24 Hours Out...

Back in early June 2012 I boarded a plane to fly to Sydney to attend the YPWB pre-departure camp. As I said good bye to my parents and walked across the tarmac I remember thinking to myself that in three months time I would be saying goodbye to my family once again and boarding a plane- only this time I would be headed to Hanoi, Vietnam. Back in June, three months seemed like a pretty long time to wait. I awaited my imminent adventure with great enthusiasm, excitement and a large dose of impatience… I felt as though August 31st might never arrive! Nevertheless the days and weeks passed by (much too quickly) and now I can hardly believe that in just 24 hours I will be on my way to Vietnam!

As my departure has grown ever nearer I have often found myself contemplating what life in Vietnam might look like. In particular I have found myself considering how historical events and the media may have shaped my perceptions of the country I will call home for the next five months. Like many westerners my initial perceptions of Vietnam rest around images of the Vietnam War; napalm bombs, Agent Orange and bloody battles as ‘we fought the scourge of communism' as it made its way ever southward. In fact it often seems to be that these images characterise the western world’s collective perception of the nation and its past. Interspersed with a kaleidoscope of hard fought battles and occasional victories are fragmented images of tragedy and suffering, perhaps none more famous than the photograph of a young Vietnamese girl running naked down the street, her clothes melted away from the heat of napalm bombs, shouting “too hot, too hot” as she desperately tries to escape the chaos and devastation behind her. As westerners  it is all too easy to think of Vietnam’s past as characterised most strongly by the ‘American War’ as we either forget, or fail to realise that Vietnam has a fascinating and often tumultuous history that extends well before, and well beyond, the ‘Vietnam War’ that we place front and centre in our own limited historical memory.

Of course nowadays as Vietnam heads swiftly, though not without some cultural resistance, into a world of capitalism (although perhaps only economically as Vietnam is still a single party communist nation), free trade and tourism, we have been given entirely new sources from which to build our perceptions. But I do wonder if the representations in travel brochures and even the direct experiences of holiday makers really paint any more accurate a picture of the ‘real’ Vietnam? Sure, we are now able to gain a greater appreciation of how physically stunning a country Vietnam is (and like many travellers I am eager to explore sights such as Halong Bay and SaPa) and perhaps sadly have come to appreciate how inexpensive (and therefore desirable and increasingly less ‘unspoiled’) a travel destination it can be,  but to date I found very  few instances where individuals or groups have taken the time to document impressions and representations of the country and its citizens outside of the contexts of tourism or the Vietnam war.

Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time researching Vietnam’s history and culture, seeking to gain new insights about a place that as yet remains quite foreign to me. In light of what I now know (and perhaps more importantly do not yet know) about the nation to which I am about to travel I have developed an intense curiosity about how Vietnam perceives itself. Do the aspects of Vietnam’s past and present that the western world accentuates hold the same significance to locals? What significant parts of its culture are largely overlooked by travellers and media? How do citizens perceive living under a system of government (communism) that those who have freedom of expression often demonise?

I also find myself contemplating how I personally will adjust to living amongst a culture so far removed from my own. Will I pick up the language quickly…or at all? What will the food be like? How will I respond to living under a communist government where I may at times be required to respectfully withhold my views and opinions (those who know me can attest that I am not particularly well known for keeping my opinions to myself)? In the coming weeks and months I hope at least some of these questions will be answered…

For me, perhaps the most exciting, and simultaneously terrifying, part of this whole experience is the opportunity to explore the unknown… about the place to which I am headed and also the things I do not yet know about myself.  24 hours- after I’ve tearfully farewelled my family (I cried saying goodbye to my dog so I don’t hold out much hope of making it through customs with dry eyes) and boarded a flight to Vietnam- until my journey of discovery begins...