Kareoke...an old Vietnamese favorite

Today was Friday and as our days in Hue are dwindling down we take a step back and look at what we have done, been through, and come out of all in one piece.

This morning we worked with the blind association helping to solicit handmade goods to local hotels and shops. Offering up toothpicks, chopsticks, and business cards for the massage services. It was a spectacle for the locals to gaze upon. Imagine, if you will, being a shop keeper and having three sweaty, white americans, three interpreters, and a representative for the blind students all rolling up on various transportation vehicles and asking you to purchase some toothpicks. How could you say no? Exactly, hence we sold half the product given to us that morning, not too bad for some green salespeople.

After lunch we were off to party, party, party. We went as a whole group for an hour stay at the childrens center where we said our goodbyes to the teens. We celebrated our newly made friendships with our newly learned game "Palm the weasel" and sang for the last time (fingers crossed) our anthem of "Lean on Me."

Then a brisk bike ride to the street childrens house. Our baskets brimming with various gifts for all the children we have come to love so dear. The afternoon was filled with eating candies, playing games, tossing hug-a-planets around, and singing songs. Caroline was a life saver with temporary tattoos and before you knew it our time at the street house was over. Taking an extra long time loading up our bags and getting on our bikes, our goodbyes were stretched all the way up the driveway, but we finally said our last goodbye.

We musn't end on a sad note though because we were quickly whisked away by the interpreters off for one last meal of fried pancakes and then to Kareoke. Yes you heard it right, kareoke. And this is not your normal bar full of onlookers this is a place that climb flights of stairs to the top of a building and get your own private room. Complete with AC, a leather couch, non-alcoholic drinks, and of course a personal kareoke set. The group sang their hearts out to a wickedly late hour of 11pm. Singing such american classics as Summer nights, If I had a hammer, and many songs by Barbara Streisand who seems to have a strong following here in 'Nam.

It was a great ending to our stay in Hue.