Out in the jungle of Hoi An, unfamiliar sounds echo in the distance. Are we being followed? Our guide informs us “Stick to the path already carved out! We cannot guarantee your safety if you stray from the path. There are still live bombs out in the jungle” —Uhhhhh.. Alright.
With a camera at my beckoning, we wondered about a civilization whose history is lost in translation. My Son Sanctuary, or as our local tour guide put it “we call it my son, because it’s our son not yours!” is a UNESCO protected site now covered in mold & tarnished by years of war. Faces of gods peer down at us mere mortals searching for answers to questions about our past. Who were these people that once called these parts of Earth home? How did they disappear? What did they do in their spare time without a phone & Wi-Fi connection?
Jokes aside, it’s always interesting to witness, different interpretations of the world. Often, I think of the quote by Muriel Rukeyser in 1968 — ‘The universe is made of stories, not of atoms’ to highlight the realities of how our experiences are shaped & defined through stories. My Son Sancturary is no exception.
When we as humans regardless of culture, race or gender tell stories — consciously or not we are looking for reasons, searching for purpose & seeking to find ourselves. Sharing stories allows us to come together, declare what our values are and act on them. Without storytelling, we would not have the layers of history that impact our present and influence the future.
Today, stories now include numbers & charts.
These numbers & charts aka data analytics, provides customer insights & performance measurements to enhance the decision-making process for businesses both small & large. Essentially, turning everyone into data goldmines. As much as…. [think….. think… think] statistics tell one part of the story, but it never provides a holistic view on what’s actually happening on ground-level.
Find a statistic on FUH — commentary on it — cultural importance etc.
30 years on and the spirit of Doi Moi still lives on. [Idea??]
There is the feeling of the political and cultural landscape changing rapidly. Fellow travelers meet along the way all comment on coming back to “seeing a whole new Vietnam, second time around”. If the numbers are correct this will translate into a prosperous economy for Vietnam, seeking to become a developed country in 2050. [Thinking of commentary to tact onto this…]
Staying on the path well-travelled on in the jungle of Hoi An, I didn’t dare to stray from — I discovered another story so foreign to the one told to me my whole life. One whose story is unraveling as time goes on.
P.S — Honestly, there is just so much about Vietnam I cannot cram into 1x article. Probably over a couple. I have a notebook full of stories, facts & moments I recorded overseas & I still feel like it doesn’t capture the full experience. #Vietnamwascrazy!