Day 2 in Nam Dich Commune

As I promised, I'll post some of my diary stories when I was in Nam Dich Commune, Ha Giang to do research. Here comes the 2nd day. I really want to bring you, the readers, a full picture of Nam Dich through my eyes, my exprience and my heart.

THE 2^ND DAY OF MINE IN NAM DICH COMMUNE

This was the second day I was in Nam Dich Commune and in the 9^th village in particular. It was such a miracle here, I swear.

It’s really cold, you can’t imagine, here in Nam Dich at night and in the early morning before the sun rise. But it turns much warmer, even hotter in the late morning and afternoon. Very sunny and hot. So strange is the weather!

It’s almost very quiet and fresh here. I love the small road leading to uphill, the trees which can be seen everywhere. I love the stream with cold water but looks like a beautiful valley. I love the small and simple market where the sellers are minority people and they are franker than in the city. I will remember the toilet here, because you can pee everywhere you want normally, except for the garden behind the house (they believe that if you do so in the back garden, the “GHOST” will kill all the animals in their house, then kill them too>.<). I will never forget the “CRYING GHOST” and the “TOMB HILL” that Mr Manh told me, just some meters far from our house. You can hear the crying sound at night in the middle night of January. Haha. Who wanna see that????? NOT ME absolutely!!!!

People are really really nice and friendly. They see us, talk with us, take care of us, cook meals for us just like we are 2 family members. I and Wietske stay together in Mr Manh’s house. There are 2 little kids here and his wife is such a typical traditional wife-very gentle, nice and hard working. She is a good cook who makes every simple thing become delicious though it’s not really good looking. Haha.

I was drunk after this lunch because they wanted us to drink with them. I couldn’t find any reason to refuse, actually. Oh my God, the wine is really strong, it’s spicy and bitter but it’s quite sweet after that. Anyway, I couldn’t drink much, just 2 or 3 cups almost made me drunk. And I got serious headache after that, even after a short nap, I didn’t feel that drunk but still hurt, esp when it got colder at night.

But then I had a little party at Hang’s house with all the other guys. It was nice then, we gathered together and chatted the whole afternoon before going home. I love my friends so much!!!!Ohhhh

I and Wietske had come up with a topic after a short discussion. I think it’s an interesting research topic here because I see it in almost every family here. Hope that it would be appreciated and supported by the local residents in this commune and we can do it successfully@!@ DONE! The first assignment, haha. GREAT WORK my buddy! Love you so much!!!!

Oh, then after dinner, we had an appointment to visit Huyen’s house and the host family. They are really nice, just as everybody here very welcome us. They are friendly, sweet and really kind. I love the moment that all of us gathered around the fire and talk to each other. Actually I was drunk again!!! I had refused them a thousand time but they still find all reasons to persuade us to drink with them. It seems that everybody of them can drink and drinking is just like a habit. A drunk village and a drunk family! I like such comfortable and peaceful life coz it shows a warm atmosphere in the family and among neighbors. But not in that way, drinking. Haha. Just because I cannot drink that much!!!! The headache came to me again even though my dear Wietske had given me an aspirin. It couldn’t help much due to so much wine I had to drink. Haizzz

I texted my friend sometimes and told him about the situation here. He just told me that it was really fun for having such activities, including drinking like that and taking a bath outside. Haha. He cannot imagine I guess. Anyway, the only thing I agree with him is that it’s extremely wonderful to stay here for some days like this. I love my decision to join this course (though I still have a lot of things to worry and to do now because I couldn’t finish all my stuff of work when I am here. Haizzzzz)!!!! I’ll never forget this time.

Ok, that’s all for today… I gonna have a nice dream tonight. We gonna go to the SUNDAY MARKET tomorrow, that would be so much fun I hope!!!!!! G9