hanoi is a place of contrast. everywhere we look, we see run down buildings stacked on top of one another. they are built very narrow and tall to use the space most efficiently. woven into this fragile looking mosaic, are bursts of color that connect the landscape into something beautiful. there is ornate architecture ... like fossils that hint at different times from deep within their surroundings. there are hard working people with very little ... many of them .. and big BiG smiles.
i wonder when luxury shifted to commonplace. when did "wants" start feeling more like "needs"? i'll admit that i'm most definitely an offender. fashion, as artistic expression, is one of my favorite 'mediums' to obsess on. but when did we start measuring the inside of people with an extrinsic ruler?
as i spend more and more time in places where people don't have the option of stepping onto our scale, its insignificance becomes glaring. because when you take away all the distractions ... clothes, make up, decoration, possessions ... you're left with just people.
and i think that may be the greatest irony of all ...
without anything to obstruct my vision of the spirit ... the people look more beautiful than ever.
2 comments:
what memories! i absolutely LOVe these pictures! they are beautiful, i want to copy some and frame them! so anxious to hear the stories behind the pics.
yes, the beautiful irony. thanks becky.
j
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