Into the Villages - part 2

After saying goodbye to the Vingh family, our guide led us down the village road. I'm not sure what or who we were looking for, all I know it was hot and extremely humid and no breeze in sight.

While walking, we passed a house where rice was drying in the front courtyard. A woman was walking back and forth on the rice. Our guide shared with us that the woman was in the process of turning her rice. We had seen other villagers "turning their rice" with a rake-like tool. Evidently this woman had a special technique, she was using her feet. Upon seeing us, the woman became very animated, waving and speaking to our interpreter. She gestured for us to join her in the turning of the rice. So, off came the shoes and socks...

Then it was LUNCHTIME. As a part of the Bloom tour the head of the Local Women's Union, agrees to prepare a traditional meal for the participants. As we approached the home of our hostess we were quietly greeted by an elderly woman who was de-stemming (what appeared to be) small tomatoes.  

** At this point in our adventure my camera battery pack died. Battery #2 was in my luggage. #asian adventure failure. Thank you Brooks and Graham for supplying the pictures in spite of my begging.** 

 We took off our shoes and entered their home. Our hostess and her husband appeared from  the kitchen, welcomed us, invited us to sit down, then disappeared back into the kitchen. As we were all catching our breath and finding a cool spot in front of the oscillating fan, we noticed the husband pick up a long bamboo pipe and take a long draw from it. (Later we learned that in Vietnam there is a substance which is stronger than tobacco but not as potent as marijuana.) He then retrieved two large straw mats and spread them on the floor: he was preparing the floor for eating. 

Another Bloom guide joined us followed by the host family's young daughter. It was evident the little girl was very acquainted and comfortable with these guides and felt very at ease having strangers in her home She was beautiful with a wide smile and eyes that lit up a room. Meanwhile the elderly woman left her basket and strolled over to a small table positioned near us, picked up what appeared to be a liter size plastic bottle filled with a dark liquid. Since we had been served tea at the previous house, I assumed she was going to pour each of us a cup of tea. As she unscrewed the bottle she gave us all a big toothless smile, poured herself a cup, then returned to her basket of produce. 

Soon the hostess appeared from the kitchen with a large tray filled with a variety of food. Her husband set the eating area with bowls and chopsticks. The meal consisted of sticky rice, tofu, some type of steamed vegetable. pork, pickled mango and bamboo.  The food was quite good, I especially like the mango. While eating I noticed the woman (who turned the rice with her feet) enter the house, She smiled and waved then began conversing with the young couple. Evidently she was the mother-in-law and the elder woman was the hostess' grandmother-in-law. This home appeared to house 4 generations.

Next on our stop was the local village cooperative. This was the place where villagers come to make household items, such as brooms or baskets to help supplement their income.  As we approached the guide told us the cooperative was usually bussling with activity today appeared ti be slow. There we watched 3 indiviuals making brooms. They each seemed to have a specific task, but worked collectively with the others to complete a broom.  

Outside the cooperative sat a woman and her two children. They were cutting what appeared to be a mango-type fruit. Our bus driver was sitting with them, eating the fruit, talking and laughing. We asked if this was his family. The translator laughed and said "Noooo, he just enjoys eating". The woman graciously shared some of her fruit with all of us: it was quite good. As we were enjoying the fruits of her labor, our bus driver became very excited, talking very loudly. Our translator explained she has told him that he could take some of the fruit home with him. We watched, as he very animatedly, walked to the bus carrying the fruit, shouting something in Vietnamese. 

Next the guide explained we were going to visit the home of a woman who had been involved with the "micro loan " program for a while: she had used the loans to invest in more livestock, improving the quality of her life. As we walked down a path towards a small cinder block building, we heard the sounds of feathered livestock,...clucking, crowing and quacking.   

Approaching the building we met a young man in his early 20's. He and our guide had a long conversation. While they conversed it became apparent that our visit was causing quite a stir in the village -- 2 men (one carrying an infant) had followed us and were peering in the window. 

As I looked around this small room, it became apparent that someone spent a lot of time here. There was a pillow, a large bench-like seat, set of stereo speakers, shirts hung on a nail, hats, rubber boots and sacks of something. Our interpreter explained that the woman was taking a nap in her house across the street. The young man was her son. He had been living and working in HoChiMin city but had returned recently to help his mother tend to her livestock. She explained,..."Some one had to be in the small building at all times to protect the livestock." From Predators,..? Yes, her neighbors!

Medical Services Price List

The last stop on our visit was the village medical clinic. There we found a building with treatment rooms around a center courtyard. Inside was a young woman (late 20's) and her young preschool daughter. One of the group asked if she was a nurse. The translator replied "no an officer". (I'm not sure what that meant and on one asked.) Some of the rooms were designated for specific medical needs,. i.e. broken bones, deliver babies, general issues, etc. Our guide also mentioned that alcohol consumption was a big problem in the village especially with the elderly. (It was then that we realized the older woman  didn't pour us a cup of tea during lunch because it was "her" beverage of choice.)