What pumps the heart...

Taking off & landing always sets my heart pumping. Departing Singapore gives me the joy of being away from a bustling city. Landing in another country sets me excited for what is to come.

Made a trip to Vietnam & back and it seemed like my heart is still very much stuck up north, the very north of Vietnam - Lao Cai. Went to the all-famous Sapa, mountainous area filled with dry rice fields & corn with animals roaming around. There are many tribes in Vietnam & the 2 main tribes in Sapa is the Red Dzao (or otherwise known as the Yao or Dao) and the Black Hmong. The Black Hmong seemed to dominate the area.. Very little Red Dzao seen.

They earn a living with their handicraft skills. Baby carriers, bags, pants, etc. They also grow Indigo plant for their dye. I saw a lady weaving like what was shown in the fairy tale - Rumpelstiltskin!

The Black Hmong accompanied Geo & I down to Lao Chai village. Along the way, we stopped by to rest and the very young children came running to us to sell things like bamboo poles (for trekking), embroidered wrist bands, etc. To a certain extend, I felt pestered. It was pretty much of a heart wrenching moment & mixed feeling for me. On one hand, modernization of the place & being able to bring in tourists brings income to the villagers. Money will definitely bring in better quality of life. Traditions & authenticity might just get compromised.

Scenes of children as young as 5 or 6 years old carrying their sibling babies on their back etched deeply in my mind. I saw this lady, perhaps about 15 years old, held the hand of a little child. The other hand held her handicraft to be sold to tourists, looking lost. Eyes had no life.

I had questions that has no answers. Do they want this life? Do they REALLY want this life? Our guide told us that they will have difficulties working in Hanoi city because of their ethnic language. However, at the same time, guide seemingly assured also that the girls, when grown up, will want to stay on to help their parents in the village. I try to find comfort in that they really want to stay on. Yet, those lost eyes kept calling out to me.

I also wondered how the little girls feel when they accompanied the tourists. I was in a group together with 3 Caucasian ladies and they were accompanied by very young girls who spoke very very good English. When the ladies offered them chocolate, their eyes lit up as they shared it amongst themselves. I wonder then, what thoughts go through their mind, having to serve different tourist every day.

Geo & I were accompanied by 2 ladies. There was a point where I nearly slipped and Shao quickly extended her hand to keep me steady. Her hands were so weathered. It was almost an embarrassing moment for me when she asked me for my age - 33. She was just 5 years my senior but she looked 2 decades older than her age.


All that said, besides my mind being boggled, I really enjoyed seeing how free the children were. We went during the summer holiday so the children did not attend school. We were told that the kids learned how to swim naturally. They played freely in the river and the current just pushed them downstream. Nature became their best teacher. Watching them reminded me of the book - The Little Girl at the Window by Totto Chan. Nature is our best teacher.


Towards the end of my trip, I cannot help but count the little blessings in my life. I know that when I return to Singapore, got back to the swing of the bustling life, the experience in Vietnam is probably just going to fade in my memory. But, I do pray that my heart will remain soft & supple. I do not want to lose the feeling of compassion.