?

A friendly man with a great sense of humour and a fiery passion, Beatocello should be seen by everyone who passes through Siem Reap. If you don't get a chance, they could always use a donation. And if you're passing through during the week, they also take blood donations for the massive number of transfusions needed to help the ill children constantly passing through their system. Just another wonderful part of the strong nation of Cambodia that I became more and more aware of the longer I was there.

the temples of angkor

The world-class Temples of Angkor. They are a part of the Cambodian identity, appearing on their money until recently. Even now, if you're not in Siem Reap, everyone asks when you are going or when you went. And with good reason. As they're the only remains of the great Khmer (different from the Khmer Rouge) empire that ruled from the 9th century to the 13th century, they've got good reason to be amazing.

These stone edifices were the temples built by the kings that ruled at the time, dedicated to the entities that they worshipped, be they Hindu gods or Buddha himself or a curious mix allowing both to work together. One king, a Vishnu follower (Hinduism) chipped out all the Buddhas in the palace he took over. All of the houses of the people living around then are long since gone, having been built of wood. Stone was reserved exclusively for the gods. At one time, however, the entire collection was as large as New York City and housed as many as a million people. Not bad for a thousand years ago!

The Temples of Angkor (the most famous is Angkor Wat, the largest) were only re-discovered in the late 19th century by an explorer who published a book of his sketches and paintings of the place. Others had stumbled upon it, but they didn't have the business acumen that our intrepid explorer did. While it virtually disappeared from the travelling radar in the 70s and 80s, thanks to the work of people like Aki Ra (well, mainly Aki Ra), it was cleared of mines and reopened to the public, and the public has come.

Walking through them just generates awe at the amount of work. Pillars, doors, walls, giant bas-reliefs dozens of metres long, stairs, statues - there is so much carving, and so much of it is still in very good condition. Obviously, the elements have taken their toll in many places, along with looters, but some of it honestly seems like it was done last year. There are numerous efforts to restore parts of the temples, too, but they are simply to fix the architecture, not to recarve. There are different types of rock, different kinds of architecture, different kinds of light.

I don't really have a lot to say - my pictures describe a lot more than I can. We saw the big ones - Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom (with its 54 Buddha faces), Ta Prohm (completely abandoned to nature with trees growing over walls and roofs and between bricks - my personal favourite), Preah Ko (one of the first temples built that still stands), Preah Khan (KHAN! a partially-restored, intricately carved piece on the north end), and so many other temples. Enough that we started recognizing ages and styles, but far from all of them. More than enough to return and experience the wonder again. Now go check out those pictures!

rudeness on the road

I gotta say, there are some rude people in this world. I've been to a few cities and seen several tourist magnets, and also some terribly ill-minded people. And the funny thing is, a lot of these people are carrying Lonely Planet books, which strongly advocate in the introduction and throughout the book respect for others, for customs, and for the seeming strangeness of society in other countries. And yet, they stomp on. (And yes, I've also met plenty of polite, wonderful, considerate tourists, too.)

This morning, we watched a procession of monks receiving alms from people in the village in Luang Prabang - a daily custom where the monks get what they subsist on for the day (or future, anyway - sometimes money is given) and people get karma for giving to the monks. It is a public event, and there are posters around town encouraging people to observe the custom, giving a number of guidelines and asking them to be respectful of the monks. It even requests that you do not participate if it is not in your beliefs (though obviously, the choice is yours). This morning, I saw people placing cameras in the faces of monks and taking flash pictures. I observed one man breaking through the line and having the monks walk around him as he video-taped the line of them coming at him. It was appalling.

There's a lot more, but I'm done. I just wanted to rant for a bit. The procession was really neat, though. Thanks!

the cheque

Having lived in Taiwan for two years, we're both used to doing some things a little different. One such thing is standing when you're ready to leave a restaurant.

You see, in Taiwan, they just leave your bill at the table when they deliver your food. Handy, convenient, and you can even make sure it's right (if you can read Chinese). The best part is, when you're ready to go, you just take the cheque up. Awesome!

Not so in, well, everywhere else. Nowadays, when we're finished, we find ourselves standing with nothing to do, feeling awkward and embarrassed. People glance over. "Why are they standing?" Having to ask for the cheque again seems so inconvenient.

Insta-bill. It's the way to go.

the almighty dollar

One thing that was somewhat unexpected that I've found traveling through these three countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) is the proliferation of the American dollar. Now, we elected to bring some American money with us "in case of emergency". That stuff is long gone, along with more. Every place we've been in quotes us prices in dollars (the number of places I've eaten that have told me prices in the native currency is less than ten), and almost seems to begrudge the fact that they have to provide a price in local prices. And, of course, whichever one you use, you get screwed on the exchange (though most of the exchanges have been pretty easy to convert - $1US = 16,500 dong = 4000 riel = 10,000 kip).

I think this exists for two reasons. One, with the number of tourists flowing through a lot of the larger centres, it does make an easier 'international currency', and a dollar is a dollar is a dollar (and is much easier to convert back home if you have some left over). Two, in Cambodia and Laos, at least, the highest denomination is not all that big (Laos' largest is equal to $2US, while Vietnam's is $30US). In terms of moving money for anything large, it isn't all that convenient, hence the use of the dollar (or the baht here in Luang Prabang, which is still two hours away from the Thai border).

It just feels weird to sit down in a little roadside stand in Cambodia and read a menu with Cambodian and U.S. dollars on it. A little bit of non-Asia right where you expect it to be the most Asian.

kids and tourists

Kids must love the tourists coming through here. While I was sitting at the computer yesterday, doing up the Laos pictures, a couple of tourists bought some candy and proceeded to hand a piece to each of the kids lined up along the school fence next door. Personally, I was buying some candy from a street stand and bought some for a couple of snot-nosed (literally, actually) kids standing beside the table. They wanted more immediately, of course.

During a stop in a Hmong village (the Hmong people are really unique - they have quite intricate tapestries, yet no universally-understood written language, and their language isn't related to any other), I sat and made faces with a couple of young girls, who laughed and laughed like no other children in the village. And if there's an age group that loves seeing themselves on digital cameras, it's little kids. They're just so much fun here.

something's cookin'

One thing I forgot to mention on here is the cooking tour we're doing. After finding a couple of references to courses in the Lonely Planet we were using, we decide to whole-heartedly search them out in every country we visit (except Singapore, everything's deadly expensive there, and, unfortunately, ditto for Bangkok). We've learned Vietnamese spring rolls, Cambodian curries, Laotian salad, and so many more things, in addition to the Friends restaurant cookbook I picked up full of delicious tapas, Asian, and other recipes. As a treat, I'm going to share with you the recipe we learned from a wonderful man in Hoi An (whose name is totally not in my head right now) for making Vietnamese spring rolls. Very easy, as long as you can find rice paper. Check your local Asian grocery. And heed this lesson: the key to good Asian cooking is a sharp knife. Really.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (with apologies for vagueness, we just kinda wrote down what we did. Feel free to alter as you find best for you.)

1 carrot
3-4 green beans
some cabbage
3-4 mushrooms (white and black)
1 potato
1/4 c cooked yellow noodles
2 tsp crushed peanuts
1/2 tsp each pepper, salt, chili powder, sugar
2 tsp fish oil
1/2 c peanut oil (or enough to submerge the rolls into)
rice paper circles
tofu or your meat of choice, cooked and cut into fine strips

1. Slice the vegetables into extremely thin slices - a sharp knife is absolutely necessary. If the slices are too big, then the roll with burst, or you won't be able to roll it properly. They should be as small as, or smaller than, matchsticks. Cut up the noodles into small pieces, and put all these together into a bowl, along with the spices, crushed peanuts, and fish oil. Mix well.

2. Heat a pan of peanut oil.

3. Using one and a half rice paper wrappers (place the full one down on the table, then overlay the bottom half with the half piece), place a line of the mix about an inch or so from the bottom (giving yourself enough rice paper buffer than you can fold it over the mix). Add strips of tofu or meat, then roll the rice paper over everything, keeping it tight. If it is loose, things will fall out. When you finish rolling, tuck the sides into themselves to close them.

4. Place the rolls into the peanut oil with the 'seal' (the end of the roll) down in the oil (this will help keep it closed). Fry until crispy.

5. Place on a place with paper towel to drain a little, and cut into quarters (kitchen scissors work very well).

You can serve this with two sauces. The chef who taught us in Vietnam made a simple one with ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, and crushed peanuts (adjust amounts for your taste). We found another that we really enjoy that's a little more complex, but sweeter:

Dissolve 300 g sugar and 3 tbsp honey in 1/2 litre of boiled water. Leave it to cool, then add 10 small red chilis, 10 cloves of garlic (both of these crushed well with a mortar and pestal), 4 tbsp fish sauce, 5 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp salt, and 3 tbsp finely chopped carrot. Divide into however many bowls you want, and add 1 tbsp of crushed peanuts to each bowl before serving.

These were pretty easy (my apologies for inconcise explanations), and the ingredients are quite easy to find (except for fish sauce and rice paper, but those should both be at your local asian grocery). They make a wonderful appetizer, or even a meal - they're incredibly filling! We made the mistake of making them first, eating a bunch, then having to make five more dishes. We were so stuffed....

Enjoy!