Day #23 - Goodbye Vietnam

Goodbye Hanoi @ Hoan Kiem Lake

It is my last day in Vietnam, so much has happened in the last three weeks that is impossible to describe, tell everything that I have seen, listened and felt.

Last night @ volunteers house

After finishing my volunteer experience I left the volunteers house and came to an hotel in Old Quarter in Hanoi. I had spend my traveling in a low cost budget so I decided that I would spoil myself on my last days in Vietnam. Staying in a nice hotel was a start and then shopping in the Old Quarter was the second step and a perfect way to say goodbye to this city. Also was the perfect way for me to be lost in the Old Quarter as well! You know me and my lack of sense of directions... add a neighborhood where all the streets look the same and are full with people and motorbikes and taraaa!! - 30 minutes wandering around. I only knew one way to get to the hotel which started in the lake, however I couldn't find the dam' lake for quite long time. Result of being lost in the Old quarter? - I did quite a lot of shopping.

Water puppet show

In the evening I met with the other volunteers again and we went to the water puppet show. It was nice and funny but after 20 minutes I think I had enough and we were kind of half way. If I understood Vietnamese would have helped a lot, but well at least I ticked the box. After we went for drinks, this means beer and we ended up in a bar full of foreigners that only played hip hop. Let's say that this is not really my favorite type of music and even less the rubbing in each type of dance that usually comes with this music. Nevertheless I was having fun and this guy approaches me. He starts to talk with me because of my glasses. I don't really understand this, is it not normal people wearing glasses?? Well, maybe not ones so big and probably they avoid to take it when going out. Well, I don't!! So he thought that my glasses were fake and then when he finds out that I am Portuguese living in the UK he says he is from Leeds and then shoots "Oh you are Portuguese... if you were English I knew exactly what you were thinking but now I really don't know!!" - what the f#$% is that supposed to mean?? You know me right so I said "Well I am here in a bar having fun with my friends and just talking with you, as simple as that!!" If that is what he uses as an approach I think he is not going to be very successful. Moving on... After this we went to another bar and once the night ended we took a taxi. Going in a taxi in Hanoi is always an adventure and being foreigner means "they will try to rip you off!!" and that's exactly what happened. As we said we wouldn't pay 5 times the correct price, we gave him money and he threw back to our faces. We left the money in the taxi and then left. The taxi driver got our of the taxi and came after us threatening with chopsticks. Now that I think about it is quite funny but at the time was really scary. It was almost 3 in the morning and we had a crazy taxi driver chasing us with chopsticks and me ridiculously trying to avoid the guy being "stabed"!!

Halong Bay

But this was the last stressful moment of this trip! On Thursday I went in a 2 day cruise in Halong bay. Halong bay is one of the 7 Wonders of Nature. This is a beautiful bay! The day started very early, with a bus trip of 4 hours from Hanoi to Halong Bay and once we got to Halong city we were transferred by boat to the big boat. From the moment I checked in at the hotel in the Old quarter until I sat at lunch table at the cruise I had to keep saying that I was traveling alone... no I don't have a husband and no I don't have a boyfriend. Everyone seemed confused and I don't understand why is so difficult to understand that I am single!! I forgot to tell you, the last time that I was on the bus to the volunteer house the man that sells the tickets started to talk with me. Myself and Eve made the mistake of asking him for directions and then when Eve got out of the bus he kept talking with me. From asking my age, where I come from - the usual, until are you married!! Well I told him that I wasn't and he carried on asking "Why not?" - what kind of question is that??.  I told him "I haven't find the right husband yet!!" - what else could I say... He was not done yet so he asked where I bought my watch and how much I paid. Well let's say that the watch I was wearing is worth as much as the average salary in Vietname, so I just told him that it was a present - which is actually true. So he nodded and gave the final shot "I see why you are not married, you think you are too young and you don't need to get married." By this moment I was getting a tiny bit annoyed so I just looked at him and repeated "Not really, I just didn't find a husband!!" he smiled and lots of people came in the bus so he had to go work... Anyway let's say that if you go alone anywhere in Vietname and you are a woman you will be asked a thousands times if you are married and if the answer is no you will see their confused expression looking at you.

My cruise buddies: Amy, Lisa and Myriam

Once I got to the cruise we sat at the dinning table and I met Myriam, Amy and Lisa. Myriam was traveling alone as well and Lisa and Amy were traveling together. Once Myriam and I realized that we were the only ones traveling alone we became kayak buddies and we kept on enjoying the cruise together. The cruise included visit the caves in one of the Halong Bay islands. I always knew that Halong bay was going to be a busy place full of tourists but... I never thought it was that busy. It was almost impossible to take a picture without someone on the other side appearing in it. The visit to the caves was quite nice and the best part was the guide. The way that they tried to make it more interesting and also justify the presence of the guide was by showing us some "rocks" and say that they had a particular shape, animal, fingers, etc

The penis rock

Let's say that I never saw what he was saying and one of the times we all disagreed with his interpretation. There was this bit of rock that the first moment you look at it, you just see a penis. Well, the guide said it was a pointing finger... Ok, saying that it looked like a penis probably wouldn't be very appropriate but it definitely looked like one. After the caves we cruised to the Tip To beach where we could swim and also go up the mountain to enjoy the view. Well, I didn't swim, it was not hot enough for me as we were on the side of the island where there was only shade - I know, I Know!! You are thinking "Not hot enough?? Is she crazy?!" Yes It was not hot enough for me, end of story! I went up the mountain and the view was just stunning. Everything was so beautiful and peaceful - well if you manage to forget the noise of the boats and the Chinese making movies of the view (I still don't understand this bit. Why make a movie of a bay?? Weirdos!!) The day ended with one of the best sunset that I have seen and back to the boat. In the evening we learned how to cook fried spring rolls, that is just delicious and had dinner with a gazillion of courses and all very much amazing!!

Australian Family

After spending all day traveling in a bus going in a cruise with super tight schedule, I just felt like going to the top deck and enjoy the evening in the bay by myself, just enjoy the view. Well... that didn't happen. Once I got to the top deck Myriam and Lisa were playing cards with an Australian family that were also in the same cruise. They were a big group of family and friends traveling all together, parents, sons & daughters and boyfriends and everyone was playing cards. We joined them and it was so much fun. They were so competitive and just so friendly - we made another group of friends for the rest of the cruise. So no Me time at all for myself.

The second day on the cruise was so nice, we had the chance to go kayaking for an hour around some caves  and the best part was that there wasn't so many people in this area when we went but once we were trying to get to the boat this bamboo boat full of Chinese appeared and once they saw us they just started to take pictures of us. Right, I don't really have anything against Chinese but... they are weird! What are they going to do with hundreds of pictures of 2 foreigners struggling to take the Kayak back to the boat?? Honestly!! The cruise was really nice and I really enjoyed Halong bay, I believe everyone should go and see it but at the same time it's just sad that they are not taking care of the Natural wonder to make sure that it will "survive" as it is for a very long time.

Spring rolls

Cruise over, time to go back to the hotel and realized that Amy and Lisa are staying in the same hotel. We met for dinner and in the beginning they wanted to try Pho so we looked for a restaurant. we found one that only serves beef Pho so we moved to another one and once I asked what exactly they wanted to eat Lisa just said "Spring rolls!! I just love spring rolls" hahaha, me to! I was exactly in the same page. And after trying to talk with the front man of a restaurant and he telling me that they didn't have Pho and that it was not a Vietnamese restaurant... We actually decided to go inside because it looked nice and we realize that the restaurant OF COURSE it is Vietnamese food and, guess what? It does have Pho in the menu. Ok probably I was not saying Pho with the best pronunciation but either way. The food was amazing and it was the best way to enjoy my last meal in Vietnamese soil and also to say goodbye to Hanoi city. After saying goodbye to Amy and Lisa I went to the hotel.

Before I went to Vietnam I had some good news, I was offered with a new position at work and also I got promoted. Until my last night in Vietnam I haven't done anything to celebrate this so I decided that I would do something to spoil myself. I believe I deserved it so when I looked for the hotel for my last night I looked for a spa hotel and I found it. So to end my trip to Vietnam and to celebrate my new job and promotion I did a hot stone massage and foot spa! I know that this all goes against the purpose of the trip - I am really spoiling myself - but it just felt so good and it was so cheap, both treatments costs was like $35 USD, is not even 30 pounds!!! The hot stone was really nice, it felt amazing and so on but the foot spa... everything was amazing until she decides at the end that the best way to finish this amazing and relaxing treatment beating the shit out of me in my back!!! You know when they hit with the hands in a vertical way?? I actually never thought that would actually happen but now I can say, Yes it does. Crazy!! And because this was not enough she started to beat me with the palm of her hands!! Auch!! I am glad that I didn't ask for a Thai massage!! Myriam told me that was not a relaxing massage and that's why I changed to the hot stone. I don't think I would be here to tell the story after that. They would be still trying to put all my pieces together after that.

And this is it, time to say good bye get on the plane and return to reality. My trip back to UK it was fine, it was so long but ok. It would have been better if Qatar airways didn't disappoint me so much by not having hot chocolate. There was 2 funny moments during my trip back. Well, probably more but I don't remember anymore: 1. The moment that I realized that I really wanted hot chocolate, but after being offered with champagne they tell you that there is no hot chocolate in the biggest bloody airplane in the world, so I am not going to have it; 2. In Doha airport I went to have another strawberry and banana smoothie and the girl recognizes me from 3 weeks ago. It was hilarious and also so nice. I had to tell her that they make the best smoothies!

Last stop Paris! I got to Paris with all my luggage, I didn't loose anything during all my trip, which was very surprising. I bought a couple of paintings in Hanoi and all made to Paris. Yahoo!! But not everything made to England because I forgot the stupid paints in the airport in Paris. Yes, everything made all the way from the other side of the world and on my very last stop, I manage to forget my paintings, the ones that I went on purpose to the Old Quarter in my last hour in Hanoi to buy. The ones that I specifically looked for a lady from whom I bought previously. Yes, those ones! I left it in Paris airport. Big, massive BUMMER!

World Nature Wonder - Halong bay

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 :)

Selma - Martin Luther King

Last weekend I watched the movie Selma. Once again I was astonished and empowered by Martin Luther King fight for the civil rights. So much to learn about this man, so much to know about his fight... I just leave here his acceptance speech for his Peace Nobel prize.

"Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice. I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered. And only yesterday more than 40 houses of worship in the State of Mississippi alone were bombed or burned because they offered a sanctuary to those who would not accept segregation. I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.

Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.

After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that non-violence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that non-violence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery, Alabama to Oslo bears witness to this truth. This is a road over which millions of Negroes are travelling to find a new sense of dignity. This same road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. It has led to a new Civil Rights Bill, and it will, I am convinced, be widened and lengthened into a super highway of justice as Negro and white men in increasing numbers create alliances to overcome their common problems.

I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shallovercome!

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.

Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible - the known pilots and the unknown ground crew.

So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man's inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvellous age in which we live - men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization - because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.

I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners - all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty - and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold." - Martin Luther King's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1964

Martin Luther King was a men that fought for his dream of freedom and "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt