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Animation: Play
Home story:
Preventing typhoon during wedding night
Between 2000-04 , DW - with the collaboration of amateur artists from Phu Da – wrote and performed two short plays Home story (part 1 and part 2) in various communes of Thua Thien Hue Province.
In 2006, a new play – Again family Affairs, was staged:
AGAIN FAMILY AFFAIRS
Women with natural disasters and family planning
DWVN March 2006
Mrs. Tam’s house (morning) - Mrs. Tam who is pregnant is slack in coming out and swinging her hips. She looks around and says loudly:
My God! It is just early morning, but all have gone out...(she is cleaning the house and grumbling). They have gone out while the house looks like a mess...husband and children...well, they have this servant, how happy they are!
On swinging her hips and yawning, she is coming into the house and calls loudly:
Alas! Doan...Doan, where is your father? Every time he gets up, he immediately gets out. What a strange person he is!
She yawns largely and stays inside.
Mr. Tinh, Mrs. Tam’s husband along with his friend Mr Duc is coming out slowly.
Mr. Tinh recites a poem in his tipsy voice:
In the early morning we meet each other
Drinking some glasses to confide in each other
Is it right, Mr. Duc?
Mr. Duc says:
Yes, of course. How miserable you are! You keep talking about that for many times. Well, now you should keep silent and don’t talk any more; otherwise it is very complicated if we see my wife.
Mr. Tinh says:
What? Why you, husband does not want to see your wife? So, whom do want to see? What are you afraid of?
Then he continues to recite a poem:
In the early morning we should see each other
How good it is when we’ve drunk some glasses!
Yippee, Yippee!
Well, I have told you to keep silent....so, please sit down.
Mrs. Tam runs out, shouting angrily
What is good, what is good? (She pinches her husband), yippee, yippee...
Mr. Duc restrains:
Well, well Mrs. Tam.....anyway I have already taken him to the home. I hope you will keep calm to talk.
Mrs. Tam says:
Oh, how can I keep calm now? There is no husband like him.
Then she sings:
....right after opening eyes.....inviting each other.....right after opening eyes....have been drunk...
How poor I am .....a pregnant women, what is more, the radio informs that storm will strike here soon.
Over there, people are tying up their roofs
to keep their house safe
But my husband ....keeps drinking and drinking
In case.......the house is destroyed....what can we get to repair it?
Not to mention ....lethal disaster.
Mr. Tinh continues chanting:
You said you are expecting a baby
I know you are expecting a baby
But it’s you who like to deliver, so miserable are you
Dear Mr Duc! ...getting married to a young wife is also miserable.
Mrs. Tam stamps with rage and says:
My God! How lucky you are when getting married to a young wife, how can you say like that?
Mr. Tinh continues:
It’s right, isn’t it?
You said that we had had only two sons!
We should try to have a daughter...then we will have boys and girl!
Why you keep shouting down all days...
How can I put up with such thing?
Mrs. Tam says:
Why can’t you stand...? If you can’t stand, you go go and continue drinking to make you happy...go ..go...
Mr. Duc advises:
Keep calm, please! AGAIN FAMILY AFFAIRS!
Well now, we should not talk about that any more. First, as you said, we should go to tie up our roof, otherwise it will be very dangerous when storm hits here.
Ah, Ms Tam, you are a women. I heard that you have already participated in many training sessions organized by Disaster Prevention Project DW, do you still remember clearly?
Mrs. Tam answers:
Yes, I still remember clearly and I also have guidelines which is kept in the cupboard.
Mr Duc says:
So, you should remind the villagers here so that they can know to perform correctly.
Mrs. Tam agrees:
Ok! Dear villagers,
DW project has come to our commune since 2000.
The objectives of the project are....reducing disaster, helping people to reinforce their houses...but more important thing is that the project has given many training courses on reinforcing and building house techniques along with the storm prevention principles to all residents here.
Mr. Duc says:
Well, did you write down what you learned from the training courses and do you still remember?
Mrs. Tam relies:
Yes, I still keep it in my mind
Mr. Duc:
Well, can you tell us about that?
Ms Tam chants:
Building house in the storm prone area, my dear!
Ten principles should be kept in mind!
First, take advantage of the terrain
To prevent the wind from hitting our construction
Second, the shape of the house
Should be simple with few protruding and sunken parts
Third, the roof slope should be steep
Unless the wind will blow into the house and take off the roof
Fourth are original roof and hemming one
Avoid building large and separated eaves
Fifth is connecting all parts of the house
Columns, truss, rafter should be tightly linked with one another
Sixth, to make the house solid
Add more triangle trusses and beams
Seventh, the cover sheet
Should be tied up and long lasting used
Eighth, front door and back door
Should have approximately same size
Ninth, doors and windows should be tightly closed
With enough latches to avoid being shaken by winds
Tenth, remember to grow trees
For making a solid rampart against storm
Mr. Tinh continues chanting:
Oh, my wife
Why you only keep such thing in your mind
If only you told me about that before
So, it's also your fault, not only mine
Well, now we shouldn't talk any more
But prepare everything for me to tie up the house
Mr. Duc approves:
Great, that's a good idea.
We should do it promptly since the storm is coming soon
Mrs. Tam adds:
Mr. Duc, thank you very much. It's very kind of you to give us a hand.
Mr. Tinh:
Yes, it's true. He used to help many people in the cyclone 1985.
Then he recites a poem:
Habitants living along Thuy Dien river
Did business in Tamgiang Lagoon
They could not return their home when the cyclone hit
Unhappily many of them died
Children lost their fathers, wives lost their husbands
There still remains heart-rending circumstances
We determine not to be in such circumstance again
Mrs. Tam:
Well, it was already past event
Now, we will do it better
With the instructions of the state
And support from DW project
We should not be subjective any more
About our women, please don't do as me (she's rubbing her stomach)...
Then she chants "Ly Hoai Xuan"
We should stop at two children
To bring them up and enable them to study
And remember to build a solid house
Then we will have a happy family
Mr. Duc:
I am very pleased when you say that Tam Tinh Tam, Tam and Tinh are very congenial
Mr. Tinh:
I am also very happy to hear you say that. Under the witness of Mr. Duc, I promise that I will be no longer drunk.
Mr. Duc asks:
Are you sure? Well, Mrs. Tam, please give your hands to me (he put her Mrs. Tam's hands on her husband's hand and says ok, you two have promised with each other)
Mrs. Tam:
Mr. Duc, thank you very much. Please sympathize with me if I have something wrong.
Mr. Duc:
Never mind. We are neighbours!
Mr. Tinh tells Mrs. Tam:
Now, you go to the market to prepare something for today. With the help of Mr. Duc, we'll start tying up the house now.
Mrs. Tam:
Well, I'll go right away. (she comes into the house)
Mr. Duc:
My dear villagers, please try to tie up your houses. Now, I will lend Mr. Duc a hand.
Mr. Tinh:
Well, I will try to finish the work. Hopefully, every family is safe. I promise not to drink any more.
Mrs. Tam (comes in):
Here I am! I said I'll just go for some minutes. Dear Mr. Duc, so far I've completely understood
(then three of them sing):
To gain sustainable development
The house must be solid
We, the women should remind each other
Of taking the initiatives to prevent pregnancy
Please don't be greedy for many children
One or two are sufficient
Good bye! see you later
Scenery
One simple house as carpenter pavilion, small table, 4 chairs, tea pot and cups, typhoon preventing documents from DW 2000-2001, Mr.Thang’s business card.
Costumes
Husband: shirt/ T-shirt cover pants; Wife: normal dress (at home); Daughter: shirt, western style pants (or jeans); Mr. Thang: formal costume
Summary
Mr and Mrs Doi are waiting in their shack for their daughter to return home. It is evening. Mrs Doi asks her husband a bit crossly when he is going to rebuild their destroyed home (destroyed in an earlier DW play “At home 1”). Their last house coal lapsed in a storm when Mr Doi as too drunk to take preventive action to safe the roof and walls. Since then, he no longer drinks, but there is also no new home! But Mr Doi has heard of the DW project to help poor families achieve a secure home, but they don’t know any more than that. As their daughter does not come back, he tries to get amorous with his wife but she refuses him.
The daughter returns. She has seen the new DW – Dipecho play “Preventing the typhoon on the wedding night”. She explains about the new DW project, but Mr Doi gets confused over what the wedding night has to do with typhoons. Miss Huong says someone will visit them form the project.
Mr Thang, DW architect, arrives. The parents are anxious to know if they can participate to have their house strengthened. Thang explains what is required.There is more confusion about weddings and typhoons, and some suggestion about Thang and Miss Huong. In the end, Thang agrees to visit them again, and he and Mr Doi set of to the DW beneficiary selection meeting.
