Elizabeth at the harbor.
A view of the harbor in the evening.Recently the girls and I have been riding our bikes to a nearby harbor after supper in the evenings. It is cooler then, and the harbor is only a couple of blocks away. It is on the street behind ours, so it is even further removed from traffic. It is a great place for the girls to ride: flat, quiet, and (at least in part) picturesque.
In the evenings, the boats are settling in for the night. By day they are fishing vessels, but they are also home to families. The boats are small, with makeshift living quarters—sheet metal, tarp, wood. The only visible hint of modern life is a small red or blue flashing light on each boat that can be seen as the sun disappears in the night sky. As the sun sets, these rugged pioneers repair nets, shuffle boxes and bags on the deck, or sit in the welcome breeze that is nearly always found on the water. Our friend tells me that commonly two or three boats will travel together for safety and mutual help. Throughout the year, these little groups will move from one area to another, looking for a good catch. Because of their movement, the children who live on the boats cannot attend school. The system here does not accommodate transfer students; children must begin and end the year with their class. So, most of these children grow up illiterate. It is a cycle of poverty and dogged perseverance.
Knowing this about the “boat people” tempers the beauty of the harbor for me. The colors of sky, mountains and sea are breathtaking; the boats rock gently, quietly as if putting their occupants to a peaceful sleep. Yet evidence of their difficult lives is there, too: piles of trash bags, some ripped open by rats, dead fish, dilapidated stools, tools, and the chipped paint on all of the boats. Contradictions abound.
On another note, we have had a couple of guests here with us for a few days. Two girls from Dai Loc are taking college placement tests here in Danang. The testing begins early—they leave the house about 5:30 in the morning. They return for lunch, and then have to be back at the testing site by 1:30. Today, one of the girls finished about 3:30, the other got out after 5:00. Not surprisingly, they returned to eat a good supper, then study for a short while before falling asleep.
Speaking of supper…Bee took the day off to attend a wedding in the countryside today. We sorely missed her and her cooking skills. The girls did enjoy a rare opportunity for “western” food mid-week. They had hotdogs with their rice at lunch and we had spaghetti and meatballs for supper (with lime jello). Happily, we look forward to Bee’s return tomorrow!
In the “Giving Thanks” category: the government has refrained from turning off the electricity every couple of days. The newspaper indicates that, at least for July, we will not have regular, frequent power outages. Yea!
Lastly, from “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em”… Tonight at bedtime, I noticed that Elizabeth was lying on the floor, breaking tiny crumbs onto squares of toilet paper. I asked what she was doing. “I’m making a hotel for ants,” she replied happily. Regrettably for Elizabeth, that little venture is now out of business.
That’s our day. The girls are in bed now (though I can still occasionally hear Faith and Joy giggling). I hope your evening is as peaceful.
Grace and peace!
