Today was by far one of the best days. I started off my day very early and started it off at the zoo. I’m the biggest animal nerd there is and being able to see some animals that aren’t in any US or European zoo was awesome. It was the only thing I have wanted to do this whole time in Vietnam. I gave Chris a tour and endless info on hundreds of animals it was great. I didn’t have all the time in the world and had to get back to catch the bus for the lecture on Buddhism at UEF. I knew a lot about it prior but still learned something. The best part is that I sat next to Travis who himself is Buddhist. He said that the younger generation isn’t at religious or serious like the older generation. We then jinxed each other with saying that the whole world’s youth is like that. Being able to talk to a local the same age as me from the other side of the planet is such an amazing opportunity. It is basically what this entire trip has been. Being a Catholic seeing what Buddhism is like was very interesting because there are so many similarities in the laws but endless differences in worshipping.
Hannah another UEF student was also Buddhist, and she practices more than Travis. She prayed a lot in the temple and gave me a personal tour of the temple showing me what each room was. She showed me where she goes to pray before a big test or where she prays for love and having healthy kids in the future. I found the place as a whole very beautiful. I didn’t realize it until today that Hannah has planned pretty much everything for us from site visits to daily lunches so the vegetarian meal after visiting a pagoda was very fitting.
After this the day took a twist from religion to the war in Vietnam. Another thing I am pretty well read up on. Animals and history might be my two favorite things ever. The Reunification palace was amazing. For me especially it is so cool to go to places where historical figures like Nixon have been. When I saw the telephones in the war time bunker and the war room all I could think about is how many people did those phones kill whether it be from calling in areas to be bombed or attacked. Afterwards I had a gut-wrenching experience at the War Remnants Museum. Tiger cages, Agent Orange, and endless massacres put on display via pictures taken at the time were incredibly moving to see and read about. Like we were told before we came here it was out of the Vietnamese perspective, but there wasn’t anything made up or biased. It was the truth. I finished up before most and met with Hannah, Travis, and other UEF students and Hannah asked how I was feeling and what I thought. I felt cornered but gave an honest answer. Travis told me that Vietnamese are taught to forgive but never forget. This made me think of our saying about 9/11, “Never Forget”. America has done the opposite of forgive, however. We started entire wars in the Middle East. I didn’t bring that up, but it made my heart drop. People in the Middle East have experienced some of the same exact things the Vietnamese have. I recognized almost all the pictures in the museum from documentaries and movies, but being in Vietnam experiencing the kindness of the Vietnamese is very impactful.
