CSDS, Vietnam - Life is beautiful

CSDS goodbye present

After one week of being back home I can now better reflect on my last 3 weeks in Vietnam. I didn't have much expectations to be honest or at least I tried to not raised any. When I was preparing everything for my trip I read the volunteer guide that the organization sent me. In this guide I had all the information, from what I should take, a bit of Vietnamese history and also a little bit of what we should expect of being a volunteer.

Happy beautyful little girl

After reading all of it I thought "yeah I am not going there and change anyone's life!!" and it's true we don't change anyone's life by spending a few months with them and in my case even less because I was going to be there for just 2 weeks. When I started to think about it I wondered if it made sense to go for just 2 weeks... I was troubled with these thoughts for a while. But then, what does it matter if it's just for 2 weeks, 2 days or 2 hours... you can actually impact someone's life just by spending 2 minutes with them. We don't make a big change people's life but we definitely can have a little impact. And that my friends... that is exactly how I felt every day that I spend with the children or with the students in the community classes. Yes I didn't do anything special, I just played with kids tried to entertain them and I also only spoke english with the students, what does it matter?? I help the little ones go through the afternoon with a bit more fun and I helped the students to know even if just 1 more word or that Portugal exists and where in the map. Is this too little? Probably but... Well it felt like a lot to me. So looking back there is nothing that  would change about this experience. The CSDS staff was the most helpful and gentle that I could ask. I met very interesting people that do an amazing job to help their community, people passioned about their work, people that actually care. They do an amazing work with the little resources they have.

I learned through these weeks that life is beautiful, you help by giving whatever you have (english knowledge or just passion for children) and you get it all back. You get it all back by having just one little girl coming to play with you every time she sees you or just having students saying that they enjoyed the class and they wished you could stay longer.

At this moment I am writing with tears in my eyes. I really connected with the children I met, I loved the time I spent there and everyone I met. I just wished I could have stayed longer. But duty called.

Another learning is that, it is very good to travel alone. You meet a lot of people and you are a lot more open to talk with different people. You meet a lot of people that turn up to be really weird but that is fun too.

So I will probably repeat this experience... Maybe I will go back... who knows.

Day #17 - Weekend and so much more

I have so much to tell, to describe, to share!!! I have done so many things and... Oh I don't want to go back... I am loving this here.

Cute little one that I wanted to bring to England

Let's start from the beginning which is actually the end... the end of the week. Friday work at the hospital started with a ride in a motorbike in Hanoi. I was super scared but then I loved it. Remember me saying that I didn't go when Nhum offered me a ride and I regretted, well I didn't miss my second chance... Once we got to the hospital, we did lots of cool activities with the littles ones. Was just so much fun. Ok not just for the kids for me as well. We did a puppet show, to tell the story of the three little pigs, we played duck duck goose, we danced the chicken dance (Passarinhos a bailar para os Tugas) and the hoky poky... so many things. Trying to teach the chicken dance to children with their parents watching is just hilarious... they make a lot of fun of you, is just impressive. And of course my little girl that just wants to sit on my lap was there and I made her dance, she smiled when I just put her up in the air (yeah I know that chicken dance doesn't do that, neither the hoky poky but I improvised... eheheheh) It was so cool, I took so many pictures and was just good to see everyone enjoying themselves. Oh and I met this cute little baby girl with whom I just fell in love with. I said to her mom that I just wanted to take her with me and when she told the little girl, she just started to cry. Awww, so sweet, so sweet, so sweet!!! After all the dance we managed to make everyone sit and listen to the 3 little pigs story, and the little girl came to sit on my lap and then another one also came and then... well lets say there wasn't anymore space for anyone to sit.

Watching the 3 little pigs

After finishing at the hospital the weekend started with the trip to Cat Ba island. We took the train to go to Hai Phong where then we would take the ferry to the island, this is a 3 hours trip. Once we got to the train station bought our tickets I asked the lady which platform we would take the train. She looked very confused and pointed in the direction of the train outside. I thought "well that's helpful, how do I know if this train goes to where we want??" so we just came outside to wait for the train and I realized that the train was in the platform waiting for 6 o'clock and there was only ONE train in the ONLY platform of the station!! "Oh that's what the lady tried to say!!! Got it!!" I went to Cat Ba with Eve and Amandine. Eve is blonde and that makes her very popular in this country so while we were waiting for the train the train drivers spent the time checking on Eve and smiling at her. When she just asked to take a picture of them... I think they fell in love. Ah, almost forgot to mention the train... Oh dear, when we saw the train from outside we thought "we will never make to Hai Phong tonight!!" but actually, once we got in it looked pretty ok. Is not the most modern but the seats were good, there was plugs to charge phone or laptop and screens. Oh the screens!! Let me tell you, I spend 3 hours of train journey listening to Vietnamese type of Eurovision show is not entertaining... but we survived. And let me tell you this was not the worst... or the best let's put this way. At some point, while I was almost falling asleep, Amandine does a fast move and wakes me. When I look at her she just says "I think I saw something moving on the floor, I felt something!!", "What do you mean you felt/saw something" - I say. She is French and her English is not very good but she used enough words to make me understand that she saw a MOUSE!!! The moment I realise this I put my legs up and at this time the ladies on the sit next to us, realising what just happened, start to laugh of us. Let's just say that I spent 2.5 hours of the journey with my legs up... my. feet. didn't. touch. the. floor. 

Seafood hot pot

We made it to Hai Phong safely and on Saturday we woke up to have breakfast and catch the ferry to the island. And the breakfast was just something... They had RICE for breakfast!!! Is not enough that I spend the time having rice for lunch and dinner, here at the volunteers house, I also have rice for breakfast in the hotel???!!! You are kidding me, right!!! Well, I didn't have rice or noodles, I stack with the toasted bread with butter and water. Then take the ferry to the island. We finally get to the island and went for some walking around and went to our hostel. Once we got there we ordered food and organized a half day tour around the island. Do you want to know what I had for lunch??!! Seafood hot pot, yeah, exactly that. It is delicious!!! Being in this island I had to have seafood. I have to be honest with you guys, I was worried about getting food poisoned but no, it didn't happen... and thank God because that would have made my afternoon a nightmare!! I could try to describe what a hot pot is but there's no words to make it justice. In the afternoon we went with our drivers (motorbikes drivers... we could have rented a motorbike but the english and french girls were a bit scared so we had drivers with us) around the island. We visit an Hospital cave that was used during the war with Americans, to protect from the bombing, we visited Cat Ba national park and went up the mountain. It took us 1 hour to go up and another hour to get down. I saw this funky spider with yellow and orange head and, what I believe to be a colorful crab. I pretended to be cool about it, but inside... inside I was Freaking out. Anyway, being on top and the view makes totally worth the hassle to go up. And great that was cold that day, otherwise I am not sure if I would manage to just take one hour to go up... I was boiling when I got there. And as I was so scared of being bitten by something I had my jumper and trousers down... so I was really, really, really hot!!

In the jungle, kind of

Trekking in the mountains was really cool and we met a lot of people... Foreigners - locals don't seem to do these things. I met a couple, he is American and she is Dutch and once I started to go down the mountain he told me "See you at the bar tonight!" and I thought "yeah see you at the bar." And guess what we had dinner at the same place and he actually ate the chicken burger that I ordered. This is quite a funny one. I order a chicken burger (yeah I know that right now you are saying, she went to Vietnam and is eating burgers - silly one.) yeah I can still hear all of you, but after so many days eating noodles and rice, I just wanted something different. Moving on... I ordered my burger and waited... waited and waited, once I got my burger I see that is not chicken burger. I call the waiter and told him that my burger was not chicken. He told me it was and I was like "Look this is not chicken, this is beef!!" and he looks at me, confused and say "That is chicken beef" - at this moment all of us look at him with a face like "really??" anyway they took my burger back and bring me afterwards my chicken burger and 50% discount. While I was waiting for the burger with the right meat, Travis (the American we met at the national park) said "hey I heard you ordered a chicken burger, is it this one??" Oh he had ordered a beef burger and the waiter just messed up with our orders and while I (Portuguese, European) didn't accept that, Travis (American, over polite, hungry guy) took the burger he didn't order because he thought they would through the food in the bin. Is just funny. We all ended the night at a bar where all the foreigners go. The bar is really cool, they have a jukebox... well is not really a jukebox, is a laptop where you can go to youtube and choose any song you want to listen at the bar... you end up listening to random music but is actually quite cool. I met people from everywhere, America, Netherlands, South Korea, South America, etc everyone just traveling and meeting at this place. You won't believe how many of these people quit their jobs to go travel for 1 year... so many stories and so inspiring. I had conversations about everything and anything, is just so good to meet people with so different and random life stories, so interesting lives around there. And I have to say that tell someone what my job is, is just hilarious... even more if they are from countries like South Africa, where Cadbury is like "The. Brand." Anyway was just really good evening. We went home at 3 in the morning and really happy... probably drunk as well.

Cat Ba beach - Paradise for me

Sunday we went to the beach. Dam' it was perfect. Beautiful beach, warm water... a paradise on earth, I am still amazed. Then we had to start the journey home and once we got back to Hanoi and took the taxi, the fun was not over. Our taxi driver was just insane!!! We came in a taxi with super loud electronic music and the taxi drove like we were in Fast & Furious 8!! I was in the middle on the back seat watching every. single. move. I thought I was going to die. Luckily I am still here to tell you all about this craziness.

Now I am just having my last two days at the hospital. Today we played with the little ones and when we were leaving, this little boy, that is usually always with us came from his treatment and he was so disappointed because he missed the activities... I felt so guilty for leaving him!! So I promised him that tomorrow we will do the same thing together. Feels so weird to leave them, I wish I could stay here for longer. I can't believe that it's almost over...

Day #13 - End of the week

Little ones with the masks

Oh this has been quite a week, ver busy. Monday I started to do the Community classes in the morning and go to the hospital in the afternoon and Tuesday and Wednesday the same schedule. This was a little tiring, trying to keep the students focused for two hours and entertain the little ones for three hours needs a lot of creativity and energy.

Community class @ Park

The Community classes theme this week was Traveling and one of activities is to explain to the students what is a bucket list and ask them to make their own bucket list. I gave examples and afterwards they had to write their own. To make them practice their English speech I asked all of them to share their list. This was quite funny, from being an Icon (for no specific reason, the student just wants to be famous), to visit the sea reefs, travel the world to... "I want to become a boy." Yeah you read it correctly, this girl wants to become a boy. In the beginning I thought that I didn't understand correctly but then she repeated. Once I finally understood what she meant I was a little surprised. Not only because I was not expecting that answer but also with her confidence to say and share that wish with everyone else in the class. The other students started to say that she just needed to go to Thailand and do the operation and she just replied "Yes, I know I can go to Thailand, I am already saving money, I really want to do this!" Well, if before I was surprised then I have got really impressed with her confidence (Go girl!) and also with the other students. Of course they made comments but none of them were malicious and once I asked another student for his bucket list, they changed subject and we moved on. I just thought "If this was in the Western side of the world this girl would be so bullied in this class!!" - is good to know that here is different. As part of the class on Wednesday we went to the park to talk about nature. We played games and the students had to create their natural world. They did some impressive creative things and I believe they also enjoyed it. By the way I also never took so many pictures with people. I mean, I never had so many people wanting to take picture with me, but I guess this just shows that they like me and that is a good thing. After this class Nhung offered me a ride back in her motorbike but I took the bus, I was not brave enough. I regret it now because I want to experience a ride in a motorbike and I might not have another opportunity... bug bummer!   

This week was also the first time that I had to take the bus by myself to go to the hospital - this was an experience. First I had to cross one of the busiest roads in Hanoi - well I stop by the road letting all the motorbikes pass until I saw a local. I waited for him until he started to cross the road and then crossed as well - I need some "support"! Then I got in the bus and everything seemed to go perfect, no major incidents... until I had to get out of the bus. I was by the door with only one lady ahead of me. The bus stops, doors open and the one lady ahead of me get out of the bus and when I stepped down and I am almost passing the door... The bus starts again and closes the door and I am hit by the door and pulled inside the bus. The girl behind me starts shouting to the driver and he brakes in a way that I go against the door again. He finally opens the door and I shoot out of the bus - I was not getting stuck in that bus with that driver again!! The lady that got out of the bus before me just waited for me to leave the bus and said something to me and smiled... I just shrugged and went to the hospital - I have no clue of what she said to me but I guess was something like "next time be faster they are crazy here!!" Going in a bus here is so funny, is almost like a roller coaster... Ok I am exaggerating but when the bus just slows down but doesn't really stop to people go in or out of the bus; When you hear the motorbikes "hitting" the bus all the way and nothing happens - I guess you understand what I mean don't you? I have told you that there is no rules in the road for motorbikes (well there must be some, they just don't follow) apart from: if it's a bus, it's bigger than you, let it go first.  

Little girl with her plasticine creations

All my afternoons I spent in the hospital playing with the kids. We did a lot of things; from playing with plasticine, making portraits (I made my own portrait and all the kids couldn't stop laughing, I guess it just shows how good I am at it), making our own masks, make origami, singing songs, etc. Sometimes is really hard to start with them but now they recognize us already which makes it a little easier. There is this little girl that in the first day I spent the time trying to get a word from her. Ok I wouldn't understand but would be nice to have a little word. She also wouldn't give me a smile. I sat her on my lap and we started to make a puzzle. She was really shy but when the other kids started to play with plasticine she also wanted to do it but she is just too little, she is just 3 years old. Let's say that my skills with plasticine are close to none but I know how to make balls and strings and that's what I did for her... And I got in return a beautiful little smile - Yahooo she was so amused with those that I spent the rest of the afternoon doing it. The day after the moment I arrive at the hospital and she saw me, she came right after me and when I sat she pointed saying that she wanted to be on my lap and we started to play again. She even sang a bit, and that was all the words she ever said to me.

Yesterday I gave to them the animal masks that Alison Pirie donated. They were so happy, you should have seen it!! Was so nice to see. One of the boys got the Lion mask, he loves lions because they are the strongest and the king of the jungle. We didn't need to do anything else the rest of the afternoon we just played with the masks, making the sound of animals - this was hilarious. There was this little kid... he is such a cheeky little monkey!! Just running around, with a cheeky smile... so cute!!

Pho Gà

Every time I go to the hospital I always have a local supporter to help us translating. And one of the days Hóa and Doanh came with me. They asked me if I had children and how old I am. When I said that I am a single 30 year old they explained to me that in Vietnam that is unacceptable. Hóa is 24 years old and her mother is asking her if she has a boyfriend. I didn't have to ask to see that she doesn't and she said that in Vietnam is very difficult a woman pursue a career and not get married. When I asked her what happens to the women that don't get married, she said that people won't talk about her and with her. Knowing this was a bit of a shock to me and I just told them, that in the West is easier to have a career than a husband - at least I managed to make her smile. After finishing the day at he hospital the girls invited me to go try Pho and it was delicious. I had Pho Gà (chicken noodles) and it was really good, I used chopsticks and a spoon to eat it - like a local. Another tick in my list of things to do in Vietnam.    

In the volunteer house things have been funny as well. On the same night, I went to a shopping centre here in Hanoi that is like a palace and then went for drinks to Tom's, our Vietnamese local bar, to have a couple of bia with the new volunteers. Once we all went back home, C. found a mice in one of the bathrooms. Yeah , A MICE!!! I just ran to the kitchen and went on top of the chair. The other crazy ones just stayed in front of the bathroom door trying to find the mouse. In the meantime in the kitchen... we closed the door so the mice wouldn't come in and M. started to toast some bread. We were so focused in making sure that the mouse wouldn't come in that when the toasts were ready and jumped we all jumped as well... we got scared!! This was just hilarious!! We ended the night dancing on top of chairs avoiding the mouse.

My cutest little friend

And now is the weekend and myself, E. and A. are spending the weekend in Cat Ba, an island close to Halong Bay. The weather this week hasn't been warm at all, just 18ºC, at some point it felt like I was back in UK's summer but the heat is coming back in the weekend, hopefully, we will be able to enjoy some sunshine by the seaside and get some healthy color.

Plasticine creations (none is mine)

Day #7 - Visit Hanoi city centre

The Lost soldier memorial

Today was day to go to the Old Quarter of Hanoi and visit some historic monuments of the city. 

The day started early, CSDS local supporters came to give us a tour around the city centre. We walked through some little roads (looked a bit like a gueto) to get to the bus stop and then go to the city centre. Once we were on the bus I was surprised with how much respect everyone one has for the older people. The moment someone older would get in the bus, a couple of people would stand to give the seat straight away. It didn't need to be an elderly... just someone older than you. And men would do the same with women. There was no need to ask or just direct to the seat. The moment they would get in the bus, someone would give the seat straight away. It's amazing to see. There is no need for priority seats around here... people are just polite!

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

First stop: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh was the General that kicked the Americans ass out of Vietnam during the war. He wanted freedom for his country and he made it, then he became Prime Minister and after President and all Vietnamese are thankful to him for the independence of the country. Therefore the Mausoleum, to worship and to remember that "Nothing is more precious than freedom and independency" (by Ho Chi Minh). 

To get into the Mausoleum area is not easy, there is a lot of rules but anyone can go. You need to cover your knees and you can not show your shoulders, the queue is massive and when you get inside the Mausoleum... Is just impressive. I felt goose bumps. I don't really believe that the body in the Mausoleum is the real one but the truth is... it feels powerful to see how much he is important to the Vietnamese and how much he has done for his country. To me this is impressive. Ho Chi Minh died on Vietnam independent day, 2nd of September and apparently every 2nd of September it rains and Vietnamese believe it is the sky/gods crying for Ho Chi Minh.

"You can kill 10 of my men for every one we kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win." - Ho Chi Minh

After the Mausoleum we went for lunch and I had my first ride n the taxi in Hanoi - that is an experience. At som point we passed by a woman that was driving a motorbike wearing a dress showing her legs but all covered up on her face and rest of the body (Vietnamese don't like to be in the sun) and the taxi driver opened the window just to tell her that the way she was dressed didn't make any sense... (and we say that Germans are straight forward!). For lunch we had Pho cuon, Pho chièn tron and other Vietnamese delicacies. Everything delicious - we do eat a lot here. And when back into the centre we were 6 in a car of 5 and the taxi driver never said anything, he just wanted to take where we wanted - people are so relaxed here... when they don't have a car horn in front of them.

Then we walked around the Old Quarter and dam' it was so hot, I had egg coffee (it is amazing). Apparently, there is only two places where you can drink egg coffee and the recipe is secret, it's passed within the family from generation to generation. Awesome isn't it? And delicious, if you come here you have to try. I also tried Sugar cane juice. I thought it was going to be super sweet but actually it's not, and is so refreshing. It's great for summer, super hot days.

Magic Turtles @ Literature Temple

The city tour finished in the Literature Temple, Temple of Confucius. This was Vietnam first University and the students come here to worship Confucius to have luck in the exams. Now the University is closed but they have these stone turtles with the name of the better students and their grades, where before, the student could go and rub the turtles heads to be lucky in their exams and successful in their careers. 

After being walking around all day coming home was just what I needed. A shower and be inside a little with air con on is just a dream. Later getting into the Old quarter to enjoy a little of Hanoi nightlife.

It's so difficult to describe anything in this blog. There is so much that I have seen that is not possible to write and I just try to absorb see and try as much as I can while I am here... unfortunately only for 3 weeks. After this first couple of days, life in Europe just seems other life. I feel I am in a completely different world and that, is definitely not a bad thing... not bad at all.

Day #6 - 1st day at the Hospital

CSDS Vietnamese volunteers

Today it was my first day at the Hospital. Before I came some people were telling me to get ready for what I was going to see but I don't really think you can make yourself ready for anything. Of course I know that in some countries the health system is not good and is very poor, but one thing is knowing, the other thing is actually seeing it. And as much as any of you right now is thinking "I knew it" I can tell you: "you know nothing!!". Don't get me wrong is not that the conditions here are miserable... is not that. The thing is that is nothing similar to what we have in the west. 

I took for the first time the bus here in Hanoi, to go to the hospital - that was interesting. First, because I need to remember my way to the bus stop because I will go by myself next week; second because I have to cross a massive, busy avenue. Have I told you how the traffic works here? Well, if I did, I will repeat myself. Well you are not suppose to wait for them to stop (they won't stop), you are not supposed to run to the other side (it makes the drivers confused); you are supposed to just go for it, cross the road walking slowly until you reach the other side of the road. Well, I did that today and I thought I was going to die. Eve my volunteer colleague just kept saying: it's ok, just keep walking, you'll be fine. And I was !!! yahey \0/!! But I thought I was going to die... was cars and motorbikes behind me, ahead of me but we managed to cross the road... alive.

My attempt to cross the road

We got in the bus, which thankfully had air con and we went to the hospital. I still remember my way. Take the bus after the big bridge there is a stop I don't go out on this one, I go out in the next one. To come back it's exactly the same, pass by the big bridge, there is one stop - I don't leave on this one, I get out on the next one. I think I will be fine... at least I hope so...

The day in the hospital was very good. We got there and the first thing to do is to try to make the children come and play with us - this was the hardest bit. Not because you do try to make the kids come play with you but because you actually need to go into the rooms and see all the sick little ones. It can go from small babies, up to 6-10 years old. The conditions are minimal. They seem to have everything but the minimum of course. We are working with kids from the nephrology ward of the hospital. Some of them look very weak and they need to have their parents with them as there is no nurses spending any time with them. Family need to take food for them, nappies and anything else the kids need. You see the families carrying their houses up the stairs of the hospital, carrying their kids with them. The breeze they had was from the open windows because there was no air con... All of this just reminded me of how much we take for granted in the west all our health system, how much we complain about it and we forget completely about people that live with a lot less, and because we don't see it, we don't live with it we ignore. Because we know... everyone knows about these countries and the poor conditions they have, but no one does anything about it... including myself.

Boh, his dad and myself sneaking in

Once we managed to gather a few kids we started to play with them. I stayed with the little boy Boh (I don't think this is correct but I will keep it from now on) and the puzzles. I was just helping, not doing much, just giving him pieces. He was so shy in the beginning, we did a couple of puzzles and he kept without saying a word. The local supporter asked him if he wanted to know my name and he said very promptly "No!!" I kept playing with him and we made minions out of toilet paper cartons and I finally won him!! He wanted to know my name but as he was really shy he wanted his father to ask me!! In my very poor Vietnamese I said "Tên tôi là Juliana" he smiled, I wanted to take a picture with him but he didn't want it and ran away. As I was trying to take pictures, Ling this little girl got fascinated with the camera and started to take pictures from everyone.

Ling, the photographer

She was very demanding, waving to everyone to get closer so she could take a picture from everyone. She didn't want to give me the camera back and I just couldn't take the camera from her, so the pictures that you see from today are not mine... they are all taken by Ling. And at the end she made Boh to take a picture and I ran next to him so we could take a picture together. At the end he was so smiling and happy... everyone was playing and enjoying themselves. The local team is just amazing and they definitely d a great job here. Is great to see what they do and how much effort they put into organize activities with the little ones and make sure that there is always something more suitable for the different ages. But first of all, it depends always on what the kids want to do. They are in charge!!!  

Me and Ling - she loves a camera!!

It's time to go!!

This is it! I am going!

I have passport, Vietnam guide and my lucky charm (the keys of my home in Portugal) so I am ready to go!!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy, so many things happening at the same time that I don't think my brain realized that it's here... it's now... I am going.

So many questions, so many fears (the plane accident in France definitely did not help!!), so many things to be excited about, so many things to think about, to organize... aaahhhhhhh But in the end, this is why I am doing this. This trip is all about to do this volunteering experience and take me completely out of my comfort zone. Ana's, an old friend of mine, reaction was "Vietnam??!! Really?? Why? Why don't you go to... France?!" - I still smile when I think about this.

I have just finished packing everything, or at least what I think it is everything. I tried to be a bit prepared for any situation but knowing myself I probably forgot to pack something very important... but hey!! That is part of the fun isn't it?

However during all this preparation, to make sure that I leave everything done at work that I have all the vaccines, all the paperwork and so on, didn't prepare me to feel ill just before departure. Yes, I have a flu like I don't think I had for many years, I even stayed one day at home to try to recover a bit more. I feel better. I also took a lot of drugs and I have some more to take in the next couple of days. Whoever is going to be in the same flights as me I say "I am really sorry!!", I am taking medicines and sleeping pills so I won't disturb too much anyone with my unstoppable, irritating cough. I am trying my best.

Of course that at this moment my brain doesn't stop to try to predict what I am going to find once I get there. How are the people going to react? What am I going to do on my daily basis? What are the conditions? How many kids is in the Hospital? Are they going to like me? Am I going to be able to help them and make their lives a little easier? How am I going to react? And of course also remember to follow every rule, understand any detail of the culture so that I don't offend anyone, anywhere, what will I be able to visit? All sorts of food that I want to try. Wow, so many many things. All the activity meant that I haven't been able to sleep properly so I woke up ridiculously early and went to work before 7am!!! Yeah you read right 7am - at least I managed to do everything I wanted/needed.

Before I go I also need to thank to some of my friends, Verinha for helping me setting up this blog, Carlinhos for helping us with ideas, my family for showing me that there is nothing else that matters than being there for someone when they need the most and all the other ones that supported with money, with time or just a "good luck, you'll do great!!".

Some of you might think that this is a weird thank you but I am also very lucky to work in a company like Mondelez, where everyone supports these initiatives. I am taking 3 weeks off work: 2 holiday and 1 week unpaid leave, while in the meantime, I was in the process of changing job and getting a promotion. To me this is a Great Place to Work... working with your friends and making chocolate helps a lot... I cannot deny it.

So to be honest I have no clue of what I am going to find. I don't know what my next 3 weeks will be like, but I am with arms/heart wide open. I want to see, I want to learn, I want to live and enjoy every single minute of this experience. And if at the end of this program I managed to make someone smile because I was just there giving my time and sharing my craziness I will come back with my heart full of hope and happiness.

Time to go...  I am ready!! Let's go :)

Who am I and why am I here?

My name is Juliana better known as Ju. I am a Portuguese food scientist working in chocolate... yeah making chocolate is actually a job. I like science but I also like everything that is design, marketing and artistic. I love to have a project and dive in to it, love making stuff. I love summer, beach, flip flops and bikinis. I like pink, photography, sunset, friends and family.  I haven't travel much but I love it; in my bucket list I have the 7 wonders of the world. I like dinners with friends/family and crying from laughter. I like snowboarding, surfing and kick box. I love reading all sorts of books, from Fifty shades of Grey or Twilight saga to Dostoevsky. 

I like to look at my days and feel that I contributed to something good in some kind of way. I love to be inspired, empowered by people and the feeling that everything is possible. I believe that humans are capable of doing the best and worst that you can possible imagine. 
If I had to define myself with a quote it would say: "In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart. - Anne Frank"



How I've got here?

This all started 2 years ago when I was talking with Cathy about the fact that I wanted to do something different in my holiday. I wanted to have another life experience kind of thing. She had just come back from climbing the Kilimanjaro and I was so jealous... I wanted to go as well, I wanted to know a different country, I wanted to see the world, I wanted an once in a lifetime experience.

I was telling her "I wanted to climb Kili as well, however my friends don't really do these kind of things... they don't like it or just can't afford it" and travel alone in Africa or Asia, at that time, didn't seem a safe option.

That's when Cathy mentioned to me about volunteering abroad - a lot of people do it and take the chance to travel and know the countries/cultures. What a great idea!!! I can travel and at the same time help people in need. I searched and found so many programs - I didn't know that it was so easy to do something like this. You can help children, teach English, educate communities or even monitor animals in danger. Right so... the easy bit is done, now comes the hard part: I needed time and money and at that time I didn't have the holidays. So I postponed to next year... bummer

I was about to turn 30 last year and I had this goal of, before my birthday I would travel somewhere outside Europe for the first time in my life. I had holidays planned and... well it didn't happen. In last minute plans completely changed. So I ended up not having the holiday that I was supposed to have neither reach my goal - double bummer. 

So I thought "well if you can't go travel at least you can volunteer in Birmingham you just need to find something that you would like to do!!" and that's when I applied to be a volunteer in Birmingham Children's Hospital. However, I think I was not in a lucky moment and, guess what?? I was not selected. I felt really sad, I really wanted to volunteer and support children that are having a hard time. The job was to read stories, play games and spend time with them once a week. But well, they are lucky to have so many people willing to help them - bummer for me and good for the children.

But hey, I didn't give up!!!

Christmas time came and by talking with friends about what to do on our holidays I realized that they just wanted to go to a beach and do nothing... Don't get me wrong, I love that! I can do months of going to the beach enjoy sunshine and surf and volleyball, but this time I wanted something more. So I made the decision that I would go volunteer with children this year. I wanted to do it with children and I wanted to do it in Southeast Asia. Once again Cathy drove this decision a little. She had been on holiday in Cambodia and came back saying that people were so nice and kind... people that had nothing and still would always give you a smile. I looked! I compared! And I decided to be a volunteer in a Children's Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam with Friends for Asia. I don't really know how to explain it but I feel this urge to go.

And this is why I am here, i am telling you my story in Vietnam. From how am I getting there, my experience as volunteer and also a bit of the sightseeing that I hope to be able to do once I am there. 

I will also be sharing stories about people that are shaking the world by helping their relatives, someone on the street or their community.

Hopefully, you'll feel inspired as well because you know what??!! One can Shake the World.