The Old Way
Article for travel blog, Fitting In.
Excerpt from the Article…
Hoi An is a picturesque city on the central coast of Vietnam. Here, things are done the old way. The human way. Imagine.
Our hotel is surrounded by rice paddies. Each is meticulously tended by hand. I watched the village women, bent over at the waist, separate large clusters of reeds only to replant the shoots one-by-one, propogating new growth. They hand toss new seed into the paddy, and mind their steps carefully. It's silent. It's beautiful. No blowers and mowers to wake up their neighbors on the weekend.
In town, tailor shops line the streets. Fabric bolts are stacked from floor to ceiling with a colorful display of silks, wools and cottons. Clothes are hand made to your measurements in the better part of a day. It couldn't be simpler. I chose to have a cotton trench coat and a wool winter coat sewn for me. We agreed on two simple sketches. I chose the fabrics and the trims. She measured me, broad shoulders and all. I returned for a fitting the next afternoon. And when I picked up my new coats later that day, the fit flattered me perfectly. It's a wholly different experience than standing in a dressing room at the Gap, trying on clothes manufactured for fit models, gazing upon myself in fluorescent light, cursing my curves and every single piece of bread I have ever eaten.
Everything in Hoi An involves a personal exchange. In the Central Market, fisherman unload their catch from the docks. Women spread a bounty of herbs, fruits and vegetables on shallow wide baskets for you to examine. It won't be there tomorrow, as it is meant to be cooked today….
