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
Fearless Papa Dang
Monday, March 30, 2009
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. :)
Ostrich Photos--part 3
Parents--if you don't see your child pictured--either he/she had the good sense to stay off an ostrich or Ms. David was laughing too hard to take a decent picture. :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Reflections by Tommy, SooJin, Stanley and Lauren
Thoughts by Tommy:
Today, we had another exciting adventure visiting the Mekong Delta and shopping in Vietnam. Waking up at 6:00 in the morning, everyone slowly made their way to breakfast to have a nice buffet. I, personally, was happy that there was some regular, American food aside from the pig’s womb, stomach, brain, and ear last night. After eating a plate full of pastries, scrambled eggs, and fried rice, I went back up to my room and got ready for our trip to Mekong Delta. The bus ride, to the delta, took about an hour and a half but wasn’t as dreadful as I thought. Soojin and I got the honor of being able to sit at the front of the bus and saw all the traffic. Vietnam, I would say from the traffic, is an exciting country. With hardly any proper traffic lights and signs, the staggering numbers of mopeds and cars just go about honking and weaving around the streets.
After driving for some time, we finally reached our destination: the Mekong Delta. Coming to the delta, we arrived at port and were told that a boat was coming to take us on a tour. While waiting, a lot of us decided to buy traditional, Vietnamese hats for 15,000 VND and boarded the boat. Walking to the dock, I noticed that the boat we were riding was made out of wood and had a simple motor. While taking a seat on the benches in the boat, we were greeted by a Vietnamese tour guide who introduced herself as Flower. Speaking English fairly well, our tour guide briefed us about the Mekong Delta and said that the delta was constituted of four islands: unicorn, dragon, turtle, and phoenix. Yet, due to our schedule, she told us that we were going to only visit Unicorn and Dragon Island to the see a coconut factory, drink some honey tea, and take boat ride down the Mekong River. Arriving first at Unicorn Island, we were given the opportunity to see an actual coconut factory and learn about the process to making the candy. I, in particular, took notice of how fast the workers were able to wrap and package the candy. Looking at one of the woman’s hand, she wrapped the individual candies in the rice paper within a matter of seconds. Looking around the factory, our tour guide then turned our attention to table stacked with candies and asked if we were willing to buy some. With everyone wanting to buy some candy, we crowded around the tables and asked about the different flavors they had. Explaining the various type of candy, our tour guide recommended that buying five packages of candy was a good amount because then you would get a sixth package for free. As everyone took up the offer, we all came out of the factory mostly with six packs of candy.
Shortly after coming out of the factory, we headed over to the next hut on the island to try some honey tea. I must say that the tea was extremely good and tasteful, even though I am not much of a fan of sweet things. While sipping some of the tea, Mr. Dang decided to hand out some of the dolls and clothes we brought. It was a matter seconds before people starting crowding and peeking over Mr. Dang’s shoulder to see the items that were in the boxes. As Mr. Dang began distributing the items, the people got more and more excited and started to dig into the boxes themselves. Sitting at a table and drinking my tea, I was amazed at how desperate and happy the people were to be getting dolls, clothes, toothpaste, and other objects as well.
Moving on with our tour, we went down to the Mekong River to ride boats similar to that of a gondola. With three people per boat, we systematically paddled out into the water. The boat ride was very peaceful and took about fifteen minutes. Going down the river, we were able to appreciate the natural environment and see some of the rural houses that were built over the water. After coming out of the river, we then hopped onto to our tour boat and sailed back to the dock. On our way back, the tour guide entertained us by telling stories and even got a couple of the kids to sing with the microphone on the boat. We had Miranda and Courtney sing Beyonce and got Courtney and Leilani to sing Hannah Montana. Arriving at the dock, we thanked our tour guide and boarded our bus to go back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel, the chaperones allowed us to break up into groups and go shopping. My group decided to the go to the market place. It was during our shopping that I learned that bargaining with the Vietnamese is not easy. At one shop, my group decided to buy some pirated DVD for a dollar and bargained with the owner to reduce the price. We repeatedly handed each other the calculator to show the price we wanted and even threatened them that we weren’t going to buy the DVD if they were unwilling to give us a discount. It took about thirty minutes before the owner decided to give us the price we wanted. Overall, I would say that my Vietnam experience has been great and am looking forward to go ostrich riding tomorrow!
The trip to the Mekong Delta on our second day was a very memorable experience. The bus ride to the river took around an hour and a half and we took a tourist boat to two islands, Unicorn Island and Dragon Island. On the first island we visited a coconut candy factory where we learned the process of cutting the coconuts, making the actual candy, and the packaging process. Everyone in our group ended up buying coconut candies because they was so tasty and were a good deal. The friendly locals greeted us and this year we decided to bring some of the collected items to give to them. Mr. Dang gave a stuffed animal to one child and within a matter of minutes, kids and adults started swarming up to Mr. Dang to get a stuffed animal. It was interesting to see that the locals, even the adults and the elders preferred stuffed animals and dolls to personal hygiene products and more practical items. When Mr. and Mrs. Dang passed out the stuffed animals, the villagers’ were overjoyed to receive these items and they constantly expressed their gratitude. I was surprised to find out that the profits the villagers earned from our candy purchases were the equivalent of almost a months profit. This experience to the Mekong Delta made me realize how fortunate I am to live in a place where education and living essentials such as food, shelter, and water are available to almost all people. These locals seemed content with their stuffed animals and I was welcomed with open arms. I was also amazed to find that the Vietnamese could withstand the hot, humid weather. While everyone in the group wore short sleeve shirts and shorts and were constantly fanning themselves when they were not in the air condition, the locals wore long sleeves and long pants while outside in the sun. Most of people in Vietnam ride mopeds instead of cars and the road stoplight system here fascinated me. Everyone seemed to know how to avoid certain areas of the road and weave in and out of the other cars and mopeds. The stoplights are not advanced but people seemed to know what to do in difficult, and rather sticky traffic situations. This trip has definitely opened my eyes to the things I took granted and it has humbled myself. Even the most minute things I consider trivial hold great value and significance to the Vietnamese and this made me appreciate everything I have in my life that most people in the world lack.
Thoughts by Stanley:
Today (March 23) we went to the Mekong Delta, a couple hours away from Ho Chi Min city (though I’m not too sure; I was sleeping on the bus the whole time). Among the more notable things we did there were visiting a “coconut factory” place and taking a relaxing drift down a small side river. Several boxes were donated to the residents of the islands we visited as well. One word can effectively describe my experience in the Mekong Delta (and I think the others will agree): HOT. It was basically a sauna, and I think it’s safe to say that everybody had waterfalls of perspiration cascading down their faces.
The coconut factory we visited was on Unicorn Island, but there were other factories on the other islands as well. The coconuts are made into small bite-sized candies, and nothing goes to waste. Everything from husk to coconut milk is used to make something, whether it be scrumptious candies or a coconut milk drink. The candies are all handmade— no assembly lines involved—and the creation of a single candy takes hours of delicate work and constant attention. No wonder they’re so delicious! I bought 12 packages yesterday, and sorry, mom, but I don’t think any candies are going to manage to enter the USA save for the ones that will be in my stomach.
After the coconut factory and a small bit of walking, we were all able to drift down a small side river to the main river. It was very relaxing and similar to gondola riding in Venice, but for some reason I liked the sweltering hot ride on a Mekong side river compared to a nighttime ride around Venice.
On each of the islands we visited, residents flocked toward us when they saw our boxes of donations. They were so excited to see small stuffed animals and other items. What we take for granted put huge grins on everybody there; from infants to adults. It was a humbling experience, and one that I would be more than willing to relive.
Finally, when we were on the bus about to head back to Ho Chi Minh city, Mrs. Dang told us that the coconut candy sales we contributed to matched previous monthly sales. So not only did we donate boxes of happiness, but we also greatly aided their local economy.
For lack of better words, the pure awesomeness of the day made up for any downfalls (like the deathly weather), and now, I’m going to eat.
Thoughts by Lauren:
Today we took a riverboat to visit the Mekong Delta, and visited several islands along the river. Visiting the Mekong Delta was an amazing adventure, and allowed us to get a taste of what it really is like to live in Vietnam.
Our day started with a delicious buffet breakfast at around 7:00. Then by 8:00 we all boarded the bus to take us to the Mekong delta. The ride was about two hours, in which time we all either took a nap, watched the moving landscape, or talked with some friends. When we finally got to the delta, we had a bit of time before getting on the boat in which we all took turns buying some refreshments or a traditional Vietnamese hat to protect us from the sun, all of which were under 17,000 VND (or about 1 US dollar).
Our first stop on the delta was a coconut factory, where we got to see how to make the delicious Vietnamese coconut factory, and had a chance to purchase some of the candy. Most of us bought about five or ten packs of candy, because for every five we got one free, which only cost us either 100,000 or 200,000 VND, which is only about 7 or 14 US dollars. We later found out that because our party was so large, and we had bought so much, our purchases alone made the coconut factory’s quota for the month. Although we hadn’t really bought very much by American standards, it had obviously been a lot to the villagers, who were living on the bare minimum, so our purchases really meant a lot to them, especially in the global economy crisis, which had lowered the number of tourists who came to Vietnam. Going the factory, not only showed us how hard the Vietnamese people worked for every Dollar, or in their case Dong, and how poor the country was, but it also showed how the economic crisis has spread through out the world, not just affecting us in America, but also those in Vietnam, who were already living in poverty.
After the coconut factory, we went to several other places on the island. First we had some honey tea at a little teashop, where they made their own honey. Then we had some local fresh fruits, while watching some of the villagers sing and dance for us. Finally we meet up with the boat by taking a gondola like canoe along a river on the island, getting to see much of the island’s foliage. Along the way Mr. Dang passed out some of the donations that we collected for the trip, and every time he opened a box or unzipped a suitcase, the villagers quickly crowded around the area, calling their friends and family over to get something. It was amazing to see how thankful the villagers were to get any type of donation, some cloths, or a little teddy bear, no matter what it was they seemed so excited to receive it.
On the next island, we took a horse drawn carriage, and visited a Buddhist grave sight. The donkey that was taking me must have been pretty excited, because once the last person in my group got on to the carriage, he just took off going about 20 miles per hour, or should I say about 32 kilometers per hour (since Vietnam, like most of the world uses the metric system). This island seemed to be quite peaceful, and relaxing, especially as we walked through the Buddhist grave sight.
As we rode back on the riverboat, our tour guide explained to us that the Vietnamese have a tradition of singing, during any activity, whether it be working in the fields, or using the WC (restroom), the Vietnamese used song to pass the time away. So because of this tradition she invited us to sing, while we rode back, and a few of us sang a wide range of songs, from Beyonce to Hannah Montana.
Over all the experience on the Mekong delta was quite fun, we all got to learn more about Vietnamese culture, and see more of the Vietnamese lifestyles.
Reflections by Brett, Elise, Dani, Max, and Margot
Brett's thoughts:
Today we went to a park were we went “grass sledding” (I went grass sledding with Max, who is a horrible driver. :) , and Ostrich riding. Yes, ostrich riding--you didn't misread that! We also ate exotic meats such as crocodile, and ostrich--not the ones we rode, thankfully. The ostrich tasted just like normal beef, and crocodile tasted like chicken. After a few hours at the park we took the bus to a Buddhist orphanage, on the way to the Allezboo resort. Many of the older orphans were at school, so we did activities such as painting, picture frame making, and badminton with the younger kids. One of the young girls I worked with tried to run away multiple times, one time running out of the orphanage gate. I chased her to pick her up and take her back inside. I think she wanted to get on the bus with us. Many of these kids did not know English so we did the best we could communicating with each other without words. The nuns running the orphanage then gave us some incredibly delicious soup, which we gladly ate after a good days work.
Elise's thoughts:
Today, we visited Mango Farms. After getting super cut up while “grass sledding,” we then went to ride the ostriches. I had been looking forward to riding the ostriches since the informational meeting way back in October. Watching the people go before me, the ostriches seemed pretty calm but would occasionally speed up and give the rider a scare. I soon went to go for my turn. Once I got in the shed where about eight ostriches were waiting, I asked, “Can I have a calm ostrich?” Mr. Dang translated this to the men helping people mount the horses and they gave me an ostrich. I mounted and the men sent the ostrich out of the shed. It went running out really fast, like many did, but while most very quickly slowed down to a very slow trot, mine kept racing along. Terrified, I held on really tight. I managed to stay on to my amazement, but as it got to the end of the run and was supposed to go back to the shed, it started spinning around, throwing me way to the left. Thank goodness for soft landings and chaperones who make us wear helmets. Soon I found myself on the ground with my butt throbbing. Even though it hurts a little, I am still glad I rode the ostrich because not many people can say that they've done that.
Dani's thoughts:
we woke up ridiculously early, so we could travel to the Mango Garden Farm, visit the orphanage, and get to our resort before nighttime. At the Mango Garden farm, we saw a lot of baby crocodiles, a monkey, turkeys, and ostriches. We also went grass luging, which hurt when you fell off, and some went grass skiing. After all of that, we went to the ostriches, and rode them without any harnesses or anything, just holding really tightly onto their wings, and of course with helmets since our chaperones required them. :) It was scary because I kept feeling like I was going to slip off on either side. The ostrich didn't have many feathers where your legs went, so it was poking our legs. After I almost fell off trying to get off of the ostrich, I discovered the ostrich's dead skin all over my legs, which were sticky from the muggy weather. Yum. We ate lunch at the Mango Garden farm, where we ate ostrich meat, ostrich egg, crocodile, and some ate the ostrich's gizzard and liver. After that, we took a three hour bus ride to a Buddhist orphanage, where we colored with the kids and played badminton with them. They ranged in age from a little baby to around 8 years old, and the oldest were just coming back from school. They graciously gave us noodles and a tasty spicy broth. We finally arrive at our resort, which is so amazing. There are three swimming pools, with the beach right at our side. When we first came, they gave us towels and fruit juice. We love being pampered!
Max's thoughts:
Today was an eventful day for us. It started off very very very early. We had to get into the bus early and be on our way to the amusement park place where we could ride on ostriches. Riding ostriches was a lot of fun even though some were a bit feisty. The riding was a lot of fun. After that we went to an orphanage were we played badminton. The children were all young, nice and polite. When we arrived at Allezboo we all jumped for joy, and it was awesome. :)
Margot's thoughts:
So far we've been in Vietnam for a total of 3 days. Everyday seems so
long--because we do so much. We've gotten a lot done and it always surprises me when I
realize that we have only been here for 3 days. Today we started by
waking up at 5:30 am so that we could get an early start to go to Mango
Gardens. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at Mango Garden where there
were birds, fishing ponds, crocodiles, and ostriches. The ostriches
were the highlight of the trip. They were big and grey and losing
feathers. Overall they were not a pretty sight and very intimidating.
It was interesting since when riding the ostriches there were no
saddles or reins. All you did was hold tight to the wing bones and
hold on with your legs (and wear helmets, of course :). Although it was a once in a life time
experience...I didn't go. Yea, the ostriches were big, and I'm small.
I was scared, I admit it. But after the ostriches we ate ostriches and
crocodile. Both were good. Then we took a 3 hour ride to the
orphanage. We were low-key because it was later in the day
and there weren't as many children there as at the orphanage in Saigon but it was very fun and the nuns fed us
a lot of good food. And now we are in Allezboo!!! and Dani and I ran
onto the beach and I did a cartwheel..except not because I don't know
how to.
Today we went to a park were we went “grass sledding” (I went grass sledding with Max, who is a horrible driver. :) , and Ostrich riding. Yes, ostrich riding--you didn't misread that! We also ate exotic meats such as crocodile, and ostrich--not the ones we rode, thankfully. The ostrich tasted just like normal beef, and crocodile tasted like chicken. After a few hours at the park we took the bus to a Buddhist orphanage, on the way to the Allezboo resort. Many of the older orphans were at school, so we did activities such as painting, picture frame making, and badminton with the younger kids. One of the young girls I worked with tried to run away multiple times, one time running out of the orphanage gate. I chased her to pick her up and take her back inside. I think she wanted to get on the bus with us. Many of these kids did not know English so we did the best we could communicating with each other without words. The nuns running the orphanage then gave us some incredibly delicious soup, which we gladly ate after a good days work.
Elise's thoughts:
Today, we visited Mango Farms. After getting super cut up while “grass sledding,” we then went to ride the ostriches. I had been looking forward to riding the ostriches since the informational meeting way back in October. Watching the people go before me, the ostriches seemed pretty calm but would occasionally speed up and give the rider a scare. I soon went to go for my turn. Once I got in the shed where about eight ostriches were waiting, I asked, “Can I have a calm ostrich?” Mr. Dang translated this to the men helping people mount the horses and they gave me an ostrich. I mounted and the men sent the ostrich out of the shed. It went running out really fast, like many did, but while most very quickly slowed down to a very slow trot, mine kept racing along. Terrified, I held on really tight. I managed to stay on to my amazement, but as it got to the end of the run and was supposed to go back to the shed, it started spinning around, throwing me way to the left. Thank goodness for soft landings and chaperones who make us wear helmets. Soon I found myself on the ground with my butt throbbing. Even though it hurts a little, I am still glad I rode the ostrich because not many people can say that they've done that.
Dani's thoughts:
we woke up ridiculously early, so we could travel to the Mango Garden Farm, visit the orphanage, and get to our resort before nighttime. At the Mango Garden farm, we saw a lot of baby crocodiles, a monkey, turkeys, and ostriches. We also went grass luging, which hurt when you fell off, and some went grass skiing. After all of that, we went to the ostriches, and rode them without any harnesses or anything, just holding really tightly onto their wings, and of course with helmets since our chaperones required them. :) It was scary because I kept feeling like I was going to slip off on either side. The ostrich didn't have many feathers where your legs went, so it was poking our legs. After I almost fell off trying to get off of the ostrich, I discovered the ostrich's dead skin all over my legs, which were sticky from the muggy weather. Yum. We ate lunch at the Mango Garden farm, where we ate ostrich meat, ostrich egg, crocodile, and some ate the ostrich's gizzard and liver. After that, we took a three hour bus ride to a Buddhist orphanage, where we colored with the kids and played badminton with them. They ranged in age from a little baby to around 8 years old, and the oldest were just coming back from school. They graciously gave us noodles and a tasty spicy broth. We finally arrive at our resort, which is so amazing. There are three swimming pools, with the beach right at our side. When we first came, they gave us towels and fruit juice. We love being pampered!
Max's thoughts:
Today was an eventful day for us. It started off very very very early. We had to get into the bus early and be on our way to the amusement park place where we could ride on ostriches. Riding ostriches was a lot of fun even though some were a bit feisty. The riding was a lot of fun. After that we went to an orphanage were we played badminton. The children were all young, nice and polite. When we arrived at Allezboo we all jumped for joy, and it was awesome. :)
Margot's thoughts:
So far we've been in Vietnam for a total of 3 days. Everyday seems so
long--because we do so much. We've gotten a lot done and it always surprises me when I
realize that we have only been here for 3 days. Today we started by
waking up at 5:30 am so that we could get an early start to go to Mango
Gardens. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at Mango Garden where there
were birds, fishing ponds, crocodiles, and ostriches. The ostriches
were the highlight of the trip. They were big and grey and losing
feathers. Overall they were not a pretty sight and very intimidating.
It was interesting since when riding the ostriches there were no
saddles or reins. All you did was hold tight to the wing bones and
hold on with your legs (and wear helmets, of course :). Although it was a once in a life time
experience...I didn't go. Yea, the ostriches were big, and I'm small.
I was scared, I admit it. But after the ostriches we ate ostriches and
crocodile. Both were good. Then we took a 3 hour ride to the
orphanage. We were low-key because it was later in the day
and there weren't as many children there as at the orphanage in Saigon but it was very fun and the nuns fed us
a lot of good food. And now we are in Allezboo!!! and Dani and I ran
onto the beach and I did a cartwheel..except not because I don't know
how to.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Pictures from Mekong Delta
Top to bottom: Happy teens with new stuffed animals, boat ride on Mekong River, boat ride, our tour guide "Flower" with Mac nuts, handmade coconut candy
Reflections by Chris H.
Despite the 16-hour flight with a two-hour layover at Korea, this long journey was definitely worth the wait. Vietnam is simply amazing – the streets are vibrant with life, the people are kind, and the cuisine is vast.
So far I’ve had pig kidneys/brain/ear/tongue/womb, pigeon, and sea cucumber; I’m looking forward to more throughout the remaining week. I can’t say everyone quite shares the same passion for new foods as I do, but I was fortunate enough to find a few.
Though it’s only been a day, it has been so rich and rewarding it felt like at least a week. Yes, in one day, we visited a war memorial, the former presidential palace, shopping mall, cathedral, private school, temple, and orphanage.
The war memorial was truly impressive – here witnessed the Vietnamese point of view of the war, which is ironically called the “American War.” Through the graphic photos and tragic personal stories of each victim, we came to see the damages the U.S. government caused during the war, especially with Agent Orange.
It wasn’t just the display there, however, which made me reflect on our country as it is today. How could Americans commit all these acts and live on as usual, even ascending in the ranks? By the end of the tour, no one was really proud of America anymore.
The private school visit was also a nice interaction opportunity with the students there in the Marie Curie School, one of the most prestigious in the city. All the students there were very excited to see visitors. We entered an English classroom and exchanged songs and dance, then spending the remaining time touring the school. I think this visit widened our perspectives by helping us appreciate just what we have compared to others our age in different parts of the world.
Then, of course, there was the orphanage. The group wasn’t exactly what we expected, so we had had to adjust our plans. Nevertheless we adapted successfully and sadly bid goodbye at the end of the visit, having created good memories of each other. Now this was day one – I can’t wait to see what the other days have in store for us. Whoot!
So far I’ve had pig kidneys/brain/ear/tongue/womb, pigeon, and sea cucumber; I’m looking forward to more throughout the remaining week. I can’t say everyone quite shares the same passion for new foods as I do, but I was fortunate enough to find a few.
Though it’s only been a day, it has been so rich and rewarding it felt like at least a week. Yes, in one day, we visited a war memorial, the former presidential palace, shopping mall, cathedral, private school, temple, and orphanage.
The war memorial was truly impressive – here witnessed the Vietnamese point of view of the war, which is ironically called the “American War.” Through the graphic photos and tragic personal stories of each victim, we came to see the damages the U.S. government caused during the war, especially with Agent Orange.
It wasn’t just the display there, however, which made me reflect on our country as it is today. How could Americans commit all these acts and live on as usual, even ascending in the ranks? By the end of the tour, no one was really proud of America anymore.
The private school visit was also a nice interaction opportunity with the students there in the Marie Curie School, one of the most prestigious in the city. All the students there were very excited to see visitors. We entered an English classroom and exchanged songs and dance, then spending the remaining time touring the school. I think this visit widened our perspectives by helping us appreciate just what we have compared to others our age in different parts of the world.
Then, of course, there was the orphanage. The group wasn’t exactly what we expected, so we had had to adjust our plans. Nevertheless we adapted successfully and sadly bid goodbye at the end of the visit, having created good memories of each other. Now this was day one – I can’t wait to see what the other days have in store for us. Whoot!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Reflections by Sara, Kristin, and Shalynn
HI.
This is Sara and I’m a senior. My my, just the plane ride to Vietnam has been a journey itself. We thought we’d would be on time, but we were quickly corrected. Arriving at the airport around 9:30 for our 11:00 flight was a bit of a mistake. We were rushed through Customs and I don’t think we even went through Agriculture. It was all a bit of a large headache and as we rushed to our gate, we sadly realized that our gate was probably the farthest gate in the airport. Finally on the plane, we were prepared for an extremely long flight. We settled into our seats but realized we weren’t as close to our friends as we thought we would be. We were oddly scattered all over the plane and many of us sitting next to a stranger. I was sitting next to Elise and when we asked the flight attendant what movie was playing, the only answer we received was, “A Korean movie.” Eeep. A ten-hour plane ride with pretty much nothing to do. Thankfully we were allowed to switch seats all over the plane so we ended up by at least one person we knew. Once the plane took off, I was out cold until our food was brought to us. We had a choice of either pasta with meat or bibimbap, a common Korean meal. I had the pasta but Shalynn had the bibimbap and really loved it. I’m not so sure what was in it, and I don’t think she knew either, but apparently it’s delicious! Quickly after I fell back asleep until woken up for meal #2. It was fish, potatoes and carrots or chicken and rice. You’d expect airplane food to not be so good, but the Korean airlines stepped up their game. Not only was the food good but also it came with real forks and knives with a dessert and everything. Pretty amazing. I have to admit; I think the best part of the flight was the flight attendants. They were dressed so cute with their beige pants suits with matching blue bows in their hair and scarves tied around their necks. Apparently they were a little self-conscious because Max and Emily asked for a picture and were denied. The rest of the trip was a blur because we were all tired and ready to get out of an airplane and step onto solid ground.
*****
Xin Chao from Ho Chi Minh City
This is Kristin Keeno another senior. Picking up where Sara left off . . . we exited the airport and breathed in the air hung thick with smog. The transition from the comfortable air condition to the muggy atmosphere was shocking, and moisture quickly formed on our brows. We loaded our bus with boxes and suitcases and soon headed off to our hotel. Exhausted from spending the last 15 hours of our lives on a plane, and reaching the hotel at around midnight, the plan to wake up at 6:00 a.m. was embraced with feeble enthusiasm. Having slept through the meal service on the airplane, I quickly joined the group headed for a midnight pho run. About 15 of us crammed into an open restaurant to order food. The small shop filled with the scent of gas and cigarette smoke as the cooks prepared our food. While waiting we sipped on coconuts, and tried to dig out the meat with our plastic straws. When our food arrived we received our first experience with the exotic tastes of Viet Nam. Garlic frog and roasted pigeon were presented before us, and we sampled each dish excitedly. Ironically enough, everything ended up tasting like chicken . . . as long as you didn’t examine the frogs too closely. The mystique of this foreign cuisine is somewhat replaced with disgust when you can make out the see the frogs eyes and taste the texture of its skin. Nonetheless, the meal was completely satisfying to fifteen starving kids at 12:30 in the morning. After this first experience with Vietnamese food, we dragged ourselves up to our luxurious hotel rooms to prepare for the first day of fun, excitement, and new experiences in Viet Nam.
*****
Hey from Viet Nam. I’m Shalynn, the last senior girl on this trip. It’s about 12:15 AM right now and I’m exhausted. I never imagined something as simple as ordering lunch could be so demanding. The language barrier is something I’m sure Mr. Dang wishes we could overcome, as it is his job to translate back and forth between each of us and the vendors we approach. It has been a long and exciting first day, so I will do my best to recount what we’ve experienced.
This morning Sara, Kristin, and I were woken by the early rays of sunlight slipping through the bars of the balcony and the thin white curtains of our suite. We three stepped onto the balcony to observe Ho Chi Minh City for the first time in daylight. The air was cloudy and thick, difficult to breathe. We were soon distracted by the chaos of Viet Nam traffic. Massive packs of mopeds, hoards of people, cars, vans and cyclers all entering the same intersection simultaneously from every direction, not bothering to slow down or stop, ignoring pedestrians, and loudly (but usually not angrily) honking their horns when they approach each other. It can be quite frightening to walk through the mass of multiple transportation devices, but the trick is to walk slowly and purposefully. The idea is that as long as you travel relatively slow, the mopeds, cars, etc… will have time to avoid you. After the initial shock of their lack of a coherent (to us) traffic system (with few traffic lights and hardly any lane lines), we soon found the whole ordeal to be quite entertaining, especially the insistent, always-present honking. It’s funny because Americans honk when their angry or about to crash, while the Vietnamese here honk simply to announce their presence. Something at or between a “I’m here, right next to you,” and a, “I’m not stopping, so get out of my way”, depending on the size of the vehicle. Cars and vans seem to be less likely to stop for pedestrians, while mopeds and cyclists will simply swerve around you.
After wake-up, our group met for a 7:00 AM breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel. We were expecting something more along the lines of a typical continental breakfast, but what we got was buffet! There was everything from dim sum, bacon, potato croquets, to fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese, bread, pastries, porridge, and even a pho bar! It was amazing. On top of that, we were able to try the ca phe sua, or coffee with condensed milk, something we had been excitedly anticipating. Suffice to say, it was excellent. Sara particularly enjoyed the full, roasted flavor of the coffee.
After breakfast, we went to exchange money. The rate was approximately around 17,500 VND (dong) to one US dollar. Then we walked to the War Remnants Museum, which had on display multiple US tanks, helicopters, artillery, pictures, and horror stories from the Viet Nam War. We took a walk through the “Tiger Cages” which depicted the horrors of torture, and maltreatment of political prisoners from the war. There were even cells with very life-like, gaunt–looking people inside, and writing on the walls, as well as a replica of the French Guillotine.
We left the War Museum sad and disturbed. As we walked in the stuffy heat, we were constantly confronted by street-side vendors who would walk the entire length of the street with us in futile efforts to sell their goods. A little girl with wide and innocent eyes tried valiantly to sell us hats for a dollar when her mother’s attempts failed. We walked past the old courthouse, and finally we came to the Old Presidential Palace. We took a tour of the massive building full of corridors, glass doors, and secret passageways. We learned of a failed assassination attempt by bomb, a little history of Viet Nam, and the casualties of war. The tour reminded me something of my tour of the White House, with an introduction and brief history and significance of each room. The palace was impressive.
As we left the palace and made our way toward the school we were visiting, a van of possible circus performers waved at us and we rushed to visually capture the moment. At the school we were introduced to the principal who was an old classmate of Mr. Dang. She let us talk to some the kids on break and Miranda and Colby played a little basketball with them before we took group pictures. We then visited an English class and watched one of the girls perform a song by Kelly Clarkson for use. In thanks, Miranda, Leilani, and Courtney performed the hula for the class. Before we left, a sixteen-year-old girl who was born in Russia and is trilingual (Russian, Vietnamese, English) came onto our air-conditioned bus to speak to us. Her name was Lina Tran, and she was very friendly and outgoing, commenting that we had a very “pretty” group, while she good-naturedly took individual pictures with Kristin, Josh, Tommy, and I. =) She left us with her yahoo email address and a smile.
We then caught the bus to the Thien Hau Pagoda (The Chinese Goddess of the Sea), a place where Mr. Dang came to pray before he escaped to the U.S. We were given the opportunity to light large incense spirals (which looked like large mosquito punk lanterns) onto which your wish was written and attached. The cost was less than a US dollar and the lantern was hung on high wires where it would continue to burn for approximately another fourteen hours.
The next stop was the Mai Lien Orphanage, which was an all-girl orphanage founded by Catholic nuns, but on the way we stopped at our insistence (but mostly Sara’s) to buy fresh fruit. We tried different types of fruit: rambutan, star apple, peaches (I think), pears, and this other fruit that looked similar to a small artichoke on the outside, breadfruit on the inside, with large seeds as often as a watermelon.
At the orphanage, we each split into our four groups and conducted our projects: T-shirt painting, picture frames, painting, and friendship bracelets. The girls had a wonderful time and were very thankful for all of the wonderful donations.
Finally, we had dinner around 7:30 PM at a very fancy, and very air-conditioned, restaurant where exotic food was offered, and men cracked ceramic-enclosed rice and hurled it across the room to another man who caught the rice on a plate and served it. The entire ordeal was very fascinating. Josh, who is going to be the king of eating really weird, sometimes gross, food, ordered sea cucumber, pig’s ears (with the hair bristles still in place), pig’s brain, and womb (yes, you read that correctly). Kristin and I only had stomach enough to try the brain and womb, but Stanley, who was sitting next to me, tried some of everything, although he had a bit of difficulty with the sea cucumber, which he described as tasting of ocean water. Yuck, it shook worse than Jell-O when he picked it up – “gelatinous” was the word I remember. Imagine that!
Shalynn Ho ‘09
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Reflections by Emily
woke up bright and early to a hot breakfast - very american. Once that was finished, and we were ready to set out on the day's activities, we stepped outside with the intense heat and humidity hitting us like a brick wall. I quickly realized that sweat and stickiness will be the norm for the next week. We made our way towards a war museum, somewhat disturbing in exhibits but informative none the less. Next, we went to the old presidential palace where Mr. Dang brought us on our own personal tour. After, we split into groups for a some fun and relaxation, the majority of us going off to get facials or manicures and pedicures. It was a very luxuries hour indeed, much more than I thought existed in Vietnam. After a while, we all piled into the bus to first visit the Goddess of the Sea temple where some of us (including myself) wrote a wish to be burned in the incense. We soon moved on, and eventually ended up at the first of two orphanages we'll visit this trip. This was an all girls orphanage and an experience different from any other I'd had. We did activities with the girls, the most popular toy being a foam frisbee being tossed around a huge circle. These girls were so cheerful and willing to learn and share their time with us, it was something I will never forget. After waving goodbye through the bus windows as we left the orphanage we headed back towards the hotel and went to a restaurant with delicious food and exotic dishes that many of us tried - I personally had the pig womb and pig tongue, though others tried things weirder than that. It was a very full day, but really fun none the less!
Presidential Palace in Saigon
Note that you can click on the image to make it larger. Parents, your task is to find your child!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Leaving Punahou and Arriving in Viet Nam
Leaving Punahou and arriving in Viet Nam . . .all's well. . .we all made it and so did our luggage. :)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
We made it to Seoul, Korea
We're at the airport in Seoul--about 10:45 p.m. Hawaii time. We board our flight for Vietnam in about 1/2 hour. So far, so good. . .will be in touch once we're in Vietnam.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Welcome to our Viet Nam Blog for Spring Break 2009
We will post pictures, videos, journal entries here as we travel through Viet Nam. Feel free to leave comments for us. Comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately. Check back, and you'll be sure to see your comments.
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