Sodden Art

On my first full day in Hanoi, I saw my first statue of Confucius, was ripped off by a taxi driver, ate my 75th helping of rice on this trip, and saw a bunch of puppets frolic in waist-deep water.

Water Puppetry is an ancient art form here in Vietnam, dating back to the 11th century. Because so much of people's lives were spent near and in the water, I guess, they set their stories in the water also. I went to see the show in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, which is where I was staying.

It's difficult to understand things like puppet shows when they are not in your language. I don't know how people who go to the opera do it. But, encouraged the music being played by the traditional Vietnamese orchestra (very impressive), I leaned forward and tried to grasp what I was seeing.

Okay, so there were dragons... two of them. They had fireworks coming out of their mouths. Then three puppets came out, and they all said something. Then they laughed.... Hahahahahahaha. hahahahahaha. aaahhhhhhh. hhahahah. ha. Then there was a water buffalo, and a fish. Then a few puppets came out and tried to put a bamboo lampshade on the fish, but he was having none of it. More laughter... then a turtle with a sword. Then the turtle laughed, then all of the people puppets came out and their arms were spinning around like pinwheels in a windtunnel. Then the turtle puppet and the people puppets all hahahahahahhahahahhah-ed heartily. A few puppets starting doing backflips, and then the puppeteers came out and bowed.

So, as far as I can tell, the show was a comedy about turtles, water buffaloes, fish and people, and how sometimes people flail. I don't know what the hell the dragons were were all about. Oh, and all of the puppets were very, very damp. But it's art, so take from it what you will.