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 #18 - Last day volunteering

Tuesday's community class

Today was my last day in the volunteering projects. In the morning I went to give my last community class. It was so weird, I really enjoyed to do that and I also really liked my students - Is so funny to say My students! We talked about cultural differences and we had a very interesting conversation about this. At the end of the class they asked me if I was going to teach the class on Friday and I had to tell them that it was my last day. They felt sorry and said that I was a very good teacher (this was surprising to me) and they asked me to take some pictures with them. Of course I also took a picture of this class. On Monday I said goodbye to Nhung but I wasn't sure if I could hug her or not, so we just waved to each other, but today with the girl from the community class she said goodbye and then she came and give me a hug. Was so cool, I really wanted to hug Nhung to say goodbye but I wasn't sure if it was ok, so this time was nice to do that.

My goodbye postcards

In the afternoon I went as well on my last trip to the hospital. I didn't have any particular activity in mind but then Eve suggested them to make a goodbye card for me and they did!! This little boy that the day before was sad because he missed all the activities, he was there and the moment he saw me he smiled and then he did my postcard. It is a beautiful postcard where he also made a draw of myself. So cute. As we are in a children hospital we have children from 6 months to 16 years old, so yesterday this 16 year old boy was there and he wanted to practice his English. As he was very ill he was missing a lot of classes and he wanted to know my opinion about his English level. I have to say that it was very good, he knew a lot of words and could spell very well as well. 

Street Food with the local supporters

As this was my last at the hospital we went all for street food. The local supporters took us again and once more it was delicious. I have to say that my European body doesn't seem to be coping very well with the vietnamese food but I am not stopping eating, I take Imodium and hope it just goes away. Of course that when saying goodbye there was a lot of hugs and they also gave me really nice feedback which made me very happy. It is really weird to know that I won't be seeing the little ones again, in 2 weeks I just connected with them. Well, who knows me knows that I love children anyway. 

Karaoke bar

Today was not only my last day in the volunteers house, was also Emma's and Sophie's last day, therefore, we all went for Karaoke after dinner. Yeah, Karaoke!! I couldn't come to Asia and not go for Karaoke, it would be outrageous!! So we went to this Karaoke place and we all got a room just for ourselves - it was hilarious!! I forgot to mention!! When we were going inside the bar I asked the guy if people could smoke inside (this was  stupid question, of course they can but I was just checking), I didn't use words I just put my two fingers, like people do to hold the cigarette, and put close to my lips. Well the guy understood something different, he thought I was asking if they do blowjobs in there!! He makes the move that everyone knows it's referring to blowjob and nods his head saying yes. It was hilarious. 

CSDS volunteers

Karaoke was amazing, so much fun. I was the oldest person in the room... does that really matters?? I was with friends and I was having fun. The waiters just kept on bringing beer and fill our cups while we were trying to sing. We had different music lists in different languages and it was just hilarious to see that when we thought we asked a song, actually it was something completely different that would show up on screen. Amazing!! I couldn't possibly ask for a better "farewell" party.

The volunteering is finished - sad face - and now is time to enjoy a bit more of the Vietnamese Paradises. Tomorrow I am going on a 2 days cruise to Halong Bay. Tonight I am staying in a hotel in the city centre and tomorrow early morning I depart and will spend the night in the cruise. For someone that doesn't really like boats this is going to be interesting. Yeah I know!! You are thinking "how can she not like boats when she did surf??!!", well is not the same thing is it? I am not in a cage that if it drowns, it takes me with it!! Anyway, I know is silly fear but I believe I will be ok. In the next couple of days I am also spoiling myself. this trip so far has been about low cost traveling but the next couple of days I will go on a very nice cruise and I will spend my last night in a very good hotel where I have booked a massage!! I believe I deserve this treat. I haven't done anything to celebrate my new job and promotion and also I got my bonus last month so now is... me me me time. I will be traveling alone the next couple of days which is also a experience as since I landed in Vietnam I didn't spend a minute alone. Wish me luck :)

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 :)

Count down #30 days to go

And there it is!! It's one month to go. Exciting!!

Everyone is asking me if I am ready... well let's say that I am not a person that plans a lot. As an example, when I moved to the UK I was not even aware that the plugs were different from continental Europe. Yep, that's me. I had where to live, I had someone to pick me up from the train station, what else did I need?? Well I found it quickly when I realised I couldn't charge my laptop...

So this time I am doing exactly... the same. I have the flights booked, I have accommodation sorted, I have someone picking me up from airport, I had the vaccines that I need, I know roughly the weather forecast, I know some places that I definitely want to visit and I read about the history and culture of the country so... Anything else I will figure it out once I am in Hanoi.

Things that I still need to prepare for the trip?? Well I  want to learn some Vietnamese words and I need a back pack that my friend Cathy is going to lend me.

I just realised that I actually planned a lot for this trip. I believe I am sorted... Now is just counting the days. 

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.