Courtesy of Amarand Agasi

That being said, I’d like to make a proposition. During the times that you are purchasing presents, hanging out with your friends and family, and celebrating life and the new year with your community, take a minute to think about all the blessings (in a secular sense) you’ve had all year long. Did a stranger stop in his steps to help you out? Did you Mom save your ass one more time? Maybe your siblings took time out of their schedules to help you fix something you mishandled. Either way, stop and think about all the kindness that has surrounded you.

Then take another minute and think about those who have lost their lives for a bitter cause, whether it be due to illness, war, or violence. I bring up this proposition because the welfare of fellow human beings is truly important to me.

This Sunday, November 20, marks the 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. In 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender African-American woman, was stabbed to death in her apartment. Her case remains unsolved. Because of this brutal murder, Gwendolyn Ann Smith founded this day to remember and reflect on actions like these.

In a time when hatred is the norm, Occupy movements are dividing communities, and violence in media seems to be a standard, it is important to educate non-transgender people about this rich piece of American history. This is a day that celebrates humankind’s ability love and respect one another despite our differences.

Have I been getting so progressively profane in my old age that my editor feels the need to forewarn readers of my potty mouth? What kind of professional writer curses like a fuckin’ sailor anyway? I kid, of course. My editor is very kind. So kind, in fact, that if anyone finds my beaten and bloodied body after this post, she will not be responsible at all.

The caveat does pique my interest, however. It not only warns readers of what follows but tells them how to read it. Read, it directs you, and enjoy, as if to say, “Yes, he’s a foul-mouthed little bastard, but he’s harmless.” I have to agree: I am a foul-mouthed little bastard. And here, my pretty ones, is why you should be too.

In Defense of the Profane

In a recent controversy, a book-publisher replaced the word “nigger” with “slave” in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because parents and students found the language offensive. What they refuse to recognize is that the function of the word “nigger” in this context is very much different from that of “slave.”

Courtesy of Flager Live

People who move to censor literature–I’ll go out on a limb here and say any literature, even those Twilight books–misunderstand its purpose. Literature’s function isn’t to prepare readers for nap time or make us feel warm and cuddly inside, but to offer a critical look at our contemporary conditions. “Nigger” in Huck Finn makes us uncomfortable precisely because it attests to the historical mistreatment of African-Americans, not just in a social-economic sense, but in a more powerfully dehumanizing one. My use of the full word “nigger” instead of the more politically correct “N-word,” for example, may have made some of you uncomfortable. As it should. If I were to replace all the “nigger”s with “n-word”s the effect would be much less powerful. How truly profane, then, it would be to replace “nigger” with “slave” in Twain’s novel.

To sanitize Huck Finn is to take away from it one of its most striking and powerful characteristics.

That’s not to say that we should use profanity for its own sake. But if the profane, in the words of J.L. Austin, “does something with words,” if it points to or re-orients our understanding of what it means to say or use those words, it serves an important and productive purpose. In making us uneasy, such profanity challenges an otherwise fallaciously cheery worldview.

It’s a sad day in America when people become comfortable reading Huck Finn.

But let me go further: there’s nothing about the word “nigger” that is inherently bad. Its social context and use make it so. As children, most of us have been chastised for using “bad words,” yet words themselves have no intrinsic value. When a child uses a “bad word,” he or she very rarely knows what it means. Can a word then be “bad” if it is devoid of its profane meaning? Parents who wash their children’s mouths seem to think so. This moral indignation at profanity is the result of a failure to distinguish between the word and the act or idea it seeks to represent.

There’s little difference, for instance, between “fuck” and “screw” if uttered in the same context. If anything, the metaphor implicit in “screw” evokes a much more pornographic image: a long phallic tool, fitted into an awaiting slot, and twisted with some effort and grunts of exertion. How’s that for profane? So next time you hear “screw you” on television, ask yourself this: is it actually less or more vulgar than “fuck you”?

The FCC and society at large would have you believe that the word “fuck” is somehow more profane than the word “screw.” And no one seems to ask why. I’d like to take a page out of the child’s book and ask, why, why, why?

Why, for example, am I less of a professional writer if I use profane words?

Professionalism and the Profane

People often think of professionalism and profanity as diametrically opposed. It’s the reason Rahm Emanuel catches so much flack for his creative language.

And what about me? I’ve got a few degrees under my belt (a lot of good that’s done me). Does that implicitly produce me as a “professional?” How would someone account for my colorful vocabulary? Are you a professional if your profession is considered profane? Can I be a professional in “the oldest profession”? Will I receive mainstream attention if I publish an article on my experiences as a Vietnamese American pornstar? Or will I be relegated, as so often has been the case, to a marginalized oddity? Will the editors of the New York Times or CNN say to me, “You are not professional enough,” or “You do not represent normative society”?

I raise these questions to draw attention to the fact that professionalism has increasingly become detached from its literal referent. Instead it’s used as as a stand-in for sanitized language and uncontroversial ideas.

For that reason, I truly am grateful for Vietnam Talking Points and its promise to synthesize different Vietnamese experiences. Even as my editor’s caveat warns, it never censors. It lets me testify to my own experiences and recognizes that Vietnameseness is not something that can be encompassed in a singular monolithic identity. Perhaps I experience the world profanely or can best express those experiences through the profane. Would I be any less Vietnamese? Should I be shunned and ostracized for my difference?

We need to look beyond standard narratives of racial and cultural identity by being honest and open even about controversial issues. And if some people are uncomfortable and offended? Good. Dialogue begins in disagreement. Sometimes people need to be poked and prodded out of complacency. If it takes a profanity-laced pill to do so, I say open up and stop being such a fuckin’ cry baby.

Now, despite being very entrepreneurial in one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese folks are not very innovative, especially in the fields of sciences and technologies. The 2009 Global Innovation Index ranks Vietnam as #73 out of 110 countries with scores of -1.09 and -0.16 for Innovation Input and Innovation Performance.

The Innovation Input takes into account of the following categories:

1. Institutions (political, regulatory, etc.)

2. Human Capacity (education investment & quality)

3. Infrastructure & Information Technology

4. Market Sophistication (access to private credit, investors conditions, etc.)

5. Business Environment (openness to competition)

The Innovation Performance includes:

1. Scientific Outputs (patents, applications of technologies)

2. Creative Outputs (things that benefit the welfare of the society – very vaguely defined)

Vietnam’s negative scores indicate that there are negative impacts on economic and innovation growth that are caused by the innovation input factors (institutions & business environments). Also, the negative innovation performance score means a negative growth in innovation in 2009.

(source: Global Innovation Index)

Vietnamese are very intelligent. This year, 6 Vietnamese students won medals in the 51st International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) including 1 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze. In addition to those, professor Ngo Bao Chau of Vietnam just won the Fields Medal for Mathematics in August 2010. Then, the question is: Why are Vietnamese not innovative?

I believe the answer lies in the institutional environment that does not incentivize innovations. Vietnam just joined the World Trade Organization in 2007 and only began to specify a large part of its intellectual property protection law since the last decade. This means that in case of a dispute, Vietnamese laws still cannot provide a strong guidance to solve any problems between competing firms. Also, the fact that Vietnamese is known for corruption also raises the already high risk of uncertainty in lawful protection in litigation disputes. Under such environment, many Vietnamese firms tend to focus on short term targets and profits because long-term R&D projects are illogical due to high costs and very low expected return on investment.

To improve this problem, it is useful for Vietnam to examine its public governance and corporate governance structure to reduce corruption and increase profit expectation so that firms will have more incentive to innovate.

But how can Vietnam even take the first step of reducing corruption?

Well, understanding the problem is the first step of solving it. Here is my speculation of why do people give and receive bribery: everyone juggles between integrity and the ability to support their family financially. More importantly, many people are willing to give away a little bit of integrity in order to free their families from poverty. Given this fact, many officers who are paid at very low official wages are very much obliged to find extra income for their families through other unofficial means – which means briberies.

The private companies, on the other hand, know that the officers need extra income. Also, sometime the amount that can satisfy these officers is actually lower than the cost of obtaining official documents and legal status for these companies, thus the private companies have lots of incentive to reach out to the officers and give them an offer that they can accept. At this point, we find a case of bribery.

My silly proposal is this: How about require all officers to pass cognitive tests developed by well-respected international company like Criteria Corp? Then, for the officers that meet integrity and IQ requirements, their wage should be at a realistic level and according to their responsibility. For example, we should not expect the Chief Import Custom Officer to earn $500/month, but a salary of $300,000+ is not ridiculous for inspecting the import goods of the country. Also, these offices should have fixed terms, and their salary level will increase or decrease depends on the votes of the industry leaders.

I’m expecting different opinions, and I welcome any thoughts =)

[It’s summer and you just took the first flight out to Vietnam, and now here you are in (Name your City), Vietnam. It’s early morning and the city streets are already filled with traffic, swarms of mopeds, people, and cars. Up and down the busy sidelines small vendors begin to set up their stalls, chairs, tables, and open up their ‘kitchen’ offering portable dishes to the every passerby. The mixed aroma of noodles, rice, cakes, marinated meats in baguettes, sweets and deserts, along with the infinite mouth-watering ingredients give your sense a rude awakening.]

Welcome to Vietnam & welcome to the wonderful world of street food. Now when we coin the word ‘street food’ we are actually referring to the ethnic foods you see freshly chopped and cooked right in front of your eyes or as some refer it ‘food you eat off the street’. For foreign travelers, the sight of ‘street food’ arises curiosity and the common reaction, ‘it’s look good, but is it safe.’ The best way to overcome this is simply believing that  a trip to Vietnam is not complete without tasting the street food! So close your eyes and take a bite, it’s a taste of culture!

Many iconic Vietnamese foods are street foods, here are the common ones:

Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Cha Gio

Photography: Su-Lin

Start of your journey of the simple and traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls. This all-time favorite food is made with rice paper, meat of your choice (chicken, beef, shrimp), and noodles. Bursting with fresh vegetable and garden herbs – you will fall for it’s rich taste fast!

Steamed rice cakes: Banh Cuon

Photography: NguyenDong

In the mood for a good variety mix? Get in the groove for some Banh Cuon, a morning favorite among Vietnamese. Banh Cuon is made of rice soaked overnight and then mortared into flour. The dish is dressed with lean meat, shrimps, mushrooms, dried onions, and crushed pepper, but it not complete with the sweet, sour, and spicy fish sauce.

Sugar Cane Juice: Nuoc Mia

Photography: Indi.ca

Bread with deep fried fish patty: Banh mi cha ca

Photography: PlaysWithFood

You can’t say you’ve had a proper fried fish patty sandwich if you haven’t tried it fresh of the streets of Vietnam. The crusty bun is stuffed with herbs, chili, peper, cucumber, and hot fried fish patty. Scallion are a common additional ingredient. Every bit is a plethora of to-die-for flavors rich enough to say it’s a steal for only 10,000 d.

Greg Drescher, Director of Education for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone offered some tips on choosing where to stop and eat. “Ask the locals, the concierge at your hotel or a taxi driver which vendors seem to do a lot of business. If it’s a popular stall, the food is more likely to move quickly and be freshly prepared [1].” In the end of it all just remember one thing, your Vietnam trip is not complete without tasting ‘street food.’

Questions or Comments: Share us your experience and knowledge with Vietnamese ‘street food’ with us and other readers by leaving a note below!

Before the game:

People in Vietnam don’t buy TV very often; we usually change our TV once every 4 years (at least my house did). And guess what?  The 4 years cycle of buying to TV in Vietnam coincide with the World Cup events. During this exciting time, every electronic store you see on the street will displays only TVs in their store window, as if other electronics got eaten by the TV army. TV prices go on a discount, and every time you enter a store, you will see a person or two buying TVs until the World Cup ends.

During the game:

Vietnamese people will put ‘watching World Cup’ on the top priority of their list. It doesn’t matter where we are and what we are doing, we try very hard to get to a TV to watch the game. There are many places to do so: a cafe, a quán nhu (drinking places), at home, in the park with a projector screen. Also, it doesn’t matter what hour it is: work can wait until tonight if the game is during the working hours, people will stay up all night together in a community group (xóm) and chat, eat, and wait. People also make bets of who will win the current game. There are many type of bets: ‘Châp 1 trái’ or ‘One down’ bet describe a situation where the person who places the bet has his score starts at -1. If the team wins 2-0, then he actually wins 1-0. Since Vietnam officially ban betting, people who bet 1,000,000 VND ($60) don’t call it 1 tri?u (1 million) but call the bet ’1 chai’ (1 bottle) instead!

The street is relatively very empty because everyone is now watching the TV. When someone scores, GOOOOOALL!!  The scream lasts for at least 1 minute!

After the game:

This is the most exciting time for me as a kid. Everyone pours to the streets! This is the time that barely anyone will stay at home. The streets are packed, everyone goes on their mopeds (sometimes with a whole family of 4!)  Just going to the main streets of the town, meeting, screaming, waiving, smiling, celebrating! In Vietnamese, we call this ‘Di Bão’ or ‘Storm the Streets’. Oh Vietnam, how we are such a light hearted and joyous group of people!

The year 2010 marks the 1,000^th anniversary since the founding of Hanoi, and in less than five months, the city will be commemorating this anniversary. Vietnam was dominated by the Chinese for approximately 1,000 years, and the country gained independence in the 10^th century. Prior to 1010 AD, the capital of Vietnam was located in Hoa Lu, which is modern day Ninh Binh, located about 97 km (60 miles) south of Hanoi.

Hanoi, which means Between Rivers or River Interior in reference to the Red River that runs southeast and bends through the city before entering the Gulf of Tonkin, was previously referred to as Thang Long (Ascending Dragon) and Dong Do (Eastern Capital). The city was first inhabited prior to 2000 BC and, along with Vietnam that then stretched southward to Hue, dominated by China from 111 BC to 1010 AD. In 1010 AD, Ly Thai To, the first emperor of the Ly Dynasty, moved the country’s capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long. The name Thang Long was changed to Hanoi in 1831 by the Nguyen emperor Minh Mang. Although Hanoi was not always the capital of Vietnam since reclamation in the 10^th century, it has had the longest history of being the country’s capital.

Current day Hanoi is thriving with a population of 6.5 million people, the second largest metropolitan area in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City, and its future development plan is ambitious. The municipal government recently revealed a development plan to invest US$90 billion over the next 40 years while the city government historically generates annual average revenues of only US$3.6 billion before expenditures. As the city continues to modernize, preservation of cultural sites will become more apparent, as observed in current standing architectures and daily cultural customs that contrast with modern internet cafes and lavish hotel lobbies. For instance, redevelopment within Hanoi’s Old Quarter cannot exceed a certain height, which attests to the city’s preference to have things both ways – modern and traditional.

Back to the 1,000 year commemoration, the main event will be held in Hanoi from October 1 to 10, 2010 and preparation is underway for a rare festivity that will include a wide array of concerts, history exhibits, art shows, and culinary events. A Vietnamese travel agency, Vietnam Awesome Travel, has compiled a schedule of events planned for the ten-day celebration. The anniversary has also strike Frommer’s, one of the best-selling guidebooks in the US, to name Hanoi as one of the top travel destinations in 2010. For anyone that plans on traveling in Vietnam in the next five months, this event is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that should seriously be considered.

But what about those mysterious customs that we don’t often hear about or really understand, like “cung gio” (family gathering to remember the anniversary of an ancestor’s death) and “le dinh hon” (elaborate wedding engagement ceremony among family and friends)?

My best friend, who’s a second generation Vietnamese-American woman,  recently got engaged.  As expected, we got together over dinner to talk about “the moment” and started making premature plans like what color schemes her wedding will have, etc.  After 30 minutes of talking about wedding arrangements, we realized that we’ve  completely forgotten about her “le dinh hon,” which is a traditional engagement ceremony usually held months before the couple’s actual wedding date.

What is “le dinh hon”?

In the past, most marriages in Vietnam were arranged by parents or extended family.  ”Le dinh hon” is an old Vietnamese tradition and a chance for the couple’s families to meet for the first time, to officially announce the couple’s engagement to family and friends, and to pick a good date for the wedding.

Photo from Flickr user "micky69cm"

A “le dinh hon” ceremony begins with the future groom’s family visiting the future bride’s home and presenting gifts wrapped in round lacquered boxes covered in red cloths to the bride and her family.  Gifts often include areca nuts, betel leaves, tea, cake, fruits, wines, a roasted pig, and other delicacies that are beautifully arranged and carried by unmarried women and men to the future bride’s home.  If the future bride’s parents accept the gifts as a sign that they approve of the upcoming marriage between the couple.

While the gifts are presented, accepted, and introductions are exchanged, the future bride, dressed in a magnificent “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional dress), is hidden in another room.  Her parents will come into the room and walk her out to be introduced to both sides of the family.  The couple then lights incense for the ancestors and serves tea to the elders of both families.

The future bride’s family would have prepared a feast for everyone to  enjoy after the tea ceremony.  That’s not  it!  Appropriate portions and items must be shared with the future groom’s family before they leave the  party.  Each gift has a special meaning and must be shared among the two families  properly for good luck.

Photo by Flickr user "Crazy Cricket"

My friend’s fiancé is not ethnically Vietnamese, and she has no experience in planning a “le dinh hon.”  Among friends who have spent either all or most of our lives in America, we can’t offer much help to my friend.  As you can imagine, “le dinh hon” is a very formal event that requires elaborate preparations for both the future groom and bride’s families.  There are many intricate details to the ceremony that can be easily missed if you’ve  never planned a “le dinh hon” or attended one.  I guess today you can google “how to plan a le dinh hon,” and hope to find a good tutorial.  If you’re lucky, your parents still remember the details of their own ceremony and will help you plan.  Otherwise, you and your possibly non-Vietnamese fiancé have to do it all on your own.

It’s still uncertain if my friend and her fiancé will host a “le dinh hon” before their wedding date.  I’m sure my friends are not the only couple stuck in this dilemma.  Do we wrack our brains trying to keep up with traditions we hardly understand or do we move on and stick with the American customs that we are most familiar with?  Customs and traditions are difficult to preserve as new generations grow up in a foreign land.  But the moment that we stop trying to remember or practice, we’ll forget and won’t have a second chance to relearn them.

Have you been to a “le dinh hon” or planned one?  What are your favorite memories and lessons learned?  My friends and other young Vietnamese American couples will appreciate the comments you leave.

In a New Orleans neighborhood called Versailles, a tight-knit group of Vietnamese Americans overcame obstacles to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill.  The film A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES is the empowering story of how the Versailles people, who have already suffered so much in their lifetime, turn a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance for a better future.

A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES is the definition of community.  It’s an inspiring story about bridging generations and cultures and finding your voice as Vietnamese Americans. This moving documentary is proof that our community can stand together and triumph over tragedy.

A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES is an official selection for the 2010 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), which opens tonight and runs through March 21.  For tickets and more information, please visit the festival’s website or click here for an overview of SFIAAFF from my last post.

Screening #1

WHEN: Sat 3/13 @ 2:15 pm

WHERE: Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post St @ Fillmore, San Francisco

Screening #2

WHEN: Tue 3/16 @ 9 pm

WHERE: VIZ Cinema, 1746 Post St @ Webster, San Francisco

Screening #3 – SAN JOSE

WHEN: Sat 3/20 @ 5:30 pm

WHERE: Camera 12 Cinema, 201 S. 2nd St @ San Carlos, San Jose

Director S. Leo Chiang and Associate Producers Brittney Shepherd & Eva Moss to attend.

Protesters line up outside of New Orleans City Hall to protest for the closure of a toxic landfill in their neighborhood, 2006. Photo Credit: James Dien Bui

Versailles elderly gardener takes a moment away from her work, 2006. Photo Credit: Lucas Foglia

Young Versailles community member participates in protest to shut down the Chef Menteur Highway Landfill, 2006. Photo Credit: James Dien Bui

The exhibit is a collection from 10 Vietnamese museums, with art dating from the first millennium B.C. to the 17th century A.D.  You’ll experience dozens of cultures from both inside and outside Vietnam.  Fascinating pieces you can expect include: a bronze drum as hefty as a hot tub, a wooden Buddha, Hindu deities, contortionist dancers, a tiny serpent of beaten gold basks, and ceramic plates and bowls.  The exhibit will remain the the New York museum from Feb. 2 to May 2.  Make sure to stop by to show support for Vietnamese art if you’re in the area!

Check out the New York Times article by Holland Scott here to learn more about Vietnam’s art history and influences.

18 lbs? 13lbs? 10 lbs? 75% off? 50% off? 25% off?

In the past few years, I can’t help but feel a bit more stressed out over the Thanksgiving holidays.   Thursdays have been occupied with helping prepare the feast, eating the feast, napping, and eating the feast (round two).  Fridays, oh glorious Black Fridays, have been filled with the hustle and bustle of digging up the best deals at Bestbuy or Frys for electronics – LCD TVs, GPS, game system, cameras, computers – or busting doors for the best clothes bargains.  The number game becomes a strategic race to the finish to become crowned the king of deals.

For me, my Thanksgiving routine has changed so drastically since I had moved to Boston 3 years ago.  Having grown up in Orange County, CA with the perception that Thanksgiving is yet another random holiday/excuse to have a congregation of the families, my family and I never fully assimilated into the tradition of dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. The dinner table would typically be in buffet format, with trays and trays of shrimp fried rice, delectable Vietnamese appetizers like banh beo or banh bot loc, and at best Peking DUCK as a turkey substitute.

Maona.net

Boston changed everything.   I have been blessed to have been invited to my cousin’s fiance’s home for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  No buffet format here – the table was beautifully adorned with baskets, cornucopia, candles, wine glasses, plates, silverware, and everything else that I do not know the words for.  Dinner begins when the beautifully golden Turkey is brought out and carved.  Side dishes (>10) were passed around the table (like in the movies!).  And dessert no longer is comprised of only che thai (a coconut milk based dessert topped with fresh fruits) or French cream puffs. Pumpkin pie, homemade whipped cream, and pecan brownies were a few of the freshly prepared desserts.

The stories above demonstrate the beauty of the diversity that exists in our society.  Some say, America is the melting pot of many different cultures.  Whether it is true or not, my greatest gratitude this year is the deep appreciation for living in a country so abundant in all comforts of life – that we can have the opportunity to immerse in different cultures and foods from all over the world on a very historically American holiday.

Cheers to diversity and … food!

Readers, my question to you is… What was on your plate for Thanksgiving?  Please share by commenting below!

——

For a look at what other Asian families have done on Thanksgiving, check out this article:

Choice 1:

-          Huge roasted golden brown turkey glazed in teriyaki sauce and stuffed with rice

-          Mashed potatoes with lots of garlic and butter

-          Gravy made from shitake mushrooms

-          Stir fried green beans

-          Sweet potato tempura

-          Platters upon platters of different kinds of sushi and sashimi

-          Fish cake soup

-          For dessert, there was mochi and pumpkin pie and genmai tea

Choice 2:

-          Mongolian hot pot

-          Roast Duck stuffed with sticky rice

-          Dumplings