Sweet Escape - Mai Chau - Part 2

We had a basic breakfast in the morning – fried egg (super buttery and salty), baguette, and a mini banana. Breakfast was followed by a trip to the Sunday market. Village people came from near and far to sell their goods.

Markets in Vietnam are like open-air Wal-Marts. They have stands selling office supplies, clothes, medicine, food, hardware, etc! The fact that they don’t refrigerate meat is really starting to get to me. The meat is fresh – there’s no doubt about that – but I don’t care for the way they display the chickens with legs still attached and pigs feet…We saw all the live animals (birds, chickens, pigs, etc.) outside and all the dead ones inside the market. Seeing that is enough to make someone want to be a vegetarian! I’ll admit, mom and I hardly ate any meat on that trip. Yuck. The guide invited us to enjoy a cup of the “best” Vietnamese coffee in a “coffee shop” in the market. The shop was basically a table tucked in the back with a few chairs around it. I’m not a coffee drinker; however, I did enjoy I t! The coffee itself is very strong – like espresso. They mixed in some sweet milk, which made it taste almost like hot chocolate.

After the market, we trekked through more rice paddies to another village. I was trying to juggle taking pictures and writing down facts…I ended up slipping and the first thing out of my mouth was “Oh shit.” Well, oh shit, indeed. I stepped in a nice, fresh pile of buffalo poo! Mmm. We returned to our village and had a bit of time before lunch so I decided to go out for another walk. It was so nice to be by myself – I’ve been around people constantly on this trip! I walked to another nearby village and actually bumped into our guide. He directed me toward a clean, cool watering hole. I ended up bumping into a bunch of mountain goats on the way, so I decided to turn around.

We enjoyed a final meal in the village before heading back to Hanoi…Here’s a few more random cultural facts… There’s 1 million Thai people in Vietnam near the Laos/China borders. White Thai people stay in the valley by the fertile soil; however, Black Thai typically inhabit land in higher elevations. According to our guide, women farm and cook. Men do more “important” things like work in the office or construction. I was surprised to find out it’s rare to see men in the rice paddies – seems like it would be the opposite in the U.S. It takes 3 months to grow/harvest a rice crop. They take off one month between each crop for refertilization. One more thing – older women have black teeth because it used to be customary that they had a ceremony when they turned 13 to make their teeth black. From then on, they eat a certain nut every day to maintain the color.

Sweet Escape - Mai Chau

Mom and I found a phone to make international calls! I’ve been trying to track down a pre-paid international phone card for a few days, but I’ve had no success. We paid 5,000 dong/minute ($0.25/minute). I got to chat with Branny-boo and we both talked to dad for a hot second before departing for Mai Chau.

Two Chinese guys from Peace House were on the tour along with a young girl from Belgium and some Vietnamese people. It took about 4 hours to get to Mai Chau. There were two little kids (7mo, 2 years) on the trip and neither of them were in a car seat! The little boy sitting behind me enjoyed touching my blonde hair, haha. The air-conditioning broke on the way and even though they fixed it, it didn’t work when we went uphill. We were in quite the classy van, haha.

The drive was gorgeous – we saw blue skies, mountains, and no haze! We passed a few H’mong villages along the way. They’re known for growing green tea, sugar cane, and oranges. Going to Mai Chau was such a breath of fresh air. It was such a relief to escape the heat and congestion of the city.

Upon arrival in the village, we enjoyed a traditional White Thai lunch. Afterwards, we explore the streets and went to one of the stilt houses, our accommodation for the evening. The hill tribe people all live in stilt houses made of lumber and bamboo. Bamboo is important to village people throughout their lifespan. A bamboo knife is used to cut the umbilical cord at birth. Then, they all grow up to live in bamboo houses. Although the floor is made up of thin bamboo leave atop wooden panels, it can supposedly hold up to 20 people dancing! I was surprised that all of the houses were supplied with electricity. They had TVs; however, I didn’t see any computers. It’s standard for people to take their shoes off before entering the house. Stilt houses are practical because they offer good ventilation, protection from wild animals, and prevent flooding in the living quarters.

We spent a few hours in the stilt house to escape the afternoon heat. They laid out thin bamboo mats for us to rest on. At around 3:45, we headed out for our trek. The guide told us that we would go with a guide who spoke basic English and we’d be trekking for about an hour. To our surprise, we went on a 3.25 hour hike with a guide who didn’t speak a lick of English! Mom was not pleased, to say the least. The terrain got pretty rugged; however, it was a great hike and absolutely gorgeous! We walked through rice paddies, past village houses tucked up in the woods, and climbed to the top of a peak. Mom took frequent breaks. At one point, she was lying on the ground. She tried to refuse to go further, but I wasn’t trying to get stuck in the jungle as the sun was going down…My favorite part was when she sat down and suddenly 3 cattle (1 with big horns) came around the corner on the trail. She moved pretty darn fast after that! We walked right along with the animals! I thought it was interesting that the hill tribe peoples let their animals (dogs, chickens, cattle, etc.) just wander around. In the U.S., we keep ours confined to designated areas. Anyways, I was totally in my element. This trip was the perfect weekend retreat! It was physical, yet relaxing. I enjoyed discovering the culture of the hill tribe people!

We returned to the village for dinner. Our guide disappeared soon after – I have to admit that though the trip was great, the tour wasn’t very organized. I think it’s partially just the Vietnamese way…they don’t give you enough details and structure. We wandered down the street to listen to music and watch the dancers perform for another tour group. Later, we stumbled upon a performance on the top floor of a house. Though it was a private party, one of the drunk guys spotted us outside and invited us in. I got a kick out of watching these men (wasted, of course) attempt to dance. They weren’t very coordinated when it came to following a beat and hopping over bamboo sticks. It was definitely entertaining! At the end, they invited us up to dance. I decided to go for it – why not, huh?!

Afterwards, they motioned for us to join them in the middle of the room. They were all gathered around a pot with long sticks coming out of it. We had no idea what it was and whether you were supposed to smoke out of the sticks or drink from them. Turns out it was rice wine – a mix of fermented grain and water.

Most of the villages have a communal bathroom in the middle – women shower inside and men shower outside. They also use this area for washing clothes. We took our showers, then headed back to the house for bed. They rolled out a sleeping mat for each of us, complete with a malaria net hanging from above! Sleeping in the stilt house was much better than Peace House. It was about 87-89 degrees – ah, relief! However, the power cut out for about half an hour in the middle of the night and it was stifling hot and humid! Aside from that, we got a decent night’s sleep on the floor!

Getting into the routine...

I started out the morning in the garden – it’s becoming my routine. We harvested some morning glory, then tore out the rest of the crop because bugs had gotten to it. It’s amazing how the gardener covers up to avoid sun. I’m slick with sweat in a tank top and shorts while the gardener works in pants, long sleeves, a face mask, hat, and boots! The Vietnamese people definitely take extreme measures to protect their skin from the sun despite the sweltering heat.

I split my time between the clinic and classrooms for the rest of the day. The kids at Friendship Village are just like any other kids – they crave love, fun, and attention! We were caught by surprise at the end of the day. All the kids started cleaning up the classrooms, washing down the furniture, and weeding the gardens. It was so great to see them show responsibility and exercise independence. Everyone was busy doing a job in preparation for a mysterious Saturday event.

After work, we headed straight into Hanoi. Maya, Laura, mom and I ate at the Gecko Restaurant for dinner. We’re becoming regulars there…the chef recognized us from the cooking class. All the people there are so friendly! I opted for Vietnamese food, but avoided rice since we have it at every meal. I had a great dish with veggies and rice noodles. Mom and I stayed at the Sunshine 3 Hotel again in the Old Quarter. Our room didn’t have a tub this time. However, the complimentary fruit was delicious. I love the mango!

On another note – we both started our malaria meds. I took mine after dinner and was doubled over in pain in the middle of the night. I guess I didn’t have enough food with it or something? I’ve been on doxycyline (spelling?) before for acne and don’t remember having this reaction. Luckily, I’ve been fine ever since. Whew!

Trip to the Supermarket

Laura, an Australian, and I went to the Big C during our long lunch break today. The Big C is like a huge mall with an enormous grocery store on the top floor. I went in search of chocolate and a phone card; she went in search of snacks and a watch battery. We opted to take the bus there, considering it’s super cheap. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long. The guy tried to charge us 20,000 dong ($1) instead of 5,000 dong ($0.25). We wouldn’t have it. I’m really getting fed up with how the Vietnamese seem to band together to rip off all foreigners! Getting back wasn't so easy. We hopped on the wrong bus, then tried to get a motorbike...Ulimtately, we ended up taking a cab because it was the cheapest option.

I was checking out some shoes when I came across two young Vietnamese girls. They kept looking at me and giggling. (Maybe they were giggling at me because I was wearing a Vietnamese flag t-shirt – I felt like a huge tool). Finally, one came up to me and asked me if I was English. Then she asked how old I was…I told her to guess…she thought I was 12. Seriously?! It’s funny how Vietnamese people often ask the same questions when they first meet you…What’s your name? Where are you from? How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? That’s pretty much how it goes…The interactions are always interested. People also enjoy touching my hair and I’ve had a few comment on my white teeth, haha.

lots of new pics

We just added pictures to several posts from the past. You may want to scroll back to see them.
Claire, you can see two good pics of me with the black eye. One is when I am sitting in front of my elegant French afternoon hot mango crepe on a square plate and the other is when I am sitting on a chair beside my bed looking over my shoulder at Allison. I think I will be on the next Survivor episode with my black eye and surviving the heat and traffic in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We're loving Friendship Village!

I have a feeling I'm not going to be ready to leave the kids by next Thursday. I started the morning out in the organic garden. We harvested some morning glory and then spent some time weeding in the greenhouse. I sweat so much while gardening - it's pretty sick. I drink about 1.5 liters during my 2-hour shift, haha. After that I spent some time in the clinic; however, it was pretty slow today (maybe because of the heat? who knows...it seems pretty unstructured...). Laura, another Australian girl, and I went to the Big C (mall/Target) during our lunch hour and were a little late getting back (got the wrong bus...oops! the Vietnamese guys got a kick out of it). I spent some time in the clinic and then hopped into the classrooms. I know I should prefer the clinic, but to be honest, I enjoyed the classrooms because you can just have fun with the kids. The teachers are pretty hands-off so we can do whatever we want. I'm gonna try to get a dance group going tomorrow afternoon :) Since working at Boces this spring, I've learned that you can make almost any activity therapeutic in the school setting. We had a great time!

BREAKING NEWS: IT'S RAINING! POURING! Thank goodness.

Late Entry - Cooking Class

It seems like we forgot to write about the cooking class we did last week at the Gecko Restaurant in Hanoi. Now that I'm finally getting some pictures up, I thought you might want to see some of these as well! The chef took us to the market to buy all the ingredients, then we headed up to his kitchen to prepare spring rolls and fried noodles with veggies. We enjoyed our delicious meal up on the rooftop!

FYI - the internet/this comp are super slow, so we'll only upload a few pics for each post...I'll put plenty up on Facebook once we return...

Temp up to 122!!

We had a wonderful night in the hotel lat night!! Although we had the air on full blast, it was still 83 degrees in the room when we went to bed! We enjoyed nice, clean showers; however, the room we were in didn't have a bathtub like the other one did last weekend. We made it back to Peace House without issues. We rode our bikes to Friendship village again...I think we are getting used to it...but we really do need to be careful. Actually it felt good to ride and create a breeze even though I had on a face mask.

O.k. temperature update. It was 100 in our room before we left for Friendship village. It was up to 101.6 in our room at noon. Outside it was 122.6 on my LLbean clock...I assume it was accurate. There is no way one could stand in the sun. Somehow I think I am getting used to it. It was 105 when we got home at 4:30....2 more nights here then a hotel again on Friday.

I had a better day at Friendship village. The teacher is learning English, so I helped her with her homework, which was identifying correct English grammar about USA. She helped me with colors since two of the 17 year old kids in this group are very interested in doing 48 piece puzzle with me. We also practiced face parts. They laughed at me. When a word has different accent above the letter, and there are 6 different them, it means something different. When I mis pronounced nose it meant salt. The teachers really do not have any lesson plans for the kids. They sit at a desk and watch them entertain themselves with basic puzzles or dirty legos. I am not sure if this is year round or just summer time. The teachers actually seemed kind and were entertained with my speech. I actually was trying to review colors and numbers with the kids too. They seemed happy, clothes were dusty, water was in the room, and they did wash hands with a cake of soap before going to lunch. One girl took her umbrella to protect her from the sun and walked several younger kids to their houses. She seemed like their mother, but she has been funneled into this "lowest level class". There are several children with Down's Syndrome.

Allison had a better day in the clinic, but she is still frustrated because they do not have anything in writing, Vietnamese or English, to guide their therapies. She's feeling more comfortable with using trial and error to determine the extent of each student's deficits. At least that room has air conditioning, though it is rarely turned on high. Most of the kids seem to have balance deficits. Favorite activities in the clinic include dominoes, memory, balance board, grasp and release activities, LE/core strengthening exercises, and variations of the basic ball toss.

Another volunteer at another privately owned site, saw a 4 year old child with Cerebral Palsey, accidently push his lunch on the floor. The teacher tied his hands and one foot. She left 20 min later and the tie was off when she returned from lunch, but the mark was on his wrist. She will talk to someone here about this bothersome observation.

I hope it gets better...it is o.k. but harder than we expected. other volunteers are doing computer work for Non gov't agencies. Each day gets easier as we build better bonds with the kdis...

Volunteering

This will be short because it's time for bed...We're 2 days into our volunteering at Friendship Village. I was a little discouraged on the first day because the language barrier is more difficult to overcome than I had anticipated...It's hard to understand how things work at Friendship Village and where we're needed most. Mom spent yesterday helping the house mother clean in the AM, then helping kids in the classroom in the afternoon. I spent the day in the clinic working alongside a physiotherapist. I was a bit confused because there's a handful of kids in the clinic at any given time; however, there's only one per time slot on the schedule. I'm having a hard time understanding how things work. Also, I was a little frustrated because I have no info about the kids and it's almost impossible to verbally communicate with the therapist and the kids. It's putting my observational and clinical reasoning skills to the test, that's for sure! We work approx 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. The kids nap in the middle of the day and don't start classes til mid-afternoon because of the heat. The kids who come to the clinic in the afternoon have significant balance deficits. A few have ataxia. Today I felt a little more in my element at the clinic. It went much smoother. Seems like they need help to entertain the kids in the AM, rather than give services because a bunch just come in to hang out. I started the morning in the organic garden and ended in the clinic. Then, I spent the entire afternoon in the clinic. I think it's important for us to embrace the cultural differences and just be flexible and fly by the seat of our pants. Anything goes! The kids don't have much (if any) instruction during the day...

Sorry this post is a little all over the place. We'll share more details later. Time for bed now...Mom and I came into the city tonight to stay in a hotel because it is so hot. Last night it was 95.9 degrees inside (with fans blowing) when we went to bed. It was 101.3 degrees during our lunch break today. Outside, it was 117.6 degrees. We're enjoying a night of air conditioning..it'll be nice to actually sleep under blankets! We'll head back to Peace House early tomorrow morning for another exciting day of work. I think the heat is supposed to break in a few days. AKA it will be back in the high 90s, hopefully not 100s!!! We haven't had rain in about a week now.

...stay tuned for more info and pictures. we're still having technical difficulties...sometimes we have no internet...the computer at the hotel isn't registering my jump drive and the mouse sucks so it's time to shut down!