Today we went back to the special school. I bought a cross to support the school and then headed upstairs to continue working with the kids on their art. Unfortunately, a class wasn't going on so I painted with a few girls who were deaf. This was really awesome and relaxing. The rest of the students played duck duck goose with the kids. Later we all went to Danang University to help students work on their English. This was interesting to look at the ways they learn English versus the way we learn Vietnamese. Needless to say, their Englsih is much better than my Vietnamese. Later in the night we all went to open mic at Luna Bar with the program director, Susan. This was so much fun. My favorite bar in Vietnam thus far!
Today we had politics class and I received my shoes from Hoi An. I love them, and they were $32 USD. I was very happy with this price because the cost of oxfords is normally triple that price. Later in the day we had class and then later Sheena and I walked around and attempted to talk to a few locals.
Today we went back to Hoi An for the day. This was a nice day of shopping where I got shoes made and gifts for others but my favorite part was the restaurant we went to. It was called the Green Chili. We went there last time too and had great service so we decided to come back. I had been wanting to try Cao lầu which is a traditional Hoi An dish that can only be found in Hoi An. It is specific to Hoi An because it is said to have its unique taste and texture by using water from the Cham well, just outside the town. The owner of Green Chili is from Vietnam but studied culinary in Texas. So, he could speak English. He provided us with a complimentary appetizer and catered to our needs. I asked for my dish extra spicy and it turned out to be my favorite meal so far this trip.
Spiritually, I've continued to witness the practices of Buddhism. I've also realized the importance of architecture within the religion. I've visited a lot of sacred places in the past week and have noticed that the ideal place to pray consists of a large pagoda or in front of a massive religious figure. I find this really interesting considering most everything else in the culture is small. I really enjoy how important religion is in this culture and how open it is to all people. I think that this adds to the great sense of community and peace that you feel while in Vietnam.
Intellectually, my knowledge continues to grow in the classroom and through my experiences here. In the classroom our Vietnamese is coming along but then every time we try and practice on locals they ethier laugh at our pronunciation or they don't understand. This is upsetting but a true challenge of learning a foreign language. I really enjoy learning about communism here. I find it really interesting how most people are happy with the government system here yet America hates communism. I think the various aspects of communism are efficient while other aspects are not (just like any government system). However, I am still confused by the mix of democracy found within Vietnam. For example, their laws on paper, are similar to ours. Yet, there really is no freedom of speech or freedom of press in Vietnam but on paper there is. Vietnam isn't allowed to say anything disrespectful or disobedient when discussing the government which questions freedom of speech. Vietnam only has one newspaper and it is run by the government. Therefore, there is no freedom of speech. We also continued to talk about the horrors that U.S caused Vietnam during the war. This makes me when to get up in front of history classes and explain to them the real story and explain to them that we need to come over and help this country after the pain and destruction we've caused them. It's not too late to help. Psychologically I continue to feel more and more like I'm part of the community here. Although we all receive stares and smiles they are always genuine and almost always followed by a "hello." One of my favorite things about being in Vietnam is just talking to people and letting people know that American people can be friendly and loving just like them. I love immersing myself into the culture. Going into a packed restaurant and just sitting in the center, going to different coffee shops and seeing who confronts me or what people's reactions are to me. For example, this week I went into a coffee shop with my sketch book and pencils. Five women were sitting at a table across from me. They were all smiling and saying hello. Then I noticed that they kept laughing and looking at me. Finally, one of them asked to borrow a pencil, laughing hysterically. I felt embarrassed but I walked over anyways and handed the pencil. She pretended to use it and then asked me where I was from, how old I was, how I was doing with laughs in between questions. Everyone was staring. Although I didn't feel comfortable it was an experience and I think that it was out of curiosity not for the sake of teasing. Emotionally, I don't want to leave! My emotions here are calm, patient, eager and driven. I feel like time is flying by and I just want to keep exploring. My spirits and health have been great. I love the food, I love the people. It's been a great experience emotionally. Everyday something new captures my heart and touches me on an emotional level. P.s. I have a best friend. She sells gum and fruit every night to people eating and drinking. She knows a little English but she is so sweet. Her and I teach each other Vietnamese/English. She sells me her stuff at a discounted price and gives me gifts of guava for the program house to share. Today we went to marble mountain for the day. Despite the rain, this trip was really fun. Marble mountain is a sacred place for prayer and peace. There are 5 different mountains that represent 5 different elements (wood, earth, water, metal and fire). The foliage and various structures combine together to create a beautiful atmosphere for spirits. Although marble mountain has its fair share of beauty, the history of this place is horrid. Parts of the Vietnam war were fought here. The views all over the mountains are beautiful and really show the true beauty of Danang.as a whole. After marble mountain we went to see the Lady Buddha that overlooks the city. This is truly amazing. The architecture and process of building this statue astounds me. This is also an extremely sacred place where you will find people praying and practicing buddhism. Surrounding the lady buddha are other beautiful buildings that really create a peaceful atmosphere and a great architectural achievement for the Vietnamese people.
Later in the nigh we went to see the dragon bridge shoot out fire and water. This was really cool and made me wonder why the United States doesn't have any cool bridges. After the dragon bridge we went to Bamboo bar and Golden Pine, two traveller bars with a western feel. Today we had two really emotional home visits to families impacted by agent orange. The first was a family with a grandma, daughter, and grandson. The father had left the family so the mother had to take care of her son with the grandma. The grandfather got agent orange during the American/Vietnam war. This spread to the daughter and then to the grandson. The condition includes tumors all over the body. The tumors are painful and grow as time goes on. The family is extremely poor and receives little aid from the government. During rainy seasons they all have to live in the same home because the mother's home gets fully flooded and becomes inhabitable. However, over the past few years various organizations have worked on their home providing them with a roof and a working toilet. As the grandmother spoke of the situation she began to cry in fear. She was scared that when she passes away, their family will fall apart. The SUNY Brockport fund continues to support this family every month by providing $20 additional dollars to their funds contributed by the government.
The second family included a mother, father and two sons. The father was in the American/Vietnam war where he received agent orange. This passed onto his children. One son was born with a large hole in his stomach where you could see his organs. Because of this, skin had to be taken from other parts of his body to cover up the hole. This boy still feels the effects of this surgery. His stomach is extremely small so although he wants to eat, he cannot eat a lot. When he doesn't eat he feels starved but when he does eat, he feels uncomfortably full. The second son was born with little blood flow in his brain. He head to get surgery on the side of his brain in order to survive. Because this was a major surgery the chances of him functioning completely normally were low. Although he got through the surgery he cannot do what a typical 19 year old boy can do. He cannot go to school, he had blurred vision, he faints a few times a day and his hobbies are limited due to his condition. Today we had two classes, history and language. In language we learned a Vietnamese song to work on pronunciation.
Today we went to the orphanage. I visited my favorite boy and spent most of my time with him. I've found that each of us have our own special connection with one or two of the kids with us. This makes the thought of leaving even harder. The orphanage has changed my perspective on adoption as well. I've always enjoyed the thought of having my own children with my husband but after my experience here I would consider adopting n Vietnam. However, I wouldn't adopt in the United States. I've come to realize how messed up our adoption process is. In the United States you must pay a large sum of money to adopt along with various fees along the way. There are also numerous wait times with no set time of when you'll receive the child. Here in Vietnam, you just have to fill out paperwork and prove that you are capable to care for a child, no cost, no wait time.
Today we went to the Special School and I worked with deaf children on their art so it could be sold to raise money. The money goes towards children's tuition along with maintaining the school. This is my favorite part of the community service thus far. Later we went to Danang University and met students from Ohio State. I had the opportunity to talk with students in the social work department who were learning English. While I was trying to help them improve their English they were helping me improve my Vietnamese.
Today we had politics and language.This was the first time we had politics and it was extremely interesting. For most of the class we basically talked about communism. The United States always views communism as a horrible government system when in fact there are some benefits of living in a communist country. A few benefits include that the people are equal, high job security, no competition in workforce and efficient distribution of resources. When strolling the streets of Vietnam you will notice that the people never argue or fight. They simply live in harmony and always try to prevent and avoid conflict. I don't know how efficient this government would be for the United States but I think we could learn a thing or two.
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