Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Alright, anyone who has been reading this thing knows how cheesy and cliché I can be, so I’m not going to stop now. I’d just like to say how much I love traveling and cultural differences.

Now don’t get me wrong. I definitely have my moments when I think that if I have to witness one more person hawking a huge spit ball on the sidewalk, I will scream. Furthermore, there are some differences with which I will never be comfortable, particularly concerning work, but I may have to write about those on other day. Right now, however, I’m talking about the differences that make life interesting…in a good way, as Isha would say.

For instance, sampling street food, or perhaps visiting projects in different provinces by riding 75 kilometers in a xe loi across paved and unpaved roads, but loving the open air and learning all about the driver’s family. Even the part of the trip that takes place during the down pour is amusing, since two extra passengers whom you happened to meet on the ferry (and were kind of enough to have their picture taken with Flat Stanley) ask to pile in and be dropped off at their house. You have room and the driver pulls out the complimentary plastic tarp, so why not?

Another example was a couple of weekends ago. Thanh’s family commemorated the anniversary of his grandfather’s death. On Saturday morning, the whole extended family came over and spent the entire morning cooking. We then went upstairs, placed several different dishes in front of his grandfather’s portrait, lit incense, made the sign of the cross, chanted a prayer, and then headed back downstairs to a feast laid out on the kitchen floor. We then proceeded to throw back some Vietnamese pancakes, snails, fish sauce and whiskey at 10:30am. A little bit of American culture was thrown in as well, since the grandfather and I did take in some of WWF Smackdown as is the usual Saturday custom. East or west, it’s always a party with Jack Daniels and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As another example, a few weeks ago Khue, Truc and I visited different handicraft workshops throughout the Mekong Delta. For part of our trip, a Heifer project partner accompanied us. They were carrying on in Vietnamese, so I had tuned out until I heard laughter. I looked over at Khue for an explanation. She hesitated, but then said, “Mr. Hai was telling us about one of the village groups here. They originally agreed to work with Heifer to raise pigs, but then they changed their minds and wanted to know if they could raise dogs instead.”

Her face was filled with expectation as she waited for my reaction. “Oh, Khue…,” I said, “You mean for the meat?”

“Well,” she responded, “the cute ones could be sold as pets, perhaps, but the not so cute ones….You know dog meat is very popular in Vietnam.”

I did know this. I have seen the restaurants. I knew that some people were forced to eat it out of necessity especially following 1975, and many people today simply like the taste. Although people here have gotten snail down me, I don’t think that I could mentally handle dog meat.

After recovering from the initial shock, it occurred to me that one thing for which Heifer is famous is working within the cultural context of a country. “Khue, would Heifer Viet Nam let people raise dogs to be used as…a source of income?” I asked.

“Well, this group decided to stick with the pigs, but, I don’t know, it might be possible,” she said.

Then another thought struck me. I love visiting the Heifer web site to choose a flock of ducks or tree saplings to give as gifts. It is fun to learn how the animals help families and to see a picture of a child holding a baby chicken or something of that nature. Here’s an example of the information the web site provides:

Sheep: Shear Joy
“…Struggling families use sheep's wool to make clothes, or sell it for extra income….”

I now imagined a new addition to the Heifer website: a basket of bright eyed, floppy eared puppies. I imagined loyal Heifer customers clicking on the link to read about why in the world puppies would now be included in the gift section and seeing the looks on their faces as they read:

Puppies: More than Just Man’s Best Friend
“Faithful canines not only provide companionship, but are also a source of much needed protein…”

I really don’t mean to offend any animal lovers (i.e. my sisters), and I’m not making fun of people who eat dog meat. Still, I couldn’t help laughing as I explained my marketing idea to Khue and Truc. More importantly, I couldn’t help but be amazed yet again by the differences between cultures and the variety they can impart to life. They make you thankful for the spice they can add to your life [just like Mr. Antonio says, K :-)], but also make you appreciate the aspects of your life that provide a certain sense of security resulting from the familiarity that is your day to day existence.

It reminds me of the final scene in Adam’s Rib when Katherine Hepburn’s character [who, for those of you who don’t know, is not as attractive as my grandmother Lu Lu, but does resemble her :-) ]concedes that there is a difference between men and women. Spencer Tracey’s character replies, “Vive la difference!” which, he goes on to explain, means “hurrah for that little difference.”

I wholeheartedly agree…hurrah for all of those little differences.

I also love the literal translation of the phrase as well: live the difference. If the opportunity presents itself, I think it’s important to live the differences. I don’t flatter myself by thinking that just because I am staying in Vietnam for a few weeks I have a profound understanding of the culture. I will never be anything but a tourist. Nonetheless, I value all the people who are willing to answer my litany of questions and “introduce me” to their culture. While I may not adopt the customs to which I’m introduced while I’m in Vietnam, I like to think that when I return, I will at least appreciate that the differences exist.

So vive la difference. Live the differences and let the differences live. They make life a million times richer.

Picture 1: The xe loi Khue and I took from Ben Tre to Vinh Long. Xe lois are pulled from the front by a motorbike. They are unique to the Mekong Delta.
Picture 2: Flat Stanley and I in a cyclo in Ho Chi Minh City. The driver pedals from the back.
Picture 3: Some nice gentlemen repairing my tire. For anyone who’s counting, I’m on flat tire #5.
Picture 4: Supermaket parking lot.

P.S. Here’s a tip of the week from me (à la Glenda Schmidt): When you’re in the supermarket parking lot detangling your bike, watch out for the tail pipes of motorbikes. They are extremely hot and will burn a hole in your leg if you’re not careful.