A few weeks later…

People keep asking JuJu and me a variation of… What did you like best? What was the most amazing thing? What did you learn?

Juju and I discussed it and I’ll try to summarize

I don’t know, but we’re both really glad we blogged. It was too much to collate, to much to remember, to varied for easy generalizations. But I’ll try anyway.

One generalization is that the people were just beautiful, kind, happy, generous and curious. Their lives were hard and their circumstances limited. But they set a bar for joy and abundance that we want to emulate.

Another is that the history was complex, and many of our perceptions or ideas were off, if not completely wrong. State power and its greedy abuses – whether monarchism, colonialism, communism, or yes, capitalism were all focused on the benefits to powerful people, countries, and simplistic ideologies. The brutality and death that the common people experienced, particularly in Vietnam and Cambodia, were heart breaking. That multi generational trauma is alive and well.

A third is that the religions were fascinating. I feel good about the precepts and truths of my faith. And also their fit in my psyche. The guiding principles that we follow are true and fully ours. But being in a culture that was less than 5% Christian (and one that fairly equates Christianity with Colonial oppression) was eye opening and humbling. The way Buddhism and Hinduism intersected in architecture, and 1600 years of history, and the way it informs the attitudes and approaches of the people today taught us so much.

Finally, the trip was a joyous honeymoon. Spending three weeks exploring, eating, laughing and learning together was a dream. We can’t wait for our next adventure.