The Journey Begins V

Vietnam - An Adopted Civilization

 

So there you go folks. The end of my rendezvous with the Vietnamese people. It was all too sweet and too soon to forget. Well, at least not now. It is hard to love Ho Chi Minh City with its chaotic traffic and the un-preferred English signage. With no intrinsic identity to shout about, it does not look so much different than many of the neighboring cities i have been just before. Despite a ridiculous episode of dropping my iPad and had its screen cracked (fortunately its still under warranty), the joy of completing a successful workshop was simply a blissful one. I refused to let anything change that sentiment.

On the first day i was here, i had so much trouble with getting around in this city that i planned to return to Phom Penh the very next day. Then i thought of my karma yoga and how unfair it would be or how bad it would look like if i were to just quit on the Vietnamese people. I made the decision to stay and teach at least for a day or two and see how the students here would receive my teachings. Honor the teachings, Patanjali said and so i intended to do just that. Thursday came and i had my first workshop with members of Yoga Secret Club. The class was full! The enthusiasm that the students showed was nothing less than incredible! I was overwhelmed by their drive to learn, their motivation to practice, their openness in receiving new information from a foreigner and more than anything, the compassion and care they demonstrated in making me feel at ease. I decided i will stay till the end of my entire workshop.

Then we rode off. Although Ho Chi Minh City is a more developed city than many of its neighbors, it reeks the chaos of a bustling city life just the same. Scores of motorbikes with death defying maneuvers encircled me. I was completely frozen behind Jessica. Riders came from every directions, they rode so close i could see the pores on their faces. My knees often brushed against others on their bikes. That was how close everybody were in the road. At times i found myself so close i thought a terrible accident was imminent and death was waiting to happen. Just horrifying. And yet, all who i rode with take it as just another day, a routine like we would go through in wearing our shirts and our pants as part of our lives. In contemplating living in this city, I had experienced an epiphany where i see myself being flung off my motorcycle and my brains splattered across the tarmac. The end of another lackadaisical foreigner on unfamiliar terrain. 

Jessica and Dong were the first 2 people that I met arriving at the bus station and they have been taking care of me throughout my entire trip. Of course there were others like Miss Linh, Mr Hai and Miss Duong, my fabulous translator to name a few. Jessica, a marketing executive with Yoga Secret Club have been in touch with me through email since months ago. She and Dong picked me up from the bus station to send me to the hotel she booked me in for my first few days in Saigon. Dong was already at the station when i arrived but we had to wait for Jessica as she was the supposed liaison. She finally appeared after fifteen minutes on a motorcycle. I thought how the hell would we have my big backpack on her bike with me riding pillion in the back? I found out now why Dong was also there, to take my bag. 

The traffic in Saigon kind of reminded me of a National Geographic program on the wildlife of soldier ants. Millions of them moving in every directions but none would ever run into each other. Just like the motorcycles here. They just know when to stop, as if demonstrating telepathic powers signalling them on exactly when to hit the brakes. They did it so well one would believe it was a well organized mission, just like the ants.

With all its French and European influence, Saigon is still lagging behind in development in terms of city planning, education, traffic control and conservation works. I had so much problems in getting around on the first day as there were no signs in English. Not many locals here could speak English so trying to get help could be a long and frustrating process, especially if patience is not your best virtue. Being on the motorcycle and dealing with the traffic is to accept the fact that life may end at any moment if you are not vigilant or have psychic powers like Vietnamese riders have. It would take effort to actually enjoy the sights when you have to be on alert and at the same time riding on a motorcycle. 

Then again, old buildings are not being maintained well enough to be a sight for sore eyes. The ruins of a building were ignored, walls came crumpling and peeling down as if old and waiting to be destroyed.  Even the old people were being ignored here. Many i see selling lottery tickets to ignorant heads. It is really sad that the government does not take a good look at their elderly citizens and provide them with some measure of sustenance. After all they have endured the war none of the snotnoses could bear. 

The war had brought nothing but despair and anguish to livelihoods. But also victory against the United States, who massacred thousands of Vietnamese liberation soldiers who died in the hands of asinine Americans who, beyond my comprehension, somehow escaped to be tried as war criminals.

In many cases, while having the madness of any city wreathes around you, somewhere in the corner would you find a gem, a sanctuary, a hideout to run away from it all. In Saigon, it is the Botanical Zoo, located right smack in the city center. Build by the French, the Zoo is enclosed with high canopies of shady trees, long clean walkways, spacious green parks and cool resting areas, which would give Central Park in New York a run for its popularity. I didn't get as far as seeing the animals as I was there to hold a small yoga workshop and followed by a regular class with the members of Yoga Secret Club. Despite the start of the rainy season, it was nothing more than a cloudy day, which worked perfectly for us as the wind and the cool weather provided more than just comfort, but a perfect set up for meditation. The moment i placed myself on the grass, i notice that the ugly skyline on the city disappeared beyond the tall trees. It was magical. We were in wonderland. The 90-min workshop was like knowledge set afloat on Aladdin's carpet. 

On the last day of my workshop, my class was overflowed with students. Instead of the normal full capacity of 12, there were 20 cramped up in the studio. However, after properly placing in alternating alignment, we had everybody in their comfort zone. The class kicked off on a high note with the recapping of everything that was discussed in the last 3 workshops/classes. But the amazing thing was, it also ended on a very high note, so high that everyone felt like an anti climax. The moment the last bow of the final curtain was drawn, the students started planning on the dates of my next visit, as of assured of another one. I couldn't help but felt satisfied and joyful that my teachings have been well received by the Vietnamese people. In fact they owed it to themselves for being an enthusiastic lot. It was such a joy to share with the Vietnamese. Like Arnold would say in his movies - I'll Be Back! 

I had the privilege of having 2 sharing moments, one with the students and the other with the staff and teachers of YSC. Both of which were 2 of completely different experiences. The moments shared with the students were more yoga inclined while with the staff they were just singing, eating and be merry. Be that as it may, both were in high spirits in which they ended similarly on an emotional note. It was for me emotional encircling the sentiments of gratitude for the vietnamese people. Their strength, their conviction, their obliging nature towards welcoming a distant friend, their openness in receiving new skills and their love and pride for not only their practice but for their country and fellow citizens who have gone through the most harshest of lives at war. 

From the bottom of my heart, i thank you Vietnam for your altruistic intervention in helping your neighboring friends in kicking Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in their behind and I salute you my Vietnamese friends for showing the world how resilient you are and demonstrating a true Asian traditional attitude towards an adopted civilization. I say Ccảm ơn (Thank You).