Rarified Air

You know what they say, the air at higher altitudes is much thinner than what us "commoners" breathe.  Maybe this is true in socially stratified societies, but I don't think it is so prevalent in Vietnam.  Here's why.  I've been teaching college for 22 years.  I've never had a meaningful conversation with any of my university presidents.  I've been on the VNU campus for 3 weeks and already met the president, in his office!  And I wasn't in trouble. 

I was thinking this was only a formality, you know, meet and greet the Fulbright scholar.  Boy was I wrong.  The president was actually interested in my major - Parks, Recreation & Tourism.  After our initial meeting, he called the Dir. of International Relations (my boss) and invited me to go on a road trip with him to central Vietnam.  It was about 7 hours away, by car.  We sat beside each other in the back seat - both ways!  It was a good thing he could speak English!

As it turned out, the president wanted to talk about turning the boyhood home of Nguyen Du (the most famous poet in Vietnam) into a tourism destination.  Like a cultural / historical national park.  Now that's something I can relate to.  A university president seeking my advice.  Now that's something I cannot relate to.  Although the president did not accompany me to the site (he had another meeting to attend), he listened to my suggestions, as did some officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, after my visit.  They want me to come back in October to make a formal presentation.

You never can tell what might happen in Vietnam.  Perhaps we are breathing the same air after all.  I'm living proof!