Videos, Saigon Symposium

Tam, from Benda Nui Sam took Stephen and I on a boat trip to the Cham Village across the river from Chau Doc. They have beautiful materials there, this Cham girl was making some on a kick loom (I think that is what it is called).

This is one of the street side restaurants. Phuong, Tram, Quang (Tram's father) and I stopped there for a bite to eat about midnight one night. The service is just incredible everywhere in VN, even in the stores you get assistance the minute you walk in the door. Not like at home where you can holler and whistle and just about set the place on fire in a lot of stores and not have any luck attracting a staff member.

There was a band at the restaurant that I went to with Thanh and his wife. Her mother and father and brother also came. Anyway the band was playing this crazy VN music that I just love, I've never heard anyone play a guitar like that, they get sounds out of them that just don't seem natural coming from a six string.

It was hard to choose one from the 5 or 6 videos that I took at Onh's house. The kids were having a ball, singing, dancing or just running around. The "snow" in the bowls was a big deal that night. I don't know if there would be so much excitment for the real thing, it never really gets too cool over there.

I've mentioned that the traffic is pretty interesting. We would have constant grid lock if we had to move as much traffic on our streets as they do in VN. There is a system and it is very efficient. Watch this a couple of times and watch as the bikes and cars just move across and between each other. They move like a school of fish or a flock of birds. I only saw one accident in the 6 weeks that I was there this fall.

I think this is a great video even though you won't be able to understand a word of it. The interest that these students exhibit in listening to Hung shows that they are keen to understand the art. Everyday there were groups of these university students coming through the gallery, it is really refreshing to see. I am reassured that the public does appreciate art, even at home, because there is very little difference between people where ever they live.