Temple visit

We met Ti again at Chua Tam Le today, about a ten minute walk from our hotel. He said he'd already been back to Long Khanh for a quick visit yesterday, returning in time for 4am prayers this morning. He also returned with another durian for me, double-bagged. It's resting comfortably in the fridge downstairs in the Khach San Hoang Trang's restaurant, awaiting Tuan's arrival tomorrow--someone experienced in durian excavation will break it open and share it amongst interested staff.

Slideshow of Chua Tam Le included--click on right. The temple is new, about 10 years old, build with donations solicited throughout Vietnam and overseas. Ti's brothers are monks, too--he joined the temple and began his dharma study when he was 15. (He's 38, a year older than me). There are two public spaces--a study hall on the ground floor and a prayer hall on the second floor. About 50 people a day come to public prayers at 6pm everyday, and about 20 come to dharma classes--mostly older folkds, but a few more young people these days.

Ti knows Mandarin Chinese--he studied in Taiwan for 2 years before going to the US. Most Vietnamese don't read Mandarin, so the monks need to translate the placards and signposts in the temple. Ti actually uses his Chinese more in the US than he does at this temple. HCM City has a large ethnic Chinese population in district 5. We're in district 1. He uses his Chinese at his temple in New Orleans. He's also hoping to improve his English and he's going to start taking college classes in New Orleans in the fall.

Ilene