maysw: ..and this is why I'm in Hanoi

Monday, December 5, 2011

..and this is why I'm in Hanoi

…amongst many other reasons.

Having traipsed through Vietnam (Việt Nam) rather aimlessly in 2009, I gave a spare two years of monolithic thought into returning to latch onto those gleeful days. And now here I am drawn almost magnetically back to Hanoi (Hà Nội) – the discrete capital of the country embellished in the South-East Asian peninsula that is so skillfully sandwiched between three varying countries and two majestic seas; one of which is highly disputed at this minute in time.

The north is where I be. The north is where I shall choose to teach English as a foreign language. And why the north and not the south some may mutter..

Hanoi breeds authenticity, tradition with its calm courageously-armoured-surrounding subdued in a cooler comforting climate. So this is partially why I am back in here in Hanoi. A valid partial reason. Note: the cooler climate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less polluted. No way. No way josé.

Chiefly however, I am here on some other (self-)meaningful agenda. From the complexities of my vague desires, an interest I dig at with lengthy concerns.

Hill-tribes, ethnic minorities, the indigenous.

I’m a huge fan of mountainous living. I realised this consoling thought whilst on my adventures in numerous segments of the world. Though, Vietnam has been the chosen one. If you’ve seen the length of Vietnam, you will see that Hanoi is neatly located in close range to the mountainous zones. Within these mountainous zones there lay a plentiful amount of ethnic minorities. Hill-tribes. I admire these groups of individuals who stem to live this way and live so peacefully and ordinarily amongst nature. Myself, being accustomed to the ‘modern’ lifestyle of living could not quite hack this way of life, in comparison to the naturals themselves – all very much related to our nature and nurture of course. That be a different story altogether.

Although I’m now located in a very boisterous city, it seems as though I have the opportunity to escape to discover these tribes even further – the best of both worlds.

So, what I’ll hope to progress knowledge in is the lifestyles of these hill-tribes. This branches out to various playing fields..their aims, their history, relationships, living, diets, and so on…but ultimately I’m keen on their textiles & adorned jewellery. Now this is where I lay my eggs. This being their key symbol of differentiation. Oh, and how it excites me.

Whilst in Hanoi this time round, I took a couple of hours out, reversed some thoughts and reflected on these tribes made up in Vietnam. A visit to The Museum of Ethnology. Here I discovered that Vietnam consists of 54 ethnic groups. Gee whizz. The photos scattered on this post give a general idea of the textiles and pieces I’m lured by. Textiles: The fabric, cut, the colours, the details…how it’s produced. From its birth to its wear..
Jewellery: The design, making, the materials, the shapes..
I’m intrigued.

With 54 ("that's my number, that's my number" - Toots & the Maytals) ethnic groups in mind, follow me on my ongoing discovery…chaooooooooo.

2 comments:

Yuan San said...: Look forward to following you on your journey!; December 8, 2011 at 12:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Gorgeous pics and beautiful textiles and jewellery! I'm kicking myself now for not getting off my lazy ass to go sightseeing!; December 9, 2011 at 5:27 AM