Thaler Travels

Mural Projects in Vietnam Mirror House exterior      As with many pieces of art, the ceramic wall in Hanoi, Vietnam, clearly reflects the history and culture of the country.  This incredible piece of art, created for the 1000 year anniversary of Hanoi, has been joined in prestige by another mosaic project in Hanoi- the renovation of the Mirror House in Reunion Park.       The idea of the mosaic wall to celebrate Hanoi's 1000 year anniversary was the brain child of artist Nguyen Thu Thuy who won a Hanoi architecture contest to transform the dyke which prevents flooding from the Red River.  Bringing the idea to life involved 20 Vietnamese painters, 100 craftsmen, 15 international artists, 50 art students and 500 children.  The pottery for the project came from the famous pottery village Bat Trang- just across the Red River from Hanoi and across the road from Bob and Karen.         This beautiful wall ...

Reunification Day      In Vietnam we are celebrating Reunification Day, a national holiday, today. While I was researching the history of this day, which obviously takes place on the day after the fall of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, I found an article that explains it very well without bias.  Rather than trying to explain it myself, today I will just share that article with you.  So, here it is from the Public Holidays Global site at  Reunification Day .      Don't want to look for it?  Here it is: Aside from the political and military victory of Vietnam’s reunification, the Vietnamese people celebrate Reunification Day because of the development that occurred as a result of the South’s and North’s cooperation with each other. Also known as Liberation day, Reunification Day is officially recognized on 30 April each year. To understand Reunification Day, you must first go back to the years of the war in Vietnam. History ...

54 Ethnic Groups Call Vietnam Home       Ever since I arrived in Vietnam I have heard about the ethnic minorities and one would be blind not to notice the textiles and handicrafts made from these groups in the Old Quarter.  The very best place to get an insight into these groups would be a guided tour of each of the small towns and villages scattered about the country, of course.  However, a good substitute would start at the visit to the Ethnology Museum and the store 54 Traditions in Hanoi.  of course, my little bit of reading and visiting these places only makes me more interested- and far, far from an expert!  But let me tell you the little I have learned.      The largest ethnic group, between 84-86% are the Kinh, who are sometimes referred to as the Viet, although there is some discussion that the word Viet applies to all ethnic groups in Vietnam (?)  The remaining 53 ethnic groups are classified in eight groups based...

In Praise of Bamboo- Who Knew?      Now this is one of those posts you might just shake your heads and say, "Duh, Karen, we all knew that!" I had never really given bamboo much thought until about a year ago.  Yes, I knew in China pandas loved to eat bamboo. (99% of their diet!)  I knew that I could buy bamboo shoots for stir fry in the store- it comes in a little can.  But a year ago, while shopping for clothes for baby Charleigh, I came across the softest outfit made from bamboo- from bamboo!! I felt as if I had made some incredible discovery.Unfortunately, I have had trouble finding blankets and sleepers made from bamboo since then.       Then the other day, browsing through a local store, I happened upon baby sleepers made of 95% bamboo!  Yes, I had to buy a sleeper for each grand baby.  More importantly, it got me thinking about the uses of bamboo, so I did what I always tell my students to do, I looked it up....

Welcome to Hanoi's Vietnamese Women's Museum      While there are many great museums in Hanoi, I visited one of my absolute favorites this week.  The Vietnamese Women's Museum is devoted entirely to the role of women in the country with permanent exhibitions of women's role in the family, in the history of Vietnam, and in fashion.   The first exhibition focuses on marriage and childbirth customs.  Good thing I visited this just in time because I took notes on childbirth customs for daughter Allyse and marriage customs  for soon-to-be daughter-in-law Erin.  Let's start with customs for you, Allyse.  The first is a ritual involving the blood of a sacrificed dog to be rubbed over your stomach to chase away evil.  See, I bet you hadn't thought of that yet.  Then one should make offerings of 3-5 jars of alcohol, one pig, one dog, four bracelets and a bowl of rice.  Let's just focus on prayers for health.  And f...

From Hao Lo to Chi Hoa            Early on when I knew I was off to Hanoi, I determined that I would visit the "Hanoi Hilton" the nickname given to the prison which held American pilots, including Senator John McCain, who were shot down during the Vietnam War.  The true name of this prison, built by the French in 1896, was Maison Centrale but the locals called it Hao Lo, or Fiery Furnace, in reference to the village of Phu Khanh, the village known for making earthen pots and kettles which was displaced in order for the building of the French prison.  It was a large prison, the largest and most secure prison in Indochina at 12,908m2 or about eight square miles.  The remnants of that prison are now a tourist site in Hanoi within easy walking distance from Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Truc Bach Lake were McCain was shot down.          It is no surprise to me that this prison, where many political prisoners were h...

History in the Making and We Were There                   Bob and I had a great few days in DaNang with our friends Todd and Michelle Van Maanan right on China Beach.   I would be very hard pressed to tell you what the highlight of the few days was because there were so many: the SDSU sweep of the Summit Tournament (Todd and Michelle are from USD), the gorgeous sunshine and beautiful beach, the fresh seafood, the Marble Mountains and Buddhist caves, or the golfing at the Montgomerie Links.   At every turn: on the beach, at the golf course, and at the top of the Marble Mountain, it seemed we met men and women from the USS Carl Vinson . The historic nature of this landing was obvious immediately, as it was the first time that a US navy aircraft carrier had docked in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam/American War.   It was here in DaNang that 3,500 troops landed in Vietnam- over 50 years ...