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Vietnamese Women
During my
time in The "American" war in 1967 the female Vietnamese I saw in the
countryside were the old or very young. Only one time did I see a girl my age.
Passing by Hue, sitting in the back of a truck, I saw a Vietnamese girl wearing
a white Ao Dai dress. Very beautiful!
On my trip to Vietnam, 2002, I was lucky to have a female guide from Danang. She
was on the Local TV station before becoming a guide. She wears modern western
clothes and makeup. A very beautiful woman. On our trip to Marble Mountain she
wears the Vietnamese conical hat (non) and the formal ao dai
traditional dress. Wow!
In time I find her to be a very smart, funny, caring, kind person. She works
many hours each day to make our trip great. She proves also to be very tough.
She is the first female guide to hike the hills of the DMZ with the crazy
American tourists. Unknown to us her pack has beer, soda, bread and cheese for
our lunch. What a girl!
She is the first Vietnamese woman that I've gotten to know. She was so kind to
all of us. I just loved her humor.
Another Vietnamese woman on my last trip touched me, but not until I got home. I
took many pictures on my trip and sometimes later I find a surprise.
This one is of an old woman. I think I took it in Hue. She wears the palm leaf
conical hat, worn with time, a scarf, a flowered shirt and heavy coat. It is the
cold season. Her face has the wrinkles of someone who has worked many years in
the hot Vietnamese sun. She smiles but it is a tight lipped smile. There is a
twinkle in her eyes that says that a young Vietnamese girl still lives inside.
There is also a proud look, a "Look at me" look on her face. She has seen the
horrible face of war for most of her life but she has lived to see a peaceful
Vietnam. A Vietnam moving into a much more happier time. If I had been able to
talk to her I'm sure I would have liked her a lot.
Next to her in the picture there is the rear of a motorcycle. The symbol of the
new Vietnam. The old and the new! I wish she could know of the joy her picture
brought me.
Copyright 2002 James Murtaugh
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