Quy Nhon
Trip Start
Feb 17, 2007
1
17
53
Trip End
Sep 06, 2008
Quy Nhon,
Vietnam
Monday, June 11, 2007
Quy Nhon is a small, coastal town that easily gets missed along the tourist route between Saigon and HaNoi. It is, however, conveniently located midway between Nha Trang and Hoi An. Overland travelers will find it a convenient stop. So say the many developers who are drastically changing the skyline.
On the edge of town is one of the reasons I enjoy leading tours: a school for deaf, mute and disabled children. It's extremely rewarding for me to help support disadvantaged people. And there seems to be a disproportionately high percent of them in Vietnam. There's always a waiting list to enter these programs.
When people ask me what I miss most about the states I always give the same answer: ballet (and friends). It's simply not a popular art form here in Asia. Karaoke is king. A Vietnamese friend walked me out in the country to visit her relatives. Her uncle was a fisherman mending his nets by hand. Her aunt was tilling a small plot outside their house. They lived in a modest home with three permanent, exterior walls and a fourth that reclined. They had a mud floor and no running water. The one amenity they could afford was electricity...for a complete karaoke system including tv, cd player and mike.
In seven months here, I've only seen three ballet-type performances. Perhaps the most impressive was at the Quy Nhon school. I can easily appreciate the costumes, music, choreography and story-telling. For me, ballet is a mood-altering experience.
What's easy to overlook at the school is that most of the children performing are deaf. Imagine timing your movements with other dancers without the sense of sound. Then imagine lining up front without seeing the dancers behind you. Yes, I was impressed. And happy to see commercialism make a positive impact.
Next, Son My
Eric
