Viet Nam, Revisited, Spring Break 2009
by Mimi Dang
Flying in to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly know as Saigon, our plane seemed to linger momentarily above the rice paddies that sprinkled the land approaching the airport, beckoning us to an agrarian way of life that existed long before the news media seared Viet Nam as a war torn nation into the minds of every American who watched the 6:00 PM news in the sixties. I was one such American who carried with me images of those times, but for many of the students who joined me in this journey some forty years later, there is no memory of a Viet Nam War. A short time later, as our bus exited the airport and plowed along streets crazed with mopeds and motorcycles, even in the late hours of the evening, dodging road construction sights and passing buildings so newly erected, the smell of freshly mixed cement still lingered in the air, the nostalgic sense of a bygone era gave way to a more compelling reality. A new chapter in the history of Viet Nam is emerging; a city, and a nation, in transition is relinquishing old customs and traditions to accommodate a rapidly booming economy, a city that has grown in population from a half million to seven million over night and an infrastructure that struggles to keep pace. Our bus weaves trough traffic; I wish longingly for our immanent arrival at the Palace Hotel, located in the heart of the city, following almost twenty-four hours of travel to arrive at this destination. Sleep would soon follow, but not before we consumed a midnight meal of such exotic delicacies as pigeon and frog, served on a platter, head to toe!
The next morning, we walked along tree-lined avenues, past large mustard-colored buildings housing the parliament, post office, opera house… remnants of the French colonial days. We were in route to find remnants of the War in a museum so aptly given the name the War Remnants Museum. The museum offered a harsh reminder that all sides have their story to share of “man’s inhumanity to man.” Many pictures were too gruesome for some students to linger long, but our spirits were lifted as we stumbled upon an exhibit toward the museum’s exit of drawings by young Vietnamese children, depicting symbols of world peace and unity and hope for mankind. This exhibit represents the spirit of a new generation of industrious people anxious to move forward into a more prosperous twenty-first century. Not until we traveled south to the Mekong Delta for a day of touring islands and candy-making cottage industries did we leave the ever-expanding city limits and finally see the rice paddies, which had beckoned us from our airplane windows. Once on our little boat adrift on the Mekong, sixth largest river in the world, a river that meanders through the whole of South-East Asia dividing the nations of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, a river that widens here in the delta as it makes its way to the South China Sea, we felt some relief from the intense tropical heat intensified by the pavement and traffic of Saigon. Our guide was chipper and introduced us to the makings of coconut candy and offered us tea with fresh honey and fruit, and local musicians regaled us with song. We had stuff animals and donations of clothes and hygienic supplies to share with our local hosts. We continued on our way on little boats on inland waterways and on pony and carts. Our guide assured us, we had touched the hearts of these local people with our small offerings of kindness. By saying this, she in turn had touched our hearts.
We were a group of twenty-five students and three faculty (twenty-three from Punahou and two alum from Sacred Hearts Academy) who chose to do something really different over spring break…to open our eyes wide, to experience a different culture, a culture that is in the throws of change; to witness this change and to learn about its history; and to reach out to its people. Each of us brought an extra bag of donated materials and we shared these items with people we met along the way. These donations came from parents, faculty and students of Punahou and Sacred Hearts Academy. We shared with girls at a Catholic Girls orphanage in Saigon and a coed Buddhist orphanage in Phanthiet, northeast of Saigon; we shared with students at the Marie Curie High School, once a prestigious private school and now one of the best public schools in Saigon. We had plenty of time to shop and to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Saigon and to ride ostriches at The Mango Farm north of Saigon, where we also sampled the meat prepared as salad and egg rolls. Always, we pushed our envelopes of comfort, ever trying new things. But we also took time to rest and relax and to get to know each other, because, after all, we were on “spring break!” We stayed two nights at the Allezboo Beach Resort and Spa in Muine, considered one of the most unspoiled, beautiful beaches in South East Asia. And so we spoiled and were spoiled, gave and were given to, and returned to our lives in Hawaii forever changed and with so much to ponder. I return to Viet Nam each year with my husband, a former native of Viet Nam who was a refugee from the Viet Nam War and is now a math teacher at Punahou, and we take with us yet a new group of students, some returning for a second and even a third time. Each year I wonder will our students love this country and its people and fascinating ways as much as I do. And the answer is always, yes! For these students, the world has grown a little smaller and a little warmer. Global warming, can, after all, be a good thing… I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many parents who have showered us with notes of gratitude. Such kind words have touched our hearts. Your sons and daughters have touched our hearts. They have made us so proud to be their “fearless” leaders!
Mimi,
Thank you for your reflection. I am so proud of you. The thoughts of not having you with me is unbearable. I am going to miss your smiles, your energy, and your compassion. What will I do without you?
Husb.
Dec. 13th, 2010
Fearless Papa Dang
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Reflection by Roxanne
Physically, Vietnam lingers: the toenail polish, chipping coral, still intact; the fading scar of a bug bite on the inside of my thigh. This body, carried across the sea and back in the humming belly of a plane which I remember smelled like high-altitude air conditioning, and handsoap and dry eyes, and staticky hair. I remember the stewardesses, with their round moon pale faces.
I remember lots of other things too.
The humidity, a heavy heartattack. A drowsy warmth ceaselessly bearing down, to sleep, to sweat. You can take big fish gasps, shallow inhales, and still feel dizzy with heat, and gasoline fumes, and cigarette smoke. The roads shimmer with a million glistening silverfish mopeds, crumbling asphalt. The rush of movement, the constant agitated speed, it makes you feel like you're going somewhere; it's very much a part of the language, in the way their mouths move, and the words slide up and down the length of their tongue and lips. A stream of endless movement. So many people, so many mouths with their singsong noises moving past the teeth.
I remember the taste of sweet lime soda - I sucked it down hungrily, greedy and desperate. I remember dozing past miles of perfectly aligned trees, the skeletal bumps of an oxen's back and their black doe-like eyes, watching me falter in-and-out-of a halfsleep dreams. I dreamed of solemn too-young orphan boys who did not smile at me, and of his small eager hands, and the waxiness of crayons. I remember the telephone wires of the city, tangled blackbird's nests sagging under its weight, cutting the sky into millions of pale slivers. I remember the South China Sea, the fishboat city of moving lights, the texture of hotel beds, places where the air is warm and moist and the ocean is like bathwater, and laughing faces peer through a haze of smoky incense.
I remember so many things: of curling against a window and shyly watching a man on a moped - I can still see the blue lights flickering away on his dashboard, dials spinning, the reflection in his square, black glasses, the thin gleam of sweat across his Asian cheekbones - and of knowing even then I would miss terribly.
(I'm going to go eat some coconut candy now, and wallow around in nostalgia.)
I remember lots of other things too.
The humidity, a heavy heartattack. A drowsy warmth ceaselessly bearing down, to sleep, to sweat. You can take big fish gasps, shallow inhales, and still feel dizzy with heat, and gasoline fumes, and cigarette smoke. The roads shimmer with a million glistening silverfish mopeds, crumbling asphalt. The rush of movement, the constant agitated speed, it makes you feel like you're going somewhere; it's very much a part of the language, in the way their mouths move, and the words slide up and down the length of their tongue and lips. A stream of endless movement. So many people, so many mouths with their singsong noises moving past the teeth.
I remember the taste of sweet lime soda - I sucked it down hungrily, greedy and desperate. I remember dozing past miles of perfectly aligned trees, the skeletal bumps of an oxen's back and their black doe-like eyes, watching me falter in-and-out-of a halfsleep dreams. I dreamed of solemn too-young orphan boys who did not smile at me, and of his small eager hands, and the waxiness of crayons. I remember the telephone wires of the city, tangled blackbird's nests sagging under its weight, cutting the sky into millions of pale slivers. I remember the South China Sea, the fishboat city of moving lights, the texture of hotel beds, places where the air is warm and moist and the ocean is like bathwater, and laughing faces peer through a haze of smoky incense.
I remember so many things: of curling against a window and shyly watching a man on a moped - I can still see the blue lights flickering away on his dashboard, dials spinning, the reflection in his square, black glasses, the thin gleam of sweat across his Asian cheekbones - and of knowing even then I would miss terribly.
(I'm going to go eat some coconut candy now, and wallow around in nostalgia.)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Reflections by Courtney T.
This is my second time going to Vietnam. I thought that it would be the same as the last time that I went, but I was wrong. It was very interesting this time because there was the sampling of exotic-bizarre foods and going to a resort where you can ride ostriches.
Sampling the usual dishes that Vietnam had was a bit nerve-racking. I mean when Julia and I tried frog for the first time--I thought they would give you only the frog legs because of the French's influence on Vietnam. But no, it was the whole frog including the head (nasty). We ate the parts besides the head and gave the head to another student. Surprisingly, frog tasted like chicken. Some other foods that we tried were the crocodile and ostrich dishes. I loved them(well the crocodile dish, that is)!!! It was ONO--I think Hawaii should have this kind of food like a ostrich loco moco or teriyaki crocodile o__O
When it came to riding ostriches the thought was ecstatic. I never even rode an ostrich before let alone bareback. Some of the students that went first looked like professionals. I, on the other hand, got discouraged and "chickened out" while waiting in line to ride the ostriches. I forgot that these birds are killing machines with their powerful legs and they can kick super hard. Also, some students got bucked off and I got worried.
The overall outcome of my first trip was I felt I accomplished a lot--it was kind of like an eye opener. I loved it so much that I wanted to go a second time, and I was glad to take a friend of mine and let her have the same experience that I had. I'm thinking of coming back hopefully with a couple of my friends again....
Sampling the usual dishes that Vietnam had was a bit nerve-racking. I mean when Julia and I tried frog for the first time--I thought they would give you only the frog legs because of the French's influence on Vietnam. But no, it was the whole frog including the head (nasty). We ate the parts besides the head and gave the head to another student. Surprisingly, frog tasted like chicken. Some other foods that we tried were the crocodile and ostrich dishes. I loved them(well the crocodile dish, that is)!!! It was ONO--I think Hawaii should have this kind of food like a ostrich loco moco or teriyaki crocodile o__O
When it came to riding ostriches the thought was ecstatic. I never even rode an ostrich before let alone bareback. Some of the students that went first looked like professionals. I, on the other hand, got discouraged and "chickened out" while waiting in line to ride the ostriches. I forgot that these birds are killing machines with their powerful legs and they can kick super hard. Also, some students got bucked off and I got worried.
The overall outcome of my first trip was I felt I accomplished a lot--it was kind of like an eye opener. I loved it so much that I wanted to go a second time, and I was glad to take a friend of mine and let her have the same experience that I had. I'm thinking of coming back hopefully with a couple of my friends again....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Reflections by Matt
Parents and kids if you read this, I say, you should definitely at least think of going on this spectacular trip, and to take pictures of everything. This was an awesome spring break; I’m sad it only was for spring break, though, and could not have been longer. Although I have been to more countries than most of the people in the world, thanks to my parents who were sad they never got to travel, I found this was probably the most interesting trip I have been on, interesting because my best trips were visiting most of my dad’s side of the family who live in California, and/or my trips cruising on the big island at the Four Seasons resort. This trip was also the most interesting to me because it was very unique/different than every other, with experiences that most people don’t experience. One such experience that only a few of us tried was grass skiing at the Mango Park, with the burning sun directly above us, definitely not below freezing temperatures. I was horrible at this since now I snowboard, and the last time I skied was probably 4 or 5 years ago. It was not like skiing on snow because I’m pretty sure on snow you can go much, much faster, because of the slant, and already skied or snowboarded on snow is slippery, which also contributes to the reason why getting up is much harder. Grass skiing is better than skiing on snow, but because of the temperature real skiing is the winner. If I could do this again I probably would, but next time I would wear shorts instead of jeans. So, I would definitely go on this trip again if I could.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Fearless Papa Dang's final reflection
Final words from our fearless leader, Papa Dang!
Mui Ne (Phan Thiet), March 28/2009
Once again, it is almost time to say goodbye to Viet Nam, to a place where I am so emotionally attached. Ten years ago, when I took my first group of students into Viet Nam, little did I know, I would keep coming back year after year as if I can never have enough. Each year, with a different group of students, my fond memories of Viet Nam grow stronger and stronger. As I walk the streets of Saigon with my students, I pass landmarks that transport me back in time to my youth and my life in the days before I left Viet Nam. I remember the Cafe Givral on the corner of Tu Do and Le Loi Streets where I spent countless hours sipping coffee with my dear friends and listening to Michel Sardou singing La Maladie D'amour or the Rex theater on Nguyen Hue Street where I spent my free Sunday afternoons watching such movies as Ryan's daughter with Robert Mitchum or Romeo and Juliet with Olivia Hussey. I remember the Ben Thanh market where I went with my mother to watch her bargain with her usual vendors. I remember the Vinh Nghiem temple on Cong Ly Street where my mother's funeral service took place and where I spent my 3 days mourning her death. I remember my house on Ngo Tung Chau Street where I spent my childhood with my family. I remember my last days in Viet Nam saying goodbye to my dad who was fighting his battle with alzheimer's disease. I remember the time I spent with my sister Lu who left Viet Nam in 1986, but never made it to America. All those memories came back as if it were yesterday.
Before I sign off, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the people who made this trip a success and possible:
1. Chris David, you are just so wonderful in so many ways. You are always there to give me the support and help that I need. You have spent countless hours taking pictures and videos and putting them up on the blog. More importantly, you are a true friend, Chris!
2. Kevin Conway and Betty White, who put their faith in me to lead a large group of Punahou and Sacred Hearts students.
3. Kevin Baker and the faculty and students of Seoul Foreign School who provided bus transportation and friendship while in Seoul, Korea, with a special thanks to Deborah Aarhus for making the arrangements.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Han for extending their hospitality to us while in Seoul. We enjoyed an amazing Korean feast at a superb restaurant in Insadong as your guests. We enjoyed that your son Michael also joined the group for the occasion.
5. Parents for giving boxes and boxes of things and, in some cases, money for the orphans and also for entrusting your children to us. Each student contributed to the group in so many wonderful ways.
6. Mr. and Mrs. Fujieki and Star Markets, and Mr. and Mrs Okamoto who made generous donations to the orphanages.
7. Mrs. Licia Trotter for donating a great new printer for the orphan projects, making it possible to take pictures of the orphans with the many digital cameras in our group and to print them immediately. The orphans and staff a like, loved it! One sweet orphan boy kept sneaking back to print yet another picture of himself!
8. Christina Abelardo for raising money for books through the Scholastic Book Fair and personally picking and beautifully packaging these books for the orphanages and school we visited.
9. Faculty, staff and families at Punahou School and Sacred Hearts Academy who gave the orphanages clothes, candy, stuff animals, school supplies and money to buy rice and dried goods.
10. All who bought sleeping bags to help the orphans.
11. Rita Ruiz and The Physical Plant for providing us the transportation to the airport.
12. My dear friends in Viet Nam, I enjoyed having coffee and dinners with you and sharing our good and bad memories.
13. Last, but not least, our students: Tommy Bae, SooJin Byun , Matthew Chan, Lauren Ching, Margot Chock, Courtney Chun, Joshua Cole, Miranda Dang, Roxanne Forbes, Chris Han, Emily Hawkins, Shalynn Ho, Casey Johnson, Kristin Keeno, Brett Komoto, Max Markrich, Elise Minkin, Sara Nishikawa, Stanley Okamoto, Leilani Riahi, Colby Sameshima, Danielle Sullivan, Tiffani Tejada, Courtney Tanaka, and Julia Trotter. I will never forget the time I shared with you all in Viet Nam.
14. And finally, my wife Mimi and my daughter Miranda, also my travel companions. You made me laugh and gave me support, help, strength, and encouragement whenever needed.
Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
With Regards,
Vinh Dang
Mui Ne (Phan Thiet), March 28/2009
Once again, it is almost time to say goodbye to Viet Nam, to a place where I am so emotionally attached. Ten years ago, when I took my first group of students into Viet Nam, little did I know, I would keep coming back year after year as if I can never have enough. Each year, with a different group of students, my fond memories of Viet Nam grow stronger and stronger. As I walk the streets of Saigon with my students, I pass landmarks that transport me back in time to my youth and my life in the days before I left Viet Nam. I remember the Cafe Givral on the corner of Tu Do and Le Loi Streets where I spent countless hours sipping coffee with my dear friends and listening to Michel Sardou singing La Maladie D'amour or the Rex theater on Nguyen Hue Street where I spent my free Sunday afternoons watching such movies as Ryan's daughter with Robert Mitchum or Romeo and Juliet with Olivia Hussey. I remember the Ben Thanh market where I went with my mother to watch her bargain with her usual vendors. I remember the Vinh Nghiem temple on Cong Ly Street where my mother's funeral service took place and where I spent my 3 days mourning her death. I remember my house on Ngo Tung Chau Street where I spent my childhood with my family. I remember my last days in Viet Nam saying goodbye to my dad who was fighting his battle with alzheimer's disease. I remember the time I spent with my sister Lu who left Viet Nam in 1986, but never made it to America. All those memories came back as if it were yesterday.
Before I sign off, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the people who made this trip a success and possible:
1. Chris David, you are just so wonderful in so many ways. You are always there to give me the support and help that I need. You have spent countless hours taking pictures and videos and putting them up on the blog. More importantly, you are a true friend, Chris!
2. Kevin Conway and Betty White, who put their faith in me to lead a large group of Punahou and Sacred Hearts students.
3. Kevin Baker and the faculty and students of Seoul Foreign School who provided bus transportation and friendship while in Seoul, Korea, with a special thanks to Deborah Aarhus for making the arrangements.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Han for extending their hospitality to us while in Seoul. We enjoyed an amazing Korean feast at a superb restaurant in Insadong as your guests. We enjoyed that your son Michael also joined the group for the occasion.
5. Parents for giving boxes and boxes of things and, in some cases, money for the orphans and also for entrusting your children to us. Each student contributed to the group in so many wonderful ways.
6. Mr. and Mrs. Fujieki and Star Markets, and Mr. and Mrs Okamoto who made generous donations to the orphanages.
7. Mrs. Licia Trotter for donating a great new printer for the orphan projects, making it possible to take pictures of the orphans with the many digital cameras in our group and to print them immediately. The orphans and staff a like, loved it! One sweet orphan boy kept sneaking back to print yet another picture of himself!
8. Christina Abelardo for raising money for books through the Scholastic Book Fair and personally picking and beautifully packaging these books for the orphanages and school we visited.
9. Faculty, staff and families at Punahou School and Sacred Hearts Academy who gave the orphanages clothes, candy, stuff animals, school supplies and money to buy rice and dried goods.
10. All who bought sleeping bags to help the orphans.
11. Rita Ruiz and The Physical Plant for providing us the transportation to the airport.
12. My dear friends in Viet Nam, I enjoyed having coffee and dinners with you and sharing our good and bad memories.
13. Last, but not least, our students: Tommy Bae, SooJin Byun , Matthew Chan, Lauren Ching, Margot Chock, Courtney Chun, Joshua Cole, Miranda Dang, Roxanne Forbes, Chris Han, Emily Hawkins, Shalynn Ho, Casey Johnson, Kristin Keeno, Brett Komoto, Max Markrich, Elise Minkin, Sara Nishikawa, Stanley Okamoto, Leilani Riahi, Colby Sameshima, Danielle Sullivan, Tiffani Tejada, Courtney Tanaka, and Julia Trotter. I will never forget the time I shared with you all in Viet Nam.
14. And finally, my wife Mimi and my daughter Miranda, also my travel companions. You made me laugh and gave me support, help, strength, and encouragement whenever needed.
Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
With Regards,
Vinh Dang
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Reflections by Auntie Chris
As we sit in the Seoul airport, I have a few moments to reflect on our amazing adventure before we board the plane for Honolulu. We had a wonderful lunch with Chris' brother and father today in Insadong. Although we'll all be happy to see our families and breathe the fresh, tropical air of home, we are quite sad to have this trip come to an end. Some words that will forever spark memories of Vietnam: ostriches, traffic, mopeds, orphanages, ostriches, pig brain, honking, ostriches, villas, facials, massages, ostriches, and "DO YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORT?" (Most of the time, the answer to that question was "yes," thankfully.) We've had many moments of laughter (ostriches), some of tears (saying good-bye at the orphanages), and some of pure wonder (how do people get through this traffic alive??). The students' blog posts say it all, and I won't try to recapture it here. I'm afraid that words can't quite describe all my feelings at the moment. (And I'm working on less than 4 hrs of sleep!) Let me close by saying that traveling with a group of 25 compassionate, energetic, intelligent and humorous students to Vinh's home country was an experience I wish I could share with all my family and friends. When some people say "kids these days. . .," I think, "thank goodness that the 'kids these days' will be in charge because I know we have a bright future." I was so proud of them all along the way, but especially at the orphanages as they embraced the children and shared so much of their hearts. Mahalo nui loa to Vinh, Mimi and 25 future leaders. I cannot thank you all enough.
Aloha,
Auntie Chris (had the good sense to stay off an ostrich :)
(PS Stay tuned as I will upload more pics, blog posts, and videos once we are back in Honolulu. All students will have a chance to write and be video-taped. Mahalo!)
Aloha,
Auntie Chris (had the good sense to stay off an ostrich :)
(PS Stay tuned as I will upload more pics, blog posts, and videos once we are back in Honolulu. All students will have a chance to write and be video-taped. Mahalo!)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
You Gotta See it to Believe It! (Leilani)
Leilani, "Good ostrich. I'm your friend. I like you, Lucas."
Reflection by Josh
When we first arrived in Vietnam, I was amazed by how the roads work. The Vietnamese absolutely are in love with their mopeds and bicycles. Driving to the hotel from the airport was a foreign experience. Mopeds were flying by the bus on both sides. Our busy driver, and the other drivers, seemed as if nothing unusual was going on. Although there weren't very many stoplights on the way back to the hotel, and there were a lot of intersections, everyone seemed to do just fine. At unmarked intersections, mopeds, bicycles, cars, and busses would weave through each other and somehow get to the other side unscathed. The Vietnamese also enjoy tooting their horns. Nearly every vehicle on the road was honking; not because they were upset with other drivers, but because they wanted them to be aware of their presence. Pedestrians are amazingly calm while crossing busy roads. Maybe too calm. I noticed a lot of people meandering across gigantic intersections with hundreds of mopeds crossing as if there were no traffic as all. If people weren't crossing the street, they were sitting on the center medians, or standing on the side of the road just chilling. Papa Dang (Mr. Dang) told me that the Vietnamese love to people watch. It was quite apparent; we passed hundreds of people who were simply relaxing, resting outside of shops or next to the street. After a hair-raising adventure through the streets of down town Ho Chi Minh City, we arrived at the hotel. The thing I loved first about Vietnam, was the traffic.
--Josh
--Josh
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reflections by Miranda, Courtney C., Tiffiani, Leilani, Casey, and Colby
Thoughts by Mandy:
As I sit on the beach, digesting my amazing traditional Vietnamese dinner, I reminisce my past few days here. Every time I come to Vietnam, I always feel a connection and spiritual bond. The people, the scenery, the culture, and the food, simply plants this indestructible love for this country. On the first day we visited the War Museum, in the eyes of Vietnamese it was named the American War. Having been here before, I warn my friend Leilani that there are things in this museum that could have a hard impact on her. What I failed to predict, was that I would have felt this impact as well. To see and read what the Vietnam War did to thousands of innocent villagers and civilians rips my heart. From reading history books given to us by U.S. teachers we perceive the American side of the story, but not the side who we fight against. The War Museum is put in the perspective of the North Vietnamese, which is something you don’t hear about very often.
The next day we traveled to the Mekong Delta, one of the longest rivers in the world. The Mekong stretches through many different countries. As we sat on the blue hard benches plastered to the floor of our motorboat, our tour guide provided us with tid-bits of information. When we arrived on Unicorn Island we immediately surrounded the mounds of un-cracked coconuts and learned how to make the infamous coconut candy. Everyone bought on average six packages of different flavored coconut candy. In return the owner of the factory wanted to give us even more coconut candy as a thank you for boosting their sales.
I enjoy every experience I have in Vietnam, I always have something different to try and something new always occurs. Basically, I never get bored in Vietnam.
Thoughts by Courtney C.:
My favorite experience so far
As I sit on the beach, digesting my amazing traditional Vietnamese dinner, I reminisce my past few days here. Every time I come to Vietnam, I always feel a connection and spiritual bond. The people, the scenery, the culture, and the food, simply plants this indestructible love for this country. On the first day we visited the War Museum, in the eyes of Vietnamese it was named the American War. Having been here before, I warn my friend Leilani that there are things in this museum that could have a hard impact on her. What I failed to predict, was that I would have felt this impact as well. To see and read what the Vietnam War did to thousands of innocent villagers and civilians rips my heart. From reading history books given to us by U.S. teachers we perceive the American side of the story, but not the side who we fight against. The War Museum is put in the perspective of the North Vietnamese, which is something you don’t hear about very often.
The next day we traveled to the Mekong Delta, one of the longest rivers in the world. The Mekong stretches through many different countries. As we sat on the blue hard benches plastered to the floor of our motorboat, our tour guide provided us with tid-bits of information. When we arrived on Unicorn Island we immediately surrounded the mounds of un-cracked coconuts and learned how to make the infamous coconut candy. Everyone bought on average six packages of different flavored coconut candy. In return the owner of the factory wanted to give us even more coconut candy as a thank you for boosting their sales.
I enjoy every experience I have in Vietnam, I always have something different to try and something new always occurs. Basically, I never get bored in Vietnam.
Thoughts by Courtney C.:
My favorite experience so far
has been the trip to Mango Park. I’d been waiting for this day since the beginning of the trip, I was literally jumping around I was so happy. The moment we got there, the tour guide welcomed us in like we were all friends. I also learned immediately that there was more to this park than I originally thought. Not only was there Ostrich riding, but grass skiing, grass sledding, crocodile farms, and much, much more. I couldn’t believe it. It only got better from there. The first things we saw were the crocodiles. At first, we saw tons and tons of little baby crocs nestling around each other in concrete stalls. Then, as we made our way father down, we noticed the big crocs. Most of them were lying on the ground with their mouths wide open. I couldn’t believe how big they were! The next activity we did was grass sledding. It looked easy when they were demonstrating it, but I soon found out that was definitely not the case. The sleds were a little small and hard to steer. Some rides were good, and some were epically bad. One time, Colby and I actually hit a tree going up a hill and rolled back down. We were fine, though. (Whew (!) say the chaperones!!) After a nice little break, We headed over to the ostriches. I was so ecstatic! When we got there, the ostriches looked a lot bigger than I thought they would. Max and Josh volunteered to go first. I was dead set on going next. Watching the first two was hilarious. I thought it’d be pretty easy. However, when I stepped into that ostrich cage and saw them all towering over me, I started to get kind of scared. As soon as I was helped on to one, it took off. Although I was scared out of my mind, I was also having a blast. It slowed a little, and eventually started sauntering around the cage at a very slow pace. I saw Mandy fall off (she was fine and actually landed standing up!), so I was holding on pretty tight. When my turn was up, I was very satisfied. I felt like I’d accomplished a life goal. That experience was one of the best experiences of my life!
Thoughts by Tiff:
Xin Chao !
This is Tiff, one of the seven freshmen on the trip. In the process of preparing for this trip, I was most definitely looking forward to going to the orphanages, which was a big part of why I decided to go on this trip. The first orphanage we went to was run by Christian nuns, and it was an all girls orphanage filled with girls ranging from about 4-16 years old. I thought these girls were very mature and they even spoke a little English. It was very fun interacting with them and we even played with a Frisbee in a big circle filled with orphans, students, and even the head ‘mama’ at the orphanage. There were four groups of Punahou students who did different activities with them. The activities included decorating t-shirts, watercolor painting and coloring, making bracelets, and making picture frames out of popsicles and other supplies with pictures of each orphan that we took when we were there. Our group of freshmen girls did the bracelet making, which did involve a little skill that they surprisingly picked up very quickly. These girls enjoyed taking pictures with us and one little girl even snapped a few shots on my camera. They became very excited when you showed them the actual picture we just took. It was a little sad leaving the orphanage and hugging the girls goodbye, but it was glad to see them with a huge smile on their face when waving goodbye as we left in the bus.
The second orphanage we went to was a little different because it was in a Buddhist atmosphere. These children were way smaller than the first orphanage; the youngest orphan a baby and the oldest one about 8 years old. There were also a few other orphans at school while we were there. Since they were little and didn’t speak any Vietnamese, it was extremely hard to communicate with them. None of them understood us and it was very hard when we first got there, watching them just stand there with a straight face not knowing what was going on. After a little waiting to get settled, I took a few pictures of the young ones and showed those pictures to them. They became excited and soon wanted me to take more pictures of them. We did our activities under cover on the floor, in the same room where they practice their religion. It was quite comfortable compared to being under the hot sun in the humid air.
After getting settled in the area where we were going to do our activities, I immediately got attached to one of the little girls. She was about three years old and didn’t understand anything I said to her, but somehow the communication between us led to a strong bond throughout the few hours we were there. I pretty much spent every minute with her and didn’t leave her side until we left the orphanage. I believe she became very comfortable with me because as I would bend down to carry her, she somehow automatically knew what I was going to do so she put her arms around me so I could pick her up and carry her. The popsicle picture frame her and I made was of a picture of the two of us, and after we made it she didn’t want to put it down even though there was wet glitter and other things drying on it. As the time to say goodbye started to arrive, I knew I would get extremely sad knowing that I’d most likely not ever see her again. I am seriously considering and wanting to come back in four years and adopt her. After nearly 3 hours, I was very attached to this girl and she was basically already my little sister. Hopefully I’ll come back and see her again. I’m looking forward to spring break in 3 years !
Thoughts by Leilani:
One of the most remarkable experiences of my life took place during the exciting adventure my friends and I have been undergoing during spring break, when I explored a Vietnamese War Museum, and understood the perspective of the Vietnam War from their point of view. The moment I stepped into the War Museum, I knew I was in for a shock of a lifetime while finally understanding the consequences that the war had directly towards Vietnamese people. My eyes instantly averted to the huge photographs hanging from the walls, as each different picture was an illusive insight on the pain and agony the Vietnamese people had to face because of our nation's invasion into their homeland, as innocent civilians of all different age groups and families were shown ruthlessly being killed or disfigured due to the violence. As I moved on from one picture to the next, i realized that our nation could have avoided this war altogether, because it was not our war to fight, not our battle to win, and thousands of Vietnamese people could have been saved from there fate. As I moved along the walls of photographs, I instantly stopped in my tracks to stare eye to eye with a beautiful, sad picture of two brothers about to get shot by an American soldier. The older brother then began to protect his younger brother, showing the love they shared. This really hit me as how war affects each and every person in a certain way, no matter who you are. Peace is always the way to go.
Thoughts by Casey:
After seeing the first couple of people riding the Ostrich I was pretty much scared to death. It was really hot and I had to sit on top of an unhappy ostrich, and stay there for a formidable length of time. For some reason I didn’t think that it was the best idea. Finally I was able to convince myself that it would be a “good” experience, so I grabbed a helmet and went into the ostrich pen where I promptly started freaking out. The ostriches were huge, and they didn’t look anything like they do on animal planet. When you think of an ostrich you usually imagine its body being covered in sleek black feathers, these looked NOTHING like that. They were pretty sick looking and bald in many places I’m pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be. The people working there had me step onto a ledge so I could get onto their backs. Unfortunately the ostriches were pretty tired of giving people rides, so they weren’t cooperating. So the workers started to slap them to try and get them to walk over to me. I was really hoping that they weren’t forcing it to do anything it didn’t really want to do since it was bigger than me. As far as I was concerned it could do whatever it wanted. After I was finally situated on its back I was instructed to lean back and hold on tight, and that’s exactly what I did. It wasn’t comfortable, I was half scared to death, my ostrich wasn’t very nice, and I was dying of heat. I can’t even begin to imagine what my facial expression must have looked like. Shocked? Scared? Freaked out? A combination of the three? Regardless that was definitely one of the strangest (and most interesting) experiences ever.
Thoughts by Colby:
Vietnam, what can I say. I couldn't be having a BETTER spring break. I absolutely LOVE this trip, the people, and most of all VIETNAM. Before this, I had never been to Asia, much less anywhere outside of the U.S. besides Canada for a few days, and I am sooo happy to be able to say that I will have spent the first time in Vietnam with some of the best people EVER. These past days have been so exhilirating and amazing. Just to cover some highlights...
Sunsets that fade into blurs of purple, orange, pink, like the colorful, unique, DELICIOUSS food that I want to learn how to make back at home. Not to mention I tasted the very FIRST tea that I have and will probably ever like. I decided to be adventurous and go ahead and try some exotic foods, as some would say. So far I've eaten some delicious crocodile, ostrich, pig bowel, pig brain, and sea cucumber.
Ostriches with pokey butts, shaved for our comfort as we ride them, clutching their wings for dear life, pulling with all our might so we didn't fall off, though some did, mostly due to some pretty vicious and fiesty personalities. My ostrich, that I decided to name Oscar, was luckily awesome. He was a little slow, but nonetheless awesome.
Friendly smiles, detailed with heavy accents, curiously gaze at us as we walk by. The people are so helpful and hard-working, paired with amazing deals and prices with one US dollar equalling 18,000 Vietnmaese dong.
Today was the first full day at this ABSOLUTELY STUNNING AND AMAZING resort. The nicest place I have EVER and probably will ever stay, it makes me count my blessings again and again and again, and appreciate the fact that I was able to come on this trip. Waking up after falling asleep to a pirated version of High School Musical 3 (previously bought the day before for 10,000 dong) at 8:20, the comfy beds embraced and comforted us with welcoming arms, just like the people here. Today was a day full of freedom, we could go to breakfast anytime from 7-10 and do mostly whatever we wanted to. Spending most of our time in the pool and in the sun, surrounded by tropical plants and lizards, we lathered up in sunscreen layer after layer after layer again and again, so scared to get burned. It didnt do much for me though, my shoulders feel like they have been grilled by the hands of the sun, like the delicious spring rolls and egg pancakes at the delicious buffets we've had here. (Sorry mom, but I put aloe on it just now!).
The highlight of this day, however, was definitely towards the end of the day. After finding out jetski-ing would cost $60, it was no loose stitch in the blanket of vietnam, as anything here is phenomenal to me. We strolled along the beach for what seemed like hours, scanning the sand for seashells, discovering so much on the littered and dark shores by the line of resorts. As I found the styrofoam platter, ghetto and lying strayed on the beach, we piled our shimmering treasures onto it, continuing down the miles and miles of sand, which turned out to only be a few hotels distance. I found my very first live barnacles and saw some mussels move themselves, I was super excited by that. We plopped ourselves down when we got tired, stretching out on the soft, silky sand and as we looked up, I saw the most beautiful thing EVER. The sun, sky, and clouds formed a pictoresque painting, seriously looking like, well, heaven. The beams of light were peeping out from the clouds here and there, forming what seems like paths to those pearly gates, all against the pastel of sky, smooth purple and pinks. It was a good day. :)
Thoughts by Tiff:
Xin Chao !
This is Tiff, one of the seven freshmen on the trip. In the process of preparing for this trip, I was most definitely looking forward to going to the orphanages, which was a big part of why I decided to go on this trip. The first orphanage we went to was run by Christian nuns, and it was an all girls orphanage filled with girls ranging from about 4-16 years old. I thought these girls were very mature and they even spoke a little English. It was very fun interacting with them and we even played with a Frisbee in a big circle filled with orphans, students, and even the head ‘mama’ at the orphanage. There were four groups of Punahou students who did different activities with them. The activities included decorating t-shirts, watercolor painting and coloring, making bracelets, and making picture frames out of popsicles and other supplies with pictures of each orphan that we took when we were there. Our group of freshmen girls did the bracelet making, which did involve a little skill that they surprisingly picked up very quickly. These girls enjoyed taking pictures with us and one little girl even snapped a few shots on my camera. They became very excited when you showed them the actual picture we just took. It was a little sad leaving the orphanage and hugging the girls goodbye, but it was glad to see them with a huge smile on their face when waving goodbye as we left in the bus.
The second orphanage we went to was a little different because it was in a Buddhist atmosphere. These children were way smaller than the first orphanage; the youngest orphan a baby and the oldest one about 8 years old. There were also a few other orphans at school while we were there. Since they were little and didn’t speak any Vietnamese, it was extremely hard to communicate with them. None of them understood us and it was very hard when we first got there, watching them just stand there with a straight face not knowing what was going on. After a little waiting to get settled, I took a few pictures of the young ones and showed those pictures to them. They became excited and soon wanted me to take more pictures of them. We did our activities under cover on the floor, in the same room where they practice their religion. It was quite comfortable compared to being under the hot sun in the humid air.
After getting settled in the area where we were going to do our activities, I immediately got attached to one of the little girls. She was about three years old and didn’t understand anything I said to her, but somehow the communication between us led to a strong bond throughout the few hours we were there. I pretty much spent every minute with her and didn’t leave her side until we left the orphanage. I believe she became very comfortable with me because as I would bend down to carry her, she somehow automatically knew what I was going to do so she put her arms around me so I could pick her up and carry her. The popsicle picture frame her and I made was of a picture of the two of us, and after we made it she didn’t want to put it down even though there was wet glitter and other things drying on it. As the time to say goodbye started to arrive, I knew I would get extremely sad knowing that I’d most likely not ever see her again. I am seriously considering and wanting to come back in four years and adopt her. After nearly 3 hours, I was very attached to this girl and she was basically already my little sister. Hopefully I’ll come back and see her again. I’m looking forward to spring break in 3 years !
Thoughts by Leilani:
One of the most remarkable experiences of my life took place during the exciting adventure my friends and I have been undergoing during spring break, when I explored a Vietnamese War Museum, and understood the perspective of the Vietnam War from their point of view. The moment I stepped into the War Museum, I knew I was in for a shock of a lifetime while finally understanding the consequences that the war had directly towards Vietnamese people. My eyes instantly averted to the huge photographs hanging from the walls, as each different picture was an illusive insight on the pain and agony the Vietnamese people had to face because of our nation's invasion into their homeland, as innocent civilians of all different age groups and families were shown ruthlessly being killed or disfigured due to the violence. As I moved on from one picture to the next, i realized that our nation could have avoided this war altogether, because it was not our war to fight, not our battle to win, and thousands of Vietnamese people could have been saved from there fate. As I moved along the walls of photographs, I instantly stopped in my tracks to stare eye to eye with a beautiful, sad picture of two brothers about to get shot by an American soldier. The older brother then began to protect his younger brother, showing the love they shared. This really hit me as how war affects each and every person in a certain way, no matter who you are. Peace is always the way to go.
Thoughts by Casey:
After seeing the first couple of people riding the Ostrich I was pretty much scared to death. It was really hot and I had to sit on top of an unhappy ostrich, and stay there for a formidable length of time. For some reason I didn’t think that it was the best idea. Finally I was able to convince myself that it would be a “good” experience, so I grabbed a helmet and went into the ostrich pen where I promptly started freaking out. The ostriches were huge, and they didn’t look anything like they do on animal planet. When you think of an ostrich you usually imagine its body being covered in sleek black feathers, these looked NOTHING like that. They were pretty sick looking and bald in many places I’m pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be. The people working there had me step onto a ledge so I could get onto their backs. Unfortunately the ostriches were pretty tired of giving people rides, so they weren’t cooperating. So the workers started to slap them to try and get them to walk over to me. I was really hoping that they weren’t forcing it to do anything it didn’t really want to do since it was bigger than me. As far as I was concerned it could do whatever it wanted. After I was finally situated on its back I was instructed to lean back and hold on tight, and that’s exactly what I did. It wasn’t comfortable, I was half scared to death, my ostrich wasn’t very nice, and I was dying of heat. I can’t even begin to imagine what my facial expression must have looked like. Shocked? Scared? Freaked out? A combination of the three? Regardless that was definitely one of the strangest (and most interesting) experiences ever.
Thoughts by Colby:
Vietnam, what can I say. I couldn't be having a BETTER spring break. I absolutely LOVE this trip, the people, and most of all VIETNAM. Before this, I had never been to Asia, much less anywhere outside of the U.S. besides Canada for a few days, and I am sooo happy to be able to say that I will have spent the first time in Vietnam with some of the best people EVER. These past days have been so exhilirating and amazing. Just to cover some highlights...
Sunsets that fade into blurs of purple, orange, pink, like the colorful, unique, DELICIOUSS food that I want to learn how to make back at home. Not to mention I tasted the very FIRST tea that I have and will probably ever like. I decided to be adventurous and go ahead and try some exotic foods, as some would say. So far I've eaten some delicious crocodile, ostrich, pig bowel, pig brain, and sea cucumber.
Ostriches with pokey butts, shaved for our comfort as we ride them, clutching their wings for dear life, pulling with all our might so we didn't fall off, though some did, mostly due to some pretty vicious and fiesty personalities. My ostrich, that I decided to name Oscar, was luckily awesome. He was a little slow, but nonetheless awesome.
Friendly smiles, detailed with heavy accents, curiously gaze at us as we walk by. The people are so helpful and hard-working, paired with amazing deals and prices with one US dollar equalling 18,000 Vietnmaese dong.
Today was the first full day at this ABSOLUTELY STUNNING AND AMAZING resort. The nicest place I have EVER and probably will ever stay, it makes me count my blessings again and again and again, and appreciate the fact that I was able to come on this trip. Waking up after falling asleep to a pirated version of High School Musical 3 (previously bought the day before for 10,000 dong) at 8:20, the comfy beds embraced and comforted us with welcoming arms, just like the people here. Today was a day full of freedom, we could go to breakfast anytime from 7-10 and do mostly whatever we wanted to. Spending most of our time in the pool and in the sun, surrounded by tropical plants and lizards, we lathered up in sunscreen layer after layer after layer again and again, so scared to get burned. It didnt do much for me though, my shoulders feel like they have been grilled by the hands of the sun, like the delicious spring rolls and egg pancakes at the delicious buffets we've had here. (Sorry mom, but I put aloe on it just now!).
The highlight of this day, however, was definitely towards the end of the day. After finding out jetski-ing would cost $60, it was no loose stitch in the blanket of vietnam, as anything here is phenomenal to me. We strolled along the beach for what seemed like hours, scanning the sand for seashells, discovering so much on the littered and dark shores by the line of resorts. As I found the styrofoam platter, ghetto and lying strayed on the beach, we piled our shimmering treasures onto it, continuing down the miles and miles of sand, which turned out to only be a few hotels distance. I found my very first live barnacles and saw some mussels move themselves, I was super excited by that. We plopped ourselves down when we got tired, stretching out on the soft, silky sand and as we looked up, I saw the most beautiful thing EVER. The sun, sky, and clouds formed a pictoresque painting, seriously looking like, well, heaven. The beams of light were peeping out from the clouds here and there, forming what seems like paths to those pearly gates, all against the pastel of sky, smooth purple and pinks. It was a good day. :)
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