I leave Nha Trang in three days, Vietnam in five. It has been an interesting learning experience being here for nearly six months (less a month off to return home for Christmas). I survived Lam, barely. Still feeling horrible guilt over my cowardly departure. I made many good friends. Enough so that I would never have to feel lonely here. And I've found something to do with my education, teach English.
I got the opportunity to teach poor university students and then teach at a Five Star Hotel on Vinperl Island. I got a big kick out of being employed by someone for the first time in nearly thirty years. (Still not sure that they are going to pay me. I haven't seen any money yet, and this being Vietnam.)
I did learn this while I was here:
One People everywhere are really the same. The biggest thing that makes people different (in general) is economic situation and opportunity. It is easy to be nice when you have a roof over your head and food on the table. Take that away and people do what they have to do to survive.
Two People everywhere are really pretty messed up. Human beings are crazy. We do stupid things. We think stupid things. The things we believe are just plain wild. I swear to God, we have no clue as to what we are doing on this planet.
Three Since we are all essentially the same it is a waste of time to judge people as good or bad. And since we are all crazy, we might as well relax and enjoy the ride. Accept the fact that the world and we humans in it are incomprehensible and just do your best.
A short prayer from A Course In Miracles is what I say to begin my day and how I try to live my life. "I am here only to be truly helpful." The world is beyond my ability to understand. People, even apparently well adjusted people, have all kinds of personal issues and problems we don't know the half of. So, if I can live each day trying to be truly helpful, I can't ask for much more.
I am really looking forward to spending the next six months back home in Westerly with my family and life long friends. I'm sure I'll have trouble finding something to do since I won't have teaching to keep me busy, but there will be a lesson to be learned in that too. And when the summer is over, I wonder if Vietnam will call me back. I hope so.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Paradise Lost
If you live some place long enough you begin to see what it's really like. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the honeymoon is over here in Nha Trang and I am seeing the real city and people. And guess what, it and they are just like every place else...except the beach and the weather. (and that counts for a lot.)
I try my best not to become upset when I go to the beach now. It was never this bad, but the trash is unbearable. I don't know how or why they let people do this. There is so much garbage on the beach it looks like a landfill with sand sprinkled over it to cover it up. I'm not kidding, the only thing missing are the seagulls (you know what I mean if you live in Rhode Island). I thought I was a spiritually advanced person, but I'm not because I want to punch everyone of these people who dump their shit all over the place in the face.
The second big awakening for me is regarding the people. I know I've always said the Vietnamese people are the most friendly and nicest in the world. And maybe they are, buy just barely. In fact the more I think about it the more I realize that people are the same all over. We just behave differently because of our situations. And that usually has more to do with economics than anything else. Change the financial situation of a community or country and you change everything. But under it all...we are exactly alike. Which only makes sense because under it all we are one.
I guess I can't stress it enough, people really are nearly a product of their economic fortunes. As best I can tell, the only way out is to become more aware. Aware of that and aware of everything in general. Otherwise we are nothing but slaves and robots, slowly learning our lessons over lifetimes.
While I have come down to reality, I still love this country and the people. The friends that I've made are interesting and fun to be with. My friend Brad, a self-employed American teacher here, who wants to kill himself and is an avowed athiest, is a hoot. My Vietnamese friend Vung always shares his total love of nature and God. ( His brother works for Thich Nhat Han.) And of course best of all are my students. I'd rather be with them than any one else, except for my family.
Odds and Ends:
Nearly got into my first motorbike accident. Going about 20 mph a car cut me off and another bike and I collided. We managed to stay upright.
Found a really good vegetarian restaurant, best veggie food I've ever tasted.
Several people have been trying to fix me up with friends. Nothing to report on there.
My daughter Angela arrives here on Friday. That'll be really nice.
I try my best not to become upset when I go to the beach now. It was never this bad, but the trash is unbearable. I don't know how or why they let people do this. There is so much garbage on the beach it looks like a landfill with sand sprinkled over it to cover it up. I'm not kidding, the only thing missing are the seagulls (you know what I mean if you live in Rhode Island). I thought I was a spiritually advanced person, but I'm not because I want to punch everyone of these people who dump their shit all over the place in the face.
The second big awakening for me is regarding the people. I know I've always said the Vietnamese people are the most friendly and nicest in the world. And maybe they are, buy just barely. In fact the more I think about it the more I realize that people are the same all over. We just behave differently because of our situations. And that usually has more to do with economics than anything else. Change the financial situation of a community or country and you change everything. But under it all...we are exactly alike. Which only makes sense because under it all we are one.
I guess I can't stress it enough, people really are nearly a product of their economic fortunes. As best I can tell, the only way out is to become more aware. Aware of that and aware of everything in general. Otherwise we are nothing but slaves and robots, slowly learning our lessons over lifetimes.
While I have come down to reality, I still love this country and the people. The friends that I've made are interesting and fun to be with. My friend Brad, a self-employed American teacher here, who wants to kill himself and is an avowed athiest, is a hoot. My Vietnamese friend Vung always shares his total love of nature and God. ( His brother works for Thich Nhat Han.) And of course best of all are my students. I'd rather be with them than any one else, except for my family.
Odds and Ends:
Nearly got into my first motorbike accident. Going about 20 mph a car cut me off and another bike and I collided. We managed to stay upright.
Found a really good vegetarian restaurant, best veggie food I've ever tasted.
Several people have been trying to fix me up with friends. Nothing to report on there.
My daughter Angela arrives here on Friday. That'll be really nice.
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