My took me to visit her family in the Mekong Delta last weekend for her grandmother's two year death anniversary.
Her family was extremely warm and welcoming. Her mother and her aunts kept saying, "Dep qua!" Which means, "you are very beatiful." One time, I was walking through the kitchen and her mother said something which her brother translated as, "Mama does say you is so tall!" When her mom saw my passport photo she exclaimed in English, "You so FAT! But now you is thin- you look very good now." Hmmmm....I don't know about the candid honesty in this country.
Her mother, who I addressed as "Auntie," kept hugging me and grabbing my arm and giving me LOTS of food. They gave me the most food and the best food. The generosity here never ceases to amaze me.
Her brother is sixteen and a very good student. He stays up studying until one or two in the morning and then gets up at five to go to school (he also gets a nap in the afternoons.) He is especially interested in English. When he first met me he told me I was the first foreigner he had ever talked to. He spoke wonderful English with a very clear accent. I could tell he was very excited (and a little nervous) about practicing his English with me. I told him I would help him with his English homework any time.
My has a cousin that also lives with her parents. She was very shy, and never spoke to me (didn't speak much to anyone else either, for that matter). But, I could tell she was very sweet. She seemed to be content just observing me.
Her mother and father are also very hard workers. I think the lights were off in the house for maybe three hours that night. Her mother owns two boats and spends all day every day collecting coconuts. Her father works at a coconut mill.
Ben Tre is very famous for coconuts. They make famous coconut candy, but apparently you can do just about anything with coconuts, including making dishes, creating fuel, and of course, drinking and eating them.
My and I already have plans to go back to her home in two weeks. During my Independent Study Project I want to spend several long weekends there. I'm thinking of doing an ethnographical study of the village, focusing on the meaning of death and dying and the rituals involved.
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Wow, I don't look for a few days, and wam! I feel like I've missed so much! I think you are right, living with the common people is much better than living with the wealthy. It would give you a better sense of what life is really like. I remember the first time I went to Guatemala with my family and we visited my dad's roommate from college. They lived in a walled off family compound complete with horses, a swimming pool and a tennis court. So not the typical Guatemalan life. I felt like I wasn't really in Guatemala.
I would have a hard time wearing a face mask too! I hate having anything in front of my nose, even when I'm painting or whatever. My host mom in Costa Rica couldn't stand that I went around barefoot. She thought I would get sick and wanted me to wear slippers. . . maybe though there is less skin cancer in Vietnam? Have you ever asked?
Glad you are doing well!
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