Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Final Thoughts


For our final post, we asked each member of the GIEU team a question about the service , what they learned, and the overall experience to wrap up our final thoughts on our experience.

Community service:  "Transforming a cement courtyard into a beautiful memorial garden, not speaking the language but feeling so welcomed and connected by the end of our stay was when I felt closest to the work." Bailey

"I love doing service work when traveling because it allows you to give back to the community while being a tourist. I enjoyed working with locals and the range of work we did. It was great to work with kids because we'll have a lasting impact on their lives, but I also really enjoyed working in the garden because you can immediately see the effect of your hardwork." 

"The service work we did here was a challenging, and fun learning experience for me.  It was fun trying to communicate in ways other than language with the locals.  Even though the work was difficult at times, seeing a transformation was awesome. It was also rewarding to see how grateful the other workers, the children, and the family were for our help." Christina

Vietnamese culture: "During this trip, I have learned that Vietnamese culture is so much more than what we learn in class about the Vietnam War. I was surprised to learn abut the 54 ethnic minorities that inhabit the country and their relationship with the educational and political infrastructure here. I also was interested to learn about the major religions of the country, and I found that many of these faiths promote similar moral values and a positive way of living."

American culture to a Vietnamese student : " open, easy to acclimate, easy to express the emotion. Big love, warm hug, sweet smile". From Linh Fish. 

Learn about yourself: "During this trip I've learned how much I really appreciate and love having alone time. During my alone time on this trip, I've had a lot of time to self reflect, and think about everything and everyone around me. This time has also given me a chance to reevaluate my life and purpose here on Earth."

Regarding his GIEU Vietnam experience: "I have no idea what I am eating, and that is OK." Casey

"Regarding the Vietnamese culture, I was impressed by the Cham community and their rich culture. I felt so small when the more I tried to learn, the little I know. But life and the universe are unlimited. Therefore, we always have to keep learning and discovering until the last breath." Thu Duong

"I learned that it is difficult for me to be myself in large groups. However, as my GIEU experience went along, I became so comfortable and close with my group that I didn't have to think about how I was acting because I knew my group accepted and loved me for me. I will be forever grateful for that." Caroline Hickey

"There are so many things that I have learnt from both (the American and Vietnamese) cultures that I would like to continue with more trips in the future so that I can share with other groups. And I am sure there will be more to learn." TA

" To decribe GIEU Vietnam in one sentence, in my opinion, would be doing a dis-service to such a life changing experience. However, this program has shown me that love and the basic human need to connect cannot be stopped by history, language, or even distance. Love, friendship, and service is universal. Thanks for everything GIEU Vietnam." Marissa.

" GIEU is beyond my imagination and my expectation. I did not think that my personal time and space would be limited like this. On the other hand, I did not think that I would learn this much, work and help people this much, and that I would have opportunity to know lots of people and their life stories" Ha.

People response's about their favorite site:
" My favorite site was the old city of Hoi An. I enjoyed exploring the quaint of the streets and shops on our own and ending the night by setting paper lotus flowers adrift from a boat onto the river" Grace

"My favorite sites were Vinh for the community service work we did there and Ha Long Bay for its beauty! It's a real challenge to capture the atmosphere and emotions in photos for both of these places." Betul

" Bus departing on time with all GI EU members aboard (15 minutes delayed reluctantly accepted" . Our humorous guide, Truc. 

"I learned the meaning of peace. At home, I am an advocate of peace. Standing in harmony with the U.S. and Vietnamese students is an experience that I will hold on to forever. " Emily Rheaume

 What she learned about herself during the trip: "Endowed with a perfect digestive system: never get stomachache so far and poop every morning" P.C.T. Linh

"It's impossible to describe a long and action packed trip in one sentence, but I'll give it a shot: GIEU is a dynamic, exhausting, annoying, exciting, new, old, up, down, enjoyanble, hilarious but most importantly life-changing and meaningful." John Downes

"My favorite site was the fishing village at Ha Long Bay. The scenery was breathtaking, the village was peaceful, and it was humbling to see such a unique way of life." Lina Lu

"I connected with the community service work by using each project as an opportunity to learn. Whether we were visiting an orphanage for a couple of hours or spending a few days doing manual labor, I learned a lot by connecting with the Vietnames people alongside us. Such connections will last for years to come." Ellen

We would like to thank Thuy'Anh, Truc and Emily for everything they did for us. Without them, this journey wouldn't be possible. Last but not least, thank you for following our adventures on this blog! Look out for more posts once everyone reaches their destination. 

Mekong Delta

Today marks the last official day of our GIEU adventure. We took a 2 hour bus ride to the Mekong Delta, which is the base of the Mekong River. We learned that the Mekong River is the 10th longest river in the world and the delta is the 3rd largest delta in the world.

We boarded small boats and toured the villages surrounding the delta. The water appeared to be extremely dirty since it was brown, but the color is due to the rich soil located at the bottom of the river. That environment allows the soil to be utilized for farming (especially rice). Our first stop was an area where bricks were made. The materials for making the bricks were left over rice products. We took a quick tour and learning a little about the process and seeing the HUGE stacks of bricks. Suddenly, our work stacking bricks at the Social Work Center in Vinh didn't seem so large anymore.

Our boat tour continued with drinks of coconut milk (still in the coconut) in our hands. I was amazed by the beautiful green plants that surrounded the river. The next stop was a hut where the coconuts were processed and made into a variety of other things, including candy which we were able to sample as it was being made.

We got off the boat a third time and explored a small island located on the delta. Here, we saw how mats were made out of the reeds in the river. We had the unique opportunity to see the island from a trailer hitched to a motor bike. This ride took us to a more remote village where we had a delicious lunch prepared for us.

After lunch, we made our way back to our boat via smaller row boats. This gave us the chance to see the river up close and personal.

I really enjoyed our trip to the Mekong Delta and it was a great way to see how people in Vietnam use all of the resources the river provides them to make many other products.

-Ellen

Friday, June 28, 2013

More tunnels and religion!

On our second morning in Ho Chi Minh City, we woke up bright and early to beat the crowds to the Cu Chi Tunnel. This extensive tunnel system was built by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. We had the opportunity to go into one of the tunnel systems, and it was an experience; you had to crouch the whole time in the tunnel. We got to see booby traps that the Viet Cong had set up in order to trick and keep the enemy out.  In addition to seeing how the soldiers lived, we also got to see how they made weapons. It was very different from the tunnels in Vinh Moc. After the tunnels, we went to Tay Ninh to visit a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a fairly new religion that was started in Vietnam. There are currently three million followers of Cao Dai, and one million of them live in Tay Ninh. Cao Daists believe that there is one God and all religions are related.  The major teachers (Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, etc) in religions came to teach at certain times in history. Its a very interesting religion, and many students expressed interest in researching it more once they are home. The temple was beautiful. We were able to observe a prayer service at the temple, which was extremely exciting.  It was also interesting to learn that people like Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, William Shakespeare, Sun Yat-sen, and Nguyen Binh Khiem are viewed as saints in this religion.  learning about the different religions and visiting the various temples has been a great part of this trip. 

Today was a special day; Thu's graduation ceremony was today in Hanoi! Instead of flying back early to attend the ceremony, however, Thu stayed with us. To celebrate her. If day, we surprised her with a beautiful cake and card that everyone signed. CONGRATULATIONS THU! We're all so proud of you! We're also thankful that we got to spend more time with you! We really have become a family on this trip.

Tour of Ho Chi Minh City

On Wednesday morning, we had to leave Hoi An and continue our journey south. We had to say goodbye to awesome bus drivers because we took an overnight train to Ho Chi Minh City. On the twenty hour train ride, the group had the opportunity to REALLY get to know each other a lot better.  We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at around 5:30 am, we got to rest in our hotel rooms for a little bit before starting a city tour at 9:00 am. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon (this name is still commonly used), is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of about 9 million people.  Our first stop in the city was Reunification Palace, formerly Independence Palace.  This was where the President of South Vietnam lived and worked during the Vietnam War. On April 30, 1975, Independence Palace was the place that served as the official surrender of South Vietnam, when a North Vietnamese army tank crashed though the front gates of the Palace. After our tour through the palace, we visited the War Remnants Museum. This museum  featured exhibits that were hard to go through.  The photos that were displayed were so heavy and intense, it really made the war real to many of the students on the trip. For lunch, we went to Pho 2000, a small restaurant where Bill and Chelsea Clinton ate when they visited Vietnam! After our fabulous lunch, Truc gave us a tour of the Binh Tay market in Chinatown. While we were there, some members of the group bought spices, nuts, coffee, and tea. We then visited the Thien Hau pagoda, the temple for the Chinese sea goddess. Many Vietnamese go there to pray for safe travels. The GIEU Vietnam 2013 group bought and lit an incense cone for us on the trip. The incense will burn for a week as we all travel to various places. After we explored the pagoda, we briefly visited Notre Dame in Saigon. Many US students were surprised with the huge, beautiful cathedral in Vietnam. Right across the street from the cathedral was a beautiful post office. Inside were beautiful phone and ATM booths, vendors, and a post office. The building was gorgeous inside and out. After the quick tour of the city, we were given free time to explore the city on our own. Some groups got coffee, some went shopping, and one group found a jazz club. They had the opportunity to meet a famous jazz musician who invited Stephon back the next night to sing with him!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Experiencing the Champa Kingdom Firsthand


On our second morning in Hoi An, we woke up at the crack of dawn to tour My Son (pronounced Me Sun). This area is the site of the Cham Kingdom, which is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. The Cham people are an ethnic minority group living in Central and Southern Vietnam. We beat the heat and the crowd (sort of) to explore the ruins from the 4th to the 14th century. Truc gave us a brief history of the architectural techniques of the temples, which still remains as a mystery. We were fascinated by the size and detail of the temples and intrigued by the lack of mortar used to construct the. 
After venturing through the ruins and taking lots of pictures of the beautiful scenery, we gathered to watch a Cham musical performance, which consisted of dancing, traditional musical instruments, and authentic costumes. 

Visiting the Cham ruins made the Cham Sculpture Museum experience come to life. We visited the museum on our way from Hue to Hoi An. The museum featured artifacts discovered by the French in the 19th century. We also learned the significance of the Fertility Goddess that was found in many of the artifacts. 

On our way back from My Son, we made a brief visit to the Hoa Mai Orphanage. This orphanage was one of the service sites for GIEU 2010. We took a brief tour of the orphanage, helped touch up a mural, sang songs, and played basketball and badminton with the kids. Even though our visit was very short, we realized the impact of continuing the relationship between the orphanage and GIEU Vietnam. 

A Refreshing Change in Hoi An


We hit the road again the following morning with our next destination of Hoi An. On the way, we briefly stopped at the Lang Co Beach  to take quick picture (including a few failed attempts at jumping pictures). We also stopped at Hải Vân Pass, which was at the top of a lush mountain that served as the official dividing point between Hue and Da Nang. The breathtaking views gave us many picture-taking opportunities. 

After a long morning of traveling, we finally arrived Hoi An. We were all starving, we immediately went for lunch at open restaurant that featured many options. We enjoyed local cuisine such as Cao lau and my quang, which are traditional noodle dishes. For the rest of the afternoon, we were free to explore the city. We saw ancient houses, temples, and small museums. We were surprised to see the Chinese and Japanese architecture and cultural influence.  This quaint city was a wonderful chance to do much-needed, at least for the girls! 

During the two days we spent here, we enjoyed our free afternoons by exploring the city on foot or bike, visiting the many tailor shops to get custom-made clothing, and practicing our bargaining skills at the shops in the small city. This was a nice change of pace from packed days of working or touring. During both of our free nights, we had two amazing dinners. Our first night, we had spring rolls and curry, among other local dishes. For the second night, we were surprised by Italian cuisine. This was one of the few nights that we didn't have any food left over. :) 

After dinner, we were free to explore the Lantern Festival, which celebrated Hoi An as a World Heritage Site. The festival featured many traditional performances, artists, boat rides where we released floating lanterns into the water after making a wish. We were amazed by the beautiful lights and scenery, which included a full moon. 

One Day in Hue: June 23rd


After two exhausting yet rewarding weeks of service work, we hit the road to spend our last week touring the central and southern regions of Vietnam. Our first stop was Hue, which was capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. We started off the morning with a visit to the Tomb of Tu Duc. The Emperor Tu Duc designed his tomb himself and lived there for the last few years of his life. The grounds of the tomb contained temples, a palace where he lived, a tea house next to a lake filled with lotus flowers, and a forest. Being there was a refreshing break from the emotionally draining visits to war sites. During our visit, we learned a lot from the history and architecture of Vietnam from the 19th century. 

Lunch was a pleasant surprise as Truc took us to Mandarin Cafe, owned by Mr. Cu, who is Truc's close friend and an awesome photographer! We enjoyed a delicious meal with Western options, as well as Vietnamese cuisine. As half of our group munched on much-needed hamburgers, we flipped through Mr. Cu's beautiful photos of Hue. After lunch, we couldn't stop ourselves from purchasing many of his photos, while ordering desserts such as fried bananas and fruit pancakes with ice cream. 

After lunch, we headed into the citadel, which makes up most of the city of Hue.  Our hotel was located inside the citadel, which was a unique opportunity. Our first stop in the citadel was the Imperial Closure, which was a citadel within a citadel. This was where the emperors resided. We saw beautiful temples, pagodas, and palaces. We were amazed by the beautiful architecture, especially with the gates. Then, we entered the Forbidden Purple City, which is the center of the Imperial Closure. In this area featured the Royal Theatre where we hoped to see a traditional performance. However, it was closed due to a visit by the UNESCO delegation. We were extremely disappointed (especially Truc!), we continued touring the remains of the Forbidden Purple City. 

We spent our free and only night in Hue crossing the Trang Tien Bridge which was lit up with a variety of beautiful changing colors, including maize and blue. Once we crossed the bridge we explored coffee shops and the night market.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Touring the Khe Sanh Military Base

June 21st, 2013

Today we started the day by visiting the Khe Sanh military base. We explored the museum at the base and Truc, our tour guide, explained the significance of the American base to the war. The base is located slightly south of the DMZ (located in central Vietnam). The base was a strategic spot for U.S. troops as the U.S. intended to block the invasion of the North Vietnamese troops from entering the South. Outside of the museum there were some C130 American planes on display. As we walked around the base and explored, we discussed American intentions behind the war and the unexpected consequences. As a Chinese American, I couldn't easily pinpoint my connection with to the war but standing on the grounds of the military base, I could feel the importance of the base as a landmark of and pivotal location of the war.

Final Day at the Compassion House & Visiting the Ethnic Minority Village

June 20, 2013

For our final day helping put the finishing touches on the Compassion House, we decided to work a full day. We began sketching and then painted the mural in the new studyroom. The mural represented both our experiences traveling through Vietnam, and included a map of Vietnam with labels for each city we visited. We also incorporated a set of books and a turtle to represent knowledge and education. The top of the mural sports the Vietnam flag along with the state of Michigan and the moon and star of the Turkish flag. Together, these symbols represented the diverse cultural backgrounds of our GIEU team. Thuy, the woman who would live in the new home, enjoyed the mural and mentioned how she especially liked the turtle.

Around the middle of the day, a small group of our team ventured into the neighborhood to take a break from work. We passed by several homes, and we were surprised when many of the families began to invite us into their homes. Linh Dien stated that it is common courtesy for families to invite guests into their homes, and guests may even stay the night if they wish. I found this concept unusual at first, given that travelers are often not treated with such hospitality in the United States. However, visiting each home we were invited to proved to be an incredibly rewarding experience. At the first house, the family helped Stephon to learn how to play chess. With the help of Linh's translations, Stephon was able to learn the moves of the game and play against an older gentleman while several other young men watched the game. Each of us had a wonderful time watching the match, and we thanked our hosts profusely as we left to continue our walk.

The second home we visited belonged to a family with a small baby girl. The baby's cute smile instantly won us over, and the family graciously allowed us to hold her. As we sat at the table, Linh explained how many of the family members were teachers in Saigon and at our location in Quang Tri. The family offered us tea as the baby began "talking" to Stephon. All in all, the friendliness of the family and their comfort with allowing us to hold their child continued to surprise us.

After saying goodbye to the family and shaking the hand of the eldest man, we traveled farther down the road until an older woman called out to us. She immediately invited us inside when we told her we were working on the house nearby. Inside we met her granddaughter and her two friends. They were studying for their college exams, and the older woman explained how she wanted her granddaughter to receive an education to have better job prospects than she had herself. We were instantly touched by the woman's genuine kindness. She told us stories from the American War, when planes relentlessly bombed the very same neighborhood where we were working. Despite these painful memories, she mentioned how it gave her great joy to see both Vietnamese and American individuals sitting at her table in peace. You could see that she meant every word with her sincere smile. We decided to take a picture with the woman before saying goodbye to document our day filled with friendly smiles and wonderful new experiences.

During the creation of the mural, our team also finished painting the outside of the home and cleaned the floors on the inside of the building. We worked in pairs to make the process more efficient, which helped when we needed to dry the floors after cleaning them. After a hard (and hot) work day, we left the neighborhood with a newly painted home and we brought with us a sense of gratification with the progress we had made.

June 22, 2013

Today we visited the village of an ethnic minority, and got a chance to interact with the families there. The children played around the village homes by chasing a tire with sticks. They were shy at first, and did not approach us until we brought out some snacks as a gift. After seeing the cookies and crackers they crowded around our group, creating a sea of smiles. We were surprised when many of the children started hiding the snacks they received in attempt to get more, but we were happy to be able to interact with them at last. ThuyAnh mentioned how most of the children did not know Vietnamese, but older villagers with more education were able to speak the language. Our group discussed in debrief how the children of this village differed from those we encountered at EcoPark and the social center. Several teammates mentioned the disparities in education between the groups, and how many of the children and families of ethnic minorities often fail to achieve high education levels due to family responsibilities and work. This creates a vicious cycle similar to that seen in the United States, with those born into families with less education having a significantly smaller chance of continuing on in their education. Yet, we also discussed how content the children of the village appeared. Did education impact the life satisfaction for the kids to the extent we think it did? In the end, no matter the level of SES or education, the children all appeared happy and energetic. This left me in a positive mood, as well, as we departed from the village in the afternoon.


-Kyle

The 5th day in Quang Tri province

Friday, June 21st, the fifth day in Quang Tri, our group left the hotel at 8.00, being ready for another amazing day. In the morning, we visited the mushroom producing center, named MWM (Mushroom with a mission), another project belonging to RENEW Project. RENEW has three main operating fields: education about landmines for local people; UXO clearance (with one field site that we visited on Monday); and victim assistance. The victim assistance field includes medical training for local medical staffs, microcredit projects for women of UXO victim families; and MWM. At the MWM, we have chance to experience the mushroom producing chain. At the center, the materials are processed carefully until the mushroom seeds are planted to bags of dirt from rubber trees and afterwards sent to UXO victim families that cooperate with the project.  The staff there are so happy working with the new and modern machine system sponsored by the Japanese Embassy two weeks before. And we suddenly think about how hard the work was for the workers without the support of those machines before. Anyway, we are so happy knowing from a staff of the center that this project has helped improve those families' income significantly.

Leaving the mushroom center quite early, around 10.30 am, we come to a family with a woman who is one of the beneficiaries of RENEW's microcredit project to help poor women who are suffered from the war and UXO to improve their living condition. The name of the woman that we visit is Le Thi Quyen. She lives with her only son who is 16 years old and following a vocational school in the downtown of Quang Tri. Actually, the income that the woman can earn from this microcredit project is not very much, just about 1 million VND per year (about 50US$), but at least she has an additional amount of income that can partly support her son's studying. The woman grew up with her leg injured in the Vietnam war/American war by a bomb or something that even her can not remember when she was very little. She still talked about how harsh the war was, how destructive the US bombings caused to her neighborhood. But now, she and her son are living in a compassion house sponsored by American Red Cross. For me, the war belongs to the past, we don't feel happy about that but we can not change what has happened. The more important thing is now the two countries have been friends, helping each other to fix the consequences of the war, directing to new missions together. And for me, that is peace!

Now, I'm sitting here, sharing my thoughts about the trip, beside my American friends. We have become very good friends, freely talk with each other, happily laugh with each other, without any barrier (except for the language barrier sometimes). And for me, that is peace!

I love you all, my beloved GIEU friends!
Phung Chu Thuy Linh


Compassion House and Spending My Birthday in Vietnam

June 18, 2013

I was lucky enough to spend my 21st birthday in Vietnam. On the day of the 18th, we began our work at the Compassion House. The Compassion House is a project sponsored by the Lotus Humanitarian Aid Foundation. The foundation builds and renovates houses for families in need. We met John Ward, the country director of the foundation in Vietnam. We learned that the lady we will be building the house for, Thuy, is a single mother with three sons. We arrived at the village expecting to build a house from the bottom up. We were surprised to find that the house was almost done and only needed to be painted with a few touch-ups. So we jumped right in and divided up into small teams and started our work. Some of the team painted the interior and exterior of the house with homemade brushes. We worked under the instruction of the two contractors with the help of the Vietnamese students as translators. Many of us struggled and had to adjust to using the makeshift brushes. I was part of the group that worked outside moving sand and gravel to level out the ground in front of the house to plant trees later on. It was a very hot day. We took turns shoveling and moving the gravel. The heat made the work extremely difficult. Halfway through the work I had to take a break because I was feeling nauseous. Many of my group mates had been feeling sick for a few days and we were also exhausted from traveling. The following day at the Compassion House, we planted flowers and trees in front of the house. We also continued the paint job.

In the afternoon of the 18th, we returned to the hotel and had a time to wash up for dinner. We ate dinner at the hotel and it was delicious as usual. At the end of dinner, one of the Vietnamese students, Linh, turned off the lights. Our program leader ThuyAnh and Truc came out with two birthday cakes. I was so surprised that tears were brimming. Everyone gathered and sang Happy Birthday in Vietnamese and English. It was my first ever surprise party so I was overjoyed. The cakes were delicious and the moment was beautiful. That night we also went karoaking, another new experience for me. We sang songs from "Lean on me" to "We will rock you." As we linked arms and swayed, I felt a strong connection to the group and it felt like a gathering of close friends. After rocking out and singing the night away, we headed to bed. My birthday in Vietnam was like no other. I was able to volunteer and contribute to the making of a lovely home and spend the day with my GIEU family. It was an experience that will stay with me for all the birthdays to come.

PROJECT RENEW & 17TH PARALLEL

After a long and arduous bus ride, we happened upon one of the destinations we had been waiting for a while now: the dividing line that separated North and South Vietnam during the war we had been learning so much about. The first thing we noticed at the site was the giant monument reaching towards the sky, then we headed into the museum. A stark contrast from a museum in the United States, the pictures and facts inside were presented from a strictly (northern) Vietnamese viewpoint. It was odd for me to be put in the situation where you see the atrocities your country, but not you specifically, had completed in the past. It's hard not to feel guilty when the numerous bombs dropped are laid out before you underneath the pictures of maimed children and burnt flesh.

We crossed the Ben Hai River, the true dividing line between the north and the south, and did so with our Vietnamese students alongside us. It was difficult to imagine the anguish and blood that was shed because of that seemingly arbitrary division, especially when it looks relatively plain now. The landscaping around the river and bridge is nothing special, besides the few monuments and the museum, and there were chickens freely walking around having a great time. The people who were separated by the line, and tried so desperately to cross it to reach those they love, certainly contrasted against the serene river and cars and trucks zooming by on the freeway above.

Later upon reaching Quang Tri, we met up with Project RENEW (Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of War), an NGO backed by international aid organizations. We saw videos and a presentation about the short and long-term effects of UXO (unexploded ordinances) on the local people. It was harrowing to walk around the center of Project Renew, which had once been Kids First, a local center for children, which is now completely barren. Looking at murals painted by GIEU groups in the past adorned the walls outside, but there is no longer anyone to enjoy them. We left hopeful for the future of the organization and thankful for their time informing us, but we weren't finished just yet.

We then were shipped out to an area where they were actually sweeping the area for bombs. And after signing away our lives and giving away our blood types, we were taken up close and personal to the actual UXOs that had been found. It was interesting being feet away from unexploded cluster bombs, but it hit the point home that these people find UXOs like this quite often, and without the help of project RENEW, it would be tough for them to make a living otherwise. I definitely felt a sense that the people at Project RENEW know their stuff and have nerves of steel, and I send good vibrations to them in helping clear more farmland for the local people to gain sustainable agricultural opportunities.

Perhaps my favorite excursion of the past week was going to the Vinh Moc tunnels, buried underneath a heavily bombed part of the area. Claustrophobic and damp, you could really get the sense of anxiety and panic that would overcome people who were running through inside and doing things like giving birth while explosions rained above. Though it's cool how effective they were..apparently no one died while inside of the tunnel, and in a way it kind of shows the human spirit and will to survive, and the lengths people will go to in order to save those that they love. We exited the tunnel and found a bizarrely peaceful and beautiful view of the ocean, where we took lots of photos and played with crabs. Then Truc showed us rubber trees and showed us how it drips out like sap, which is super neat. In other news, my cravings for pizza have reached critical mass.

xoxo
casey

Friday, June 21, 2013

The trip to Ho Chi Minh's hometown and Cua Lo Beach in Vinh, Nghe An

Tuan who works in social centre joined this trip with us. Tuan is a friendly man and he was so eager to tell us about his hometown's pride: "Ho Chi Minh president was born in Nghe An, also his hometown". There is a very beautiful lotus lake on the way to Ho Chi Minh's parents' house. UM and HANU students, especially girls looked so pretty beside lotus- the national flower of Vietnam. We took many photos here. 
I saw many Vietnamese visit Ho Chi Minh's hometown. It was nearly as crowded as the day to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum on the last week. We also had to stand in two lines to see the house where Ho Chi Minh was born, the garden and the ancestor altar with a lot of flowers under it, which are from visitors- Ho Chi Minh's children ( a friendly way to call Vietnamese citizens). I realized how much  Vietnamese people love Ho Chi Minh and his parents. Their visits expressed the great respect to Vietnam's big father- Ho Chi Minh.
On the way back to the bus, we dropped by the souvenir shop of Tuan's family. He introduced us to his mother, his wife when he was holding his son on his arm. We bought some friendship bracelets and took photos with them here. Tuan's wife was so glad to tell me that she would sell every souvenir with the cheapest price because we are volunteers for the social centre. I was so pleased that the works we did at the centre were recognized.

Then, we moved to Cua Lo beach. This was the first time I had ever swam on the beach at noon. It was very hot and sunny, but we had a ot of fun ^^
When we were sunbathing, many local people gathered and invited us to buy their souvenirs. That made us uncomfortable. Some of us felt very angry when one man came near to take photos of us while we were in bikini. He was so rude!!!
Coming back to the hotel, we had a debrief about the whole day. We talked about the problem on the beach. I really remembered and appreciated what Truc and T. A said, " We come Vietnam, not only to enjoy nice people and nice places, but also to understand and see the real life of Vietnam that is not totally as beautiful as we have imagined before this trip. We need to learn how to accept bad situations and see everything more positively, and consider them as features of Vietnamese culture.
We really enjoyed the day!!!!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Nghe An Social Work Center: Bamboo, Tires, and Men


On Monday morning, we awoke early to head to the social work center in the Nghe An province. We were warmly welcomed by the center's staff, workers and children who are a part of the organization. All of the children met us with smiles and bouquets of flowers. We were lead into a large room where we were fed lychee fruit during an introductory speech. After this speech, we were put to work. At this point, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into in terms of the work load. We anticipated light manual work in the sun, but there was no way any of us could've been prepared for the intensity of what lay in front of us. For most of us, this was the hardest work that we had ever done. The labor consisted of moving full grown trees, hand-mixing cement, smashing cement walls with sledge hammers, stacking bricks, moving sand piles, plants flowers, rolled grass, and unhinged windows and doors. Although all of us felt exhausted from this grueling work, we agreed that it was some of the most rewarding work we had done. We all found it fascinating that all of this work was done by hand with only the help of bamboo poles and bike tires. 
At first, it was hard for us to picture how our week of work would fit into their four/five year long remodeling project. However, by the time Wednesday and Thursday rolled around, it was obvious that our group was making a large impact. We had completely transformed a run down courtyard into a beautiful garden by hand. It wasn't only the aesthetic looks of the garden that made us realize the effects of our work, it was the gracious thanks from the center's staff. They were brought us snacks during the work day, feed us lunch, and continued to thank us for our hard work. Even after leaving the site, several of us would echo the grateful words of the cement artist.. "Ok Thank you!" 
Overall, it was a great experience to work side-by-side with the Vietnamese workers, and be part of such a great cause. It was extremely rewarding to see the benefits of our hard work and know the impact that we had on the social work center. The welcoming staff truly made us feel as though we would be welcome back at the center at any point. 

--Adriane and Caroline

Social Work Center in Đô Lương

Day 6: Visit to the Social Work Center in Du Long

A great man once said that "there is no substitution for hard work", and before this trip I would have been willing to argue with him (in case you're wondering that man was Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb and many other things). Ice cream sounds like a better substitution for hardwork, and even a nice long nap (everyone needs some shut-eye every now and then). But this week that quote couldn't be truer.

As previously noted, we spent the week working hard - possibly harder than any of us have worked in our entire lives. The job was tough, and at times frustrating (a few wheelbarrows tipped over; lots of physically demanding labor - who thought you could move a fully grown tree with bamboo and bike tires). In the end, however, the hard work was more than well worth it.

To thank us for our help at the Nghe An center, the director, Mr. Le Trung Thuc, invited us to visit the Đô Lương social work center, the original center and counterpart to Nghe An Center. The welcome we received was - to say the least - overwhelming and highly humbling. The previous night we'd gone out as a group and purchased books for the children at the center. We'd expected to give the children that the center services their new books, perhaps play a bit, and then maybe eat a nice lunch. What we got however, brought tears to my eyes. 

The director, along with other board members of the center, had organized a beautiful ceremony that included news coverage, to thank us. Performances, gifts, and tons of pictures later, it was finally time for us to meet the children we'd been hearing so much about; children who were to benefit from our service.

Lead into what appeared to be a school house, all eighteen of us finally came face to face with the children. Wide smiles, bright eyes, and somewhat skiddish dispositions greeted us. At first, due to apparent language differences, the conversation and interaction with children was somewhat tense and strained. The Vietnamese students helped us to integrate in  the best possible way with the children. One of the older children read Little Red Riding Hood, and then as a group we acted it out. But soon story time gave way, and children's laughter filled the air.

Whether we were blowing up balloons, drawing with chalk, walking babies, or even swinging kids around, that moment made all the hardwork we'd done days before well worth it. The smiles, the laughter, the utter joy of the children showed just how valuable our time had been. The work we did at the center in Nghe An, though at times brutal, did not go unacknowledged.

A lot of sweat, a bit of blood, and even a few tears all added up to hardwork well wrought.
Everything we'd done from smashing walls, getting chased by bats, fighting centipedes, moving full grown trees, and rolling grass couldn't compare, however, to the reward of seeing those children smile. 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Ha Long Bay

In the middle of our first week in Vietnam we took a two day excursion to Ha Long Bay to explore a cave, cool off at a beach, tour a fishing village and enjoy the natural beauty of the bay. Here are some pictures from the trip!


Sunday, June 16, 2013

One picture says one thousand words

Some moments from our first mission in Nghệ An. We worked at the Nghe An Social Center to turn dirt work and hard labor into a Beautiful Garden (June 11 -14)

One picture says one thousand words

Here are some moments of our group in the North from June 3 to June 9

City Tour In Hanoi


Fundraising event


Ha Long Bay getaway


Summer Camp at EcoPark

Friday, June 14, 2013

A trip to Ecopark and Bat Trang village

Today we had a fun time with the kids of the Ecocamp in Ecopark and at Bat Trang village which are located in the suburban area of Hanoi. Ecopark surprised us by its environment-friendy landscape as we started getting used with noisy and dusty Hanoi. At the first meeting, we were warmly welcomed by the kids' cute dance performance which obsessed everyone's mind for a while. The kids were very excited to make new friends and so were we. We were divided into small groups with some adorable nicknames such as Doremon, Save Animal, Lighting or Success and visited Bat Trang village together to see how pottery was processed as well as to make our own ceramic products. It was not that easy to make a ceramic cup or vase as it looked. After the lunch, we had chance to enjoy the Martial Art performance and environmental talk together.
 Here are some pictures we took today:



Kid's performance


Making a pottery cup 

or dish :)

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

In Truc We Trust

Day One
There's no better way to do it then to dive right in, and cannonball! That's exactly what we did. Strapping on our day packs we ventured out into the bustling and crowded streets of Hanoi with our Vietnamese fellows for the first day's scavenger hunt. After splitting  into four groups, we were given a list of historical and cultural sites throughout the city that we had to go find. Among these were the Opera House, the Long Bien Bridge, the Sun Beam Bridge and Mountain Temple and the statue of King Ly Thai To overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. A point of interest for our group was the Long Bien bridge because it was bordered by the slums of Hanoi. The GIEU team regrouped in the afternoon for an iced coffee break that included a  tutorial on how to patiently make a delicious cup of Vietnamese coffee. We wrapped up the day with our first communal meal. Yum yum! 

Day Two
The second day started on a more somber note than the hustle and bustle of day one; visiting the mausoleum where the body of Ho Chi Minh rests. It was amazing to see how many people came to pay tribute to a national hero; we had to wait in line for an hour for a brief visitation. The excursion aided us in understanding the importance of Ho Chi Minh to Vietnam, although clashing with our American bias towards him. Next we went to the Temple of Literature, Hanoi's first university and a popular place for students hoping to do well on exams. We felt this illustrated the importance of education in Vietnamese society. Our next stop was Hoa Lo, the prison built by the French used to hold both Vietnamese and American prisoners. The exhibits were haunting and shocking to see how poorly people were treated. Seeing the Vietnamese side of the story was an unique comparison to the one commonly taught in America. The new women's museum, which we visited next was very fascinating. Learning about the woman's role in Vietnamese society; ranging from home and family life to working to help support the family; was interesting. Traditional rituals differ within each ethnic group but are still preserved in their culture today. We ended the day with another delicious meal. 

Day three
Today we traveled to the campus of Hanoi University of Technology (Đại Học Bách Khoa) for the day. We started with a lecture from Ginger Davis, who studied Vietnamese for many years and ended up moving her life here. We were taught about Vietnamese culture, including the dos and don'ts and gender perceptions, she also gave us an overview of Vietnamese history. We then took a lunch break and went to the Reading Club(Câu Lạc Bộ Đọc Sách Cùng Con), an organization working to get kids in the area and their parents to be more enthusiastic about reading. We were served a delicious lunch by a University of Michigan graduate running the reading club. We also donated the English children's books we brought with us. After lunch we began preparing for our cultural exchange event; the event consisted of mingling with Vietnamese students through a variety of activities such as songs, card games, bracelet making, slang and temporary tattoos. It was awesome to see how enthusiastic the students were to be interacting with us.