Number 34

Written Friday night and posted Saturday morning.

Today started with a big bowl of Pho, the Giao ride to the University and a scooter ride to the LERES center. All were good. I held a meeting with each group and got them a little more focused. They’re all doing good work and some are really quite excellent at it. Giao called around 10 to say we were having lunch with the Dean of the Law School and the head of the Law department. I still don’t understand the hierarchy, but Bruce had told me about this meeting and how important it is to the Clinic and specifically to the professors who are pushing it. (although I've seen no evidence of any faculty member openly pushing or supporting the Clinic) The Dean is new and the old Dean had refused permission for a Clinic. Somehow, the fate of the Vietnam National University Law School Clinic rested, to some extent, on my ability to persuade the Dean that the Clinic is good for the Law School, the students and the community and that I had the expertise to help get it off the ground. No pressure there…

Giao picked me up, sort of (he had Vuong and Ha walk me a few blocks from the center so he didn’t have to drive down the narrow streets) and we went to the University. We met with Dean Tai in his office. He’s a quiet soft spoken man who doesn’t speak English so Giao interpreted. I did my best to act like an adult and someone who has some kind of expertise in the area of setting up Law School Clinics. It was kind of like when you see on the news where some President or Prime Minister is sitting in his/her office with some foreign dignitary. (except that though I’m foreign, I'm no dignitary) He spoke slowly and softly and weighed his words carefully. I kind of got into it and had some fun acting as if I knew what I was talking about. Nodding knowingly, waxing philosophically and getting him to smile a few times with some self-deprecating humor. We were joined by the head of the Law faculty Dr. Chi and Professor Vann and we went off to lunch. They chose a micro brewery with about a dozen huge metal stills behind a glass wall. It was an upscale place and the food was excellent. There were about 5 courses and at one point they brought some greens with wax paper on top. It turns out it was rice paper and Professor Vann rolled me a big fatty which contained some beef, some vegetables, some fruit and I don’t know what else. It tasted good. Dr. Chi mixed some chili sauce into my dipping bowl and I gave it a whirl. We talked about the American legal system, the Vietnamese legal system, and a lot about the Clinic. Vann helped Giao interpret as Dr. Chi also speaks no English. I guess it went well because at the end the Dean asked me to come back in March when the Clinic will be unveiled as Vietnam’s first Law School Clinic. Giao and Vann beamed so I guess I fooled everyone.

Dr. Chi drove me back to the LERES center with Vann and asked if I would be willing to come back to Hanoi and teach a seminar on the American Legal System. Vann told me later that this was a great honor as it would take a lot of effort and trouble to get approval for me to do that. OK, it did swell my head some but I guess to some extent I earned it a little.

The afternoon was spent working again with the students. They had asked if they could take me for an outing Saturday afternoon and I told them they deserved it and I was all for it. They made some plans but about an hour later Giao called me and told me he had canceled the outing (which was going to be to a museum and a park) because they needed to work. It is clear to me now that Giao knows everything I say and do pretty much within a few minutes of me doing it. It smacks of the Communist paranoia that I haven't really seen but my sense is that Giao has to be very careful about what I'm saying and doing as he and the other faculty members who are supporting the Clinic feel the whole thing could collapse if the Dean isn't happy. As mentioned, the old Dean wouldn't allow the Clinic and the new Dean appears to understand the value in it and they are very carefully bringing him along. So it doesn't piss me off but it's a little disconcerting. It’s the student's day off and they had volunteered to come in but I have strict orders from Bruce to go with the flow so I said fine.

I like Giao but he has done a number of things to make sure I know who is in charge. As mentioned, he has students reporting on pretty much every decision I make and changes things just to let me know that he can. My passive aggressive way of responding was to change my return flight from Tuesday to Sunday without asking or consulting with him and telling him I had something I needed to get back to Chiang Mai to do.

He seemed relieved that I was leaving early and didn't try to play me. In fact, he seemed to relax and warm up to me once I told him I was leaving early. I think this whole thing is hard on him especially having to trust me not to screw up his Clinic. My sense is that he appreciates and respects how well the students are progressing and understands that I understand what is at stake. The odd part is that not one member of the Law faculty is working with us or helping us. I asked Giao who would guide the students when I leave and he said Professor Vann. I asked her who would be guiding the students when I leave and she said Giao....

Frankly, all the work that I can do will be done and any loose ends can easily be tied up with email. I’ve discussed it with the students and there will be no problems. Candidly, between Bruce and Giao I’ve had enough of this game and have no desire to put the students through any more work just to say that we did it. They have done remarkably well and deserve to have a few days off before they start class again. Most of the students are not from Hanoi and won't be able to go home to see thier families for another 4 months if I stay. If we weren't done I'd stay, but I've grown very close to them in a short time and choose to protect them from being pawns in this Clinic political game.

I love Hanoi and I’ve had a great time, but as all of you know I don’t particularly like being dicked around. Despite the exceedingly bad planning and the lack of support, we got the job done. (or will have it done by tomorrow) All the policies and procedures will be done. All the forms will be done. All the students are energized and ready to go and the Dean and Dr. Chi have blessed the Clinic and openly endorsed my work. Neither Bruce nor Giao nor I could ask for, or expect, more. I’m not trying to blow my own horn, I’m just stating the facts. The students did most of the work. I only did what I was sent to do. I just did it faster then we all assumed it would take.

Later in the afternoon I was informed by Ha that on Saturday we would quit at 3 and go on our outing. I don’t know if she called Giao and got him to change his mind or if she sat all the students down and told them we were going to do it and no one was going to tell Giao. Ha is clearly the leader of the group. She took on the hardest topic and helps the others when I'm busy.

When it was time to leave for the day Thau, a shy young woman who has been working really hard on her topic, came up to me and said “thank you for your caring for us and for leaving your family to come help us”. Again, each and every student came up to me on their way out to wish me a good evening, a nice dinner, or to simply say thank you. I’d like to bring them all home with me though I don’t think Muki would be all that thrilled about it. They have asked about my wife and children and I’ve shown them photos. Several of them have told me how young and pretty my wife is, how beautiful my daughter is and a few of the girls have told me my son is very handsome. Since they’re all about Sam’s age I’ve tried to fix him up but when I tell them that they giggle and cover their faces. When I get a chance to post the student’s photos maybe Sam will find one he likes and I’ll see what I can do.

Phong, who had been gone all day taking exams, showed up around 6 and picked me up. We went out to dinner and then to a club where he said there would be rock and roll. It was a few blocks from Vann’s house so she showed up which was amusing seeing her in a small rock bar. She stayed long enough to chat a little and left before it got loud. Phong’s “friend” Mia joined us and we watched one of the more amusing musical acts that I’ve seen in awhile. Phong is into metal and Seattle grunge so when he was excited about seeing a rock and roll band I expected loud metal. Instead it was a Vietnamese band that was a cross between a parody of a lounge act and your basic Holiday Inn bar band. They played Proud Mary and Pride and Joy and songs you usually hear at weddings. They had 5 guys but during the 1 ½ hours that we watched them they had at least another 5-6 other people come up and play or sing something. Mia said one was the bar owner, one was somebody’s wife and like that. The best part, the very best part was that they all sang in English with a heavy Vietnamese accent so it sounded like a Saturday Night Live parody. They mangled the words which only added to the comedy. I tried really hard not to laugh as they were well received and every song ended with loud applause from everyone in the place. It was a hoot! Like being an extra in a comedy sketch. I didn’t want to get back to Giao’s house too late so we left a little after 10 and Phong drove me back.

Giao was up, asked if I had a good time and then mentioned that Wendy had called and wondered why I was coming back early. It was his way of fishing for information so I responded by saying Wendy knew I had to get back to deal with a situation and I can’t imagine why she would have said that. He gave up on his half-hearted attempt to figure out why I was really leaving and let it go. We talked about what time we would leave for the LERES center in the morning and parted amicably. I think he’s a decent guy who is caught up in Departmental and Government bullshit. I don’t think he really likes messing with me but has little choice. As such I choose to continue to think of him as a basically decent guy and blame Bruce for making things worse by sending me here at the worst possible time for the students.

The good news is that I have remained calm, kept my end of the bargain and enjoyed the hell out of Hanoi. I had no idea what to expect before I came here but it was something along the lines of gray block buildings, unhappy people, joyless brainwashed students and your basic Communist oppressive regime. What I found was a vibrant, exciting city, amazingly hospitable people and a little bit more of me. And that is definitely a good thing. I had a really good time today in Hanoi. I truly love this city. Who would have ever believed that I would be writing that?

P.S. Aom informed me that while I am being missed, it was another good day in Chiang Mai. As much as I enjoy this place I’ll be glad to get back to my adopted home and my adopted family. And even more so to soon get back to my real home and my real family.