Saturday, November 19, 2011

Hello Vietnam!! ベトナムこんにちは!

From my diary:
日記から:


After being on a boat for a week, the day of going on land finally came- Da Nang, Vietnammmm! I woke up reluctantly by an alarm clock at 5:50, and went up for breakfast and found surprisingly many people- and a surprising view: mountains and city scape! I got so excited despite the sleepiness.

船に乗って1週間がたち、やっと陸に降りれる日がきた;ベトナム、ダナン!!
つら〜い5時50分に起きて朝ご飯を食べにプールデッキにいくと予想以上の人数だった。それと予想外の景色も見える:山と街の様子!眠いのにわくわくしちゃった。




We took a taxi and visited the beautiful town Hoi An (also a World Cultural Heritage Site).  The buildings were traditional and colorful, and the atmosphere was very calm and serene. The young green leaves and the birds chirping from the nests made me feel at peace and comfortable, and we ended up spending quite a long time just in the area around the Japanese Bridge. 

船を降りるとタクシーで美しい小さな街ホイアンへ向かった(世界文化遺産でもある)。建物は伝統的でカラフルで、雰囲気はとても落ち着きがある。若緑の葉っぱが茂る木と鳥の鳴き声は、私を平和でのどかな気分にしてくれた。居心地がいいのか、かなりの時間、ジャパンブリッジのエリアをのんびりうろうろ。




Among many things Jay tried sugar cane juice which tasted like tangerine juice, and coconut water. I did my first bargaining- and got a pair of earrings for $2 (originally $4), and a pair of comfy pants for $6. From the interactions I got a strong sense of the warmth of Vietnamese people.

ジェイはサトウキビのジュースを飲んで(みかんに似た味)みんなで大きな大きなココナッツウォーターも飲んだ。
人生で初めての交渉も:ピアスを$2、らくらくズボンを$6でゲット!現地の人と交流していくなかで、ベトナム人の温かさを感じる。





We also went Han Market in Da Nang. On the way was a beautiful white wide beach and we made a stop to take some pictures.
ダナンのハン市場に行く途中、ビーチで一旦ストップ。




The market smelled very strongly of fish/dried fish, to the point that in the beginning I thought I couldn't take it. Also since we went around midday, many of the shop keepers were sleeping, simply through putting a mat under. I also realized that often eat in the shop and also frequently- I saw so many people eating pho. 
市場に入るとすごい魚とか乾燥されたにおいがした。とにかく臭い!ちょうどお昼頃行ったからか、お店の人は何人もマットをひいただけのまま昼寝中。それにどこもかしこもでみんな食べている;それもフォーが多いの。





While resting at a cafe, I did get the chance to call back home, and I found out about the Oslo terror incident. I was shocked- there we were traveling the world, but I had no clue what was going on in the world. 
カフェで一休みしたとき、家に電話した。母がオスロでおきたテロの事件の事を教えてくれ,ショックだった:世界を旅していながら、世界の事を何も分かっていれてない。

Once back on the boat, I went up to write my Vietnam postcards, but found on the top deck people waving to the Vietnamese students on the port. I was quite touching to see these students interact so much, smile so much, joke around so much and maintaining communications with the people on the boat, and especially when they unfolded a banner saying “We will always standby you”. Despite Vietnam is a country that has gone through so many struggles being invaded by several countries, the Vietnamese population seem so calm, friendly, open and patient. Perhaps it is because they went through these struggles.


船に戻って絵はがきを書いていると、トップデッキで出航式が行われている事に気づいた。交流ツアーのベトナムの学生が見送ってくれている。下から手を振ったり、ふざけたり、船にいるその日できた友達とコミュニケーションをとっているのを見て感動した。それに、「私たちはいつもあなたたちのそばにいます」というバナーを掲げたとき。
色々な国に占領されたり様々な苦難を体験したベトナムだけれども、この国の人たちは落ち着きがあって、親切で、辛抱強い。苦難を経験したのに、じゃなくて苦難を経験したからこそなのかもしれない。



It reminded me of the Olso attack that I heard from Mama previously- that we all really do have a limited time here on earth and we are so lucky for every person we meet and for the time we share together. I also felt how the way bad things happen while we are so disconnected strangely represents how this concept of peace in reality is so far off from the ‘peaceful’ society that is being established inside the boat. I had thought that with the one week, I really found the PB a unique special environment, a peaceful environment where everyone greets one another, works together despite age/ability difference, learn from one another, but this incident just pushed it that perhaps this is idealistic and impossible.


母が教えてくれたオスロのテロを思い出して、こう思った。私たちはみんなこの地球で限られた時間を与えられている。その中で会う一人一人と出会えて一緒に時間を共有することはどんなに恵まれていることだろう。
あと思ったのは、こうして世界とつながってないときに、テロのような悪い事が起きると船の中で存在する「平和な世界」がどれだけ実際の世界で起きていないか、ギャップを感じる。一週間船に乗って、ピースボートの環境がどれだけ特別かを知った;だれもが挨拶をし、年齢や経験関係なく一緒に働き、互いから学び…船の中で可能だから世界でも可能、そんな理想を、テロの現実は簡単に打ち砕く。

At the same time, the way I feel about the people I have met so far is so concentrated, strong and valuable, that I feel that nothing could give more hope than this and that with these kind of strong connections, everything is possible. I was talking to Devon as we were watching the sunset from the sun deck, but we all feel so connected to one another already after a week and one port, learning, being inspired by talented great people- I cannot even imagine what thoughts we will be thinking or feelings/emotions we will be hearing after 22 countries. This experience is already changing my life, as a person and as a teacher.


それでも、ここであった人たちに対する私の感情は濃く、強く、大事に思う。こんな人たちがこの世にいるだけで、希望はたくさんで、こういう強い絆とつながりで、望む事がなんでも可能なはず。日の入りを見ながらデボンと話したこと:この一週間、一つの寄港地でこんなにもみんなとの強い絆を感じて、才能豊かな人たちに囲まれ刺激され学んでいる。1カ国でこれだったら、22カ国後の自分は、どんな気持ちや考えをもっているのだろう?


この体験はすでに私の人生を変えている:人として教師として。





1 port down, 1 country down, 8days down!
1寄港地、1カ国、8日間 終了!

No comments:

Post a Comment