Blog 1

One thing that I learned about Vietnam during the PBS documentary was the depth of the United States involvement in the Vietnamese politics. I knew that they were involved to some extent, but i didn't know that there were so many political advisors in Vietnam advising Diem. I also didn't know about their involvement in the coup to overthrow Diem.

In "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain", Robert Butler uses two narrative to tell the story of a man named Dao. Dao is an old Vietnamese man who is spending his last couple days of his life reminiscing about his life and those who are in it. During these last few days he is visited by his extended family members (as it is Vietnamese tradition for families to say their farewell before a family member passes away) and becomes suspicious that his son and grandson are involved in the murder of a Vietnamese newspaper writer. In the meantime, Dao is visited by his old friend, who is already dead, named Ho Chi Minh. Minh comes to Dao during the night and the two talk. Minh has sugar on his hands and has forgotten the recipe to a pastry he used to make. The two lived in London and worked at a hotel together when they were younger. They went different ways when Dao decided to become a Buddhist. Dao and Minh talk over the course of these three nights about the afterlife and people who Dao has lost. I think that these two narratives compare the lives of the past and present Vietnamese as well as illustrate how the lives of the Vietnamese now are still being affected. Also, I think that Minh's struggle with the recipe is symbolic of his restlessness in the afterlife, where Dao seems more content with the decisions that he made in his life and more prepared for the afterlife.