Christmas in Vietnam

Today is December 17th and I should be feeling something wonderful, joyous and merry about the holidays but I do not. For me, I am thankful for the friends and family in my life, an incredibly loving and supportive partner, Michael and an adorable little hairless dog/child called Liu Ce. I accept that Christmas on the surface is just marketing and material crap and it is what you feel inside and what you are willing to give of yourself that matters….year round of course.

Hanoi is the worst case Christmas scenario…to me. There is décor everywhere and the largest most grand of it all is backed by banks and corporations only wanting your money. For Christ sake there is a 40 ft. Heinekin Christmas tree near my work. It is alcohol and it is Dutch!?!? Does that say Christmas….really? I have spoken to several Vietnamese and asked them why there is Christmas everywhere and what it means to them. Everyone I spoke with said it is for business and those wanting to be more Western (sadly a bad example). The big holiday here is the Tet festival which coincidently also uses Christmas trees….hmmm. My understanding is that few locals celebrate Christmas. Most work the 25th like any other day and make the big celebration Tet and often leave Christmas trees up until….February….oh lord help me. It is all so strange, new and different.

I am not going home for the holidays….too expensive and far and I am just now recovering from the hours of travel and time difference from the last trip. I am very fortunate that I am one of the rare foreign teachers that get a whole week paid holiday. Michael gets only Christmas day off. I have not gotten a week paid holiday in…well, I don’t remember and it is in Vietnam. I am not feeling it now, but Christmas will be difficult without my family. My 11 little Vietnamese children are feeling the joys of Christmas not realizing it is a bit painful for me. I put on a jingle jangle reindeer hat yesterday and I think they all wet their pants they were so excited. Ahhh, Christmas through the eyes of children.

My week long holiday will be about painting, meditating on peace in my life, the world and looking to the future. As the new year approaches I will be wondering and searching for answers. Without question there will be more challenges, joys and hopefully enlightenment.

I think for my Christmas break I will focus on painting the most beautiful Buddha I can possibly create. This is my Christmas in Asia and I will celebrate it however I wish. Besides, at least Buddha centers me and makes me contemplate goodness. The large Heinekin and Vietnamese Bank Christmas tree are just not giving me that feeling of peace, hope, love and goodwill to my fellow men and women like Buddha does. I also plan to get to know my fellow teachers better. Many people have been generous with offering gatherings and being with new friends greatly helps.

Celebrate your holiday however you wish and make it great, make it special and most of all make memories that you will not forget. Much love…..Mark.