Catching a ride, passenger riding backwards on a motorcycle in downtown Saigon, photo © 2008 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
It’s Saturday morning, and like many locals I’m heading out for the weekend. Some of them are taking Monday off; Tuesday’s a national holiday, and there’s a whiff of excitement in the air. They say the beaches will be full.
I’m going for people and culture. I’ll be taking a boat cruise to the Mekong Delta, bringing along little more than my camera, mosquito spray, and clothes to spend the night. (A much lighter load than the woman in the picture above.)
So much swirling through my head over here on this side of the world. Yesterday I frantically tried watching Barack Obama’s speech from work, but the video streaming was more like video constipation. Instead, I called home every 15 minutes to get Jim’s impressions. He and the girls watched the whole thing; Em’s fourth-grade teacher assigned it as homework.
I’m at that point in this trip where I long for my home. All of it. Last night a work colleague invited me to dinner at his home with his family. He has four daughters, ages 17, 15, nine, and six. They’re beautiful, as is his wife. It was Shabbat, and so the dinner was extra special, with singing and challah, candles and wine. By the end of the evening I wanted to take the nine-year-old, who stayed by my side most of the night telling me everything there was to know about everything, and just squeeze her. When I hugged her good-bye I told her that I missed my girls.
This is a short post. Not focused, more stream of thought. I feel more than ever that we must elect Obama. Every person I talk to, from every nationality—they hate the U.S. They hate W. So much damage has been done to our reputation, our credibility, our influence.
We are one world now. We’re like those contraptions where you pull the ball on the pendulum and it hits a whole bunch of other balls, causing the one on the other end to jump out. We are the main ball, reverberating on every other one.
After I finish this post, I’ll call home. I’ll talk to the girls once for the weekend until Sunday night, their Sunday morning. It will be hard to not have at least twice-daily conversations with them. I call them every day when I get up to wish them Good-Night, then again in my evening to wish them Good-Morning.
I want them to come to Vietnam with me some time in the coming year. I want them to be able to see the world when they are young, when their minds are open and they can understand how each individual is connected to the whole.
Off to the Mekong Delta. Should be fascinating.
Enjoy your travels, ybonesy. I’m sure it’s hard to miss your family, but at the same time you are giving your children so many gifts even though you’re not with them.
The confidence that it’s OK to go travelling on their own and discover the world.
The knowledge that people they love can go away but without any lessening of the bond or the love – and the knowledge that they are strong enough not to need mum around all the time, however nice that is!
The gift of having a mother who lives her own life to the full, and thus gives them inspiration for how they can live their own.
Not to mention all the stories, drawings and photos that you will have to share with them when you get back home again!
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Lirone said pretty much all that needs to be… I could not possibly improve on those lovely thoughts…and soon enough you’ll have that hug.
so…yb… I’ll ask the totally unrelated to distract you…why 2 helmets? Is he some form of Taxi providing a crash helmet for folks not sporting their own fancy head wear? Is there a weight/size limit or are small elephants acceptable as long as they keep their trunks to themselves and have correct change?…
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You are one hellova woman model for your girls. I do know how lonely you must be for your pride, and your mate Jim, so the daily telephoning is a reassurance for every one of you. Enjoy your trip to the Mekong Delta. What a fascinating place VietNam must be. Two of my uncles lived there when it was called Indochine, and the fact they were in such a far-away place with different people and their custom, weather and beliefs was always intriguing to me. Your lucky girls, to be able to hear first-hand reports from you, not just rumours from afar! G
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Oh, sending you a hug…..it’s hard to be far from your kids, as I will be finding out in three weeks (I’m spending a week at a writing retreat)…..and yes, Obama, please let him get in…..w has damaged your reputation, you’re right…..but our own is hardly intact with a leftwing puppet that was at the helm.
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ybonesy, lovely post. You are sounding homesick, my friend. So much happening, so much to digest there. I’m so glad you can call and connect with Jim and the girls. Family connections becomes so important when we are away from home, kind of a ground and a lifeline.
It sounds like you are meeting wonderful people there. The dinner with your colleague’s family seemed especially gracious. I hope you get to take your girls there on one of your trips. What an adventure for them. They have an amazing mother, ybonesy. So much you are teaching them.
I’ll be thinking of you on your boat cruise to the Mekong Delta. Those two words, Mekong Delta, used to stream into our living rooms and peppered national newpapers on a daily basis in the 1960’s when I was in Junior High. Can’t wait to see your photographs and hear of your experiences there.
So much changes; so much stays the same. We live trying to discern which is which. Safe travels on the river. I like thinking of you on a river half way across the world. All the waters of the world flow into the same large oceans. Connectors.
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Everyone has pretty much said what I wanted to say, so I won’t repeat them. 🙂 I too am sending you an e-hug to keep you from missing your family so much, but you’ll see them soon! It’s interesting to note that when you’re away from family for a long period of time is when everything finally hits you–“the home is where the heart is” and more. 🙂
Enjoy your trip for it’s a trip of a lifetime! I’m sure when you come back there is much to share! I wouldn’t be surprised if you made a scrapbook of your travels given how talented you are as an artist! 🙂
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yb — thanks for bringing the world to my door! Happy travels!
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[…] did think of Mary of the Grains and thank QuoinMonkey of the Fair for the haiku she sent out to me before I left for the Mekong […]
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Thanks for the kind comments and e-hugs! Although it was only a two-day, one-night trip, it turned out to be the palliative to the longing I had. It was a beautiful, beautiful trip. So peaceful and silent. I’ll do a post soon, and I’ll share something very interesting that I had forgotten.
a~lotus, no scrap book. This blog has taken the place of scrap books for me. But you’re right, it’s story and photo and drawings, and all together they are very much the same.
Thanks, G. Your words gave me such a boost of confidence, and same with yours Lirone. (BTW, one of my work colleague’s daughters is named Lirone. What a gorgeous name; I had never heard it pronounced.)
Heather, I *think* the second helmet is for the passenger. There is a new law that requires all riders to wear helmets, and notice that she’s wearing a straw hat. So, if they get stopped, well, he’s covered. (If they crash, she’s not.)
Jo, cool about the writing retreat. Is this your first, or perhaps first in a while? Looking forward to hearing about it.
QM, my post will not have too much information about the history of Vietnam and the Mekong Delta. I will do a bit, but I won’t have nearly the time to do a thorough job. But perhaps a follow up with more info when I have a chance.
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[…] Reflections Of A Weary Traveler (aka Unloading A Bit) […]
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