The flood has passed. Who saw you, blessed land, as the wave overcame you?

The flood has passed. Still, it roars in the distance. Who saw you, blessed land, as the wave overcame you? Still, it roars in the distance. The wind brings memories, and a wave faded into the sand.
Paraphrased from R. M. Rilke

After the water comes before the water. Tirelessly, everything is swept, shoveled, carried away, sprayed, and wiped. Brought back, rebuilt, considered - the water rises again a bit! So, rebuild, wait, hope, and fear - and if it goes badly, start all over again! Impressive - everyone pitches in, loud laughter is always present. A host, who waited until the street was clear again so he could continue with his work, proudly shared that everyone is helping diligently, each doing what they can. That they aren’t waiting for the 'government'; that would take too long, and together, they finish much faster. It gave me something to think about - no atmosphere of 'I won't do it; it's not my job, he/she does less, so why should I do more'. An infectious spirit spread, and my respect grew while witnessing it!

Similar things between Hoi An and Da Nang, at the beach. The Life Guard Security on the beach helped pull in the fishing nets, which seemed quite challenging with the big waves. One fisherman helps another and dives into the waves to spread the net. I don't know if they always do it this way or if they usually go out to sea with a boat during milder seas. I was simply impressed by the effort and tirelessness with which they didn't give up. The yield from one net was 4 fish.

In hindsight, I marvel at our naivety, having traveled to Hoi An shortly after a typhoon with quite naive notions. We had informed ourselves that there wouldn’t be a new storm, but the extent, the rain, the storm, the condition of the beach, the constant rising and falling of the water in the streets of Hoi An - it revealed my complete ignorance.