Chez Gary

Each day I try to help the guys understand what it feels like to live in America, so yesterday I decided that we would take a visit to an American restaurant: Chez Gary. Around here, the men eat like men, family style, and reach across the table, and generally it's a free for all. So to come into the dining room and see no food on the table, no chopsticks, but napkins and silverware, was a shock. I sat them down, gave them drinks (Vietnamese only drink at the table after a meal, and that is tea), then took their "order." They learned how to asked someone to pass a dish, how to make quiet conversation, and how to butter bread. The flurry of action that usually accompanies meals morphed into a relaxed time with good friends. It was so much fun that they wanted me to wait on them every meal. I said no, unless they wanted to buy me an Italian restaurant in San Francisco. When you come to visit, we will have another fine dining experience at Chez Gary.

My New Shirts

Last year I had a shirt made, this shirt, actually, by a nice couple who have a shop at the local market. They did an amazing job for $3.58. This year, the sisters in the convent next door to us said they would like to make me some shirts. I visited their shop last week and I was amazed at what they can do with two sewing machines and an iron.

Well, the other day they came to visit me to get some final measurements. What we laughed at the mostg was the difference in height. As you can see, they tower over me. I even had to stand on a box so that we couldtgake the picture. Next week I will go and pick up my new shirts, two white and one blue. I will proudly display it when I get back.

The Work Crew

I happened to mention to the guys that the window in the back did not close well and that much of the air conditioning was escaping. Well, I no sooner said this than "the plan" went into action. First, Anthony (left) and Matthew found a large piece of plastice. Then they went to the store to buy some nails.

Here you see Matthew cutting the plastic, making sure it would fit the window properly.



In the meantime, Joey took a long piece of bamboo and cut it in four pieces lengthwise. Each of the long pieces was measured and cut to fit in the top, bottom, or either side of the window. Here is a picture of Joey looking like he's going to cut Matthew's hand off.














Finally, the plastic was wrapped around the bamboo pieces for security and then each piece was nailed to the window frame. I now have a hermetically sealed room. Aaaah!





What was most fun is listening to the guys while they worked. One of the teachers here said that the Vietnamese can do anything with almost nothing. He said it comes from being poor. I can attest that these guys can do anything they put their mind to.

From My Students to My Father

A New Water Tower

Although it is pretty wet here in the north of Vietnam, most of the water in the summer does not come from rain as in the south, but from the rivers. To keep a supply handy, and to maintain a steady pressure, a water tower is needed. There are many people who live here at the bishop's house and grounds, sometimes upwards of 250, so a great deal of water isneeded. There is a water tower on the premises, but it is old. Now this is the new tower being built.

I am always amazed at how things are built in Vietnam, and the tower is no exception. It is about 45 feet high and the scaffolding used is bamboo - cheap and easily obtained. The molds are built of wood for each section then poured by hand.

This is the foundation of the water tower. You can see that it is built first of bricks and then cement is layered over it by hand. The pylons to support it go very deep.

The Museum of the Cathedral

Behind the cathedral at Phat Diem is the museum of the cathedral and its grounds. The area is rich in heritage and has survived much from the French and American wars. You can see the beautiful portico that surrounds the building, one large room inside with many artifacts. I toured this last year and hope to get more pictures of it this year.

The grounds around the museum are beautifully landscaped, perfect for stolling or meditating, both of which are done by the priests, sisters, and seminarians. There is a certain feeling of calm and definitely of zen when one wanders from path to path, from tree to tree or flower to flower.

There are many butterflies flitting around on the grounds. Some are small and yellow and these usually are in pairs. The large ones are black and their wings shiny, so that in the light they appear to have a sheen of dark blue and green.

All of the stones in the wall are rough hewn. This means that they do not have smooth edges, and this gives them the beauty of asymmetry. There are really no perfectly straight lines, giving the admirer the idea that life is not even, but rather a series of events that somehow fit together in a larger plan.

Here is a view from the fountain toward the museum. The water is full of living plants and some very loud frogs. In the evening it seems that every male frog is singing to every female frog in the province. It is very loud.

This is a bust of Fr. Six, the priest who built the cathedral and the grounds. He is very famous in Phat Diem. Since all of the land was basically a swamp, to build the heavy stone buildings he had long bamboo poles sunk into the ground up to 20 feet, one next to another.

This is the statue of Mary and Jesus. We sometimes see images of Mary being old, but here shelooks no more than 16 or 17. Also, she is very fair skinned and has Asian eyes, looking very much the Vietnamese ideal woman.

This is one last picture of the fountain looking from the museum toward the cathedral. YOu can see the cathedral's room in the background. When you come to visit, we will take a relaxing walk in this garden.

The Dinner Table

Here is how the dinner table looks. Click on the photo to get a really big image. If you check closely, you can see that there is a mixture of European with the Asian. The French did many bad things to the Vietnamese culture, but luckily they introduced both coffee, bread, and silverware. While most of the countryside use only chopsticks, here at the bishop's house we also have knives, forks, and spoons. The food is completely fresh, nothing frozen, and it is delicious. There is little seasoning, so one can taste the real vegetables and meat. Almost everything is cooked, mostly boiled. The napkins in the cup are for me (a nod to my American need to keep my face from getting too messy). The big bowls contain rice, the best rice because it comes from a field near Phat Diem.


In fact, as I walk and travel around the village, I can see where everything is grown. Yesterday we had corn on the cob grown right outside my room. Here is a picture of the corn field. It's not quite as high as an elephant's eye, but it certainly makes good corn. The shrimp are grown locally as are the crab. In America, meat never looks like it did when it was alive, but not so here. Crabs come boiled whole and you have to tear them apart. The shrimp look at you with their big black eyes and they are eaten legs and all. But in the end, it is all good for you and people tend to stay healthier because of it.