AMak Color

Vietnam 2009: how to survive a Vietnamese overnight bus ride

This is a continuation of my random trip posts about Vietman. Previous post can be found here.

Our trip to Hue started with an overnight bus ride from Hanoi. Vietnamese sleeper buses are quite an experience, and are certainly not for everyone. So, where can I begin. First off, the beds are made for petite people, as most Vietnamese are fit or skinny, and shorter than the average Westerner. So, if you are very fat or very tall, you will be very uncomfortable. Second, the roads in Vietnam pretty bad. They are probably not the worst I’ve seen, but they can be paved, unpaved, or unevenly paved, the buses go slowly, and shake a lot. Third, there’s honking. LOTs of honking. And the bus drivers’ horn is so damn loud that you can forget about sleeping, especially if you are in the front of the bus. Fourth, there’s the bathroom. If the bus bathroom “works”, it is merely a hole. There is usually no toiler paper or soap. Fifth, there is AC. It either works too well, so you are freezing, or doesn’t work at all, so you are hot. And sixth, Vietnamese never, ever, waste space. If you get on the bus that is half empty, you better know that it will not depart until all seats and all the beds are filled. So, don’t use more than one blanket or you will be asked to forfeit it. And when the bus gets full and there’s no more room for luggage, guess  where the big luggage goes? On your “bed” with you. Oh, you think now the bus is full? Not so fast. A couple of straw mats go down on the floor and more local passengers get on, most likely riding a short distance on the discounted fare.

And that’s the gist of Vietnamese bus riding. At least this was the case with our Camel Open Tour ticket. Funny enough, most of the passengers on the bus were European tourists. A British group could not handle the ride and after accusing driver of being drunk, got off the bus in the middle of nowhere (a stupid decision, I think, but to each its own). (Yes, the substitute driver did have a beer, but then he took a long nap, and then started driving. I think that is perfectly acceptable).

But basically, handling an overnight bus ride comes down to a list of things. 1). Earplugs. For honking. 2). Eye mask. The lights go on and off all the time as the bus stops for passengers. 3). Sleeping pill! Very important. A 7-hr Ambien did the trick for me. 4). Try to be closer to the back of the bus, but not the very back. 5). A jacket in case the AC gets you. 6). You will be asked to take your shoes off, but do put them on before going to the bathroom, or else you will regret it. I had all the necessary items with me, and miraculously slept like a baby. Waking up at 6-7 am just in time for our breakfast stop!

New painting: Angkor Wat

This one has been on my website for a month or so, but I still wanted to list it here. Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia, built by Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD. It is the most famous one of 100s of temple remains in that area, and we had the pleasure of walking the ruins back in Cambodia in November 2009. 

Visiting Angkor Wat and surrounding temples was nothing short of amazing, and of course it inspired this piece. Many Angkor Wat paintings I saw in Cambodia were very traditional, so here is my modern depiction of that marvel.

Original is 18x24 acrylic on canvas, and prints are available here. 

High school talk and exhibit in Southern Illinois

On the weekend of March 5th, I drove down to Jacksonville, IL to put up an art exhibit on the walls of Three Legged Dog and to talk to some high schools students about being an artist. My occasional exhibits and art activities in Jacksonville are organized through the wonderful Imagine Foundation. The foundation’s executive director, Clare Lynd-Porter, does an amazing job of bringing constant fresh art into their small town.

Giving a talk to high school students was a new and exciting experience. Aside from myself, photographer Sean Posey from St. Louis was invited to talk to school kids, and together we tried to make it a rater informal but fun presentation. As my paintings were to cumbersome to carry around, I brought some prints for show and tell. The high school where we spoke is located in Beardstown, IL – a very small town in the middle of farmland and cornfields, a half hour drive from Jacksonville.

I love the dynamics of U.S. population shifts. Being an immigrant myself, I always want to know where people in small towns come from, or how long have their generations been here. Hence, it was fascinating to see that tiny rural Beardstown has a very large percentage of Hispanics and French Africans (very large for a small Midwestern farm town, that is). Their high school even assigns French-English translators to go to classes with groups of certain new African students.

Beardstown school is a calm place. Sean and I spoke to 4 different classes, in some - together, and in some – separately. All the kids were so well-behaved, and seemed interested in our stories. However, interactively talking to any group of high-schoolers can be a challenge. Many students don’t want to speak up because of the fear of looking “uncool”. I know I was that way in high school too! But, we still got some good questions – such as “What are your thoughts on censorship in art?”, and “How do your paintings express your emotions?”

And here’s the funniest one. I am talking to a biology class (about my flower paintings, and about how people eat spiders in Cambodia), and two girls are whispering.  I say: “why are you whispering? If you have a question, go ahead and ask!” One says: “Are you a widow?”. Me, trying to hold back laughter: “No, I’m not a widow. But why would you ask that?” Girl: “Well, I wanted to ask you what your husband does for a living but my friend told me – what if she is a widow? Then it would be a very inappropriate question!”