June 3, 2008

8:00 AM, A quick check in before heading off on a two day visit to a traditional Vietnamese village in the Mai Chau valley. Tonight we’ll be sleeping in a stilted, thatched roof building: the roof towers about 50-60’ above the ground. We think we’re well acclimated to the time zone change at this time. We’re sleeping near normal hours. Now we have to get acclimated to being in a RURAL place. Yikes. This may be the biggest change yet.

We’ll be without email. We’re packing light and keeping our room at the Oriental Palace. Likely the cell phone will not be working. We’ve been working on some writing here in preparation of the public program next week.

We have been feted and treated really well here. Our hosts had us to their home for dinner last night. Crowded street. Four story tall home. The first floor had only the kitchen and the dining room. Vertical living.

We’ve been meeting French and Vietnamese artists. And yesterday a Californian ceramicist who has long ties to Vietnam arrived to take part of the program too.
The previous description of traffic might have been improved by calling to mind the filmed bloodstreams that you will remember - all sorts of things moving fluidly in one direction without more than momentary stops.
More in a couple days.
Jon