DON’T BE A FROG
I have just come back from the 10 day journey in Vietnam. I traveled around the Central Highland of Vietnam where is very famous for the elephants, the coffee, the heat and warm friendly people. My friend asked me what made me interest to explore this region, I suddenly found that there was no specific reasons, I only knew that I should go to discover my beloved land, Vietnam and get to know the people who are speaking the same language. I was afraid of doing everything alone, I was afraid of not listening to mother’s advices but everything has changed when I first landed on New Zealand, I learnt how to live independently and how to take responsibility for what I choose. Thanks to that time, I am happy for every single decision I have made now. So how is The Central Highland? What did I learn from this journey?
Truth to be told, there is nothing special about this region if you are just pure tourists who love to sit back and relax and take pictures. There is no spectacular scenery, there is no super delicious dishes. But if you want to know more about the country you are living, this is one of the kind land that you should visit. It is ashamed to admit that even though I was born in the country that is very famous for the coffee and tea, I have never actually witnessed or touched the coffee tree before. I only saw it via Television but usually it’s when all the beans are red and ready to be harvested. When I was school students, I learnt by heart that Vietnam has 54 brother ethnic minority that we live in the same country, despite the difference of culture, cuisine, clothes and language, we are Vietnamese but I never met someone that is from the minority. They are very normal, they speak their own language at home with children and relative to remain their tradition and culture and speak Vietnamese to interact with other people. I really appreciate so. If I see them in the reality without anyone noticing that they are the minority, I will never know.
In Buon Me Thuot, I drived about 51 kilometres to arrive Ban Don, the touristy place about the Ede, Hmong, their culture and elephants. The charming ladies and strong gentleman there are living in the mixed culture that they keep remain the tradition and custom but also adopt the civilization from the world. I felt like I am small frog, living inside the well, looking up and judging the world via small, shallow lense without realizing how huge the sky is. The more I travel, the little more mature I am and I am happy and proud of that.
I have met nice people so far, two lovely sisters who decided to resign and travel Vietnam, leave everything behind to follow their heart. They are young and wild, not caring about the world and future, they are living for the moment and with the pressure of family and other burdens of their age, they are so determined. I am not sure what I will choose when I am 30 years old, will I dare to quit the stable job and do everything I am craving for. There was an uncle who accidentally became my tour guide in Gia Lai. He took me everywhere famous in the city, Bien Ho: Pleiku’s eyes, Bien Ho’s tea: the famous place of growing tea and his friend’s house: Uncle Nam, he is Bana. He treated me breakfast and wished me luck on the travelling alone journey. If I had not traveled alone, I would have never had the chance to meet those nice, strange people who are willing to open their arms to hep the solo female traveler like me, talk to me as if I were their sister, their daughter. There are a lot of temptations and horrible things out there I need to handle, but at least I know that the pinky world that I am always dreaming of is existing.
Last but not least, I have to admit that I am a little overconfident that I will always meet nice people who are kind and will never do bad things to me. But maybe I am wrong. This journey opened my minds to the levels that helped me know more not only about the beauty of my country and its rich diversified culture but also the fact that the bad people still exist. Sometimes you are too friendly, you want to make friends, you want to broaden your network, you want to prove to yourself that you can make a lot of friends and everyone has their own stories, please don’t judge or complain the person you know litte. However, there are people who use your innocence, carelessness and belief to take advantage of you. And I am not sure it is because I gave them the chance to do so or they are already the bad guys. Maybe both. But I guess that is how we grow up by experience and interaction in society. You are not able to meet kind polite people all the time, even though the probability is small, there are some moments you are targeted to become victim, use your wise, smart street to be cautious and get away those disgusting people.
After three months stuck in the giant mess, I finally checked one things from my basket list in Vietnam. It was awesome. And I still possess CAN DO ATTITUDE.
