On my way out of Viet Nam

Well fami my Viet days have come to an end- for now. I spent the day yesterday wandering the streets of Ha Noi remembering the first few days I arrived and how different it seemed to me now- familiar I guess. I wandered Hoan Kiem Lake had some dua khoai mon ice cream and walked through the Old Quarter. Today I did some more wandering (and packing of course) but more so in preparation for my departure than just because.

This experience will go in my book as one of great importance to me and what I'd like to do in life- which are both always in constant redefinition. That is how it should be if you ask me ;o) Thanks for joining me on some of the highlights of this trip and humoring me in listening to my experiences and perspective of my journey. I do plan to continue writing so if you would like to keep being amused by me do let me know for I do plan to tweak my address a bit to get it back to circle and audience that wants to hear about my crazy life experiences.

It has been an experience to remember here in Viet Nam. I leave Ha Noi in 45min. Toi thich Viet Nam va toi thich tieng Viet. Xin chao Viet Nam, xin chao ban nhieu cua toi. Toi se nho tat ca nguoi, xin chao va gap lai lung sao- I hope! :o)

Good Morning Ha Noi!

...ok actually it's after noon but I'm just starting my day. Kim arrived to the hotel yesterday late afternoon and then we all got ready and raided KFC near Hoan Kiem Lake for dinner.

MMMMMMM, MMMMM finger lickin gooood!!! There is NOTHING, !NOTHING! like processed food- YUMMY!! Of course it wasn't exactly the same but it was pretty darn close. For almost a week now we had all been obsessing about coming to KFC as soon as we arrived back to Ha Noi. It was everything we expected considering we are in Viet Nam and there are really no westernized food places that have REAL western food. There were no biscuits or mac n cheese or corn and the ketchup had an interesting taste. But the chicken was fabulous! It definitely wasn't chicken from Viet Nam which tends to be really tough and stretchy...nope! This chicken was nice and processed! We didn't have to fight it to eat it- it was smoooth, soft, and oh so yummy! I'm sure we'll all have the runs for the next day or so because of all that chemical and wannabe food we ate but it was sooooo worth it!!

Tonight we are going to Hoa Sua (milkflower) for dinner which, according to Scott, is a french cuisine restaurant run by people with disabilities. We have invited Anh and Huong for dinner to say our goodbyes. It should be more good times :o)

My plan for the rest of my stay in Viet Nam is to leave Ha Noi with the group on Monday morning and fly out to Da Nang. From there we will head over to Hoi An and spend a few days touring the city. I hope to do all of my shopping there. I will stay for 2 days and then fly back alone to Ha Noi while the group remains in Hoi An for another day or so. I'm coming back to Ha Noi to repack everything and prepare for my flight back to ahhh-meh-dee-kah. I figured I should come back early and have some much needed alone time to think about everything and mentally prepare to leave. I also need to take care of the flight details and organize my luggage so that I have what I need on me while I wait almost a whole day in Korea to fly back to California.

Viet Nam! Viet Nam! I'm going to forever remember Viet Nam! I can say that being here has been nothing but amazing- the people, the land, the sights, the food, and even the humidity. I do hope to return but something tells me this was a once-in-a-lifetime-experience...that I will of course forever treasure. !Viet Nam! Toi buon tai sao toi phai di hoa ky. Toi se nho Viet Nam luon luon, nho nguoi, nho dat, nho thuc an, nho ban nhieu cua toi- Toi Yeu Viet Nam, nhieu, nhieu nhieu, luon luon :o)

Until the next adventure- have a great night in ahh-meh-dee-kah while I start my day in VIET NAM, oi!

We Left Cao Bang and Entered Ha Noi with a BANG!

I swear from now on all of my stories are going to start with -"This one time...in VIET NAM...." so as I mentioned Cao Bang was a pleasant experience. It was great to work with such wonderful and loving students and sad to leave them behind to go to Ha Noi. Remember I said appointments and times don't really stick around here- so we were scheduled to leave Cao Bang to Ha Noi on Saturday which would be tomorrow. Instead we were told we would be leaving right after the closing ceremony of the class which would end around 4pm Thursday. What an abrupt ending for us and the students but we made the best of it.

By 3pm we were done with everything and given the choice to join Anh, Chuyen, Dung, his wife, the local reporter, and the bus driver to visit someone some 30KM away or wait for them to return in a few hours then take off to Ha Noi. We opted to stay, pack, have some dinner, and relax before taking that 7+hr ride down the mountain. So back to the hotel we went. We hung out at the downstairs cafe a bit while we attempted to convince Hannah she should skip out on doing her dissertation work for the weekend and join us for a free ride back to Ha Noi. She was planning to go to Ha Noi later so we figured she should take advantage of the opportunity to go in a bus with more space and good working ac- we convinced her! She said it would be nice not to have to sit next to people who always get car sick and vomit for 7hrs so we all agreed we would meet at around 530pm for dinner and Hannah left home to pack. The rest of us went up to our rooms to pack and rest a bit. Anh said they would be back to pick us up after 6pm. We figured it would be more like 7pm. We packed and rested. Somewhere in between, Viet called Hannah to ask us to dinner but we declined. We had already said our tearful goodbyes and wanted to have our own dinner wherever we wanted without having our food selected for us.

545pm and Hannah was downstairs waiting for us. We thought we better not leave for dinner because Anh could show up with the bus at any minute and be waiting for us. Carly and Karyna checked out of their room and put everything in our room. We sat around and chatted a bit and then there was a knock at the door- Vy and her friend Nhuan came by to drop off some paperwork for us to give to Anh. We invited them in and chatted some more then Hannah got a phone call- someone was telling her that Anh and the group would be a little later than they originally thought. Perhaps they would be back closer to 9pm instead. Well what a perfect opportunity to go have dinner! We rounded each other up and decided to go have a meal but then Viet called and said she was coming to get us to go to dinner- oh! We waited a few minutes then headed downstairs to meet her. This is when we should've known the night was just getting started and it was definitely going to be an exciting one!!!!

A midget looking van showed up to pick us up with 2 front seats and a very short back seat. hmmmm, there were 9 of us (including the driver) for a 5 seater van. As we were trying to figure out the math and logic of fitting into the van, Viet shoved all of us gals- Hannah, Carly, Karyna, and I- into the back seat on top of one another, gave her motorbike keys to her daughter Vy and told her to drive herself and Nhuan to the restaurant, then shoved Scott into the front seat and sat under or on top of him, slammed the door shut and told the driver to take us to the restaurant. WOW!!!! All squished into this midget van and I hear Scott say "Hi Viet, nice to meet you. I'm a nice guy so you have nothing to worry about. I know you are married" hahahaha, and we all busted out, crackin up but not too much that we might burst out the sides of the van! Oh dear hold on because we were going for a ride the rest of the night and well into the morning!

We made it to the restaurant and it was a nice one. No ac for us, just fans, but it was nice. The menu (which I wanted to take with me but I put it back at the last minute) was very interesting. There was the regular stuff like fish, chicken, buffalo, pork, beef, shrimp... and then there was turtle, bees, and snails..hmmmm.... We thought it would be fun to try some fried bees so we ordered some of that. I didn't know what else was ordered until the food started coming- ooooh fresh water snails, SURPRISE!!! I was eager to try the bees but wasn't sure if I could get past the idea of eating them. And the snails? Uh, I wasn't too sure about that one...

The bees and larvae were more visibly recognizable than I was hoping they would be but I gave it a try- although it took me a good while.

I took one bee to sample but it just looked too much like a bee for me to stick into my mouth. I tried some of the little crispy pieces of bee from the plate to test out the flavor. It was yummy but still the idea of sticking a bee into my mouth was messing with my mind.

I finally decided to wrap it in some chicken and shove it in my mouth quickly to avoid thinking about it too much- hmmm, mmmm, interesting taste! I tried a few more of the smaller bees that didn't look so much like bees. It was as if I could taste the pollen or something. There was a flowery taste about them. I'm glad I gave it a try, although I'm not sure I would eat them again.

Then the plate of fresh water snails came. I saw the plate and in my head thought "oooh baby repollo, that's what that is!"

I grabbed one and took a closer look then asked what it was because it definitely didn't look like any kind of veggie up close. Fresh water snails, said Hannah. Ohhhh, uh, oh oh, hmmm....Ok, here I go- CHOMP! Then I thought of the movie Lion King when little Simba eats bugs and says "slimey, yet satisfying".... but I thought "Rubbery yet edible" and decided I could do the fresh water snails better than eating bees, although the flavor of the bees was much better than the snails. Oh how the mind can mess with you!

But dinner was great! The conversation was interesting, the food was fun, and the company in general was pleasant. It was almost 9pm and Scott said we should head back to the hotel because Anh would be on her way and wouldn't be able to find us. We told Viet we would just walk back on our own instead of piling into the van. We said our goodbyes again and Vy and Nhuan walked us back. Scott was super chipper and the gals were making sure he stayed out of traffic's way. We stopped at Trung and Nga's restaurant, friends of Hannah that she introduced us to after we complained about the hotel food being very limited. I left Nga a few items and we said our goodbyes to the couple there as well. We arrived back at the hotel after 9pm tired and ready for bed. Vy and Nhuan said goodbye and we all found a spot in the room to sit and wait around for Anh to arrive. Perhaps we should just stay for the night because it was really late to be driving down the mountain with an exhausted bus driver. The bus driver had been driving people around all day and we were sure they all had to be drinking wherever they had gone to visit. We waited, watched some tv, and began to doze off. It was almost 10pm and we had heard nothing from Anh or Dung or anyone. Maybe they had gone back to Dung's for the night and we were leaving in the morning?

At 10pm I decided to call Anh from the hotel phone to see if we were still going to Ha Noi at that hour. I called and she said they were on their way and we should be ready to go in 10 minutes. Alritey-then!! I told the group Anh was on her way so we started the restroom rounds and got our luggage downstairs. Goodbye Cao Bang!

By the time I got down to the lobby, Anh was there and looking very tired. Are you sure we should go now? She said the bus was downstairs and we could go ahead and load up- OK! We packed up the bus and found our seats. Not bad- we had plenty of room where we could actually take turns lying down a while, sweet! I was still a bit worried about the bus driver though. I asked Anh if he had been drinking and that it was illegal to drink and drive in The States and I was worried about having someone drunk drive me down a windy mountain. She said he wasn't drunk. Well I didn't believe that but we took off anyway! As we were driving away Hannah informed us that Anh said we would be picking up 2 more people on the way- OFC we would! Viet Nam! Every time we've taken a road trip we end up with more people than we have seats for so this wasn't surprising but it was a bummer because it was late and we were tired and looking forward to sleeping a bit. I asked where we would be picking people up- in town or later down the road. Anh said in town...although it ended up being quite a ways away.

We pulled up to some dark place and opened the door about 15min later and what do you know- 4 women were standing there waiting to board the bus! I told Hannah she should sit with Carly and I near the back and let the women share the seat with Scott- hee hee. I didn't feel like sleeping with someone I didn't know, even though I don't know Hannah too well either. Poor Scott, he got to sit at the edge of the seat with 3 of the women in his row. They threw the 4th woman up front in the 2nd row and off we went. It had to be 5 or 10 minutes later and the youngest gal who looked like a teenager but was probably at least 20yrs old, started puking!! OMG, the STENCH! We just started the drive- are you kidding me?!?!?!?! OMG it's going to be a looooong ride! Poor gal because it was only going to get worse.

Now a bit about the bus driver- in town he took the scenic route every time he had to drive us anywhere that day and he drove slower than my grandpa! (and for those of you who know grandpa- he drives SLOW! I never knew you could get a slow-driving ticket until he got one!) So we were looking at way more than the usual 7 hour drive for sure! And this guy wouldn't take any advice or directions from anyone, especially not any of us women. TDO!

So driving we went through the mountains and in the dark. An hour passed and the puking gal now had a partner! A second woman was puking. NOW I know why every single car I've been in has a bundle of little plastic bags in the back seat pockets! More plastic bags please! Dung was looking for more bags to give these women because they were filling them up fast- and the smell!!!!!!!! I dug around in my backpack and found my sanitizer spray- yay! I sprayed it around me and the seat. Carly asked me to spray her then I sprayed Karyna who was sitting behind me- ugh it STUNK in there!! At least the ac was running great even though it kept dripping water on Hannah, who said it was like the water torture technique, drip drip drip, driving her crazy!

As we were driving, the lights went on and Dung did some rearranging of people. He sat Scott up front with him and Anh then put his wife and the other woman in the second row. It was two little short hours into the trip and we pulled over to a "rest stop". The 2 sick women jumped out and heaved on the road while the guys went to have some tea and corn- whaaaat??? What are we doing? I looked over at the house/store we had stopped at and saw our bus driver resting on a bed while everyone else was having some tea and food. I just wanted to get to Ha Noi and go to sleeeeep, waaah!!! We had been up super early that morning to be ready to have breakfast with Anh and Dung at 7am which didn't pan out- I was TIRED!

I asked Anh if I could drive! She asked me if I knew how. Of course I do-- well at least I hope I remember, hee hee. She said fine and then I verified that the bus was automatic...nope! Oh shit, then no I can't drive sorry! I asked why Dung or the newspaper reporter from Cao Bang (I have NO IDEA why he came along to Ha Noi) didn't help drive and she said they didn't know how- oh great! By then the bus driver had gone from the bed to the seat of the bus and was snoring! The night was humid and it looked like rain any minute, the 2 dogs roaming the area kept growling at me, and Carly was being eaten by insects! Someone asked if we could just get a room in the next town and stay overnight so we could travel by day and be safe. There was lots of discussion then Anh said we should load up and continue to the next town. We woke up the bus driver and continued the drive......in the rain!

I knocked out somewhere in between that place and our next stop but I heard the driver had taken a wrong turn, that he was very tired, and something about finding or not finding a place to stay for the night. Suddenly the bus driver stopped the bus right where he was driving and went to sleep- huh? Poor Scott in the front row had no idea what was going on- stop, go, get off, get on, stand still, etc. I couldn't help but laugh.

So here we were in the middle of who knows where with no emergency lights on to warn oncoming or passing cars, just parked right where we were driving so the driver could sleep. We did this twice- that I remember anyway!

(Not sure whose foot that belongs to but I don't think it was mine...if it was then things are more serious than I thought because I'm the one who took the picture)

On the last night stop, there was discussion about staying put until daylight came so we could continue our journey. The problem was that it was sooooo hot and most of us couldn't stand sitting in one place sleeping, sweating, and getting bitten by bugs. The driver turned on the bus on the last stop and Scott hopped back in after taking a stretch. Everyone fell asleep and I fell asleep watching Scott sitting straight up looking ahead probably wondering why the bus was on and we weren't going anywhere. I laughed and looked up every once in a while watching him sit there and wait ever so patiently until he finally gave up and knocked out too.

It had to be around 5am when I woke up to find 3 of the women standing outside the bus huddled together around my head (I had placed my backpack on the end of my seat on top of a box to sleep on which was very near the door) giggling and pointing at me. WTF!!! I sat up and they laughed and laughed- they wanted to know what the hell I had around my neck! My neck pillow! They thought it was just the funniest looking thing ever! One woman gestured that I should give it to her and laughed. I looked around and hollered that we should go! A few others woke up and finally the driver was up and off we went. That 1 woman gesturing me about the pillow stretched her hand back and grabbed my pillow in seconds, so fast that I didn't have time to react! She placed it around her neck and leaned back then laughed and laughed. I laughed with her and told her she could keep it. She played with it a while then gave it back and kept laughing. Too funny! I wonder what people really think of us out here in Viet Nam- it's gotta be a great time to get into their heads and see us from their eyes!

A few minutes into our drive we pulled over and the driver hopped out. Now what? He ran off to the side of the road and started peeing- I got a picture of his back and showed the women who couldn't stop giggling. At least they weren't throwing up anymore. The driver was back on board and we were on our way to Ha Noi. He was feeling great, awake, and ready to deliver us to the crazy busy city of Ha Noi- yay finally!!!!!! We couldn't be too far away- it was 5 or 6am, we had left a little after 10pm the night before, and we had driven at least 4-5 hours already. It just couldn't be too much longer at all.

I knocked out again and this time HARD! I didn't hear or see a thing for hours. I felt a little safer knowing it was daylight and more people were awake to watch the road and help the driver stay awake. What a night! Yay, finally all was well now and we were almost to Ha Noi. I didn't care how twisted and uncomfortable I felt sitting on that bus, I was finally getting some real heavy duty sleep- yessss!

It was after 8am when suddenly I heard screaming and felt the bus sway and swerve very hard. I opened one eye and took a peek because I was a little confused about where I was and what I listening to- what's going on now? I couldn't really understand it all so I opened both eyes and stared in disbelief! All I could see was Scott's face in total panic trying to open the door and all the women practically climbing on top of him- WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!! I just couldn't understand it! I saw the bus driver still trying to either park the bus or avoid a crash? Maybe we were getting ambushed by someone? It seemed like an eternity by the time Scott got the door open (that door wasn't opening at all from the inside so I don't know how he got it opened actually) and everyone flew out in a stampede. I sat there still a little confused while the men tried to drag me out- wait, what's going on?!?! CHAY! DI! NHANH! CHAY! DI DI DI! huh? THE BUS IS ON FIRE! GET OUT!- I hear Hannah translate!

OH!!! Well holy shit, since you put it that way!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!! I jumped the hell outta there like my tail was already on fire! I ran back to grab my backpack which had all my important papers and money! Dung tried to drag me back and I pulled away- HELL NO I'm not going out like this! I need my documentation!! I reached in for the backpack and I saw smoke billow out from the inside driver's side and the hood of the car and thought- it looks more like it might be the radiator but the bus driver wasn't buying it. He was frantic, still hollering at everyone to please go inside the nearest building. He and Dung ran back and forth grabbing luggage and tossing bags out as far as they could, then running away and doing this over and over until the bus was empty. The driver also tried to jack the jug of clean drinking water from the house we were in front of to drench the bus but the owner refused. Then the owner came out with a giant metal bowl of water and threw it into the driver's side.

By that time I was hysterical- laughing my ass off like you couldn't believe!!! I couldn't even breathe, I was laughing so hard!! AND I'M STILL LAUGHING! I couldn't believe this- the bus wasn't going to blow up, people! This driver was nuts!! I told Anh, I'm pretty sure it's because the ac has been on all night and the radiator probably needs some water. That didn't look like smoke. It looked more like steam. But I just couldn't stop laughing- OMG! The scene was so comical, you just had to be there! The driver was in such a panic, begging the foreigners to get into the house, DI, DI he kept saying and running back and forth like a headless chicken!

My laughter finally infected the rest of the group and everyone began to laugh- mostly making fun of the bus driver and the way he had jumped out of the bus hollering, tossing things out, and begging people to run and hide because we were going to explode. TDO! What chaos and what a mess!! There was now mud everywhere, our luggage was muddy, things were broken including my bag's wheel (I just have the worst luck with luggage I swear! Glad I didn't bring my new luggage, whew!), the bus was soaking wet, and some of the women were a little shaken up. I just could NOT STOP LAUGHING!

The driver runnin amok and begging people to take shelter immediately! This was on about his 5th trip to/fro the bus unloading luggage and tossing water around. All of this happened in a matter of minutes but it felt like a long time.

You can see a water bottle at the back end of the bus and the pan under the sign- both were used to keep the bus from BLOWING UP and killing us all, hahahaha!

Some of the luggage that got tossed from the bus- good save bus driver, good save!!

Everyone watching the bus driver RISK HIS LIFE in lifting the hood of the bus to take a look at the damage. There was nothing. It only needed some water and we were just fine!

Here some of the folks were still getting over the panic of everything or cleaning the mud off of our things.

This woman was my laughing partner- she immediately reenacted the scene and was teasing the bus driver- DI DI, XE CHAY, DIIIIII!!!!

After all of the craziness, the bus driver turned on the bus and waited a bit after adding some water and checking things out. The bus was juuuuust fine! We loaded up our muddy bags and crawled back into our seats. NOW CAN WE PLEEEEASE GET TO HA NOI? I was just laughing so hard. Di, di, xe chay, xe chay I kept saying and everyone was cracking up. At least the rest of the way had some great laughs. We arrived into Ha Noi around 30minutes later and stopped for An Sang! Breakfast- which is usually pho! It was soooo humid! Ugh! Cao Bang was freezing compared to this weather, blah! I had a bit of Chuyen's pho just to taste it but I was in no mood to eat hot soup in hot weather. Anh didn't eat either and said because she was scared- I think she meant she still hadn't gotten over her "susto" hahaha. I laughed some more about the whole bus on fire and sleeping in the middle of the road and made others laugh. I tell you, there is humor in everything- and that's the only thing I'm dead serious about, haha.

After our pho stop we loaded up again and finally, yes finally we headed more into the center of town to find our hotel- YAY!!! Of course the bus driver took forever and a day to get through the streets and as we got closer to the French Quarter he went up and down the streets in a zigzag to make sure he found the place, instead of getting directions. I spotted the hotel and Scott guided the driver to the front but he drove past it. We opened the door and jumped out- that's how slow he was going! YAY, we made it! It was 10am, we made it and we lived to tell about it! Dung and Anh helped us get our luggage down and we said goodbye ( we plan to meet with Anh later this weekend before she leaves to Ho Chi Minh City where she lives). We checked into our rooms, cranked up the ac, and were passed out by 1030am. WOW what a wrap up to our Cao Bang visit and what a ride that was to Ha Noi! .....I LOVED IT!!!

Hello and Farewell to Cao Bang

Our few weeks in Cao Bang were sweet. The students we got to work with were very eager to interact and welcoming of us. The opening and closing of the class consisted of some very dramatic ceremonial gatherings that included dancing routines from the students and government officials attending and some even speaking. Scott also presented.

I think this was the best group of students we had this summer. They were all very friendly and smart. I loved that they were all so patient with us and willing to teach us Vietnamese Sign Language (VSL) and allow us into their lives. It was nice to spend so much time with them everyday and have conversations with them about things that were important to them. I wonder if I'll ever have the opportunity to see them again. It was sad to say our goodbyes. I wondered how they really felt about us coming into their lives for a few weeks then leaving them. Some of the students were very open to say that they were sad, wished we could stay, wished they could join us, and would remember us forever. More than that, I wonder how we truly affected their lives, if we shaped any of them a little in such a way that their futures will be different, hopefully better, because of it.

We did manage to get all the students a visit to the library and library cards. I hope they are able to go and check out books. It would be awesome if they could have the time to do that. I'm glad that they all have each other. That is one thing I noticed about this group- they are a family. They take care of each other even though they are teenagers and they may have their differences and small fights- they love each other. I was happy to see that and know that they have community. I hope that the stronger ones survive enough to keep the others afloat in whatever they do.

It was really an awesome experience to work with them- Ly, Lan, Vy, Nam, Thao, Bich, Hue, Huoung, Tran, Trang, Bao, Tam, Van, Hue, Duyen, Nuong, Nhuan, Thuong, Dung, Hao, Luan, Thanh, Tuyen, Thao, Huyen, Tham, Uyen, and Xoan, the Cao Bang bunch! They are only allowed to be in the education system until age 12 and then they are on their own. Only 8 of them are still in school regularly and the rest are taught on the side by 2 teachers who visit them in the evenings. I'm not sure how permanent that is but at least it is something for now. I wish them all the best and I hope I will meet up with them again in the future and find that they are doing well :o)

The beginning of classes- opening ceremony to celebrate international signing class

A dance by Thao, Tuyen, Duyen, Tam, Uyen, and Huyen.

At the factory- working in between class. Trang and Thao are slowing buttons on the uniforms here.

The first day of class.


Learning English and Vietnamese alphabet in ASL and VSL on the first day.

Some of the younger students who joined in later. We were practicing feelings.

Our bus trip to the library after class. They kept the library opened late for us to visit.

On the last day- some of the students came in the traditional clothing style of their home towns from the

The last day's group picture- the Cao Bang Bunch!

A distant view of the city from the top of a hill that has a war memorial park. It is definitely not as humid in Cao Bang as it is anywhere else I've been so far. The community is nice and friendly. There are hardly any cars on the road- mostly motorbikes and bicycles and it seems everyone knows each other in town. I guess it can be a good place for these students to grow up but they still need help on providing education and access to services for the deaf and disabled.

Xin chao Cao Bang va ban cua toi!

Last week in Cao Bang

We have just a few days left here in Cao Bang. It has been quite the adventurous little community so far. I realize I haven't blogged in a while. I've been sleeping during my free time more than anything else. I am still trying to get over whatever attacked me 2 Sundays ago. My left ear has been somewhat deaf for over a week now. That can't be good. Not to worry, I 'forced' myself to chug a few shots of vodka to see if it'll clear up- I'll peep you kosted!

Late last week another group of students joined our class- the little ones! We now have 2 groups going, the teenagers and 10 students under 12 years old. We have 4 little guys who make everyday super entertaining. They have great imaginations and love to challenge us all. I plan to smuggle one of them in my backpack this Friday to take him back to Ha Noi with me and then home. Take a look- isn't he adorable! ;o)

Just kidding this isn't him. We met this guy on Sunday at the lake. So happy he was in a cage but he did tug at my camera while I was taking a picture. Yes OFC I screamed my head off!

Meet Dung (pronounced 'zoom') who loves to pick on the other boys and is so full of energy. This is the little guy I'm talking about. He also grabbed at my camera which was inside my pocket at the time- sneaky!

Now over the weekend the students planned a surprise visit for Carly's birthday (Happy Birthday Carly!). They showered her with gifts and flowers on Saturday evening which was totally sweet and unexpected. Even Viet was a bit shocked at their planning which she knew nothing about. Carly was overwhelmed as everyone ran to greet her to give her such beautiful bouquets of flowers and neatly wrapped gifts. It was exciting to see! It reminds me again of how much people can really influence each other and connect, no matter the time constraints or language limitations. It was a very happy moment. This group of students is very loving and supportive of each other. It really has been an incredible group. They are eager to chat and learn about everything. I think I have learned more Vietnamese Sign Language than Vietnamese with these students :o)

Carly getting bombarded with love, flowers, and gifts.

On Sunday we took a trip to a nearby lake. I didn't quite pay attention this time to what the name of it was, sorry. We did convince Viet, however, that we should bring along all of the older students. It was definitely fun times getting to hang out with them outside of the classroom. Of course every moment can be a teaching moment but it was nice to be able to play outside. We were caught in this amazing rainstorm which lasted about 1 hour. I absolutely LOVED IT! I do love weather :o) It rained and rained and rained that I thought the lake might fill up to the top where we were at- just kidding! It did rain inches and inches in a matter of minutes though. It was cool to sit and watch and listen.

Well fami- I should really get to sleep already. It is after 2am here and I must be up early. I am starting to feel anxious that I only have days left here. I don't know that I want to leave or maybe I am ready to leave- I'm not sure. It's been a real mindblowing experience and the thought of going back home to deal with life as I know it there just feels- blah! So many people all around the world fight for their survival and to protect their families everyday- I'm going to school and worried about writing papers or paying rent.... it just seems kind of ridiculous sometimes...Remind me again what my goals are... I have been known to drop out of life and take off to experience something new- that is for sure! It has been a long time here in Viet Nam. It will be interesting to go back home and get back into that way of life, big sigh! I have so much in my head right now.

Enjoy the rainstorm as much as I did! Until next time fami, goodnight!

Sunday's Adventure Attacks My Week

Greetings from Viet Nam everyone. My blog seems to be gaining popularity and seems to be going far beyond my small circle of fami, eeek! I don't mind it but again I have to remind everyone this is purely my own perspective and I'm not going to censor myself to spare anyone's living-bubble so please be aware. I share stories about people, injustices, the privileged, poop, my own experiences, I swear up and down, and I can be pretty sarcastic so read at your own risk. You are also free to leave comments- fair is fair ;o)

On to my adventures of this past Sunday- talk about testing out your body's endurance!

Sundays are our only free days to rest from teaching by the way. Not in Cao Bang! Viet, the woman who runs a small uniform company (small as in less than 20 employees) and employees deaf and disabled to do the work, planned out the two Sundays we will have here with her in Cao Bang. Last Sunday- a trip to Trung Khanh Province to visit a cave and waterfall near the Viet/Chinh border and next Sunday is a trip to Pac Bo to visit the place where Ho Chi Minh first returned to Viet Nam and began coordinating his party to reclaim Viet Nam's independence. Next Sunday all of the students will join us. This past week it was only Scott and I with Viet, her husband, and Hannah.

I was super excited that morning although I woke up with a bit of a sore throat. I tried to ignore it and ran off to hop in the car without breakfast. OK so I wasn't so smart- feeling a little ill and not eating then taking a trip higher into the mountains- maybe not such a good idea having to deal with the elevation and pressure. The view was beautiful as always. I took a ton of pictures of the landscape, people, and small villages. By the time we made our first stop however, I was feeling a little queasy- ugh! My throat wasn't sore anymore and I figured it was maybe the cold air form the ac the night before but why was I feeling a little weak? It was probably the elevation and not eating breakfast. I had some water and we all took a walk around the town's local market. I felt a little better and thought I had adjusted to pressure just fine. Viet said we would be going to her husband's parent's home for lunch which wasn't too far away.

We met the parents and I sat for a while but started to feel ill again. My right leg was hurting and I felt very restless. I walked around outside, up and down the street and then was called in for lunch. I felt weak, like I needed a nap. I was sure it was the elevation and change in pressure. I decided to stick with plain rice although if you know anything about Vietnamese family meals- your bowl is always full until the food is gone! Everyone kept putting things into my bowl and I just kept feeling more and more weak. Someone finally brought me a spoon and everyone laughed. I guess they thought I was having a hard time with the chopsticks. I declined on the spoon and put the bowl down. I told Scott I didn't feel well at all!

I don't really recall if I interrupted the meal or if everyone was done. I just knew I didn't feel well. Viet sat me over on a little stool, pulled my ponytail off, and started some kind of something on my head. She pulled hard between my eyes, pulled my hair, rubbed some kind of something on my neck that was burning, and then as she went to twist off my neck I hollered and stood up- NO WAY!! I couldn't let her snap my freakin neck off!!! I've seen the hair-pulling stuff done with my step-dad's family but not the bloody hickey stuff between the eyes or the snapping of the neck or setting it on fire with some kind of chemical! Hannah laughed and said now I had new pains to help me forget my old pains- she was right! I suddenly felt just fine actually! My neck was stinging, the top of my head was numb, and my forehead was throbbing but I didn't feel weak anymore and my leg wasn't hurting- wow! I was fine for almost the rest of the day after that...or just afraid that Viet might catch me and do something else to me. But now I had this giant red mark between my eyes- ooo fancy!

We left the house soon after and drove further up the mountains. Up, up, up, up! I did feel a whole lot better but my leg was still restless. I know it's from having to sit for so long when we travel around here. I did ask to sit in the back seat to stretch out a bit. When we arrived at our first stop- the cave, it was pouring rain! It stopped in a matter of minutes and then the sun came out strong and made everything humid. It wasn't as humid as Ha Noi though. Viet gave me an umbrella and then off we went. Wait- where is the cave???

Oh crap, all I could see was what looked like a mile of steps up a mountain! How silly was I to think we could drive right up and enter the cave, of course not, duh! waaaaah, I asked Scott to carry me! Where's Jessica when you need her! She'll carry me...or not. Lalis? Ace? Flora?...anyone? We started up the steps and I convinced myself that it felt good on my legs. I was finally stretching them out after sitting for so long, yipp-uh pah pah ahp ahh gasp!!! I was out of breath! TDO the steps I've met everywhere in Viet Nam in hotels, parks, mountains, caves, boats- TDO they are GIANT!!! why?!?! I stopped to gasp for air and could hear all sorts of sounds, chirping, wind howling, vegetation rustling, insects buzzing, and what sounded like a monkey calling out. I wanted to record only none of us could shut up for 2 seconds at the same time so I didn't bother. The sounds were awesome! I just stood there listening then I looked up and saw Viet staring down at me and her husband mumbling something- probably about what a pain I'd been so far. I caught up and kept climbing.

I had to stop at least 3 times before reaching the top and wow was I happy to be done. Then I realized there were more steps all the way down the other side, noooooo!!! At least it was going down and it wasn't as long as the way up. We walked down into a valley that was filled with cornfields. I do wonder how the Vietnamese got a hold of corn if Mexicans claim its origin. As I said it's only in this northern area that I see it, but I see it a lot, fields and fields of it but I don't think people eat it much. Hannah thinks it's more for fodder than for human consumption. (I need to get a hold of some of that to make some tortillas!) The air was more humid as we walked through the cornfields along a loooong path to the cave's entrance.

At the entrance there were people selling wooden objects and purses. Hannah said it looked like the products were more Chinese than Vietnamese. I just needed some shade! We found a guide and off we went into the freezing cave- brrrr! It felt sooooo good! I have to say this cave was much more interesting and exciting than the one in Ha Long although not as huge. We followed the guide into the depths of the cave and then suddenly Scott turns to me and says what if the lights go out in here? You know that had never really crossed my mind- not in the Ha Long cave and not in this one. Why would he say a thing like that! I told him not to say that and if the lights went out we would be screwed because it would be pitch black! At least the Ha Long cave had a large opening. This cave had a tiny hole we had to crawl into. I told him it wouldn't be fun for him especially because he would be deaf AND blind! We carried on and were careful not to slip in the mud. A few minutes later the guide said we had to crawl through a small passage to get to a larger area and just as Scott and I made our way- THE FREAKIN LIGHTS WENT OUT!!!

Fabulous! Simply fabulous! Thanks again Scott! The both of us just stayed in place squatting under some giant rock or something. The guide turned on a tiny little light and pointed it at us. I saw Viet running off back the way we came and I couldn't help but laugh. Well she wasn't going to save anyone but herself!! Another difference between the Ha Long cave and this one was that this one was full of water and had pools of it everywhere, deep and shallow. I don't think we wanted to go roaming around in this cave in the dark trying to guess where the path was- nope!

The cool air kept me a bit calm and I actually thought it was kind of exciting...as long as there were no creatures around. The guide suggested we should keep moving to an area where we could actually stand. I followed his little beam of light and could see that there was water along one side. I went hopping along praying that I wouldn't slip and fall into the water and drown or get lost forever in the cave. We finally made it to an area where we could stand up- whew! We stood in place waiting for the guide to gather everyone and bring them along. By then there was another group who had joined us so all of us just stood around in the dark waiting. We were in puddles of water just waiting. I took a few pictures with flash to see who was there- that's how I discovered the other group had joined us. Then Hannah said what if there was a creature sitting in a corner somewhere watching us- aaaahhhhh!!!!!

We waited for what seemed like forever but was perhaps just 10 or 15minutes and then the lights came back on. The lights aren't that bright as it is- They're just dim little dots spread out throughout the cave to help keep you on the path. I suggested we should run and get out before the power went out again but there was much to see. We continued on to see various stone sculptures, one shaped like a lotus flower where all of a sudden 2 photographers showed up and begged to take our pictures- hmmm. Maybe blowing out the lights was part of the thrill? We took 2 group photos with one of the guys and then made our way toward the end of the cave which had more passages filled with ice cold water and tight spaces to crawl through. When we were about 100meters to the exit the power went out again. This time we were standing and I had view of what was around me before it was dark so I enjoyed the darkness. I sang a few songs and made everyone laugh then yelled for Scott as loud as I could but he said he couldn't hear a thing. He hears me when he wants to you know! He can hear when I scream in a high pitch. Maybe the echo in the cave made it difficult ;o) A few minutes later the lights were back on and again we continued to the exit. This time the light only stayed on for about a minute but we continued in the dark with our guide until we arrived to an area that had some daylight peeking through. We followed the light and made our way out of the cave into the humid heat- ack! Another trail of steps and windy path around to where we entered. We made it!

I was feeling weak again and dehydrated, TDO! This really was a test on my body, sorry body! We rested a bit at the entrance area while Viet had the pictures printed and laminated and then off we went back down the path, up the steps, and over the mountain to the car. If no one could carry me, then could I just die already? Step step step, pause, step step step step step pause, gasp, step step step aaah almost there! And I did it- yay! I made it back over to the car and now it was time for ice cream. As yummy as that sounded, ice cream tends to give me the runs and that wasn't the place to be having any stomach issues so I passed on the ice cream and had some green tea instead. Back in the car and off to the second spot- the waterfalls.

I wasn't feeling it anymore by the time we stopped at the waterfalls. I just needed to sleep off whatever was bothering me. Again the rain was coming down hard and I was sweating. I stood in the rain while Viet arranged permission for us to walk closer to the waterfall area. She said I was going to get more sick if I got wet- why do people think that way? germs and stress make you sick, not cold showers or standing in the rain, or running around without shoes. I moved under a porch anyway and watched the rain. I was feeling really sick now. I felt weak, my leg was hurting, I wanted to vomit from the pressure I felt at my neck and ears- ugh! But I carried on. We got permission even though we forgot to bring our passports along and were able to take the trail down to the waterfall to have a closer look. It was just so beautiful! All of this water showering the side of the mountain across a pretty wide space. The mist felt good because by now the rain had stopped again. Viet gave us some details and history on the area and all I could think about was that I wanted to sit or lay down and knock out so I could feel better.

We finally decided to head back up and I couldn't wait although the walk was long. I took a few more pictures and then headed for the car, only I saw Viet's husband unloading some stuff and I knew we weren't going anywhere soon. Snack time! There is always food, always! I had some water and nectarine type fruit and prayed that I wouldn't vomit. I'm not sure how long we were there but I jumped in the back seat as soon as I was able to and knocked out!

Viet woke me up when we arrived at her in-laws for dinner but I refused to get up. She came back several times to check on me and said I had a fever. I know, I could feel it. I was burning up! I don't know how long we stayed at her in-laws but I was able to rest for a while. The more I relaxed the hotter my head and stomach felt, ugh! We got back on the road when it was getting dark and I was worried about the drive. The road was tough in the day time, now that there was no light, I wondered how it would be. Well, let me tell you- it was crazy! I had to hold on so many times to keep from rolling onto the floor of the car and from bumping my head on the seatbelts. I TRIED to sleep but I just got bounced around and I couldn't see a thing outside. Somewhere on our ride back we had picked up a man and then somewhere else we just left him in total darkness- crap! Oh well! More bumpy road and then finally I felt the turns slow down and I saw more buildings so I figured we were close to town. We dropped Hannah off and I sat up to say goodbye and thank her for translating and joining us. Next was our turn- we arrived at our hotel and I crawled out very slowly because my head was throbbing.

OMG it felt good to be back in my room- I wanted to just throw myself in bed but I was dirty and muddy from the day and I had a fever so I took a shower, blah! I was freezing! I came out wrapped my head in a towel for the pressure and tried to sleep. Didn't happen! Within the hour I was having sharp pains in my left ear and I thought I would go crazy! I sat up, walked around, emailed Huong to ask for any remedies that might help, cried, whimpered, stuck Q-tips in my ear, stuck alcohol Q-tips in my ear (don't try that- it's a big no no!), drank lots of water, rolled around and around from one end of the bed to the other, tried to sleep sitting down, sideways, on my back, on my stomach, drank more water, whimpered some more, until I guess I was just too exhausted to know what happened anymore and I knocked out. The last time I had checked the time was 3am so I don't really know what time I fell asleep.

Scott left me alone in the morning and I slept slept slept. My head was hurting but the pressure in my ear was not so strong anymore. I slept some more and Scott came back in the afternoon and went to lunch alone. I slept some more and he returned from afternoon class. I slept some more and then I finally got up and had some rice for dinner. I slept some more and then Scott was gone again for the next day's morning class. I finally got up and showered and realized I had a million little fever blisters on my lip from battling fever for 2 days- ugh! Now I've got this big hickey between my eyes AND a fat lip- wonderful!


I have to say it was definitely worth the trip though. I mean when else would I get to see such natural beauty and be so close to the Viet/Chinh border? I could do without all of this drama but it was definitely worth the trip. Now I am trying to recover from whatever it was I had and hoping my fat lip will go away quickly. I did go to work on Tuesday afternoon and felt much better but I gave in and took a tylenol before I left which killed the headache. I think I'll survive. It really was extreme though- for MY body so I won't be too hard on myself for getting sick like that. It was an adventure to remember for sure ;o)

Ok fami- looks like Carly and Karyna have arrived and we all need to get some sleep to get to work early in the morning. Until next time- hugzies!

That dar-dere mountain belongs to China! It was storming then it was super hot n humid.

We weren't told it was going to be like an extreme reality tv show- surprise! We had to climb a million steps and search for the cave entrance. I chose to cheat and take the escalator- yes I was already feverish by then.

TDO! We made it to the top, yay!!!!

Crap! more steps to climb all the way down and around the bend. These steps are giant by the way- they go to about the height of my knee!

There's Dorothy with his blue umbrella and we are all following the yellow brick road far far and down into the depths of the earth. I don't know why he didn't tap his shoes for us and get us there faster!

The cave entrance. We could feel icy wind coming through which felt oh so yummy after the sweaty climb over the mountain to get there.

I didn't realize how colorful it was in there til I checked out my own photos- especially after the lights went out and it was just pitch black. Pretty cool!

One of many passages through the cave that had freezing cold water running through it.

This is the view we had a good chunk of the way right after Scott wondered out loud- what if the lights went out in here! Thanks for jinxing us! I screamed and whined and annoyed everyone except for Scott who couldn't hear or see a thing and just waited until I tapped him.

Layers of rock with pockets of water than ran down like a waterfall into a bigger pool- beautiful!

At least the photos were awesome with flash in total darkness. Scott waiting for the light to go back on.

Me freaking out in the dark and snapping pictures all over to get an idea of where everyone was standing.

The waterfall map and entrance.

Viet Nam side of the river and waterfall.

China's side of the waterfall and river. The rafts and people you can make out in the distant left are smugglers waiting to bring over products from China to sell in Viet Nam for higher prices. At least that's what Viet told us.

I'll post soon

We were out of internet range the past few days then I got sick yesterday as we took a trip deeper and higher into the mountains to visit caves and water falls near the Viet/Chinh border. I came back with a fever and earache that drove me insane all night. I spent most of the day sleeping today since I couldn't sleep at night because of the pain. I don't want to take any medications. I'm feeling better this evening although I have a light headache and my ears are still clogged. 

Carly and Karyna should be landing in Ha Noi within the next hour or so and will be heading up here tomorrow- it's a looong drive. I hope they had a safe flight and I hope they have a safe drive up here. It will be nice to see some familiar faces :o) Ok I need to close my eyes. I hope I am well enough to go to work tomorrow. I feel bad that I wasn't there today :o( Hope all is well in America! Hugs fami!

PS- karaoke seems to be a popular thing to do in all of Viet Nam. Although I think it could be great fun and am up to making a fool of myself at any given time, tonight the wailing coming through my window is making me feel worse :o( it's mostly the men I hear sing...and they can't! I need to get out there soon and encourage women to take the mic. goodnight.

Cao Bang

We made it to Cao Bang Province today around 3pm and yay there is internet at our hotel :o) It has been a very looooooong day! We were up at 4am in Ha Noi getting ready and waiting for Anh to show up and take us to the bus station. She arrived after 5am with a car full of people, including Tony. He was running late but wanted to see us off so they had to wait for him. We said our goodbyes and Tony left by taxi while we all piled into the car and left for Cao Bang. I told you the arrangements always change- the group decided to drive us up into the mountains instead of sending us by bus. That was nice of them. So it was Anh, Chuyen- one of the gals who runs a ceramic place and employees deaf kids, Dung and his wife, Scott and I and the driver ...and away we went.

Five minutes into our drive a two foot stick of french bread comes poking through from behind us between Scott n I- whoa! Surprise! have a snack! I don't understand how people here can eat all day and not gain weight- I mean we are talking breads, rice, shrimp, squid, the stuff that makes me puff up like a whale! I just don't get it. I'm an american cow right now with all of the eating I've been doing here- Vietnamese cows aren't that big. Yes even the cows are skinny, what the heck! I want to be a Vietnamese cow ;o)

Twenty minutes into our drive after shoveling bread into our mouths, another stick of bread came through, then another- aaaack! Then we pulled onto the side of the road into a lot to have pho for breakfast. Now the bread in my stomach could have some help expanding in my belly with some broth- yippy! The pho was delicious but it's no fun to eat boiling soup in humid weather, sweat sweat sweat. The slurped up our pho and it was back on the road. The leftover bread we had was stuffed into the back seat pocket- that's just how they roll here :o/

We drove about two hours before stopping for gas. A full service gas station. When I say full service I mean sitting down to have some green tea for a bit and chatting a while. Fun times!

We were back on the road for what seemed like forever. I fell asleep for a while here n there and woke up when we were getting into the hills. The view was beautiful! Yosemite aint got shit on Viet Nam, I'll tell you that much! I have to admit I was being a bit selfish on the ride and didn't take too many pictures because I was busy taking it all in with my own eyes. Besides, my camera skills aren't that great on the road even though this driver was a bit better, slowing down here n there. I took a few pictures but for the most part I just stared out the window and felt so tiny. We stopped a few more times along the way to stretch and buy more things to eat. The first stop was at the mountain side where water was just running down the side and women were selling rice inside a hollow stick. Pretty cool! Scott was given a rice stick to wrestle with it on his own while I was given one that was opened up all nice and pretty. Everyone laughed at him and then said he should eat all of it including the wood. He took a bite and then said "BULLSHIT!" and everyone burst out laughing. Oh our group does love to play with us much, tee hee.

Women selling rice sticks here. Fresh water just rains over the side of the mountain and there are bamboo pipes catching some of it for use.

This is Scott's tangle of an attempt to open and eat his rice stick correctly.

This is how everyone else opened it- like a flower :o) it had peanuts too.

The drive took way over 7hrs but we stopped along the way which made it ok. This time they weren't kidding about being out in the middle of nowhere. There really isn't much on the way up here except for the beautiful nature. There were a few towns along the way but nothing major. I think this is the major city- Cao Bang City in Cao Bang Province which doesn't look very big either. It does have this hotel and internet though :o) So we were allowed to rest a few hours before we were picked up and taken to Dung's home for dinner. There we met Hannah, our interpreter for the evening. Hannah is a Phd student from Frankfort Germany doing her 1 year research in Cao Bang on Urban Sociology and small town relationships. She studied Vietnamese for over 3yrs and sounds fluent to me. She was very sweet. She will be our interpreter tomorrow while we meet with the students and get started here in Cao Bang. We also invited her to hang out with us in the evenings once Carly and Karyna arrive since there isn't much to do here.

Now the plan for Cao Bang is to work with deaf students in the mornings and work with teachers and disabled people in the afternoon. We are planning to stay here about 2 weeks. After that I think for myself, I should be making my way back to the Ha Noi area. Kim, another gal from our program at sjsu, will join us on the 24th but I'm not sure where we will be at that time. Tomorrow we will also decide if we would like to have a driver like we did in Thanh Hoa or if we would like to rent a motorbike and drive ourselves. I'm all up for the motorbike but Scott is too afraid. I think the traffic is less complicated here. I don't see too many cars, mostly bikes and motos and our worksite will be about 1km away. I think we can handle the moto. I'll have to let you know how it goes ;o)

Ok I should get some sleep because we have to be up early and I really am exhausted. OH, I spent this past week writing out postcards by the way so if you gave me your address then I got you down. I wrote to about 40 or 50 of you, whew! The problem is that I couldn't get them mailed out in Ha Noi but Hannah said she would help me tomorrow so those should be going out soon. Of course they take forever because it's going by snail mail but you should get something by August I should hope.

Hannah getting ready to leave for the evening.

I noticed this region grows a lot of corn and tea. I didn't see corn anywhere else I've been but it's all over here....I also noticed our hotel room and Dung's home have nets for the beds...should I be worried and should I be using it tonight? OH and I saw 3 GIANT spiders today on a few of our stops....TDO! I've already wiped everything down in repellent- I hope it keeps me safe for the night. I'm skeeeerd!