Nora Ephron's last work

My friend came back home from U.S in her vacation and gave me a book of Nora Ephron. Its name is "I Remember Nothing". The book contains some articles and reflections she has published on newspapers and magazines. I think not many people Vietnam know who are her but I'm sure you know some charming movies like When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Sleepless In Seattle (1993), You've Got Mail (1998), and Julie & Julia (2009). She wrote screenplays and directed almost them. I like them a lot and even edited a screenplay book of When Harry Met Sally... in Vietnamese. It's very funny, attractive and witty.


Nora just died few weeks ago (26 June). It's really a bad news. She's a talent in rom-com movies which conquer viewers over the world. Her movies are kind of chick-flick but still make men want to see. In fact, her male characters are not boring. Do you like Jack Nicholson, Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, and John Travolta, A-list movie stars? All of them played in her few movies. The list has Steve Martin, Kurt Russell, Will Ferrell...

The screenplay book I edited in Vietnamese

Some scenes in When Harry Met Sally... with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan

There are few female stars played in Ephron's movies: Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Cher, Andie McDowell, and Meg Ryan, of course. We could say Meg Ryan used to be the muse of Ephron. Their big hits came when Meg play movies of Nora.

Ephron's movies seem quite soft, not serious and they contain all small things about emotional world of women, the way they seek love, discover men, etc... But they tell the stories in a charming and subtle way. Their message is a calling for love, the communication between lonely people in urban society. Ephron's movies are the treatment for curing and mending broken hearts. Of course, my expression seems quite cliché, but it's true.

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Now I should say about her last work: the book. It was published in 2010. Its content comes from articles in The Huffington Post, The New Yorker, The New York Times and Vogue. I like "Journalism: A Love Story" and "My Life as an Heiress" the most. The former tells about her time in Newsweek and The New York Post around 1962 when she started her career as a journalist. She had to move quiet slowly from position of a mail girl ("my job couldn't have been more prosaic"), then clipper ("after a few months, I was promoted to the next stage of girldom at Newsweek: I became a clipper") - "Being a clipper entailed clipping newspapers from around the country." "Being a clipper was a horrible job, and to make matters worse, I was good at it. But I learned something: I became familiar with every major newspaper in Ameria." Starting with very ordinary jobs, but Nora let the readers learn that she always was an optimist. Her memory was very humorous and lively.

"Three months later, I was promoted again, this time to the highest rung: I became a researcher." It's a kind of fast checking job if there's any mistake in content of articles before publishing. It's not morasse (pre-printing) errors but the correctness of names, places and numbers. During the time of famous 114-days newspaper strike (Dec 1962), she accidentally catch the chance to work for The New York Post as a columnist. Then she worked for it for 5 years. This job perhaps brought her good material in writing. 

All what I could say, Nora Ephron is a valued author to read and study, besides her movies. Reading them, we understand why her books are "national bestsellers" of America. They have the interesting links with the movies, social trends and even history of the country she lived in. Her books are not too complicated but easy to read, even with a foreign like me. It's evidence of power of American entertainment industry.

A Bitter Summer

Last night, I went to The Youth Theatre (Nhà hát Tuổi Trẻ) to see a play. Its name's "Mùa hạ cay đắng" (A Bitter Summer), written by Nguyễn Quang Lập, directed by Anh Tú and main role played by Kim Oanh.

This play was written over 20 years ago, maybe 1988 when the renovation has been carried out in Vietnam. It seemly became a remarkable play since there. But in the bleak condition of Hanoi stage nowadays, information about new revival of this play doesn't gain many attentions of audience. I know about it just a few hours before play when a friend of mine ask via Facebook that who want to go to see it then she give free tickets. Unfortunately, it seems nobody could go, even her. Someone comments on her status that the play is too old and kind of headache. I have never seen it, so I decided to go. When I go to take the tickets, I was so shocked when she give me 8 tickets!

The play said about one beautiful woman who ran away from an illegal affair around year of 1972 when the North Vietnam suffered the bombing attacks of U.S air force. She lived in a small village with her child (from the affair) and her adopted father. This situation was rather vague. In addition, the first scene was too long but not informative. It made audience feel bored.

But the most important thing here was the characteristic of Thùy Linh - the woman, Trần Hới - the man who was chasing her and the father. They yelled at each other about their sins, lies and betraying in the past. It's a kind of flashbacks but all of them expressed through saying. I dislike this method, it's so simple and boring, especially when the dialogue was not good. It repeated so many same ideas and sentences.


Kim Oanh as Thùy Linh and Quang Ánh as Trần Hới.

Back to the plot. In 1969, the woman felt in love with a soldier name Hoàng when his troop go by the village from the frontier back to Hanoi to repair the arms. He became the meaning of her life and she's waiting for him for years. The soldiers dropped 50 barrels of oil and ask people protect them till they come back. The villagers had to fight the bombing attacks and they lost 12 people for 3 years but no one came back to take the oil away or even communicate them.

Accidentally, Hoàng came back from the frontier. He said that the troop let him turn back to watch the oil barrels. While he and Thùy Linh were guarding the barrels together, he shot a U.S airplane down. But he didn't want to let everyone know it's his victory. When they came back home, he convinced his girlfriend to take it. Unfortunately, Trần Hới who found Thùy Linh already listen to this talk. He discover that Hoang is a deserted soldier. It explained why Hoang did not want to be responsible for the victory.


The 'hot' scene in play

When Trần Hới forced Thùy Linh and the daughter come back to live together with him whether he would tell the truth, she left. I understand the message here is nobody's perfect and full of mistakes. Thùy Linh was a kind of wild woman who used to love Trần Hới because he's "too handsome" and then loved Hoàng, but she's disappointed with her men. Every seemed cheated, maybe, but the simplicity of plot did not persuade me in that message.

However, the talents of main actress - Kim Oanh - solve this play a lot. She could express many emotions, she is also beautiful and her voice is clear. Some verses that she sang are quite charming, it helped audience feel relaxed.

I heard that this play is made just for attending the Professional Stage Festival next month to earn some gold medals, esp. Kim Oanh. Now she's a Superb Artist (a noble title by state authority) at the age of 37 or 38. With the regular in Vietnam, maybe she will become a People's Artist (higher than Superb Artist title), but when? In Vietnam, people call this kind of plays and movies as "Kịch/phim cúng cụ" (Offerings to Ancestors, it means the works made for propaganda, ceremony, memorial...) but nobody buy tickets to see them. So what could I say when I go to theater with 8 tickets for only 2 person? And a lot of empty seats there said all.

Do and Don't in Hanoi #1

Today I have an idea: why don't I make a list that help you know something should and should not do if you come to my city - Hanoi. I'm aware that there's plenty of guide books already, but  advice from a resident like me could be more updated and helpful for you.These suggestion from what I want to do everyday: Where to eat, how to order, how to avoid some crisis or conflict... in a quite chaotic city like Hanoi.

The first thing is traffic. I think most travelers are scared of traffic in Hanoi. So it comes naturally to the  #1 in my Do & Don't list.

DO:

- Cross the street where has traffic light and crosswalk. Sometime it's not useful, because some naughty vehicles still go under red light! However, you have not any better choice.

- Cross the street where has bridge for pedestrian. There few crosswalk bridges in Hanoi.

- If you see any Vietnamese prepares to cross the street, catch up and follow them immediately. Everyone in Hanoi is congenitally genius in crossing the street!

- If you don't see any sign that the vehicles are about to slow down to allow you go across, you simply wait for another chance. If the traffic is too crowded, it means they have to go slowly and it's become the chance for you!

- Go further to find the way to cross the street.

- Get a taxi. The price for a very short distance is cheap. Of course you must watch if driver cheat you to get much more money than real cost.

- Catch a motorcycle driver ("xe ôm"). If the distance under 2km, the price is around 20,000VND (~1USD). Almost drivers are friendly and enthusiasm.

DON'T:

- Stop in the middle of the street suddenly. I know you will be very, very frightened by traffic, but normally the traffic will slow down and give priority for pedestrians to cross the street. You feel the traffic could hit you at any time, but they will avoid you if you walk fast and confidently.

- Move without steady speed. You shouldn't run suddenly. Drivers may lose their speed control.

- Feel so scary or angry. Vietnamese are usually friendly with foreigners.

- Hesitate to ask Vietnamese people. Not so many Vietnamese speak well English but they know body language enough to show you the way. Except some women carry the burden in Old Quarter or around Hoan Kiem Lake. They are cheaters! (They will give you to try carry the burden, take photos and ask you money without your agreeing).

- Forget a map. If you have a map, you can show your wanted place and ask people which way to get there. And you will be sure it's hard to lose your way unless you go to the place out of the map :-).

Have a good walk!

Trinh Cong Son & Bob Dylan: 2 difference planets

Here's a new book about Trinh Cong Son who is a famous songwriter of Vietnam, but in a kind of comparison with Bob Dylan who is the man-you-know-who. The book includes original essay name Is Trinh Cong Son's Bob Dylan of Vietnam? by Prof. John C. Schafer (retired, Univ. Humboldt, California, USA), now translated into Vietnamese by his wife - Mrs. Cao Thi Nhu Quynh.

Mr. Schafer taught Comparative Literature in Humboldt, and he has been in Hue, Vietnam where he taught English in 1960s. He has written a number of thesis, essays and articles about Vietnamese culture and Trinh Cong Son. But this book is the first one in Vietnam.

From a very  popular statement: "Trinh Cong Son is Bob Dylan of Vietnam" since late 1960s, and when Bob Dylan have a tour around the world "The Never Ending Tour" which came to Vietnam in only night last year with a message from organizer that "to tribute to Trinh Cong Son," Schafer have willing to discovery whether 2 composers are likely each other.



According to Schafer, we have so many myths but not true. Firstly, that statement is not from Joan Baez, one of muses of Dylan when he's young, after she came back from Vietnam where she share the under bombing condition of North Vietnamese in Hanoi in December 1972. She never went to South Vietnam, where Trinh Cong Son lived at that time.

Secondly, Trinh and Dylan write some songs call for peace, but when Trinh has a lot of anti-war songs in whole Vietnam war time, Dylan write a few protest songs in his debuting time. And Dylan didn't like joining any movement which Joan Baez often encouraged him.

Lastly and most important, Trinh wrote under light inspiration of Buddhism, while Dylan is a Evangelicalism and even composed many religious songs. Two this differences religious let them go to two difference directions. While Trinh Cong Son has a soft philosophy full of forgiveness and love on the themes of broken heart loves, Bob Dylan many times criticized women who get in affairs with him though he betrayed them.

The book also includes the introduction of Prof. Cao Huy Thuan (Univ. of Picardie, Paris, France) and close with a short epilogue which he read in a Trinh Cong Son-remembering concert of singer Khanh Ly who is the legendary voice of Trinh's songs. 

Shopping at the street markets

Nowadays, shopping at street markets still plays an important role in lifestyle of Vietnamese people. The way which they do shopping at street markets expresses how they live in their normal life. In fact, street markets are the face of popular trading in Vietnam.

Vietnamese people find that shopping at street markets has many advantages. Many people go shopping by motorbike, so it is very easy for them to stop at any stall or kiosk without parking their motorbikes. On the other hand, many street markets are next to residential areas, and people feel very convenient to go shopping on foot within a very short distance. They can choose their suitable meat, vegetables or something like that, negotiate the cost and then decide to buy or not. The time people manage their shopping there is very short, because salesmen and customers do not need a receipt for very daily things such as food. Furthermore, the food which is sold in street markets is fresher and cheaper than in supermarkets. If you are a tourist, you will see a colorful picture of Vietnamese life and will learn about its culture when you go through a street market. Shopping at street markets is very flexible, so in a dynamic and developing economy of Vietnam, it is the best choice.

However, shopping at street markets also has some disadvantages. Some street markets invade the pavement and even the traffic lanes. In rush hours, many people come home from work, they go shopping at street markets and contribute to traffic jams. The street markets are dirtier than supermarkets and the salesmen rarely care about keeping their stalls clean. Especially, the food is not always inspected with regard to hygiene. There a lot of pickpockets and cheaters in street markets but the victims cannot complain to anyone. The goods which are sold at street markets don’t have very high quality. Many fake goods are sold there but salesmen never admit that. Worse, some salesmen have very bad behaviors when customers do not want to buy after checking or complaining. Although there are many bad points, Vietnamese people still bear them.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that shopping at street markets in Vietnam has a long tradition in a rural country. People still go shopping like they did many centuries ago. If you learn about Vietnamese style of shopping, especially shopping at street markets, you will know about Vietnamese lifestyle really, really well.

Xe máy tiếu ngạo - Joking rider

It's such a long time to come back to you here.

This month I have a new book which names "Xe máy tiếu ngạo" - in English means "Anecdotes about riding motorcycles" or just simply, "Joking rider". In fact, its name is a kind of parody of a very famous Hong Kong wuxi novel of Jin Yong (Kim Dung). Jin Yong novel's name in Vietnamese is "Tiếu ngạo giang hồ". The Chinese title of the novel, Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, literally means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife. Alternate English translations of the title include State of Divinity and Laughing in the Wind.

Of course, my book includes almost funny proses to express the state of "smiling". Half of the book contains proses about motorcycles, about the lifetime of some motorcycles I used to ride. I still choose the way or writing which is lightly humorous so bring the readers a fresh angle on some very familiar topic like motorcycles, city lifestyle, street food, and ridiculous matrix of Hanoi streets and alleys.

Underneath those funny lines is my quest for explaining the transform the behavior of urban people under the impact of traffic and living environment. I also bring to the readers a survey to depict during near 100 years since motorcycles appeared in Vietnam, how they has made effect to Vietnamese society, and whether their destiny will end soon or not. We are just the weird culprit of a reluctantly speedy life!

Number of pages: 176.
Size: 13cm x 20cm.
Publisher: Tre Publishing House.
Price: 45,000VND.