Where I've been

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Vietnamese: The third most difficult langauge in the world

Finally, a post on the experience of trying to learn Vietnamese: the third most difficult language in the world *read dramatically*. So why is it so hard? The tones. I think at one point I said there were seven tones in Vietnamese, that proves just how well I have mastered the language, there are actually six. They are as follows: level, high rising, falling, dipping-rising, high breaking-rising, and finally the foot stop. Some words are spelled the same way but change the tone and they mean something completely different. So basically you can have the same word, but with the six different tones it can have six  different meanings.

F, J, W, & Z do not exist in the Vietnamese alphabet (making my name Emma Ells Ames). Even with the absence of these four letters, there are a total of 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet. How can this be? Well it is because all the diacritics, the accents around certain letters that symbolize a different pronunciation. For example, there are three different letters A's. ,  ,  . Now, this is when it gets tricky– each of the six tones can be applied to these a's. That means that there are 18 different ways to pronounce the letter a. AHHHHH! You can have something that looks like this: or this or even this: ặ

This post is all over the place and I apologize, but I feel like I can't write one thing without explaining something else. Back to the alphabet: there are also two d's, D and Đ. D actually makes a y or z sound depending on what region you are in (Northerners dialect z, Southern y) Đ  makes the hard d sound, the way we pronounce d in English. Other very different pronunciations: X makes a ssss sound and S makes a sh sound (in the North).

I know I said that there are 29 letters in the alphabet but ng, nh, tr, th, kh, gh, & gi are also considered letters since they make their own sound– I guess it is equivalent to "ch" or "tr" in English.

So here is an example of the different tones and diacritics in Vietnamese and how much they can mess with your mind. I just took three letters "cho" and added different tones and accents to them. There are probably at least a dozen more meanings for cho if I combined accents and diacritics differently. I just didn't have the patience to do so.

dog= chó

market = chợ

for = cho

seat = chỗ

place = chổ

elbow = chỏ

wait= chờ

It is really hard to get away from the mindset that whenever I see o, it doesn't make the ohhh sound.  ô makes the oohhh sound. o almost sounds like aww. Whaatt is going on here? 

I have concluded that the reason for all the tones and accents is because Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language. If a word is more than two syllables there is a space between the syllables. For example the word for farmer is nông dân, not nôngdân. This is even seen in the names of cities, towns and provinces. Westerners write Hanoi, Vietnamese write Hà Nội.

I mentioned before that there are regional dialects– the Northern, Central, and Southern. In America each state or region has its own accent, however we can still easily understand one another. Not the case in Vietnam. Northerners complain that they can't understand the Southern accent and vice-versa. And some say that the Central accent is the hardest to understand. While getting our fortune told in Hue, (central Vietnam) Vy, who is from the south, had a hard time understanding the fortune teller. Vy was actually concerned that she wouldn't be able to translate because the fortune teller's pronunciation was so different from her own.

Here is a story about the difficulty of differentiating the tones and sounds of letters. When I was at the pagoda last Sunday it was someone's birthday so after lunch we had birthday cake (yum). I was sitting across the table from the birthday boy and there was one piece of cake left. I tried to say, ăn bánh– eat the cake. Everyone burst out laughing. Why? Because I had actually said ăn bảng– eat the table. G and H sound ridiculously similar in Vietnamese. I have learned that the best way to deal with embarrassing situations like this is to just laugh along. Vietnamese really appreciate the fact that I even try to learn their difficult language, and are easily impressed when I am able to successfully communicate a phrase or two. So until I leave Vietnam I am going to keep stumbling along, laughing the whole way. 

I have yellow hair

Xin lỗi for the lack of blog posts recently. This week has been a whole lot of me being unproductive, which is nothing anyone really wants to read about. Yesterday was a different story though– I mean I guess in the grand scheme of things I was still incredibly unproductive as I did zero work for my Independent Study Project, but I did get to a new province, which is experiential learning... right? Yesterday morning  I woke up bright and early to catch a 6:30 train to Quang Tri Province. Quang Tri Province is where one of my new friends, new as in I met her two nights ago new, lives and she invited me to visit her family. I am so glad I decided to go with her because I needed something fun to do. The following picture is a facebook status by my friend Thien, it basically sums up my day. I saw this and giggled– this girl is so enthusiastic about life– I love it! We really did have an amazing time together, I am so lucky to have met her.

I can elaborate. The train was jam-packed with students going home to see their families for the weekend. I had to sit on a little red stool in the middle of the aisle for half the ride. I felt fortunate that I even had a seat– a lot of people were standing! I would also like to point out that I was the only Westerner on the train, and I was getting lots of stares. Hue locals see a plethora of tourists everyday, however no one ever takes the train to the small villages surrounding Hue. So people were shocked to see me happily sitting on my little red stool just riding the train like it was my job. When we arrived in Quang Tri province I got even more looks. People were absolutely astounded to see me there. I think my hair was the deal breaker. I lost counts of how many times I was told that I had yellow hair.

Thien's family. This was our after our first lunch.

Thien has the nicest family. She is the eldest of four children, one of her siblings goes to school in Da Nang (so he wasn't there), the younger sister is 16, and the youngest brother is 10. Her siblings are learning English so I spent most of the day talking about my dogs, favorite colors, hobbies, and sounds that animals make. Regardless, it was so fun to talk to them and listen to them speak English. I am glad I was able to help them practice and when appropriate correct their pronunciation. They were really shy at first, but as the day went on they warmed up and were eager to start new conversations. I don't know if it was because I was figuring out the best way to state a sentence simply or if the children were just more comfortable speaking in English, but it seemed like their English improved– they were able string together sentences with much more ease. I was so impressed.

Working on their English! Of course I practiced my
Vietnamese as well.

Family friends fishing!

I also went fishing for catfish (or as I so foolishly said to my mom over skype "I went cat fishing"). Thien's family has a man-made catfish pond behind their house– I guess there are over 100 catfish swimming around, which the family fishes for everyday. I was under the impression that this is their main source of protein.
 
My eating yesterday could be described as a marathon– I legitimately had four meals. And I didn't eat dinner. That breaks down into two breakfasts and two lunches. Let me explain. On the train Thien brought me banh mi cá (fish sandwich with veggies, soysauce, and hot sauce). Since I had been up so early I didn't have the chance to grab breakfast so I eagerly accepted. Of course, I should have known that we would eat when we arrived at her house. Vietnamese loooove to feed people and I have learned that even if you aren't hungry you should eat because otherwise you hurt their feelings– this cultural norm  is bad for my caloric intake, good for my taste buds. So we arrived at her house and I had cháo cá, porridge with catfish– amazingly good, probably one of my new favorite foods. Goal for tomorrow: find cháo cá on the street. I need to be wary though because I know Erika has gotten some porridge that had pig intestines in it. I want to avoid that. Righto so those were my two breakfasts.

Frying Banh loc

Lunch round one was absolutely delicious. There was catfish, fish soup, and then some other fish that was cooked with ginger and was amazingly good! We also had tofu and bean sprouts, shrimp and vegetables, and then some raw vegetables. Everything was delicious and I really enjoyed eating a meal with a Vietnamese family again– I miss my HCMC homestay family! After lunch Thien announced it was nap time– I love the Vietnamese siestas, it is like being in kindergarten all over again, an hour plus of either sleeping or just resting– brilliant. I am bringing it back to the states. When we woke up it was time to start preparing for our second lunch of banh loc. Banh Loc is like a dumpling, it is a tapioca flour dough stuffed with shrimp, mushrooms, and vegetables. We all helped roll out the dough, fold the stuffing inside, and fry them. While in the middle of helping fry the banh loc, someone enthusiastically waved a bag of crabs in front my face indicating that we were going to eat even more food. Sure enough, the crabs were cooked and served alongside the banh loc. I just love food.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside, catching more fish, and taking photos. The kids loved to use my camera, which worked out well for me because it meant I got to be in a lot of the photos versus just taking them. I really, really, really enjoyed my day. I met the most generous and kind people and had the opportunity to observe a completely new lifestyle. I am so grateful that I met Thien and she invited me to accompany her back to her home. She is so happy, energetic, and fun to be around. I am looking forward to spending more time with her in the next three weeks.

They had cute little chicks running around their yard.

Preparing lunch.

I thought it was hilarious that he was playing with
crabs and little action figures. Solid.

Ironically, I am sore

This past Sunday I had the experience of a life time. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to write the following adventure. My morning of meditation turned into a whole day of meditation. My new friend, Hang, picked me up at my hotel at 6:45. When we arrived at the pagoda she gave me a little tour and told me the plan for the day. She also showed me the proper meditation form, the lotus position, and informed me that we would be meditating for thirty minutes– and that there would be two sessions of meditation. Right then I should have known I was in trouble. My body is not meant to sit still for thirty minutes, but more on that later.

When everyone had arrived, about 20 people, one of the monks struck the gong/bell (not sure what to call it) to signal the start of the day. Here is an interesting fact– the bells at pagodas are very different than bells at churches. Bells at pagodas are struck from the outside, whereas in churches the pendulum sways back and forth to hit the inside of the bell. The sounds are completely different. Hang explained that the church bells mean "hurry, hurry, time to start" whereas in the pagoda they signal slowing down, relaxing, and gaining control.

Everyone was given a robe and then we lined up in front of our own individual bamboo mats (I wish I had a picture of me in my robe!). The next thirty minutes consisted of singing songs of homage to Buddha. I was given a copy of the songs so I was able to sing along (I kept my voice very low). I really enjoyed the singing because I was able to practice my Vietnamese pronunciation. Throughout the songs when the bell was rung everyone would touch their forehead to the ground. I was right next to Hang so I just followed her lead even though I had no idea what was going on! She told me afterwards that I did I very good job and I was basically a Buddhist. Don't worry I didn't let it go to my head– this statement reminds me of the time when Vy Ho (our Vietnamese tutor) told our class that we were almost fluent in Vietnamese. Haha funny.

Next was meditation round one. In meditation people sit in the lotus position:

My legs don't fold up like that. So I just sat cross-legged. That was okay with everyone, not a big deal. The left hand goes on top of the right with the two thumbs touching in the middle and pointed away from the body. The hands rest in the lap. This means that all five points, the two feet, two hands, and belly button are aligned. The back needs to be straight, shoulders relaxed, and breathing steady. For thirty minutes no movement. Oh. my. god. I think five minutes in my muscles starting twitching, more like convulsing. I don't even like sitting cross-legged for three minutes, let alone thirty. I just stuck with it  and tried to focus on my breathing. It was hard to relax because my body was so tense and I was so aware of the muscle spasms and trying to stop them. I honestly think I would have been much more successful at meditating had I been sitting in a position that was comfortable for me. Seriously, try sitting cross legged, with your hands in your lap, and back straight for ten minutes– get back to me on how that goes for you.

I have never been so happy to hear a bell ring in my life, signaling the end of thirty minutes. My right foot had lost all sensation. The master instructed us to stretch out our bodies, but we moved from top down so first our heads, then our shoulders, backs, legs, and finally I was able to tend to my foot. Then we walked around the pagoda for probably ten minutes while listening to this very relaxing music. Hang told me to be aware of my every step– to feel my feet hitting the ground, and be conscious of each breath I took.

After meditation we watched a movie on Buddhism. Hang said it was destiny that I came with her today because the movie was a western made film on the history of Buddha– so it was a perfect introduction for me. I found it very informative but at the same time I was a little embarrassed to be watching the movie as educational and insightful, whereas the Vietnamese had been instructed to criticize and discuss the western view of Buddhism portrayed in the movie.

By now it was around 11:00 and we started preparing for lunch. I was starving because I hadn't eaten any breakfast thinking that everything at the pagoda would last thirty minutes tops. I am really glad my stomach didn't grumble during meditation, now that would have been embarrassing. Lunch was delicious and very enjoyable. I love just sitting at the table and listening to everyone speak Vietnamese. It is a very interesting sensation to be oblivious to the conversation. It's like when you are in class and you didn't do the reading so you have no idea what people are talking about. But the difference is in Vietnam I am not expected to be able to understand what is going on. I just sit there and smile and hold my chopsticks and that is completely acceptable. One of the eldest members asked Hang if that was my first time meditating. When Hang told her yes the woman said she was very impressed that I did such a good job and was so quiet. That made me really happy that I had fully participated in and completed the meditation even though at times I just wanted to stretch my legs out, or move my hands onto my thighs to support my back.

After lunch was nap time. I stretched out onto a bamboo mat and passed out. At 2:00 we were awoken by the bell and it was time for meditation round two. This time I think I did a better job with focusing on my breathing. I was most definitely not comfortable but I think I was more successful with slowing down my mind– it wasn't racing like the first time. Counting my breaths really helped me focus.

The rest of the day was filled with youth group activities. We learned about predicting the weather through signs of nature, sang songs, did some kung fu like exercises in the courtyard, and then I was asked to lead some English games and discussions regarding the differences in American and Vietnamese youth. At 6:00 the day was over, only a mere 11 hours after I had first arrived at the pagoda. Hang and I went to dinner, then I returned to my hotel and fell asleep, waking up feeling very sore from meditating– how ironic.

I am so lucky to have had such an amazing experience– so many people pay to go on retreats like this, and I got to do it for free through the connection of a Vietnamese friend. I have a new understanding and appreciation for Buddhism and their values. Was I enlightened... well no, but it was reinforced that I am not flexible. While meditating I made a vow to stretch everyday, (starting today since yesterday I was too sore.) All in all this was one of the most interesting and educational days I have had since arriving in Vietnam.

Back in Hue

I'm on my own in the wonderful city of Hue.Yesterday I went grocery shopping at the supermarket and a typical Vietnamese outdoor market. I got some of my favorite Vietnamese foods as well as an American delicacy I haven't had in a while. I picked up vinamilk yogurt– so good and doesn't make my stomach hurt like most yogurts do, soy milk– it is sweetened here, dried peaches, jackfruit chips, some typical Vietnamese crackers, pomelo, jackfruit, and then wait for it... peanut butter! I figure that since I am on my own now I really don't want to eat every meal all alone at restaurants so I will sometimes just eat in my room. Don't start thinking that I am living a depressing, lonely, isolated life. Erika will be joining me in Hue soon and I already have had two lunch dates with different Vietnamese students. Also last night I hung out with twenty plus Vietnamese students at their English Club meeting. Then we all went to karaoke. The highlight of the night: singing Everybody Rock Your Body by the Backstreet Boys. I am proud to say that I actually had to look at the screen a few times to read the words. I never, ever thought I would be able to forget the lyrics to a Backstreet Boys song considering the number of times I replayed their cds. Things are looking up.

So I got to Hue via a night bus. I meant to take a picture but I never did. Sorry. It was an interesting experience. There must be about 40 beds in the bus because I was #31 and there were still beds behind me. The beds were adjustable so I could lie horizontally but the seat could also be converted so I was sitting upright. I had a top bed, meaning I was swaying back and forth the whole time. I really didn't want to have to go to the bathroom on the bus so I didn't drink any water leading up to my trip and only allowed myself to sip water throughout the bus ride. Yup, 13 hours without going to the bathroom. When I arrived at my hotel, I handed over my passport, received my key, and bolted upstairs to my room. I think the only thing I really miss about the states is a good bathroom. Honestly, it really is a terrible surprise to walk into a bathroom stall to see a simple hole in the ground– no toilet. I am way over the fact that there usually is no toilet paper, but I am still adjusting the the no toilet bit.

It was exciting to be on the bus all by myself though. And I really enjoyed walking around the city yesterday and today and not needing to be back at any certain time. I feel so independent. I am so happy to be back in Hue– this city is the perfect size for me. It is small and manageable, but there is lots to do and see. I am thrilled to be here again. Yesterday marked the official start of the Independent Study Project (ISP). I am going to be studying in one elementary school in Hue, originally it was two but I have decided to focus solely on one. And when I say "I have decided" I mean that the private school didn't approve me so I only have one school. But that is fine with me because I would rather focus on the public school, making my ISP a case study. The primary goal of the study is to explore the societal norms that are taught to young children in Vietnam, and how these norms are reflected in the current Vietnamese society. I will observe what the students are taught, the teaching style, and how children receive certain lessons. I chose this topic because it is directly related to both my focuses of study: anthropology and education. I love studying education so much– and elementary education especially because it is the first time a child has the opportunity to fully interact in a society, to measure up to certain expectations, and be taught how to properly behave in a social setting. All of these are values that can be taught in a home, but when other children are put into the picture a whole other dimension is added. Elementary education is crucial in the development of a child becoming a social being. Vietnam is developing rapidly and so much is balanced on the ability for citizens to successfully fit into and keep up with this fast-paced society; seeing how students are prepped for this will be fascinating. Obviously there is a huge language barrier but I am hoping with the help of body language, tones of voices, and translators (I am in the process of recruiting University volunteers) I will gather substantial data. It will be interesting to see where my research leads to and what I conclude. I only have one month– better get cracking.

On that note... today I did absolutely nothing productive for my ISP. Instead I rode around on the back of a motorbike, drank tea, explored a market, ate lunch with my friend Huong, and then got an hour long body massage in the VIP room of the spa (FOR FREE). I also got an invite to use a rooftop pool whenever I want. I am love love loving Hue. Tomorrow I am going to a pagoda with my new friend Hang. We are going to go meditate and then eat at a vegetarian restaurant. I am so excited to try meditating!

Ha Long Bay

Two days ago we ended the grandest of all excursions with a trip to Ha Long Bay. Imagine the floating islands in the movie Avatar; now add water. That is what Ha Long Bay looks like and it is absolutely gorgeous. When we arrived at Ha Long Bay we boarded a private boat and ate lunch while looking out at these things:

So what are these "things?" UNESCO gave the best geological explanation so I decided to borrow their words...." The geomorphology of Ha Long Bay is known as a drowned karst landscape due to the exceptional combination of its limestone karst features which have been subject to repeated regression and transgression of the sea over geological time. The limesones of Ha Long Bay have been eroded into a mature landscape of fengcong (clusters of conical peaks) and fenglin (isolated tower feature) karst features modified by sea invasion at a later stage." There are thousands of these limestone karsts scattered across Ha Long Bay. I had no idea what a karst was, and I am assuming that everyone, excluding my lovely sister Hannah the geology major, is also clueless (or maybe I just really don't know my earth science) Anyways the definition of a karst: a landscape underlain by limestone that has been eroded by dissolution, producing ridges, towers, fissures, sinkholes, and other characteristic landforms.  I can't even describe how amazing it was to just to stare at these magnificent works of nature. But it got ten times better when we got to kayak around them! Mikala and I paired up in a tandem kayak and explored the bay. Since I have already lost one camera to Vietnam I decided to play it safe and leave it on the boat, but I really wish I had brought it since it would have been perfectly okay in the kayak. However, Alex was brave and brought hers so I am stealing a few of her photos.

Some of the karsts formed really cool caves. Photo: Alex

Photo: Alex

Photo: Alex

But our day wasn't over. We went spelunking in two ginormous caves. I actually felt very light headed when I emerged from cave number two because my head was constantly swiveling and looking up then down to see all of the amazing stalagmites and stalactites.

That little white speck in the middle is Katia. I am telling you this cave was HUGE!

I'm not really sure what the purpose of the
colored lights was.

We boarded the boat and headed back to shore while watching another beautiful sunset.

Goodbye sun.

Hello moon.

Our boat.

Day 2 in Sa Pa: more mountains, rice fields, and a service learning project

The school and our project.

Day 2 in Sa Pa was very long, but an amazing day. We woke up pretty early, had breakfast, and went to a local elementary school to help build a playground. Or that is what we were told– I am not quite sure what we were actually accomplishing while at the school. Basically we transported sand, dirt, and rocks from one big pile to another and then spread this out to form what I guess is the foundation for the playground. We accomplished a lot and everyone was very grateful for what we did– but it would be nice to see the fruits of our labor. I guess now I have to go back to Sa Pa to see the end result! After we finished working we had lunch at the school with the teachers and parents who had been working beside us. This lunch turned into an excuse for everyone to take lots of shots of rice wine. Not my favorite. Following the rice wine was a cultural exchange. Guess what we sang... (if you guessed Build Me Up Buttercup you're correct). I think that we got the better end of the deal because the children's performance was much more impressive and entertaining.

Chicken feet at lunch. I was very close to trying it but
someone beat me to it.

 

On top of the big rock!

After we said goodbye to the teachers, parents, and students we hopped back in the van and drove about 45 minutes to a small Hmong village to visit the house of one of the Hmong students we met the day before. We had to walk about 30 minutes to get there and were accompanied by some local children. The girl I talked with was very friendly and chatty. She kept inviting me to come back to her village and told me once I was married and had kids I had to bring them back to meet her. Her sister is my age and married with a baby. The sister, husband, and baby all live with the parents of the two sisters. The husband had to pay a lot to marry the sister– she said 4 million dong ($200). I am not sure if she translated that correctly because it seems like an awful lot. We also chatted about our pets. She told me she had a dog that doesn't have a name. I asked her why it wasn't named and she responded that it didn't need a name because they were just going to eat it someday. In case you didn't know– Northern Vietnam is famous for eating dogs. She asked me if I had ever eaten one of my dogs. I wish I could have seen the look on my face when she asked me that! Once again I was amazed by the differences in our cultures. When we finally arrived at the house of the Hmong student we climbed up a huge rock and had a fantastic view of the valley and mountains. The family had cooked a lot of corn for us so we ate that as

My "guide."

well as drank the water that it had been boiled in. It was actually really sweet– strange because I would never ever think to drink that back in the states. If you haven't picked up on it, Vietnamese don't waste food. Chicken feet, pig hoof, intestine, and lots of other organs are commonly found in Vietnamese cuisine. Anyways, yes I ate corn and drank corn water. Unfortunately, we were really pressed for time so we had to say goodbye quickly and start walking back to the bus, once again accompanied by the local children. As we neared the bus they all started to ask us if we would buy something from them. Surprise, surprise. Since I really had enjoyed the conversations with my "guide" I bought a little bracelet from her. We returned to the hotel, showered, had a quick dinner, and took a night train back to Hanoi. We arrived at 4 in the morning, checked into the hotel, and went back to bed.

Katia and I found cute puppies. I hope they never
end up on a plate :(

We visited her house

Walking back to the bus I followed a young boy carrying
a load of bamboo.

so so so beautiful!

Today we went to Ha Long Bay. It was beautiful. Pictures and information to come. Hannah, prepare yourself for lots and lots of pictures of... wait for it.... ROCKS (oh how I love my sister the geology major). Tomorrow I return to Hue– by myself!!– to start my ISP. I am very excited but also a little nervous. It will be interesting to be alone after having been with the group for three weeks straight.