Our First Motorbike excursion!

In the early afternoon of 7/13/13 Leanna and I took Leanna's first motorbike trip and my second.  Leanna packed with a new acquaintance Hue while I rode behind Vinh (our TDT translator) who loaned us helmets. You will find, if I can remember how to get a picture inserted, a foto of Leanna behind Hue. Hopefully you can see that many Vietnamese women wear protective clothing including socks and long gloves, but not all do!  Without a doubt motorbikes are the mode for transportation in HCMC.  You see buses (frequent and many routes -- costs about 25 cents USA) and taxis, but very few personal cars.  Motorbikes parking is provided at most shopping places or on the sidewalk with 1-4 people to watch the bikes.  It continues to amaze Leanna to watch the flow of traffic!
Our destination was the Reunification Palace and Park/Museum.  This museum is in the famous Presidential Palace built in 1962-1964 by the "government of South Vietnam" with US assistance.  It was, truly, a fort to protect the unpopular government leaders appointed for the Vietnamese by their American sponsors.  You will remember the building as the one from which we saw famous photos of the US Marines fleeing in disarray onto Huey Helicopters on the top of the building and the people who had assisted the US gathering and cajoling at the gates of the grounds asking the Americans to take them out of the country, too.   The palace and museum are beautiful 1960s/Asian fusion architecture.  Rather than get destroyed by liberation, the building was carefully protected by the liberation troops and then restored by the People's Socialist Republic of Vietnam for use as part museum showing the bunker/military operations of the failed South Vietnamese President AND for use now by the government for greeting foreign diplomats, conducting special public events, etc.  So the formal and beautiful rooms for meetings, entertaining, etc. are now in use.  Visitors (it was free) included more Vietnamese than foreigners -- and it was crowded!  An incredible combination of history of the war (photos of concentration camps USA called strategic hamlets, photos of liberation of HCMC, etc.) with beautiful architecture now used by the Vietnamese.  See photo of the palace/museum further below.
1st Photo with this narrative is a picture of the Ton Duc Thang Museum. Mr. Ton was the first President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and a leader for years and years of the Communists and the people of the nation.  Ton was a close friend and ally of Ho Chi Minh.  This museum does not get many foreign visitors and our little crowd was the only group when we went (also free).  Again, inspiring combination of history, personal story of TDT and great art exhibit with many types of art celebrating TDT.  Especially moving was the exhibit about the notorious French prison where so many Vietnamese freedom fighters died and that became for TDT and many other Vietnamese a place for literacy, political study and development of strong Communist Party leaders and members.  In both museums we had great conversations with the students.
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Our student friends and Vinh sit with us having tea, sodas, and Vietnamese coffee while seated on small stools on the sidewalk in District 1 north and east of the centre of downtown HCMC.  This was really FUN!  A kid (maybe 10-12 years old with older women relatives) was running the operation out of a van packed with everything he needed for drinks and even some food.  He had 2 menus and a great sense of humor.  You can see our motorbikes amongst the bikes parked in the background.  Students, workers and even more middle-class types (and, we're told the police and traffic officers -- there ain't many of them to be seen!) prefer these sidewalk cafes unless they need wireless or are having a more formal business meeting.  The sidewalk cafes are EVERYWHERE.  More wonderful conversation with the students (practicing their English) about their studies, work goals, etc.  Not a pretty picture watching Leanna clamour on and off the motorbike and short plastic stools.  But such FUN and so much learning for us!!

The above building is the Re-unification Palace and Park area and our student friends with Leanna.

Leanna and Hue, the driver, on the First Motor Bike tour!

Hue is Vinh's best friend, is from Dak Lak Province in Highlands of Vietnam, famous for coffee and elephants.  Dak Lak is also the area where Hmong traditionally live.  Hue is getting married in September, so we had interesting conversation about wedding and marriage customs, how she and Vinh think about personal relationships, differences in cultures and attitudes in various areas of Vietnam.  Hue is a musician, her man friend does "lights and sound for events".  We hope to visit Hue at the HCMC community Music Center where she works.

The THRILL OF MY FIRST RIDE ON THE BACK OF A MOTORBIKE!

One of the joys and characteristics of  HCMC is the absolute swarms of motorbikes careening down the streets with 1, 2, 3, 4 or many people on one  bike.  And the bikes include "trucks" made from a motorcycle or motor bike that is now fitted with a cargo area of several square feet, sometimes designed as three wheeled motorcycles/bikes.  We have observed these carrying big loads, maybe a ton or more of steel or steel cable as well as other loads that are stacked higher than the rider and lashed down. Sure, these trucks accelerate a bit slower but they still tool right along with traffic --- pictures will be forthcoming.

Well, now to the excitement of my first ride which took place on Sunday night here, Saturday night in Los Angeles.  I have been trying to get some calcium tablets and multi-vitamins to no avail so far at the super market.  I didn't look at one market and the other didn't have either product and Leanna and I mentioned this in passing to one of the volunteers, Dat.  Well, about 30 minutes later he shows up at our door and asks me if  I would like to go shopping for the calcium and vitamins, that he has time available to take me.  Sure I say and he says to meet in the courtyard by the canteen in fifteen minutes, okay.  In 10 minutes I am out there enjoying the fresh breeze and the night while listening to the students around me and Dat pulls up on his motorbike.  Honestly I was in shock for a few seconds --- my thoughts ranged from do I really want to go to the store to how do I say no, thank you --- but then I thought what the heck I have to get on a bike sooner or later.  We put on our helmets and took off around the streets on campus where there was little traffic toward the boulevard that fronts the campus and is very BUSY.  Of course I am wondering what it will be like driving in the midst of the traffic swarm but there we went charging out into traffic with a California stop. I forgot to mention it had rained hard about an hour before and there were puddles and so forth and I am thinking about slipping on the pavement.  It was exciting and I will write more soon but now work calls.
Ho Chi Minh City --- July 10.  And I will get a picture on a motorbike, maybe.

City scapes of area close to campus in HCMC Ho Chi Minh City District 7

Friends, above you see a group of people and their boat who are living in the forest across the canal from the  University.  We don't know much about these folks but we have watched them ply their boat along the waterway and guide it into their parking area in front of the tents that you an see through the trees and large leafy plants. We took our morning walk today and the boat wasn't there --- the people had probaby already gone to work fishing or whatever it is that they do in this bustling city.




As we continued our morning walk we thought it would be good to put up our first picture of the city scape high rises that are an imposing feature of the City.  From the campus I believe that this picture is taken to the west and north, I have yet to get all my bearings but I am working on it, and will have it down soon.  No matter, it is evident from the pictures the amount of new construction that has been built in District 7 and more is going up.

Construction of the TDT campus FOOTBALL STADIUM AND SPORTS COMPLEX

On the campus of TDT University there is, except on the weekend, almost constant motion.  People moving, construction and students on motorbikes.  Even on the weekend there is one place where the work and the workers never stop twenty four hours a day and that is the construction zone of the new Sports Stadium complex that is set to be dedicated on July19th, just eleven days from now.  The complex has a beautiful stadium for football (soccer) and a large arena for indoor sports. The stadium is across the street from our dorm room, maybe 50 foot away, and we see the changes each day as it nears completion.

Leanna mentioned the swimming pool that is outside the door to our room, well we went swimming about two hours ago and loved it.  As people told us before we came here, HCMC is quite warm and the pool was a delight.

I don't know the numbers but from our observation walking by the construction every day I can tell you that there are many women construction workers busy on the site, more than we would observe in the U.S.

Construction is a theme in the District 7 where the campus is located.  A few days ago a new friend took us to lunch in the new neighborhood a little east and north of here and much construction was visible in that area.  In another post we will put a couple of skyline pictures of the area that illustrates the skyscrapers and other construction that is transforming the city.  At the south side of our dorm building there is a navigable channel/canal probably 100 foot wide and the other side is a jungle/forest and we have been told that where are building stands was the same way just four or five years ago.

Enough for now.

Campus Tour

July 7, 2013
TDT campus is very modern with up-to-date physical facilities and electronics -- although wireless fluctuates from building to building and time of day.  TDT is located in District 7 of HCMC which is one of the newest, most modern and expensive areas of the city -- lots of foreigners.  More on the area immediately around the campus later.  We've arrived during the break between semesters and during the administration of the National Exams for university entrance.  Many students have gone home to see their families.  There are three main buildings -- two are for classrooms, labs (both science and simulation -- an example is a lab designed to function like a bank) and faculty offices.  The administration building houses 3 libraries -- a reading room, book library and electronic library, large auditorium and administrators' offices.  The entire campus is designed to represent an industrial gear and is full of sculpture and art -- note the photo of the stack-of-books sculpture.  There are water fountains, beautiful gardens and landscaping.  There are two canteens on campus that provide food and drinks at a reasonable cost as well as two stores that sell basic student supplies, clothing and some food.  The canteens and shops are privately owned and operated with a system to both control prices and generate some income for the University.  There are two large dormitories where we have a main floor single apartment that is very comfortable.  Lucky for us much of the campus is air conditioned.  Leanna has become a devotee of hand fans, handkerchiefs and umbrellas.  There are lots of locations outside for students to relax and study -- yard swings, breezeways with tables and chairs and  benches -- all of which are used.  There is also a large outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball and basketball courts and outside exercise machines.  The entire campus is amazingly clean and well-kept with no trash, no graffiti.  There is an extensive system (which appears to be centered around the Youth Union) of student volunteers for a large number and broad range of campus-related tasks. There two large parking areas for student motorbikes that hold hundreds or perhaps a thousand bikes each.  Most of the motorcycles are small hondas and yamahas.  Many are step through fashion, what we usually call motor scooter style, that are easy to ride.  Helmets are the law and we haven't seen but a few people without them and usually not out on public streets.

To-date the students have been a great experience -- very interested to learn our opinions about USA and Vietnam, highly motivated to practice English, and very open telling us about their families, college work and career hopes.  Several of them are available to assist us in everything from learning where to shop off-campus to how to use the dorm washing machine to riding the bus.  We'll share impressions from a recent outting with the students to September 23 Park (Saigon Liberation Day!) in another post.

Vietnam and its people are as beautiful and inspiring as friends told us!

2nd day and first post from our office in Ho Chi Minh City

Leanna and I are sitting in our office at TDT University, B103, that we have moved into yesterday on the First of July.  We are going over the plan and some of the curriculum that we have prepared with our staff assistant and translator.  It turns out that we have been asked to do lectures for two other departments, both faculty and students as well as help with the English language clubs where we may help in oral language teaching, TESL to a degree.  And it looks like we will also teach 5 weeks of class for two more classes than the two we originally prepared to teach --- busy, busy, busy.  Our assistant and translator whom we are sitting with right now is a faculty member hired to work with us and the department and she will work with us through the semester.  We have already developed a lot of confidence in her ability.

Yesterday we had a great introduction to the University and a walking tour of it lead by the Dean of the department and our assistant.  Then we went out an bought a cell phone lead by our assistant who then took us to the Ben Thanh market which was a fabulous experience.  It probably covers 4 square blocks under one roof with hundreds of small stalls of merchants and many people selling and buying. It is as you may have seen in movies depicted as organized chaos.  It is where many tourists go as well as the local folks.  We bought an umbrella, the sun can be very hot here.  It is about 95 degrees F and 90% humidity so we have been a bit uncomfortable.  The folks here at the U are fabulous and our small apartment/large room is just fine.  There is a canteen just outside our room where we eat meals for maybe 75 cents per meal each.

Waiting in Seoul Inchon Airport

At the Seoul airport in Incheon waiting for our airplane to Vietnam.  We got here about 5am and it is now 6am and our plane leaves at about 8:30.  Then five more hours and we will be tired but in Ho C