It was not all work and no play for the delegates to the
recent TGI dialogue forum on “Women and Technology” in Vietnam, as for
many it was also the first time in Hanoi, so a cultural tour was included in
the program.
Puppeteers
thanking the audience at the end of the show.
The first part was a trip to the Temple of Literature
(Van Mieu). Located in the heart of Hanoi, the Temple of Literature (Van
Mieu) is a quiet and peaceful oasis in the sea of traffic and mayhem that is
Hanoi.
Concert
viewers (from left) Sue-TGI, Prof Dr. Irmgard Merkt dean, Faculty of Musical
Education and Music Therapy, Katharina Samann director Intl Relations U
Dortmund, and Dr. Goetz Nagel director Inwent.
The famous Temple of Literature was founded in 1070 by
Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and dedicated to Confucius. In 1076, Vietnam’s first
university was established. The stelae atop the giant tortoises that line
either side of the temple date from 1484 and record the names, dates and
places of birth and achievements of the men who received doctorates here.
No
technology needed for this cultural fun.
Many Vietnamese students come here to pray for success in
their studies, especially before their big exams. It is a masterpiece of
temple architecture honoring knowledge and those who pursue the rigorous
path of learning.
Dr.
Nagel and Katherina, director of the Office of International
Relations-University of Dortmund, meeting each other coincidentally at
Halong Bay after 20 years.
The second visit was to the Water Puppet theatre. Water
puppetry is an art unique to Vietnam. It started centuries ago, and was
originally performed in actual ponds as means of entertainment in the rainy
seasons when the rice fields were flooded.
At the front of the room was an artificial pond,
surrounded by a miniature village. One by one, the water puppets emerge:
brightly lacquered human and animal figures that seemed to be suspended on
the pond, manipulated with rods and pulleys concealed beneath the surface by
the puppeteers, standing in knee-deep water behind the backdrop.
The rest of the free time in the evening was spent on
shopping, shopping, and more shopping, plus, sampling the roadside local
cuisine.
After the three-day workshop ended, most left to go back
to their countries, but a few of us stayed on for the weekend to explore
Vietnam.
It was a rare experience. While spending most of the
workdays in the seminar room, brainstorming for an action plan on ways to
improve the situation of women and technology, the reality outside the
seminar room drew me back into the cultural awakening.
My technological week ended with a quiet, simple night in
Halong Bay, and a “Jubilee Concert 200 Years Glinka” classical concert
at the Opera House.
An overnight cruise on the “Chinese Junk” in Halong
Bay. This region, “the Bay of the Descending Dragon”, dotted with more
than 2,000 mountainous islands, each with its own unique landscape, is
famous for its dolomite and limestone rock formations.
It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1998.
The cool breeze turned into a cold one by night - still, it was not
enough to drive the cruisers away from the boat deck where we sat and
chatted into the full moon night, surrounded by the quiet silhouettes of the
rock islets.
