Class Party

Friday night was the end of class party at the seminary. The guys got drinks and snacks to share. We watched a slide show of all the pictures I have taken so far, most of which they had not seen. I have to say we were loud.  

After numerous speeches and the students presenting me with a wonderful gift, we all posed for the obligatory formal picture. I'm going to miss them all. They worked very hard and have come a long way.  

The Bell of Hoa Lac (and Gary Dances)

Wednesday night I went with Hien to see the new church being built in Hoa Lac parish. It is in the same style as the cathedral, all stone, brick ironwood, and cement. There are tremendous master craftsmen brought in from all around to construct this magnificent traditional building. No nails will be used anywhere.  

The bell had just been installed last week and blessed. It was made in the traditional way using millennia old techniques in the former capital of Hue. The bell is tuned higher than its ancient twin at the cathedral so that they will each have a distinct character. It is a marvel of engineering and a sight to behold.  

Here is a close view. The writing names the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), each facing one direction of the compass. The clapper is solid wood with a leather head that is moved manually and hits directly on the convex dot. In a few years the metal will turn a deep shade of brown.  

The view from the tower left me breathless. You see for mile even though it was cloudy and rainy. On a beautiful day this would be the place to just sit with a cool drink and be.

From the tower you have a straight on view of the roof of the church. The tile are individually made by hand and stamped underneath with the seal of the shop.  

In the summer there are no activities for the child's. In the village so they become involved with a scouts-organization run by the church. They play games, sing songs, eat together, and are allowed to just be kids but have supervision. This day they stayed for mass and I had a meet and greet with the, answering questions and having fun.  

In the end I posed with the high school dancers, the chaperones, and father. Wow, was there energy in that church with all those kids.  

Fourth of July in Vietnam - Part 3

It was getting dark and asked for the only light for the courtyard to be turned on. The problem was that it didn't work. The solution? Get on the roof and fix it. Nothing stops a party in Phat Diem.  

Fr. Suyt tended the fire and, after the bamboo did its trick, the embers were red hot. Time for some serious work.  

The grate was out on and the grilling commenced for a nonstop hour...there was that much food. Typical guys, one does the work and the rest of us watch. Great fun.  

Just thought you like to see grilling fish. The smell was wonderful, but I didn't try it. Sister came out after a few minutes and took over the grill from Fr. Suyt. She is a pro and nothing burned even though this was her first BBQ.  

Come on, the Fourth of July without beer? Some of the guys almost forgot, so it was a beer run to the kitchen. Vietnamese beer is very low in alcoholic content so it's almost like drinking water.  

Hanging out with some of the newer sisters. They live in the mother house near the cathedral. So glad they go away to spend time with us. This was their first BBQ, also, and they had a grand time.  

Every time I tried to take this picture the wind shifted and the smoke from the grill came between us. I couldn't get it clear so I decided to just put this one up.  

There was a lot of toasting, mostly for America. There is great love for the country and I appreciated it so much. They demanded I sing our national song, but rather than the Star Spangled Banner, I sang America the Beautiful. Honestly, I almost choked up, but waited until after the song to let a few tears out. In a communist country for Independence Day!  

Hau had a little too much of the brew. He put the beer can box up to his chest and told me he was Iron Man. And that is how I spent the Fourth of July this year in Vietnam.

Fourth of July in Vietnam - Part 2

Bon went to town to get charcoal. The problem was that we didn't have a BBQ grill. But the Vietnamese mind never fails. Fr. Suit, ever the clever Jesuit, decided to use one of the empty bonsai pots and the students crafted a grill top.  

Lighting the charcoal took a bit of ingenuity. At first we had only paper and wine (the alcohol helped). That didn't work well, so they got bamboo and that did the trick.  

With the afternoon game going on, the fire almost got hit a few times. You can see that the clouds were gathering and we we afraid of a rain out.  

Then out came the food cart.  The seminarians and sisters worked hard to get everything fresh to the grill.  

The shishkebobs looked incredible, and you can see the Vietnamese touch. Yes, there were going to be barbecued fish and chicken feet. It's July Fourth with an accent.  

Hot dogs and chicken feet. Time to get it all on the fire.

Fourth of July in Vietnam - Part 1

At breakfast, Fr. Suyt asked me about how we celebrate Independence Day in America. I told him about the parades in the morning, the barbecues in the afternoon, and the fireworks in the evening. He said we can't have a parade or fireworks on short notice, but we can have a BBQ. so it was on...a day for America. For lunch, the sisters made us Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and French fries with ketchup!  

Following the afternoon classes, it was all hands on deck to prepare the BBQ. The kitchen was a flurry of activity. The hot dogs had to be unpackaged, a very difficult job and only the most skilled did this.  

Sister prepared the meat for the shishkebobs by marinating the beef. The slices are extraordinary and gave it a unique taste.  

Along with the shishkebobs the chicken feet. Yes, barbecued chicken feet. Hey, we American celebrate our diversity!  

And some had to clean. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. As you can see, it's hard work and only for the strong.  

On the Way Back from the Movie

On the way back from the Big C shopping center we stopped along the road to visit Tien's (another Tiein) house. Everyone got off and went inside. Fr. Thiem took one look at the hammock and decided in a power nap. There was no way we wouldn't take a picture to embarrass him with later.  

While waiting for Tien's mother to being a few drinks, the seminarians relaxed along with the sisters. The guys love to lose for the camera and the sisters just out up with it to be nice to me.  

Tien's cousin, also a seminarian, me (the tall guy), Tien, and Tien's mother. it was an all too short visit, only 15 minutes, but well worth the time. I have known Tien for five years and he is going to begin his fifth and final year at the major seminary in Hanoi.  

I took this shot from the bus to show you the new roads in the country. What is new is that they are asphalt and not concrete, and what a nice ride they make. The concrete cracked and was difficult to repair. And there were new intersections and bridges. Why all the construction? The new president of Vietnam is from this district and he has wielded a lot of power the last few years. He even is having his old high school rebuilt from the ground up.  

The last stop was Fr. Thiem's house. The only problem was that his neighborhood had a low hanging pole over the road to stop large trucks from using it as a short cut and ruining the roads. We were in a bus. What to do? Hao jumped out, climbed the cement wall, and lifted up the pole enough to let us through. Nothing stops these students. When we got to the house I didn't take pictures because Fr. Thiem'sThiem's mother has Alzheimer's and his father was taking care of her. It broke my heart to see her not recognize her son.  

Just a random photo. After we got back I was doing my regular afternoon walk and ran into the sisters cutting dragon fruit. These monsters are purple inside with lots of little seeds. Sweet and refreshing.  

Independence Day: Resurgence

Oh, yes, we did. I mentioned last week that we should take the students to see a movie in the big city of Ninh Binh. He's said yes, so I played the trailers of the two movies showing at the theater: Finding Dory or Independence Day. You can imagine what 20 guys wanted to see. Three of the sisters decided they wanted to go, also. So off we went in a buss, the thirty miles to something so special.  

Everyone was so excited to be in the lobby. You see, only two had ever been to a movie theater before and. One had been to a 3D movie. They were crazy with excitement. Here are Vinh, me, Binh, and Bruce surrounded by happy people.  

Here are some random shots of us all waiting. Hao was especially excited because his major in college was programming. He loved all the computer stuff he saw.

Just 11 minutes until the rollercoaster ride.  

It was exciting to watch the movie with this crowd. They laughed, cheered, and gasped loudly. I was worried about how the sisters would take all the violence, but they all told me they loved it. The adrenaline was flowing for hours after. Oh, and they loved wearing the 3D glasses.  

Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a special day for the Diocese of Phat Diem. All of the priests, deacons, and parish council members along with everyone who can come make a morning of festivities. Here are three of our seminarians who helped with parking the many buses, cars, and motorbikes.

The grounds of the cathedral have been opened up to allow for the vast number of pilgrims who come every year. Buses needed the room to turn around but there was a desire for lots of green, also, so this was a compromise.  

Here is the side of the cathedral of Phat Diem. You can see many other photos of it elsewhere on the blog. What I love is the warmth and beauty of the wood and stone. It seems to come from the earth so solide then taper off quietly to the sky.  

A view from the back of the cathedral showing the new monitors. Because of the size of the columns (each is one tree!), many parishioners could not see the altar. The monitors make a huge difference, especially for the elderly.  

After the mass, I took a picture outside the cathedral again, this time with a part of the seven stone chapels on the grounds. The sky started to look ominous, but I didn't notice.  

I got a chance to see the Eucharistic Youth concluding their morning's attendance at the mass with singing. There is nothing for the young people to do during the summer, so the parishes have summer activities for them. These are representatives from all of the parishes.  

After the mass, all of the parish council members and the priests and sisters have a huge lunch hosted by the sisters. Here are the Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross who work at the cathedral. I love seeing them every year. After lunch we all sat down and talked for a long time.  

Bruce, a retired Presbyterian minister, is visiting the seminary and Fr Thiem was taking taking a picture of the two us us while Bruce decided to take a picture of Fr. Thiem.  

After all the elders and priests had left we were sitting around with the sisters and seminarians and it started pouring...and I mean pouring. We quickly unplugged the big fans and brought them under the tent. I couldn't return to the seminary for almost an hour, but it made for more time to talk, something I love to do.

Cleaning the Cistern

Tuesday evening it rained hard, and that means the cistern they collects the rainwater must be check for any dirt that may enter it. Sure enough there was a small amount, so the guys wnt right to work. While the hoses were getting rounded up, the bailing began.  

The only way to make sure all the the dirt is gone is to check visually, so two went in. The cistern is about 7 feet high and 10 feet by 10 feet.mthey checked it all to make sure the place was clean.  

A good storm that night filled the cistern nicely. Here the guys wanted to lose for a onto op the next morning on the top of the cistern.