It’s not Sunday, but we’re on a “Sunday Drive” from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi, Vietnam. Other than the modern highway we’re on and the occasional tractor, it appears that farming life in this part of Vietnam goes on today much as it has for hundreds of years.
A farmer walks along with his water buffalo in tow. A group of women wearing conical hats work in a lush, green field. Scenes like these can make one stop and think. This isn’t a re-creation of life as it was. This is life as it is.
Western culture and modernization have saturated the South and cities all over Vietnam. But here in the North, especially out in the country, things haven’t changed so much.
The Bamboo Shoulder Pole – Genius
Out here, people carry loads using a bamboo pole resting on one shoulder. I was curious, so I did some research. Those bamboo poles have equal loads hanging from each end. They bend and flex as one walks along.
If you get the right rhythm going, the loads bounce upward slightly as you pick up your foot to take a step, effectively lightening the load. They bounce back down as your foot goes down.
No lifting, no bending over. Just get the rhythm going and bounce along with your load. If the path is uneven and rocky, no problem. When you’re done, store the pole in a corner.
Compare that to using a wheelbarrow – hard on the back, hard on the hands and shoulders, and inconvenient to store. And the path you’re on had better be smooth. No wonder I didn’t see any wheelbarrows out in the fields.
Family Life
Out here, it’s all about family. Multiple generations live under one roof. Parents take care of their kids when they’re small. Kids take care of their parents (and grandparents) when their time comes. The Confucian principle of respecting one’s elders is serious business.
So is the Confucian principle that the man is dominant. Wives should respect their husbands. The other way around, as far as I can tell, not so much. Mothers even need to respect their sons after they reach a certain age, instead of the other way around.
Sounds great if you’re a male, but if you’re the eldest son in the family, there are strings attached. You’re going to be responsible for the well-being of the entire family. You can’t do that if you’re not home, so if you’re thinking about moving to the city or going away to college, think again. You’re not going anywhere – unless the whole family goes.
If you’re a woman, and the guy you’re getting serious about is the eldest son in his family, maybe you should consider paying a visit to the local fortuneteller.
The fortuneteller might remind you that after you marry this guy, you’ll have to move in and live with his family. Being a woman and a non-genetically related family member, you’re going to be low woman on the totem pole.
Who’ll be assigned the nastiest chores? That would be you, the family’s indentured servant. If there aren’t enough comfy beds for everyone in the family, you may find yourself sharing a bed with your husband’s mother. The man of the house needs his space, after all.
In recent years, Vietnam has passed laws that put women on a more equal footing in society, but who knows if they really apply out here in the country. I’d say that young lady has some serious thinking to do.
To be continued…
