Reflection

Balance. It is all about balance. This journey certainly confirmed that for me. I learned how important it is to make time for yourself but also to make time for others. I went on this trip in a soul searching effort to help myself and in the end I ended up helping others. Helping others as much as I did made me truly happy. I waited a while to write this concluding piece. I wanted a chance to truly reflect on my experiences and see where they would take me next.

I have really taken a liking to a quote by E.E. Cummings: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” I one hundred percent agree with that quote. Too often people tend to follow others. They think that will provide them with the answer of who they are. The best way to find yourself is to figure out your own passion and chase it. For me, that is traveling and taking photographs. I do this in an effort of exploration: to learn more about life, about places and about others.  Too often people don’t take risks. They seek the easy way out and begin to blame the reason they cannot pursue their dreams is because of money, it is out of reach or simply impossible without even trying. Nothing should stand in the way of your dreams. There will always be obstacles. Things just don’t happen for you with the snap of a finger. I believe in taking action on dreams and to do that you must have courage. You must be willing to embrace change and to grow up. You must be brave enough to find yourself and be yourself. Each valuable experience that we encounter helps us to grow as a person. We never just grow up. I learned that by meeting Teri on the Halong Bay trip. He is 41 and still living passionately as he darts around the world. He not only travels for work but works to travel. He is an example that it doesn’t matter your age or if you are married or single, it is still possible to live with a youth-like passion. It is never too late or impossible to follow your dreams.

I have certainly grown during this trip. I have grown and developed who I am a on every trip, including freezing in the outback while sleeping under incredible shooting stars and a getting my heart broken on a plane home from Bali (all while clutching the bottle of holy water that my Balinese friend gave me to keep the evil spirits away). All of my experiences good and bad have developed my character. Every person who came into my life for a day or a few weeks have all left their footprints on my heart and taught me valuable things about people. There are people who think just like me, there are people who share the same confusion as me, there are people who make sense of life for me and there are the people who welcome you with open arms without caring who you are, where you’re from and what you have done. Travel gives me this gift of meeting extraordinary people. They may not know it but each individual who I have met on my travels (on this trip: the man at the airport on the way to Bangkok who bought me coffee and just wanted to talk about his wife and kids, the waiter said how happy he was to learn English, the old woman and her silent hand holding on the plane, etc.) has left an imprint in my life, in my way of thinking and in my heart. Their contributions have changed my attitude, have directed my life goals in a different direction and left me with an open and blessed mind.

I went on this trip with the intentions of soul searching. I left this trip upon the realisation that I ended up helping others more than I could have imagined and couldn’t have been happier about it. My dear Finnish friend from KL emailed me recently to inform me that he is now in his first relationship since grade 9. I’d like to think that I had a bit to do with that. I let a man vent his frustrations about his son and talk about how much he adores his family to me in the KL airport on the way to Bangkok. He obviously needed to talk to someone and I was the perfect stranger. I taught so many amazing people English. Many were trying to pass the tests for a chance at a better life and opportunities. I was a friend to those who were looking for a friend. I taught a boy who couldn’t afford to go to school and badly needed to learn the language. I helped to build a house for a family. I gave advice to a young girl who obviously needed it. I held a stranger’s hand. I donated to the Agent Orange Foundation.

Yes I had an entire 5 weeks of helping others and it was unbelievably amazing.

I’ll always remember the satisfying sound of my suitcase wheels rolling through the airport. I love that sound. This time it was different. It was a sound that symbolised love, passion, compassion and the right direction. I know that sound will come back. I know that suitcase will be rolling through the airport again, except everywhere that I travel from now, I would love to make a difference.

My experiences in Asia have opened me up to a new path towards a career. One in which I can continue to help these amazing people. I have always wanted to work for a non-profit but now I know that I would like to work for one that benefits underprivileged communities around the world.

I continue to contribute to Vietnam. My inbox of my email is constantly full with a few of my student friends asking for help with assignments or just to chat. I do my best to help them proofread their assignments and to help them with any issues they may have. Their emails are always full of life and hope and completely make my day. I am still waiting for the email from the boy who I taught at the vegetarian restaurant. He said when he makes enough money, which would be in over a month, which is probably right now, he will email me. I really wish the best for that boy and hope that he will have a better life soon.

This conclusion is not a conclusion but rather a statement of what I have gained through my journey. I will probably keep adding to it as the realisations keep occurring.  I hope to continue to add further stories of my travel adventures, experiences and incredible people that I meet along the way. Until the next adventure…….

Hanoi and the natural wonder of Halong Bay

I arrived in Hanoi in the morning and was met by my airport pickup for the Prince Hotel No.8. The man battled out road rage before he turned to chat with me. “What your name?” “Where you from?”, he giggled. He continued on with ridiculous questions such as: “You have a boyfriend? You have a boyfriend in Australia and a boyfriend here. Yea you do…oh yes you do.” This was getting ridiculous and I didn’t feel like explaining my confused status in Australia and I certainly had no one in Asia but he just went on and on so I let him be. We drove past rice fields which eventually evolved into French style building. The city was lovely and most of the buildings were a yellowish colour.

I was on the top floor of the hotel and as usual there were no elevators. After I made my way to the top floor I was sweaty, tired and hungry. I showered quickly and ventured out with my guidebook and camera. I stopped at a café along the Hoan Kiem Lake and ordered a café sooda. To my disappointment it was not as delicious as the ones served in the south. It was also quite over-priced (by a dollar). I searched the menu for decent Vietnamese food but it was all quite expensive so I chose a Western pizza instead. I sat staring at the lake while the cool breeze ripped past me. I was a My Tho snob, I concluded. Hanoi was gorgeous but it was already lacking what I loved about My Tho. I was already waiting too long for my food. My food would have been served in under five minutes in My Tho. I waited a good 20 minutes here. I missed the cheapness and the fresh food. I missed the fact that it wasn’t Western what so ever. I missed it’s dirty appeal and the delicious hole in the wall restaurants. I was already in culture shock of the West and I was still in a country that wasn’t Western at all! What did that mean for my journey home?

After eating and coming to terms that I was no longer in a different world, I began to walk around the lake. It was beautiful. I went to the Ngoc Son Temple. There was a man who was suffering the effects of Agent Orange outside of it playing a rather touching tune on his flute. A happy newly wedded couple were posing for a professional photographer on the famous red bridge.

After my exploration of the lake I decided to check out the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. I chose to by the high class ticket for $5 and paid an extra quarter to be allowed to photograph. The show was absolutely amazing! It sent chills down my spine! The orchestra were dressed in traditional attire and played traditional instruments. The music was very chilling and beautiful. The puppets were beautifully painted and as they danced in the water they told stories of Vietnam’s culture. There were dragons and the rice field buffalos. There was conflict and there was unity. At the end, the puppeteers came out of hiding and they too were in traditional dress. They were holding a large dragon puppet. I would recommend the show to anyone!

If you do research on water puppets you could only imagine the hard work that the puppeteers go through. The puppets need to be replaced quite often which creates lots of jobs for the minorities in the North. Back in the day, many puppeteers suffered water borne diseases from the murky liquid they stood in everyday, a few times a day to please the crowd. A puppeteer must also be trained for 3 years.

After the puppets, I hopped in a cab and headed on over to the Temple of Literature. That was enormous and I actually felt like I was in China for a moment since it was highly influenced by the Chinese. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda and they were closed on Fridays. I will have to check those out when I make my way back to Vietnam.

I hopped back into a cab and went to San Ho Restaurant which was recommended as the best seafood restaurant in Hanoi by the Lonely Planet.  This status of course made the food considerably more expensive and unfortunately lobster was still out of my league. I ordered grilled scallops in a Vietnamese seafood sauce, lemongrass and chilli cuttlefish, and garlic morning glory ( a green vegetable) and green rice. It was quite a fantastic meal served with a beautiful pink lilly on the plates.  The meal was about $20. I could see why it was rated so well. I felt a little out of place as business men kept piling in to their reserved tables while there was a sweaty haggard looking girl sitting in the corner by herself with only her book and camera. I pretended I was a travel photographer as I snapped photos of the food with my fancy camera. Hey, it wasn’t really a lie. The owner of the restaurant kept coming over and chatting with me. He was really nice and he was very smooth to talk to.

I arrived back at my hotel before dark and decided that I wanted a massage. So I went to the S&F spa which was also recommended by Lonely Planet and the hotel. The hotel owner had one of his men take me to the spa on their motorbike instead of calling me a cab. The spa was so fancy! As soon as you walked in you were greeted and given spa sandals and green tea. I walked over the stepping stones and sat in a room surrounded by running water and flowers. I was soon summoned to my massage. I chose to get the Dead Sea Scrub body massage for $25. This day was a day of splurging but what the hell. This was by far the best massage I will probably ever have! First you are given a body massage, then the dead sea salt is massaged all over your body which feels amazing. Then you shower and come back to have another massage followed by a lotion massage. 75 minutes of bliss that’s what it is!

I came back to my room and slept so well that night, excited for Halong Bay!

I ate my free breakfast at the hotel (eggs and baguette) while one of the hotel staff kept smiling at me and winking. Ok buddy I know you like me but you are being borderline creepy, I thought. I sat in the lounge and waited for my tour to pick me up. A young Vietnamese girl walked into the lobby and to my shock she was the tour guide! She was wearing a short skirt and a low cut tank top. I was stressing out all morning over what to wear because I read that you should stick with conservative dress to this location. Luckily I packed a sundress just in case. If she was wearing that I was certainly wearing my dress. Her name was Lisa. Call me Lovely Lisa, she said. We walked to a very nice new black four wheel drive with leather seats. Fancier than I thought for my $56 tour. The truth is I was quite nervous about this tour originally because everyone told me that I should splurge and go the expensive route on Halong Bay. Many who have taken the cheap route have ended up with cockroaches, shitty food and rats on their tour. I was expecting an old van at least. I hopped in the car and sat next to a young Vietnamese man. “Xin Chao”, he said. “Hello”, said an excited other voice. I turned around and saw a blonde man who was all smiles. Lisa was sitting next to him. “You are the only two on the tour today,” Lisa said. “Hell yea! Private tour anyone?” said the guy. I thought in my head, hell yea a private tour with a gay man! How lucky am I?!”.

His name was Teri and he was on vacation and had only been in Vietnam for a few days. He works for American Express and now lives in Kuala Lumpur and basically has the coolest job in the world. He explained that he loves traveling. He is 41 and he is never going to stop. He said who cares about age, age doesn’t matter anyone can do it. Most people make excuses that they are too old or can’t afford it. He is also American and confirmed that Americans have this fear of traveling. He mentioned about returning to his home town or the office in NYC and that most people don’t care to hear about adventures or make snooty and ignorant comments about his travels. I told him that I know that all too well. He summed it up by theorising that people are like that because they don’t have the guts to do it which I completely agree with him. Most people are afraid to leave their comfort zone and can’t understand the people who have the guts to do it. He also made a great point about how the world seems much smaller now after traveling. “You begin to run out of new places to go and to explore,” he said. We also talked about the western world and how we love places like Vietnam because they still have that authentic traditional culture. He explained how he used to live in Paris 20 years ago and now it is completely different. We wondered what Vietnam would be like in 10 years and I was happy that I am seeing these places now before they too become a product of the Western world, globalisation and capitalism.

We were quite chatty and Lisa had to break in and give us some history. We drove through a few provinces: rural, coal, and the bay. We drove past endless rice fields and watched the farmers perform their daily maintenance. Many of the rice fields have the traditional mausoleums tomb stones. Lisa explained that the dead in Vietnam are buried for 3 years. On the third year their bones are dug up, cleaned and then placed in the beautiful mausoleums. Interesting tradition.

We stopped at a tourist rest stop in Bat Trang on the way and looked at all of the handmade products. I bought a bag of jackfruit chips (another favourite of mine) and the lady tried really hard to swindle me. She tried to make me pay 3 dollars for them when I knew they were maybe a dollar at most. I won of course. I was getting good at this now. We continued to drive by parades of school children on their way home for their afternoon breaks. Once we arrived to Halong Bay we realised that we had the entire boat to ourselves. It was just the three of us and the boat crew! The old junk was pretty big. Teri and I were quite excited! We were practically on a private tour! How lucky!

Lisa explained that their company doesn’t join boats with other tourists from other companies. They make sure that the tours stay smaller. They aim to offer a cheaper price with better quality. Teri and I climbed the ladder to the deck and stood like we were on top of the world. I was in yet another World Heritage site (have managed to visit quite a few on my travels) and one of the natural wonders of the world!!!  It was so surreal. The limestone islands were just as described: mystical and mysterious.

We went to one of the islands and explored inside the cave. It was another reserved site. Lisa told us that tradition goes that the islands (2000 or more) were formed by a dragon. As for the cave, legend goes that a couple came here to stay in love and married in the cave. They held their after party there too. As we walked through the cave we had fun pointing out what different rocks looked like. At the very end, Lisa pointed to two rocks. The one I thought looked like a cupcake. She said: “These rocks represent the couple. That one is a woman’s breast and the other is a man’s…” and she giggled. She was already the best tour guide ever. We walked down steep rocky steps, back to the dock and stood on old chairs to climb back on the old wooden boat.

It was time for lunch! Teri and I were both vegetarian and we had a mixture of vegetarian dishes and seafood. The fish was amazing along with the green pumpkin! We ate so much and were quite full as we chatted and watched the islands, some with little offerings in their crevices, float on by. Lisa began to chat about love and how she thought it was time to settle. She refuses to date Vietnamese men because they tell her she is fat (she is bigger than most of the girls but not fat!) so she only dates Americans, Canadians and Australians. She told us a story about how she fell in love with an Australian in Hanoi and he wanted to marry her. She told him no! She never saw him again and regrets it every day. “I wasn’t ready yet,” she sighed. She changed the subject and showed us a rock formation that was called the kissing rock. She showed us another call the cock rock. Yes it actually looks like a rooster. She kept yelling about the cock rock and we couldn’t stop laughing. Then she continued on about her relationship issues and told us that she went on a date the night before and had a few more lined up from Vietnam Cupid, the online dating site. It was hard not to laugh at that one.

When we got back to the harbour, one of the women on the boat showed off her real pearls for sale. I bought a pretty bracelet for $10. I got it down from $30. The boat crew waved to us and blew kisses until we were out of site. On the way home, Lisa sang to us. Then we all had a sing along to Teri’s IPod. The driver stopped for us to take photos of the dusk rice pickers in the fields. It was a beautiful day. We all exchanged contacts and I walked back into my hotel wondering how I got so lucky with that tour.

I freshened up and then hopped back into a cab and went to Fanny’s Ice Cream which was recommended by Lonely Planet. I had com ice cream (rice ice cream) which was recommended and was amazing! Then I had green tea, chocolate and coconut ice cream. Suddenly, I was still hungry so I consulted my guide book on where to head to dinner. I ended up going to Quan An Ngon. It was so crowded! I soon learned why. It was excellent and cheap authentic Vietnamese street food served in style. So for my last night in Vietnam I ordered mashed shrimp cooked around sugar cane. That was served with rice papers, a plate of delicious greens, green bananas and fish sauce. The server cut the mashed shrimp off of the sugar cane for me and soon I was rolling up my fresh spring rolls and biting into heaven. I ordered a Vietnamese sweet soup for dessert. The sweet soup I chose was steamed banana and coconut milk. AMAZING. The meal cost me less than $5. I went to bed so happy and full.

The next day I packed and took a walk around the Old Quarter, which is right where I was staying. I walked along a herbal medicine street that smelled wonderful. There were all sorts of herbs, mushrooms and little bottles containing magical cures I’m sure. I walked down a lane of clothing shops and bought a pretty dress and a shirt for less than $12. Then I walked along a street with beautiful handmade home items and I spent a few dollars here buying beautiful things for my bed and my room. My miniature hand painted tea set is my favourite purchase.

Soon it was time to grab my bags at the hotel and check out. The woman behind the desk tried so hard to swindle me and get more money out of me but unfortunately for her I recognised Vietnamese words, was in the country long enough to understand how things work and the man who had checked me in didn’t decide to play along when she called him. I walked out victorious. I ate my last bag of jackfruit chips in the airport and sadly said goodbye to my home for one month as I was ushered off of the shuttle bus that piles the airplane passengers on like sardines until it stops in front of the plane. I would have a stopover that night at Kuala Lumpur and then make it back to Brisbane the following Saturday night.

The rest of Dalat and my remaining time in My Tho

The next morning (Sunday) I went on a scenic tour of Dalat that was sponsored by the hotel. A smiling man picked me up and his English was very good. His name was Bai, like the number seven in Vietnamese. Along for the tour were a couple from Holland and another couple from America. The Americans were from Colorado and are currently living in Laos doing some volunteering and getting in touch with the girl's family (she is originally from Laos). They hope to find a full time job and plan on adopting a Laos child which I think is pretty cool.

We saw so much on that tour! We began the tour at the greenhouses. Dalat is known for its beautiful flowers that can’t be produced anywhere else in Vietnam. A dozen roses start at $1 for the lot. We saw beautiful mountain views, went to a tribe village of the Lat people. They are the minority and live in complete poverty with dirt roads. It began to rain as we made our way to the cricket farm. The Vietnamese harvest the crickets and there is actually a huge process in order for the crickets to be big enough and just right...for EATING. We tried some sweet chilli crickets. It was scary at first and I'm not quite sure if it agreed with my vegetarianism but they weren't bad! They were really crunchy. You just really can't look at or pay attention to what you are eating and you'll be fine. The girls actually ate more than the guys which was pretty funny.

Next we went to stop for coffee and to see how rice wine is made. We went to a little back room that and looked at the stages of the rice fermenting. It was a really interesting process. Basically the rice is cooked and then left in big pots to ferment for a few days. Each day they get stronger and smell worse. I tried a sip of the rice wine at 75% fermented. It was absolutely horrible and I think my taste buds burned off from the alcohol. It must be an acquired Vietnamese taste like Durian. After that we sat around waiting for the rain to stop and enjoyed the thickest and blackest coffee. It was pretty nice. Bai showed us a special brew of coffee that Dalat was famous for: Weezle coffee. The story goes that years ago the weezles were eating the coffee beans on the coffee plantations and then pooped the beans out. The locals decided to try to roast the poop and it became a very delicious and famous coffee that is a delicacy today. It runs for 300USD for a small pack. I don’t think any poo can be worth that much but it didn’t smell bad.

We went to a silk factory. It was really interesting. Cacoons are collected and then they are dropped in boiling hot water in order to kill the caterpillar inside. Most people eat the caterpillar. I am happy to say that I didn’t try that one. The hot water also helps to unravel the delicate silk which then gets worked around machines and produces amazing material.

After that we went to see the Elephant Waterfall. It was a really beautiful. There was unexpected slippery rock climbing involved and the guide was climbing over the rocks like it was a piece of cake! The waterfall was so powerful! He had us get really close to it to take photos and we almost blew away from the force. Then we went to a minority shop near the waterfall. A woman with too much white face powder instantly ran to me and screamed: “ Your eyes your eyes!”. She really loved my eyes and soon all of the staff were freaking out and giving me discounts. I bought a lovely orange silk scarf there and a little handmade bag. After we enjoyed some tea that the women brought out to us it was time to leave. Of course I couldn’t leave without a photograph of me and the ladies. Their little dog was also present in the photo.

Next, we stopped at the Happy Budda Pogoda. It was a gorgeaous temple and there were so many people there in maroon and greyish blue robes. Bai explained that it was a holiday in Buddism and it was the day to worship the dead. It was fascinating watching them pray. I would really like to learn more about Buddism. Bai explained what some of the statues meant which was a start. I wandered to the back of the Pagoda and through lovely gardens.  The rain made it all the more beautiful and mystical. I wandered past some young monks and up the stairs to face a massive fat and white smiling Buddha. I turned and looked at the dragon statues and the mountains with the clouds of fog drifting over them. I was in an entire different world and it was wonderful.

We drove down the road to a little wooden home on the lake. On the deck facing the lake we all enjoyed a massive feast ordered for us by Bai. Then we continued on to the coffee plantation. We were supposed to see a beautiful mountain view but the rain came back so we couldn’t do that. Instead we went to the old railway station which was beautiful. It was a popular place for wedding photos by the old locomotives.

Overall it was a fantastic tour and Bai was awesome. After the tour I went to see the Crazy House which is pretty crazy. It was an original design by a local years ago. It has an Alice in Wonderland feel to it. You can see anything from a kangaroo with glowing red eyes to beautiful views of colourful purple and pink flowers framing the city’s unique architecture.

Then I had a wander through the Dalat market. Everyone was dressed like winter and it almost felt that way with the cooler temperature and dreary weather. The women were cooking over a fire, mostly bank xeo (the Vietnamese pancake) or corn on the cob. The market was bustling with clothing, fresh exotic fruits and veggies and so many coffee and tea shops. I bought a pair of fake sunglasses off of a man for $5 and he polished them up for me quite nicely and gave me a little case. Then I made my way to a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant called Duy Quy. It was so cute. The waiters wore tuxes and I had candlelight and a flower at my table. I ordered a glass of Dalat red wine, artichoke tea (amazing), vegetarian fresh rice paper spring rolls, vegetables in oyster sauce with rice, and a caramel flan dessert. It was quite delicious and only 111 dong ( $5 ).

I went back to the villa and was overwhelmed with happiness. I had the best day and I was so relaxed. I met amazing people and saw so many amazing thing and ate an incredible meal. I went to bed and cuddled in my oversized doona. On the way home in the morning I marvelled at the beautiful mountains, architecture and rice paddies. There was also something very calming about having a few monks on the bus with me too.

I got back into Saigon and then Nick had arranged a driver to take me from there back to My Tho. When I got back I had a wonderful bowl of Pho from the ladies outside of my guesthouse. There was a man there who called me over to sit at the little table next to him and his wife. He spoke to me the entire time in Vietnamese. I spoke back in English. Somehow we had a ridiculous conversation going. That night I went to teach at New World. When I walked into the classroom, the class exclaimed: “Lindsay!”. It was a class that I taught before and they were so excited to see me! They kept saying “Yay” and clapping their hands. I was pretty surprised and flattered. I guess I must have done something right the last time I taught them!

After class Miss Moon took Riley and I for sautee which was a tomatoey noodle soup with beef but I of course got it without. It was really good. Miss Moon gave me a certificate of teaching and a beautiful crystal purple windchime. I love her!

On Tuesday morning I taught a class with the Australia man Ron and Riley. Anthony was in that class and it was quite enjoyable. The topic was music. Then Ron explained to the students that it was my last day and to ask me about my time in My Tho. I got so emotional. It was quite embarrassing. The truth is I love that country and My Tho. I never knew much about it before other than the war and the students and the staff really taught me a lot about Vietnam. They made me feel so welcome and really gave me amazing memories. Teaching english isn’t saving the world, especially to a private school where kids can afford to go. But the experience and the fact that they were so happy to have my help and to have a Westerner visit really made me feel fulfilled. Vietnam is a country that is moving forward and I see it everywhere. I just really hope that it keeps its traditions as well because that is part of what makes it such a special place.

After that class, Miss Moon and Anthony took Riley and I to one of the Mekong Islands for the day where we shopped for coconut wood souvenirs and took a boat ride in the canal again. Miss Moon insisted that I try on the Vietnamese traditional dress and the woman sold it to me for a special price. Then we took a boat ride in the canals again. Anthony was begging us to sing. So he sang with Riley: “E.T.” by Katy Perry. Then I sang with him the entire Backstreet Boys song “I want it that way”. It was hilarious. We were both so off key and had so much fun singing it. Here we were in a traditional little boat passing other boats with the traditional women in there, in the jungle. Singing a pop song! Antony bought me a key chain which was sweet and wished me the best of luck.

That night I had my last two classes and then Miss Moon took Riley and I to the Night Markets where I indulged in the amazing salt and pepper prawns one last time. At 4 am my driver was waiting to take me to the airport. Riley was so wonderful and woke up to say bye to me and help me with my bags to the car. She is an amazing person and I will miss her a lot.

On the plane from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, I sat next to a old woman and her grandson. They didn't speak english. We flew over spectacular views of this beautiful country and the woman was so excited and happy as she leaned over me to look out the window. So was her grandson. She grabbed my hand and the three of us smiled and watched the world below us. Here was a special moment. Here is a woman who had to be at least 80 or 90. In that moment two beautiful strangers from different places shared happiness. That's the beauty about language barriers. Sometimes it teaches us that words don't need to be shared. Sometimes emotions, a gesture or a smile are all you need to communicate and achieve a state of happiness.

Countryside school and Dalat

It has been ages since my last update. I have been super busy!

Continuing on with Thursday night, Mrs. Sno came to the guesthouse to take Riley and I dancing. However, first we had to stop at a photography studio. Why? Mrs.Sno wanted professional photos with her new friends. None of us were prepared! We were soaking wet from the rain on the way there, we looked tired and sweaty. Mrs. Sno wouldn't have no for an answer. While we waited in the studio for the photographer to prepare, we were looking through professional wedding albums that displayed his work. I now understood why there were so many prom dress shops everywhere in Vietnam. They are for weddings and wedding photos. Mrs. Sno called a random guy over and made him get in our photographs as well. It was actually quite fun! We were all just striking stupid poses. The pictures are hilarious. The photographers daughter was in the 9th grade and came to chat with us. She spoke perfect english! She never learned it in school. She tught herself! It sounded like she had an American accent she was so good! Her parents can speak little or no english.

On Friday, there was a little birthday party for one  of the workers at New World. There was so much delicious food!! There were fresh rice paper springrolls, pancake (pronounced bank sale in Vietnamese), pork, chom choms and birthday cake! Then Mrs. Sno took Riley and I to the vegetarian restaurant again! While we were there we taught the boy english as he was our waiter again. He took notes and expressed how happy he was that we were teaching him. Mrs. Sno ordered another feast (pumpkin flower, tofu, rice and veggies, a tofu soup..it never ended). She invited a friend of hers who was a teacher out in the countryside. We knew we were taking a trip to the country with her but it turned out we were also going to visit her friend's classroom. He was a really nice man and spoke english pretty well. After we ate I hopped on his motorbike with him and Mrs. Sno with Riley. The countryside was beautiful as always. Coconut and Banana trees zipped past us. I marveled at the pretty little concrete houses nestled in the jungles with their colours of aqua, pink and purples.

The school was in a small concrete building, It was only one room with the back wall open for the traffic and the public to look in. These children had benches for tables and little plastic stools for seats. There was a chalkboard in the front. This was completely different to New World. These children couldn't afford to go to New World. The teacher explained that they know how to read and write but never get the chance to practice with a native speaker. They were a young bunch. Riley and I taught them easy things. Twinkle Twinkle little star and Head Shoulders Knees and Toes were among the topics. We also went over animals and the noises they make, It was completely enjoyable and a great experience.I wish we would have gone there earlier and more!

When I got back to My Tho I finally figured out my life for the weekend. I decided to go to the mountain town of Dalat, which is French inspired from when the French used to occupy it. I went to Ho Chi Minh City with the others on Friday night and early that morning I boarded a sleeper bus that would drive me 7 hours to Dalat. Asians are so tiny! I am thin and I could barely fit in the little beds. The bus was just basically made of bunk beds. The scenery was absolutely amazing! As we got closer to Dalat we drove by rice fields, French homes, bulls in the middle of the road and rolling green mountains!

Dalat was absolutely gorgeous. It was a mixture of French and Vietnamese buildings. There was a radio tower shaped like the Eifel Tower. It was dotted with beautiful flowers and lakes. The temperature was much cooler than the Mekong Delta. Therefore, the Vietnamese wore knitted hats and beanies, scarfs and jackets. Basically a tad warmer than they usually dress. The street stalls were ones that cooked corn on the cob and pancakes over an open fire. It was a very warm and welcoming place. I stayed in a beautiful villa just outside the town called the YK Home Villa. It was so nice and the area was scenic and peaceful.. Just what I wanted. The receptionist was so friendly and spoke good english. Her father didn't but he was the owner. When I arrived she said: " I am sorry. We have a problem with the room you booked. So the problem is you have to stay in the VIP room."  That was a nice problem! I had a massive room with a really comfortable bed and a massive white, fluffy doona. I had a living room that opened out onto a massive balcony overlooking the country. It was amazing! That night I ate at a really delicious place called the Chocolate Cafe and had amazing lemongrass and chilli tofu and garlic eggplant and green onion.

...to be continued

beautiful food, strangers and company

First of all I would like to clear up a few things that have been written previously and that I have recieved a few questions about.

A cafe sooda (if that's how you spell it, but that's how it is pronounced) is basically an iced coffee. The coffee in Vietnam is made very strong so you only need a little bit in your cup. You pour it over ice, followed by condensed milk and sugar. It is very delicious because of its sweetness and I try to forget how bad for you it probably is.

Some of you are wondering how my luggage was opened after my purse containing my luggage key was stolen. When we got to Phan Thiet, the receptionist at the resort asked for my passport. I explained what happened and that my passport was stuck inside my locked luggage. After she finally understood through the language barrier she radioed to a man that would try to break the lock. Eventually it took 3 men and several different types of tools including the hammer to break the lock.

Soup and tea are very popular in Vietnam for all meals. Why do they serve such hot stuff when you are already sweating your bum off? It was explained to me that eating hot liquids in the heat actually helps to cool your body down. Strangely enough, despite sweating my face off into the soups and teas, I do feel refreshed after I eat them.

Today I looked up Ho Chi Minh City out of curiosity in my Lonely Planet guide book. Most destinations in the book include dangers to look out for. Dangers listed in Ho Chi Minh:

" HCMC is the place to really keep your wits about you. Don't have anything dangling from your body that you are not ready to part with, including bags and jewellery, which might tempt a robber. Keep an eye out for the Saigon Cowboys- drive by thieves on motorbikes- they specialise in snatching handbags and cameras from tourists on foot in the city." (Lonely Planet, Vietnam, p. 482).

I laughed to myself after reading this. I was a victim of the Saigon Cowboys. I wish I would have read this earlier. HCMC is listed as the city with the highest crime. Another reason I dislike it.


Back in My Tho:


Last night we went to Galaxy again to say goodbye to Frank and Dave. Everyone was off their face except for me. It was one of my last times teaching today and I didn't want to miss that. One of the British sisters was only 17 and she was so drunk that I had to follow her stubbling body outside to make sure nothing would happene to her (don't worry there were security everywhere so I felt safe being outside at night). She began spilling her life story out to me. It turns out she is the youngest in the house and she has been trying to act older which is why she drank so much. She also wants to go to medical school but in Dubai, if you don't recieve a certain test score, then you cannot go. She was freaking out about that. Medicine is all she wants to do. She doesn't know anything else. She decided to volunteer in Vietnam so that she would win a scholarship to help pay for school. She sounded like a younger version of me. I told her that if I don't get my grauate skilled visa in Australia then I am at loss as to what to do as well. Suddenly, my annoyance with her for getting sick subsided. I felt bad for orignally thinking she was quiet and snobby. You can't judge a book by its cover. I do hope that she remembered the advice that I gave her though. At that time I didn't mind being the oldest person in the house. 

This morning it was sad saying goodbye to Dave and Frank. They are like my younger brothers. Then I was on my way to teach. In the cab I felt a bit sad. In the classroom, I got to teach alot and felt sad again. Then Mrs. Sno took Riley and I to the amazing vegetarian restaurant again. She ordered us a feast: spring rolls (two types), soup, tofu, pumpkin flowers.

Our waiter was a younger boy who spoke a decent amount of English. Riley offered to help teach him. He said he loves English and needs to learn for America. Mrs. Sno explained to us that his family was divorced. He lives with a friend and works at the restaurant to pay rent. He goes to school, works and tries to teach himself english. He cannot afford to go to the English centre that we teach at. The entire time she was explaining this to us I was staring at this boy. He had gentle eyes and a warm smile. He seemed so happy to practice his little english with us. He was one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Something strange was happenig in this moment as Mrs. Sno was explaining his life: I was crying. Tears were streaming down my eyes. I tried to pretend to wipe away sweat. Riley took his contact details and arranged to help him learn english. She asked when he was available. He was trying to explain but then he grabbed a notebook and wrote: morning next to a drawing of the sun and evening next to a drawing of the moon and a question mark in the middle. We exlained to him that the middle was the afternoon. He was very pleased to know this. When he went to get even more plates of food for us, Mrs. Sno asked if I was alright and I started bawling and explained that I didn't know what got over me. He was beautiful, his story was touching and I felt in that moment why I was really here. I am here to help. These people have dreams and don't have the privileges that the Westerners have and if teaching them English makes them happy then I want to help them. Riley and Mrs. Sno agreed and said I just experienced a beautiful moment.

My time here in My Tho is precious. I will never have another chance to really experience the personal things that I have the opportunity to experience in My Tho.

After lunch we went to sit in the gardens next door and ordered cool drinks. Mrs. Sno laughed about all of our mosquito bites and explained: " The only way to not have mosquito bite is to tell the mosquito you love it like this: I love you mosquito. If you say you hate mosquito it will bite you."

She also explained that she loves to smile and that she always wakes up with a smile on her face. It is the best way to live she explained. I love her. She reminds me of my grandma. She never lets us pay either. She always sneaks over to the counter and pays before we can offer. Sneaky lady! I want to buy her something nice before I leave.

20/07/2011 Ho Chi Minh Bag Snatching, Phan Thiet Recovery and My Tho Appreciation

The long weekend turned into an “unexpected chaotic adventure” (that’s my positive description for it).

On Friday, Leigh packed her things and left My Tho with us. Nick got us all a taxi to Ho Chi Minh City. We stayed in Madame Cucs in the backpacker district. A girl from Riley’s home town who had been volunteering up north met with us. She was quite interesting and I think that Riley was pretty embarrassed by her. She was really negative about everything, one of those people who suck the life out of you. We ordered western food. Most of us got pizza. It wasn’t the best but it would do.

On Saturday morning I went to the Cu Chi tunnels with the boys: Dave, Frank and Will. It was an hour and a half drive away from Ho Chi Minh. Our tour guide was hilarious! He was trying so hard to make jokes and that’s what made him funny. He also called attention to me and another American and said that the Vietnamese do not like to talk about the war. They believe in forgiving and forgetting. They have forgiven the Americans a long time ago and don’t like bringing things up from the past. “My generation was not a part of the war. It is not our problem. We only talk about future, “ he said. He said that Vietnam is very happy to have us and to spread the word that we are always welcome.

As we drove through Cu Chi, I took notice of all of the perfect rows of trees that had ribbons around their tiny trunks. They were fairly new, maybe 30 years old at most. I thought of the war. They must have been replanted after the devastation. My suspicions were confirmed when we learned about the history of Cu Chi. It is an agricultural town and the gateway to the city. During the war, the enemy tried very hard to seize Cu Chi. So the people of Cu Chi built bombs and traps to fight back and to protect their land. They built a series of underground tunnels up to 10 metres and lived under there. We got to go in the tunnels and they were so small! They have made the original ones slightly bigger so the tourists could fit through but they were so hot and small anyway! I don’t know how people survived in them. It was an incredible experience. I couldn’t make it through the entire thing. It is rare for people to do so. I think I only made it 25 metres which is where the first exit is.

When we got back to Ho Chi Minh, I ate lunch with the boys. They went to take naps and I went to a spa and had the best massage with oatmeal, turmeric and fruit scrub. It was only $5 and best spa experience I have had. Then I found Riley and her friend in a tattoo shop and visited them for a little bit. I bought some souvenirs and went back to the hotel to get ready.

We all went out to the Street Pub and met with one of the coordinators Charlie and his friend. His friend and I had a great conversation and he said that the hardest part about traveling is not being able to share your experiences with everyone and you have to bite your tongue. I said I understood that all too well and get myself into trouble because I ignore that rule. Then we went to a bar called Acopolypse Now. The latter was so much fun. I didn’t drink but it was so much fun dancing with everyone. They played great music. Half of the bar was filled with westerners and the other half Vietnamese. Everyone danced together and had a glorious time. Riley was a pimpette that night but unfortunately met a man who would later stalk her with continuous phone calls and texts the next day. We said goodbye to Leigh who was off to continue her journey around Vietnam with her boyfriend. Riley and I took a taxi back to the hotel. We got out of the taxi and lingered in front of the hotel and thought about getting some sort of food because we had to leave on the train for Phan Thiet in a few hours. We starting walking and I just got done saying what a great night it was when all of a sudden I felt a snap and a tug and in a spit second I saw my purse fly through the air. I was in shock and it took a few seconds to realise what had happened. Two men on a motorbike have driven past and stole my bag! I was confused! How did they do it?! I had the strap around my body and the bag was in front of me and I was holding it. I later figured out with the boys that they must have cut the strap and the speed of the motorbike made it impossible to hold on to. They also broke and most likely took my favourite necklace as well.

Locals came out of their apartments and motorbikes stopped. A nice boy and his friends who spoke good English stayed with us until we calmed down. We tried to stop the police several times as they drove past but no one would stop. Everyone apologised. A man said to ask the hotel to call the police. It could have been worse. My purse only held an old cell phone, a small camera that started acting strange anyway and 500,000 dong ($25). The lady at the hotel said that the police would not come at that hour and said she would call in the morning. We were out of luck. Riley and I were leaving in about 3 hours.

In the room, I was trying to rest and not be upset. I was freaking myself out because my luggage key and the address of my hotel were in my purse. What if they tried to come back! The images of my purse being tugged and flying away from me kept repeating in my head. We shouldn’t have been outside that long at that late! If we would have just walked into the hotel right after we got dropped off we would have been fine. Then I heard a creepy noise that sounded as if someone was in the room. I freaked out and jumped into Riley’s bed. She heard it too and said that she was really creeped out. She went outside to check for anything and we slept with the lights on. I could not wait to be gone from Ho Chi Minh City in a few hours.

The taxi came around 6am and took us to the train station. I was wearing the same outfit as the night before because I could not get into my luggage because it was locked. The train ride helped me to feel better. It was so beautiful and scenic. We passed endless fields of green, rice paddies, rivers, streams, mountains, flowers, dragon fruit plantations. Big brown bulls were standing in the green fields watching the train go by. Locals and farmers would stand like statues in the fields and watch the train go by. It was really surreal.

We arrived in Phan Thiet around 1130 am. The crowd outside the train station was a little too overwhelming, especially for me after my experience. We got in the taxi and he drove through a town similar to My Tho and rounded a corner of a hill. We got out first glimpse of the turquoise sea. Finally, we pulled up in front of the resort that we found on agoda.com and payed $25 a piece for. The place was unbelievable! It was nicer than any of the resorts that I stayed at in Bali. It was on the beach, had a lovely swimming pool, little villas and bungalow, gardens and tiki huts on the beach. Our room had the most comfortable bed that I had slept in in Vietnam. It was soft, the pillows were firm and soft and the sheets were crisp and white. It was amazing! I went for a swim in the ocean and Riley and I relaxed by the pool after our delicious lunch of seafood and spring rolls. For dinner, we ate at a place across the street and it was all very much homemade and delicious. We had the genius idea to get a massage after dinner. It was a glorious night. I slept really well that night. I tried to get up for the sunrise but my amazing bed won that morning. I went for a walk on the beach and then Riley and I indulged in our free breakfast buffet. This place was unreal! Then I got a 75 minute massage and swam and sat on the beach while Riley was getting a 2 hour manicure and massage. Around 2 pm we left our little piece of heaven and boarded the train back to Ho Chi Minh.

Nick had contacted Jesse and asked her to help me with filing a police report for my travel insurance. We had to go during office hours and unfortunately the train didn’t make it back in time. Riley was so amazing and said that she would stay in Ho Chi Minh another night with me so that I could feel better about what happened and know that I have done everything that I possibly could. I really owe her for being so awesome. She let me use her phone so much as well.

So we stayed at a different Madame Cucs which ended up being right next to the police station. We ate the best dinner I have had yet in Vietnam down the street: Tofu with lemongrass and rice and garlic eggplant and green beans. We ended up randomly seeing Charlie along the way and he joined us. He knew all about my bag and said he would ask a few Vietnamese friends of his who worked at pawn shops if anyone turned in my items. I bought a few books at dinner. They were photocopied originals at $3 a piece. I didn’t try to haggle much. I could only imagine how much work it is to photocopy the books.

We said goodbye to Charlie, indulged in real New Zealand Natural Ice Cream that we bought at the convenient store (ice cream in My Tho is not so nice and lacking creaminess). The next morning we met with Jesse who took us to the police station. She had to translate everything I wrote in writing as well. Thank goodness she was there. We sat in a room that had a jail cell as well. The men in it smiled and waved at us. The police man in the room was sitting on a chair with his legs up on another, and snoozing while we were writing our report. It was like a scene from a movie. Jesse had to pick up my paperwork the next day and will give it to me when I am in Ho Chi Minh again. I thanked her so much. This ordeal would certainly make for an interesting story.

Riley and I wrote and read travel books in a café across the street and drank western lattes until our taxi arrived. Our taxi picked us up from Madame Cucs around 1 pm and we were on our way out of the crazy traffic past greener scenery with less noise. When we drove into My Tho, I felt so happy or possibly relieved. We drove by the familiar markets and street stalls. When we arrived at the guesthouse, Mrs. Chin came to greet us. She gave me a big hug and said that she was so sorry about my bag. She said to be careful in Ho Chi Minh and said sorry again.

Mrs. Chin offered to help me buy a new cheap phone. I told her that I would go to the ATM first. As I walked there, I passed little boys who yelled: “Hello, whatchur name!” I walked past the bar and got the usual whistles, stares and hellos. The women smiled and waved to me. It was good to be “home”. As I crossed the street I held my bag very tight. I still couldn’t help being bothered by an occasional off stare of a man on a motorbike.

When I got back to the guesthouse, Mrs. Chin told me to hop on her motorbike and she took me to one of the many cell phone stores in My Tho. She negotiated with the man and ended up getting me a deal on an older Nokia. It was so old that when it was turned on the date said : 01/01/2005. Over all it only cost me $15 for a new sim card and phone. Then Mrs. Chin turned to me and said: “You give me 15,000 dong”. I was confused. What for? Was it for taking me here? Was Mrs. Chin trying to swindle me! Who can I trust anymore! That amount of money was only about 60 cents but at the time of fresh wounds I was a bit alarmed. She pointed to my wallet and repeated herself. So I gave her the money and I hopped back on her bike, very confused. As we walked back into the house, she went to her purse and handed me 15,000 dong. She pointed to her phone and said: “No money. You give money. I give money,” she laughed. Oh, she borrowed money off of me! I felt like an idiot for even thinking that the sweetest woman in the world would steal from me! I guess that’s what happens when you have been burned.

Riley and I had to teach that night. We waited to meet the new volunteers who were on their way back from building. They included: two English sisters from Dubai and a boy from Ireland. Then we were on our way. 

I was walking with my backpack strapped in front of me instead of on my back. I received even more stares and laughter than usual by the locals but I was not taking any chances. We walked past the grocery store where the best looking Vietnamese man was present. He is a security guard and he always winks at me. We stopped at the bakery and bought a croissant and continued on our way. We walked past the pork bun stands. We walked past countless hellos. We walked past women wearing rice hats and they peddled along on their bike. We walked past numerous makeshift stands and blankets that sold durian (the worst smelling and tasting fruit ever but these people love it!). We walked past the handicapped selling their lottery tickets. We passed the street cart that sold pet gold fish. We passed the activity centre that had plenty of people doing aerobics to loud music in the parking lot next to a group practicing martial arts. Then we were finally at New World.

The staff at New World kept coming up to me and told me that they were sorry for my loss this weekend. Miss Moon gave me a sympathetic look and apologized for what happened. I told her that it was alright and that it happens sometimes. She told me that it happens every day in Ho Chi Minh City and that it is not safe. She said that once and a while the boys will come from Ho Chi Minh on motorbike and come to My Tho. It doesn’t happen a lot but it has happened. That was not good to know. She apologised again and said that Vietnamese people do not like when this happens because they are very happy to have tourists and visitors to their country. They don’t want to treat them bad or scare them away. I told her that I believed her. More people came up to me to apologise for how I was treated in Ho Chi Minh. Word travels fast in My Tho!

My first class that evening was very good. I got to take over and teach myself. The students have an examination on Saturday and I asked them numerous questions in order for them to practice their English. My second class was a group of students who I have taught before. I also got to take over the lesson. This lesson was right up my alley: environmental issues. In the beginning I explained that I would like to work for a non-profit environmental organisation. I asked them what they already knew about issues and the causes. They were pretty advanced. Then I had to read them a passage about the Kirrabati Islands sinking due to global warming and rising sea levels. The Kirrabiti people could not help the island because they are poor and the problem is being caused by industrial pollution in other countries. Questions were asked to the students about how they would solve and fix the problems. One of the girls asked me: “If I wrote you a letter, to your organisation of the environment, what would you do to help me?” I was impressed that she asked that and I explained what I would do: fundraising, awareness campaigns, etc. It was her turn to look impressed. They were all very involved in the topic and in that moment I really enjoyed being a teacher and having students look up to me.

I left the classroom high on life. Riley and I ate dinner with Miss Moon. She took us for rice soup. We were walking along the street with her and then we turned down a random alley. There were tables set up there and that was the restaurant that she decided to take us to. The food was amazing. The rice soup was really nice, especially with banana leaves, banana tree stems and chilli in it. This is what I really appreciate in Vietnam. The best food will be in the dodgiest looking restaurant. The best café sooda will be in someone’s home with a sign out front that says “café”.

This morning Riley and I went to teach at the school as well. It was so hot today: thirty five degrees Celsius. We took a cab and our cab driver was blasting his music! I looked around at the bustling morning traffic and people setting up their carts and shops for the day. Riley and I taught together and the first class was amazing. The students had a really good teacher and he has them ask us more questions. Then Riley mentioned she played the guitar and the teacher went to get his guitar. Riley played and sang a few songs. She was excellent! The kids loved it. They made me sing and I felt embarrassed because I don’t have the best voice in the world. They loved it anyway. I taught them a few tap steps.

On our break, Riley went across the street and had café sooda at a café or a person’s home. It looked more like a person’s home. They were so friendly there and everyone inside were always smiling. One man knew English a little and helped us to order a second round. We were seated at the usual plastic kid’s table on tiny benches and we were facing the traffic. I enjoyed people watching. I stared at the men across the street just sitting on their motorbikes underneath the shade. I watched the traditional ladies walk with their traditional pales balanced on both sides of them and hanging from a stick. I felt so happy. I am so lucky to be in My Tho. I love it here. It is such a beautiful town.

Riley and I taught another class which also went well and we taught the class tongue twisters that would help them with practicing their pronunciation. We went to lunch at the vegetarian restaurant near the pagoda with the same girl who took us to get our nails done a few weeks back. I feel bad. I forget her name and I feel like we have known her too long now to ask. She mentioned that she heard that vegetables are good for you but she is unsure. The Vietnamese haven’t really caught on how good and important they are for you. Some dishes will be really starchy with none at all. I reassured her that they are excellent and explained their benefits. She once again expressed how happy she is to have us as friends and to practice English with us. She also explained how great it is that we have volunteered at New World. I really feel like we are making a difference in the students’ lives. They know how to read and write well but they don’t have many people to practice their speaking with. That’s why it is good for them to talk to the volunteers. There are no westerners in My Tho except for us and a teacher or two.

I love My Tho and the past 24 hours here and the weekend away have really made me appreciate it and I am very thankful for the experiences and the people that it put in my life. Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow and I can definitely say that My Tho has a special place in my heart.