Another Fine Day

(Written by Celine Riendeau)
Today we started off the day three people short. Tess, Angie and Chris were sick with the “thing” (various types of aliments that we all seem to be coming down with). The rest of us ate a wholesome breakfast at the cafe to prepare for our day of work in the heat. Then we saddled up our bikes and traveled through many busy intersections, one of the intersections on which I am guilty of having had a collision with a fellow biker only yesterday. We traveled to the Vocational Training Center for the Disabled to spend the morning placing a second coat of paint over the fence that we painted the day before. This turned out to be a quick job and was finished in about an hour and a half.

We were then taken into a side room, furnished with many intricately done, beautiful chairs carved and created by the carpenter students the center trains. There we talked with the chairman of the center and many kind words were exchanged. He then presented us with gifts of thanks, including bouquets of flowers, fruit (bananas and oranges) and gift plates with various pictures of famous landmarks in Hue on them. We enjoyed the break and then took a tour of the center. We brought the left over fruit to all of the students, who were either learning the trade of carpentry or of sewing.

After our rounds were done, we gathered up our gifts and headed back out into the heat to go back to the hotel for lunch. Waiting there for us was a table spread out with Vietnamese dishes. We ate tofu and shrimp soup, morning glories, rice, and fried pork ribs. Afterwards, we had a little time to digest our food before we got ready to go to our afternoon job of tutoring the children at the Street Children House. At three o’clock we were on our bikes again, headed in the direction of the school. Our task today was challenging, being that three of us were sick and Tess and Chris were in the same tutoring group. Jill was the third member of their tutoring group, and I joined her in case she needed an extra hand with the kids. But as I expected, Jill had it under control the whole time. After an hour and a half of teaching, we pedaled back to the hotel, had a group reflection, and followed by dinner and various wind-down activities before bed.

Still sweating...

Like all our days in Vietnam, this one began with a breakfast of watermelon, maybe a cold coffee and generally bread with cheese is involved as well. We gathered together with bike keys in hand and headed off into the sea of bicycles and motorbikes, over the bridge which is now a familiar route of our morning travel. Following Nhi on her motorbike has become a game, trying to keep her in sight while trying not to get into any accidents in the meantime. We arrived at our worksite after a little bike crash and losing our guide once, hot and sweaty and ready to work.

Our work today was painting the fence at a Vocational Training Center that is sponsored by the Association for Support of Disabled and Orphaned Children. We learned from the group last year and from Nhi that the center is a place where this demographic of children can learn a trade they can use in life to support themselves. When we first arrived all I could hear was the tapping of what sounded like mallets on wood. Later we saw that the sound was the children at work doing wood carvings for furniture and other various amazing creations. We also learned that many of the residents at the center are from poor families in the rural areas and live at the center while apprenticing.

We were there to paint and so got to work with paintbrushes and smiles. Our task was to paint the railings on one side of the back courtyard of the new building. Since the group was here last year, the the center has been expanded on in a major way with the help from a donor in NYC. As we painted a few of the residents there joined us and we also had an audience from boys peeking out of the workshop. After getting the first coat of paint on, we said our farewells and "see you tomorrows" and mounted our bikes to head out back into the "sea."

After lunch and naptime the group again prepared to go to the Street Children's House where we have been teaching each day. Today the groups were focused on reviewing our previous lessons because of the weekend and also set out to make nametags and try our best with pronunciations, which is beginning to come to us naturally with the children. They say their name once, we repeat and so on until it sounds right to them. For me...this has gone on for almost ten minutes with some children. And wow do they giggle at my voice! What precious little beings these children are. What a privilege it has been to be in their presence each day. Today was no different... a joy!

After teaching we went out for "sweet soup" with our student interpreters. We have done that three times so far and each time it is an experience we do not forget. "Sweet Soup" usually consists of some sort of vegetable or meat concoction we would serve for dinner, put in a glass with sugar and ice. The interpreters taught us that you stir it up from the bottom until is is like a slushie and they spoon it into your mouth. When you finish they usually order another for you until you plead... no more! Hehe!

Free Day!

Today was a freeday for all of us. It began in the morning with some of our English student friends. They took some of us to a pagoda near the outskirts of Hue. It was amazing. There was a ceremony going on for a student who just recently took his own life due to having an incurable illness. All of our prayers go out to him.

In the courtyard were orchards with trees growing fruits for the monks to eat. The establishment had been around since the 1600's, built by the Chinese. It was wonderful seeing monks doing the same things that they were doing 400 years ago. The architecture was amazing and you felt felt such a sense of peace walking within its walls.

Members of the group went seperate ways throughout the day, getting ready for the week to come.

Thanks for tuning in.

A slightly easier task...

Today was the day that we were to continue in our ditch digging efforts with our second group of Vietnamese economic students. We were told that this had been changed because of the flexibility of our service projects. We were told that we would be clearing away weeds and repairing the backyard of our beloved school house we have been teaching the children english. This sounded not only as a great relief, but also as a service project that really had a true connection with the group. These children, ranging in various ages, have become our greatest find here in this busy city.
Tucked away behind a busy bicycle filled street, tennis courts and chain link fences is this tiny yellow school house, complete with small playground and play areas. My first day entering such a rabbits hole was nerve racking due to the inexperience I felt with children. All my fears have been cast aside now that I have met and spent many times laughing and both teaching and learning each day.
Working with the economic students here in this Secret Garden of a place was truly a delight. The children were all there , not really sure of what we were doing there so early in the morning. The Hue students and Jsc students stood ina circle exchanging names and undergoing a brief talk about what we were to be doing for the morning hours. Clear away weeds, pricker bushes, and anything in the way of a new socce...er, I mean new football field.
We took amost no time picking up the tools, Hue and JSC students alike and getting too it. The next few hours were filled with chipping away at weeds, carrying baskets of brush to the back of the property, and clearing away broken glass that had hid inthe soil. Dave, the big dog of our group, wasted no time in helping to reerect a fallen chain-link fence. Even going back to re-wire parts that needed to be tied according to the little woman that runs the school. During all of this work the children filtered in and out helping out and picking up tools here and there to show us they can do it too. Everyone became friends that day.
After hard work and bidding farewell to our Economic friends, the Jsc gang returned to the hotel for another delicious lunch and cooled off before our return to the school for english lessons. I must brag a little bit about our group. They have mastered the ABC's and 0-10 eager to learn more. All along they are teaching me different vietnamese terms. I can now count from 1-10. The lessons went well and we will need to brainstorm to keep them learning for the next two weeks here in Hue.
Teaching can be pretty exhausting so we needed to refuel with sugarcane juice with our new friends from the English department. Here we decided that we must all meet up on our free Sunday morning and they can show us the sights. Who better to get a tour from then students? Our experiences here in Vietnam are so much in such a short amount of time that it is hard to sum it all up for this blog, but I hope that I have given this day justice to all you readers.
peace and goodnight,
tara

Mud Bath!

Today was an intense day...one of our most so far. It began as we sped on our bicycles in the early morning to the irrigation trench where we would be vigorously hulling sewage and vegetation out of its polluted murky waters. We were prepared for labor, anticipating sweat and grime, but few expected the infested waters with such visible wildlife as leeches, (poisonous?) spiders, frogs, crabs, snails, snakes, etc. And we, being the diligent determined hardworking Americans that we are, went in and all out, knee deep in mud, waste deep in water, as if to prove a point to our horrified Vietnamese compadres who looked on while politely picking at the sludge, dressed in their dressy attire. It was an interesting site for sure, as neighbors around the trench stopped and starred, smiling and laughing at our mud soaked clothing and the eccentric nature of in our pursuit. We could only grin and bare. As I take a break by the side of the road two older Vietnamese woman walk past me carrying fresh produce from the market. They smile and stop to talk to me speaking in Vietnamese. I understand nothing of what they are saying and turn to one of the economic students to ask for a translation. “She say you are very beautiful.” In my shock and surprise I laugh out load thinking how funny the comment is as I stand there dripping with sweat and plastered with manure-scented mud. To explain my feelings, I theatrically shake my head while using hand motions toward my now disgusting clothes. They laugh with me before continuing on. During a short break from labor I hack a soccer ball with a cluster of young boys who have gathered to watch the spectacle. The game is fun and they mimic my laugh and shriek when I miss the ball.Afterwards, showers are in order followed by an elaborate spread of squid, avocado shakes, shrimp soup, rice, and melon salad. We eat our fill, before taking a break for a couple hours to roam the streets or nap before making our way back to the school where we teach English to the children. I’ve made nametags which I hand out for my kids. Brilliant children! They have already learned the alphabet (as well as memorized the song), numbers 0-10 and as well as their spelling, and today was only our fourth day teaching! It begins to pour shortly after we arrive, so rather than do our usually class routine outside with chalk and flashcards, we seek refuge inside one of the small crowded classrooms. After we finish, we come back to the hotel for an hour group meeting to discuss current events and touch base with one another before dinner. Our time here has been amazing, more so than can be translated in words.

Brand New Song and Dance

Today we had the pleasure of meeting with the economic students here at Hue University. Once again we were called upon to perform. It seems as if we are morphing into a song and dance troop of sorts. We did our now famous rendition of "This Land is Your Land", followed by a rousing "Lean on Me." Luckily, Vietnamese people are extremely polite and our efforts were well recieved. The economic students sang us various songs as well. At this point some of the Vietnamese tunes are becoming familiar.We also played games and chatted with the students. There was a question and answer period as well. We fielded questions ranging in subject from why-we were-here to which-country-we-would-live-in-if-we-were-getting-married-to-a-Vietnamese-person. This latter question was no doubt directed at Chris, the sex symbol of the group. At any rate, we will be working with these students in coming days digging an irrigation trench. I look forward to getting to know them better.
This afternoon we taught lesson number three to the street kids. I'm proud to announce that our group has successfully completed the ABCs. I am teaching the youngest group along with Laura. Actually we are sort of the American mascots while our "interpreters" do a lot of the heavy lifting. It is really awesome to see them interact with the kids though. So much more physical affection and closeness is shown than in America.The kids are ridiculously cute and incredibly smart. At that age kids are like little sponges. I really think they are going to download a lot more English than we had imagined in the coming weeks. It is also increasing my pressing need to learn more Vietnamese. I wish I could be in on their cute little banter.

Give the Shout Out, People

Hey, if you are reading this blog, at least say "hi". We don't want to be writing in a vacuume, and if no one is reading this, we are going to divert some of our water-hydration campaign money into agressive subscription/readership marketing.

Sometimes I Sweat in Vietnam.......

This morning we met officials from the Friendship Union. For this we sat in a long rectangular room....black and white checkered floor, all charis were lined in a long row, each chair seperated by a stand with 2 water glasses and bottled water, making the meeting feel very official. We answered a series of questions and got some background info. about the Friendship Union. Overall I think we made a good impression, even though we were drenched in sweat and probably smelled.
After this...back to the hotel quickly and off to a local high school. This is the same school Ho Chi Minh studied as well as many other famous leaders. It's 1 of 3 national schools and students must be selected to attend. Upon our arrival we were greated very warmly. Shortly after we assisted students in doing some yard work. This lasted about 15 minutes, porbably because they noticed we were all drenched in sweat. The school was beautiful, hallways were wide open and awarm breeze blew in all directions. The window shutters were very ornate, and the school itself was painted a very cool redish color. After yard work we exchanged songs and dances. The Veitnamese once again delivered a beautiful traditional dance and we performed our token song "This Land is Our Land". Also, I performed a duet with a Vietnamese boy to a Mariah Carey song. Needless to say, I was right on point, just kidding, but he was. We all said our so longs and some exchanged addresses.
Off to teaching english........for this we are partenered with Vietnamese students learning english. I don't think we would be able to teach without them. They all have so much to offer, especially since english is so fresh on their minds. I really enjoy this partnership.......we get to experience Vietnam through the Vietnamese vs. being tourists.....very rich and insighful. The children at the school are a pleasure to teach and they absorb so much. We are moving right along with the alphabet.
I'm getting tired and this is the second time I wrote this blog. The first one was a lot better, but unfortunately the computer shut down in the middle. Hope all is well with everyone!!!

5/23 - Teaching the Alphabet

As usual, breakfast itself was an event with delicious pastries, fresh fruit,warm bread, and even eggs. Following breakfast, we headed to one of the rooms and discussed the importance of the reflection process during this trip. Our first topic was humility as central to any learning experience, especially one that requires a partnership created in equality. Next, we discussed the benefits of reflecting: awareness of feelings & discusion/consideration of our actions--the combination of which basically keeps us in the moment and so,engaged in the experience. We couldn't have broached this topic without including the active citizen continuum. The consensus was that reflection is how our experiences and feelings will translate into action, here and at home. Our reflections will last a minimum of 1/2 hr, and maximum of 1 hr, and are alternated daily with group building to maintain our cohesive team--and to have fun. We then discussed the day's activities: meeting w/officials of the FriendshipUnion, and teaching English to "street" children (those who cannot afford standard schools and are most often orphans).

Then, more eating! Our elaborate lunch spread: a suqid dish w/pineapples, carrots,and potatos; shrimp soup w/tofu, baby corn, tomtato, and chives, and ourFaVorite--morning glory greens sauteed in garlic. To top this meal off we we were each given mixed fruit shakes and shared a lot of laughter. I have never eaten so well.

After lunch we did some lesson planning for the afternoon and designatedstudent interpreters to each of our sub-groups and prepared our materials--flash cards, crayons, (and Caroline's hit) connect-the-dot ABC practice sheets. Then we raced off into senseless traffic on our bicycles and headed for the Friendship Union. At the Friendship Union we met with delegates of CPI (Duc &Toan) with whom we will work in an outpatient hospital and the home of a CPI beneficiary. Inside the building we sat in two rows of beautifully carved chairs facing one another. We were meeting with Binh Nguyen (the secretarygeneral of the Friendship Union) and Le Van Anh (the president). We introduced ourselves and explained our interest and enthusiasm for working with the Friendship Union and CPI. We also expressed our excitement at being in Viet Nam and getting to know the Vietnamese people. Binh Nguyen and Le Van Anh explained the purpose of the Friendship Union: To build international relationships based in peace and undersatnding of one another's culture; and to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Viet Nam. Both officials spoke with us in English and shared jokes as well. It was and is an honor to work with the Friendship Union. There was even discussion of possibly building a sister-university relationship between JSC and Hue University. It was an honor to meet them and is an honor to work with the Friendship Union.

Following this meeting we rode our bikes to the school for "street"children. It is impossible to accurately describe the beauty of Hue (the intricate architecture, the exotic plants, and the candid people) but it was all there in the children's smiling faces. We all split into our respective groupsof JSC students and Hue University student interpreters and the children assembled and were split into groups according to age/grade level. We proceeded to hesitantly get to know one another playing various games, and then jumped into our first lesson--the alphabet. We were outside and gathered in circles around the school yard, some in front and some on the side. The children were curious and intelligent and we slowly built trust with one another, moving from slow enunciation with flash cards to clapping and singing a portion of the alphabet.

I was with the youngest group of children so we broke the song downslowly while I could hear the other groups trying their own angles on their ownage groups. When we realized that a few of the children were illiterate altogether we invited them to sit down and trace connect-the-dot letters, to then try writing and saying them. When we pulled out the papers and crayons all of the children headed toward them. The children enjoyed writing the letters and then showing us the finished product; we were also very enthused and challenged them to pronounce each one with us. They were so interested and attentive that they learned easily although they were very small. As we prepared to leave the children sang a farewell song thanking us for coming. The Vietnamese are always singing, warmly harmonized, and it was very moving.

We departed on bikes with our interpreters and headed for a park near the river. There we enjoyed freshly pressed sugarcane juice in the shade. We discussed the lessons--what worked well and what didn't. Then, we toasted in English (Cheers!) and Vietnamese (Zo!; pronounced 'yo'). When we returned to the hotel we did a reflection activity to process and discuss our busy day. And yet more eating! Supper at a nearby family restaurant was delicious: Country-style tofu, crispy noodles w/vegeatbles and tofu, spring rolls, and fried squid. Some of us headed for our rooms with full stomachs, finally fatigued by the day's excitement. Other's headed out w/Nhi into the bustling night-life to enjoy singing at a local coffee shop. There they enjoyed a band, various singers, strawberry tea, cold yogurt drinks, and iced fresh fruit juice. It was a very full, and very wonderful, day.

Cultural Exchange

Our overall welcome from the Vietnamese people has been extremely warm. We receive random hellos and smiles by all we meet or even cross in passing on the street, or by bike and foot. At a cultural exchange with a local school yesterday afternoon, our welcome to this country became quite elaborate and was more than our group expected.

This wonderful opportunity to participate in a cultural exchange, was with students at the English Education Department, formerly a branch of local Hue University and currently an independent school. We were told prior to our getting here that we should prepare a program that would be representative of our “American” culture. For a while we were stumped…but thank goodness for the creative minds of this group that help make things come together. Group participants Caroline Cole, Tara Duffy, and Chris Anderson put together the program that consisted of a description of where we come from, a mock Birthday Party, and a music piece about the different kinds of music in America.

Early Saturday morning two of our participants (Caroline and Tara) were shipped off with Nhi (our interpreter) to meet with the English Education Department representative. They were to go over the program for the cultural exchange. When Caroline and Tara returned, they met with the group and debriefed us about the meeting. The overall gyst was there are potentially five hundred students that were invited to attend the exchange, and they want us to dance, sing, and plan something that would be interactive with the students. In addition to these things the Vietnamese students would be sharing Hue specialties with us and performing traditional songs and dances.

Our group wanted to be as prepared as possible for all of this, so after throwing around a bunch of ideas about how we really could capture “American” culture through song and dance and still remain politically correct to our own likings, came up with something good. Finally we decided that we would sing as a sample from our culture “This Land is My Land”, with some hand choreography. You would think that a group of college students and two staff members would be irritated about singing with hand gestures in front of strangers. Or maybe not even irritated, but they would feel very childish. You would think. The opposite actually happened and the group really loved the singing part of the program.

When we arrived at the school there was no more than fifty students there; much less then anticipated. Slowly the room began to fill and before we began there were at least one hundred and fifty students present. We began to mingle with the students and teachers and fit ourselves into seats scattered around the room amongst the local students.

Once they introduced themselves to us and shared some specialties with us (which consisted of strange puddings, gelatins, and soups with things we could not identify in the US) we were asked to begin our introductions for the group and where we come from. At first some members of our group (the Vermonters) described our country, particularly our state, Vermont. And in order to truly convey Vermont you must talk about the weather! Prior to departure from the states this piece was put together, so we were well prepared with everything a Vermonter might wear on a day that it was 30 below. So we long johns, snow pants, boots, scarf, mittens, ski mask, hat, and of course snow goggles, to Vietnam. We thought it would be interactive enough to ask a Vietnamese student to come up and volunteer so we might dress them in our typical winter attire. This is practically a health hazard considering the current sweltering heat. Nevertheless, we did dress a very shy and unusually tall Vietnamese student, crossing our fingers hoping that she wouldn’t have a heat stroke during the whole process. The students laughed and clapped the whole time we were dressing her. Tess, one of our participants, gave a brief description in the microphone about the piece of clothing that we were putting on her and then would explain why we would wear it in Vermont.

Next on the program was a skit of a typical Birthday Party. We intended the birthday party to display some kind of general American tradition. We prepared by getting a cake a local bakery, bringing candles, birthday hats, balloons, and last but not least "Pin the tail on the donkey"! This piece also was prepared for before departure, so the only thing that we had to get while here in Vietnam was the cake. Turned out that Nhi, a new friend and one of our interpreters, was present in the crowd and we knew it was actually her birthday that day. So, we asked her to be part of our Birthday skit. Only she had no idea that we would be displaying a party “American style” for her Birthday. We sent her out of the room with a participant as we hastily decorated the stage and passed out candy and noise makers to the students and explained to them when she comes back in the room that we would all scream "Happy Birthday" and then we would display to them what we do at a traditional birthday party in the US.

When Nhi returned to the room blindfolded, we all yelled "Happy Birthday!" Our group began singing Happy Birthday and guided her in how to blow out the candles on the cake. Next, we made a toast to the birthday girl, and then played pin the tail on the donkey. The students cheered and laughed at all of us.

The students then showed us what a traditional Vietnamese Wedding looks like, with its’ extravagant costumes and ceremonial nature. It was extremely beautiful and from an audience perspective you could tell the students were shy and bashful to act out such an intimate ceremony. There was much blushing and giggling as they performed this piece. We encouraged them with clapping and big smiles.

Shortly after the wedding, a group of young student girls performed a traditional conical hat dance to traditional music. They were dressed in pure white traditional dresses while holding weaved conical hats and moving their hats in slow sweet motions to the music playing. We were amazed at the gracefulness and beauty of the young girls. And I think it is safe to say that most of us were beginning to feel nervous about our “This Land is my Land, This Land is Your Land” piece.

Our last offering at the cultural exchange was our music piece. Caroline had made an American mix on CD’s prior to coming so it seemed proper that we should explain the different music genres in America (especially the ones on the mix CD) and dance to them as most Americans would using the mix CD music. This was hilarious. We covered everything from Steppenwolf to Jackson Five. And our silly dancing received much laughter from the audience. A funny moment I particularly remember was a few times during the dance sequences I would turn around and look out and see that in the middle of the floor-- 5-10 feet away from the other group members-- was Jill (who is 31) dancing crazy while the Vietnamese students just stared and laughed. It was priceless.

Right after that we moved into our song, “This Land is my Land…” Interestingly enough this was the piece that group knew the best and seemed to entertain the students the most. While was sang three verses of the song and did choreographed hand gestures to them, the students listened intently, which reinforced the emphasis on our silly hand motions and the volume of our voices.

One of our few male participants, Chris, then announced that he would be singing a traditional song not from our country, but from their country. The students shrieked in excitement (it is extremely polite and cute to the Vietnamese when you attempt to speak their language). Chris went to it…we were so proud of him. He sang a duet with Nhi in Vietnamese and the students had expressions of flattery all over their faces.

We ended the exchange with a Vietnamese folk dance. They demonstrated it for us and we watched a few times before being asked to join right in. By the end of the afternoon we were all dripping in sweat, American and Vietnamese! And we all had smiles from ear to ear. We were grateful to interact with the local students and share parts of our culture with one another. It is always beneficial for our group to be working with the very people we are trying to serve, regardless of the circumstances. This Break Away trip is about serving these people in whatever way we can, and this week it began with trying understand one another through culture, so that we might have a firm grasp on who the people are wom we desire to serve so much.

5/21 Entry: Meeting Vietnamese Interpreters by Dave Whitaker

Today was our first full day in Vietnam. We roused surprisingly early from our slumbers with but minimal trauma from the rigors of our journey. As the light of morning glinted off the polished stone tile of the Hung Vuong Inn, a gentle harbinger of the searing heat to ensue, we savored our first meal in over 36 hours outside of “coach class”.

A walking tour of town soon followed and we were oriented with the traffic….patterns?…internet cafes and ATMs as the temperature incrementally rose. On the last stop of our stroll we straddled bicycles that will be our main mode of transportation during our stay and eased, uneasily into the rushing currents of Hue’s traffic. We pedaled through town deftly evading buses, motorbikes, and attrition…this is not the group member who has showered the least since our departure…. they too however, were avoided in a most tactful manner…and I thank them for it…ah…attrition due to heatstroke.

It served us well to learn early the lesson of adequate hydration. Meanwhile, recuperating back at the hotel we struggled with the pronunciations of the names the ten English language university students that we will be teamed with during our stay. We will be meeting on the roof at 2:00 pm. Nhi had gone over our lists with us, patiently creating the sounds we strove to replicate. It is, I suppose, good practice for us as teachers of sounds to first, be learners.

The energy and excitement of our first encounter was channeled into “ice-breaking” games. A sheet was held up between the two crouching groups with one person from each group directly in front of it. When the sheet was dropped the first of the two facing each other to say the others name claimed that person to their camp. During introductions when this game was explained it was evident that they had lists of our names as well and everyone frantically crammed to match the faces with the names on the pages. The volume of facial expressions and laughter that this game produced was priceless.

We talked for a while after the games and their enthusiasm was infectious. Their role in the work that we will do with the school children increases our effectiveness exponentially. In Vietnam it is common to refer to others in terms of family, as in “Uncle Ho” for Ho Chi Minh and these students easily deserving the mantle of older sisters and big brother of the children we will be working with. I am honored to be able to offer them assistance.

The Travel To (May 18-20) .. Part II

The tricks continued. The shades were down the whole time, and we were lulled into various states of altered consciousness by watching movie after movie such as “In Good Company”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Something About Winn Dixie”, and “Electra”. All movies that the entire group had managed to miss while in the theaters. The feeding continued, and so did our eating. Some sleep happened too. No talking. This was a 12 hour flight, and sometimes silence is the relief to pain.

The turnover in Taiwan was quick, and a bit of excitement, as it was the first time that we could look out the windows and see a world that looked fairly different from ours. We boarded for Hanoi, which was another 3 hours, and then landed after eating all garlic and anything else we feared was too organic for customs. This included Jolly Ranchers, Air Heads, Nerds, and granola bars. Thanks to all that, we again passed through customs easily and snagged our bags to meet Nhi, our Vietnamese friend, translator, and guide for the final flight into Hue.

Finally, though, a snag! Nhi was nowhere to be found! The cool headed leaders did not panic, they just walked around in a dazed state and acted like a plan was in motion. 45 minutes later, Nhi showed up, having been delayed by weather. The happy reunion (and introductions) turned into somber silence, as we realized our next flight was still about 5 or 6 hours away. We pushed the envelope (only to find out there was no laying down in this airport) and so the envelope pushed us. We marched on in silence: walking, smoking, sleeping, reading—no talking.

I, myself, lost a little bit of the edge here, and don’t remember how the time all passed. Rumor is, there are pictures of me sleeping with mouth wide open, like an old lady. On the plane to Hue, we had finally learned to reject the offered sandwiches, and most of us drifted in and out of sleep in the frigid, artificial air.

If this all sounds like misery, it wasn’t. The group pulled through amazingly well, with nary a complaint. When we arrived in Hue last night, at 7 pm Vietnam Time (VT), personalities had gone flat, but not turned ugly. It was a sweet sight to pull up and see the hotel staff, now friends from last year. The kids had grown, the hotel had been painted, but the sweet welcome was the same. We checked in quickly, and then somehow pulled off a quick meal and a quick trip to show people how to use the Internet, before they all started dropping off.

It is good to be back, despite what can seem like the modern day rigors of travel. We’ve assigned out blog entries for all of the group, so every day will be covered and hopefully, in not such prolific mundane quality. Please, friends and family, feel free to send in your comments and questions, and help us to share our experiences “real time”. Tune in for tomorrow’s report, from Dave Whitaker.

The Travel To... Part I

Well, here is the story of our journey from the beginning. I promise to try and make it entertaining… as entertaining as 38 hours of travel can be. The bulk of the group left from a Johnson State College parking lot on Wednesday, May 18th, at 3 pm. This was the place to be: a swanky school van, beautiful early summer weather, and a send off like unto those days of glory when competing for the high school wrestling championship. Staff and administration from the College sent us off with waves, shouts, and signs like “You rock!” and “Thank you!” and “Try to come back!”

The trip to the airport was pleasantly uneventful, thanks to the capable driving hands of our Director, Ellen Hill. We made it on time and met up with the remaining members of the group, sans one. Check in and boarding was uneventful (this was due perhaps to impressing our fellow flyers-in-wait by peeling and eating whole cloves of garlic. This is an unwritten part of our group health regimen, to keep away mosquitoes, but like any good idea, has served us beyond the original intent).

The first leg, to Newark, was quick and pleasant. Small plane, 45 minutes. Upon arrival, we hastened to eat some fine fast food, American style, at the airport “for the last time”. This notion got stretched throughout the next 23 hours, as we were served eggs, chicken, fish, mashed potatoes, noodle soup, chocolate muffins, rolls, or fruit every couple of hours and couldn’t manage to say “no” on account of the “last meal” mentality. Needless to say, we didn’t dip into our independent treat bag. Oh wait, we did. We simply ate a lot on the way over.

I digress. In Newark we dined and then used various means to kill the 5 additional hours in the airport. We also met up with the final participant, Chris Anderson. After reassuring his mom, sister, and girlfriend that he was safe with us and indeed, would have air conditioning in Vietnam, we were able to pry him away for check in. The rest of the group followed, and soon enough (12:30 am), we found ourselves in for the first long stretch to Seattle.
In Seattle, the bleary-eyed travelers wandered off the plane in different states of discomfort. You see, the airlines had begun the trickery of trying to change your body’s time zones by light depravation and force feeding. So, in pitch dark for the first couple of hours, we were startled awake by being roused for “dinner” at 3 in the morning. As explained above, we ate. So eating, plus immobility, plus sleep depravation hurt us as people. We used our short (1 hour) layover in Seattle to recover by walking around, doing yoga, and playing reflex based card games. Then, on to Taipei!

safe arrival!

I lay in bed this morning at 6 am (that's 5 pm to you ESTer's) and calculated our travel time. We spent 23.5 hours in the air, 38 travel hours total... that's 14.5 hours in airports. We went from Burlington, to Newark, to Seattle, to Taipei, to Hanoi, to Hue. The group is full of absolute troopers, so no complaints. And after a fairly early bed time last night, adrenaline kicked in a drove the group to early rising and walking tours of the already bustling city. We assigned out the daily blog efforts, which will start today, so soon all the readers will be able to see in detail what the days contain. But, for now, we made it here safely and all are happy and well!

Group Members: Tess Gauthier

My name is Tess Gauthier, and I am 20 years old. This is my first year at Johnson State College. I've been involevd with service for the last couple of years. Last year, I worked for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). I was on a team with 9 others, and we traveled through the country doing various service projects. I'm looking forward to Vietnam and being a part of the Vietnamese culture.

Group Members: Celine Riendeau

My name is Celine Riendeau. I'm a 20 year old from Orleans, Vermont, and a sophomore at JSC. I participated on a Break Away trip to teh Creative Community for Non-Violence (CCNV) my freshman year, which led me to working for a year with NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) last year. I currently work at Clarina Howard Nichols Center, a shelter for women and their children fleeing domestic and/or sexual abuse.

Group Members: Trista Reigert

Well, my name is Trista Reigert and I've been a Vermont rooted flower child all my life. Born in the town of Essex, where I lived until I was seven, when I moved with my mother to the small country town of South Strafford in Southern Vermont. Strafford has such a small population that there were only 18 kids in my class when I graduated 8th grade. Since the town was far too remote to have a high school of it's own, I attended high school in Hanover, NH, where I participated in a variety of activities from ice hockey to Amnesty International. Currently, I am an undecided freshman at Johnson State College; one of those kids who listens to indi-rock and buys organic. My personal ambitions vary vastly from music to creative literature, but as for a career path, I feel inclined to puruse psychology and political science.

Group Members: Angela Twerdok

I am a native of Pennslyvania and now in my fourth year studying at JSC. I am studying anthropology and sociology, as well as pursuing certification in Nonprofit Managment. I have contributed on the statewide and national level at conferences in various roles, furthering the concept of active citizenship. I also hope to enter the world of nonprofits and NGO's upon graduation. This is my second time to Vietnam and I am very interested and excited about furthering relations that were established with the Vietnamese, as well as Clear Path International from last summer.

Group Members: Galen Dickstein

I have been a students at JSC for over two years now. I have been student teaching this semester and hope to graduate in December 2005 with my degree in Elementary Education. I have been highly involved in the SERVE Office since setting my food on campus, and I am really excited to have the chance to travel to Vietnam with a wonderful group from Vermont. I love to travel and see new places, as well as learn about cultures that are different from my own. I am thrilled to be part of this group and have the opportunity to learn more about landmine issues in Southeast Asia. I hope to take what I learn from my experience and be an ambassador for this issue, which affects so many lives. I think that one's voice can be their most important weapon if it is used in the right way.

Group Members: Laura Meyerson

My name is Laura Meyerson. I am 23 years old and from Burlington, Vermont. I just graduated from JSC as a psychology major. I feel honored to be participating inthe Break Away trip to Vietnam, and for the opportunity to work with Clear Path International. Most especially, I look forward to meeting and learning from the people of Vietnam.

Group Members: Chris Anderson

I am a sophomore at JSC. I am a guitarist, a singer, and also very interested in the healing aspects of music. I am an Alternative Medicine major, with a focus in preclinical: Naturopathy. I am entering the program at Johnson State for the Nonprofit Management Certification. I transferred to JSC from East Stroudsburg University of Pennslyvania in hopes of seeking new horizons in my life.

I was born on Nov. 29, 1984 in Stroudsburg, Pennslyvania, where I lived my first 19 years. In the last couple of years I have been becoming moer and more in tune with my surroundings and the people therein. Along with this deeper connection, I have come to feel more and more the pains of others. I have deep concern for the welfare of all of the world's citizens, especially those bombarded by the unforseen and uncontrolled. I got to Vietnam in hopes to better understand these problems and to aid those effected by them, and in hopes that my actions can lead others to the same path. Someone once told me that nothing changes if nothing changes. Simple, yet true. For this change, everyone needs to rise up, grab hands, and leade each other towards a brighter day.

Getting Ready

Well, today we are about a week away from the big adventure. I figured it is about time that we get the blog up and running so that we can start keeping people posted on all the adventure.