Pictures

I'm not really sure why but it seems much faster to upload a whole album to Facebook than a few photos to blogger. Because of that and the simplicity in the process all my photos of Vietnam and my bike trip are on facebook. Here are the links to albums 1, 2 and 3 of Vietnam so far and from my bike trip. Enjoy.

Bees for lunch, Dog for dinner

A little over a week has passed since I arrived in May Ba village and I am starting to feel very comfortable. Some things, like my ability to speak Vietnamese, have not changed. It was brought to my attention by a large group that I was saying rice (con) instead of no (kawm) when being asked if I would like something.  So instead of saying no to smoking out of a bamboo pipe I was merely responding “RICE, RICE, RICE”. Some things, like my anxiety at meals has improved greatly. I am able to eat five bowls of rice at some meals but I’ve stopped feeling as though I am disappointing my hosts when I only eat three. On top of that rice, I have enjoyed some interesting meals. Spring rolls are still my favorite but I have also enjoyed many different dishes. The most exotic have included dog and bees, which are surprisingly tasty. We are often invited to different meals and being a visiting man, I usually sit with the men of the house. This means that trying new things is not an option, dark meat and organ meat are always put into my bowl and I am watched until I attempt to choke it down. I avoid organ meat like the plague and retract my earlier statement about not getting anxious at meals, I am less anxious. At one of these meals I was pleasantly surprised by bite sized fried fish which you eat entirely. One of the tastiest things I've tried so far and not something I would have grabbed on my own free will. 

One animal that I have not eaten but have been really great to see is the multitude of Gecko’s that inhabits this country. They can be seen on the ceiling or walls at most times and are entertaining to watch as they chase each other or catch bugs. This to me is a sign of the way that Vietnamese live with animals rather than have human life and nature as separate spheres.

As we settle in as a group we are starting to get some projects underway and involve ourselves more in the community. With this being the first CWY group in Vietnam in many years there is still some uncertainty about the way our main project, focusing on various forms of health, will play out. We expect to hear more in the coming week and begin training shortly after, as for now we are trying to be as useful as possible. Most of our activities are based out of a small community center with a field next to it. We have spent the last few days clearing the field and repainting the building. It is now much better for the numerous football and volleyball games that we play with community members and children. Starting last week we also began teaching English classes to the community. The first class happened in the middle of a strong rainstorm.  The turnout of 15-20 was less than expected but grew to around 40 on Tuesday night. The class was intended for children between 10 and 16 but has included some very young children and equal numbers of adults.

Our other main task before rice harvesting starts in earnest has been fixing up another larger soccer field that is in front of the regional communist headquarters. Following a day of work we showed up for what we expected to be a small game of pickup. We discovered on arrival that we had been entered into a tournament with organized teams. We stared out with tug of war and rice sac jumping before being humiliated in front of a large group of people. I enjoy playing soccer but have never played very seriously; the other Canadians in the group have similar experience but with less athleticism for the most part. We were a sorry lot. Thankfully our Vietnamese counterparts are good players and we recruited some locals to take up our slack. It ended up being a very fun day followed with, like most things here: beer and food.

I am growing very excited to help out with the rice harvesting, my contribution to my host family has not extended beyond doing dishes and basic food prep so far. I have also heard talk of creating an ecotourism initiative in this community and am very interested in contributing in some way.

Friday October, 1st 2010

This morning I planned to wake up early and go for a short run before a meeting with the towns youth committee regarding programs that we will run. My alarm went off at 5:30, I hit snooze once and before it went off 10 minutes later, rain had started that sounded like a helicopter was about to touch down. Since then the rain has been off and on all morning, our meeting was cancelled and I’ve decided to take advantage of the down time and read a little and check email.

As Canh was checking his email this morning he went to a Vietnamese news site that showed the new Iphone being sold for 14 million Vietnamese Dong. That is the equivalent of many months salary for most Vietnamese, yet I have seen many of these or similarly priced phones around. While there are fake Chinese versions in many shops I know that many people choose the real ones. The price for gadgets and garments in branded shops is even more expensive than in Canada despite the fact that some of the items are produced here. I understand that they are status symbols but with salaries much lower than in North America to spend so much on something like this seems bizarre. I am definitely reflecting my own values on Vietnamese people when it comes to this. In part this is because it is embarrassing for me to admit to the prices I pay for some items that are very trivial in the grand scheme of things. My favorite pair of sunglasses cost the equivalent of two and a half months salary for my counterpart. This makes me feel guilty. I also see people thriving on much less and am beginning to think about the material excess I am so used to.

As many differences there are, some things remain the same; getting a soccer ball in the nuts is still the height of comedy to 10-year-old boys. This evening in one of our many Football matches we were playing with a group of boys, when I got a ball in the junk, the boys and the 20 or so onlookers were in stitches. 

May Ba township

After our last night in Hanoi we left early in the morning to reach our destination of Hoa Binh commune. As we left the urban sprawl that is Hanoi we began to see the lush forests that were what I envisioned, when I though of Vietnam. In the midst of the small towns and hills there were infrastructure projects

galore. I’m not sure if it is to mark the 1000^th anniversary of Hanoi or the fact that as a city it is expected to grow the most in terms of GDP of anywhere in the world over the next decade. Either way the hive of activity is very impressive and I’m sure the face of Hanoi will change dramatically in the coming years.

After a two-hour drive we went through Hoa Binh city (population 80,000) and went 5 km further until we arrived at our home for the next three months.

We were let out of our bus in the middle of the road, as any driveway in the community including the one to the community center is designed for bicycles not coaches.  We were warmly greeted by about a few dozen-community members and leaders as well as the families that we will stay with.  After a few formal introductions Cahn (my counterpart) and I were introduced to our host father (Hoa) and escorted back to his home. We were greeted by his Wife (Hue),  Son (Dai), Daughter (Phuong) and brother (Huong) who is also the leader of the communist party for this region.

All Canadians were very worried about the type of accommodations we would have. We have all been very lucky, with most of us having running water and electricity. All of the families have gone to incredible lengths to make us comfortable; some have gone so far as to install western toilets that I am sure are an incredible expense. I have been very lucky; Cahn and myself have a toilet that is flush to the ground, running water, great plumbing, electricity, television and most exciting … A SHOWER! Our family is amazingly kind and has been making a huge effort to make us feel at home.

On our first day, we spent it walking around the village and swimming in the stream that runs through this mountainous Shangri-La. While we swam were greeted by many of the local children. We are instant celebrities/clowns and are a huge source of laughter and smiles.  It is not uncommon to find a group of children starring at us from afar or trying to sneak into our classroom sessions.

Our schedule since we arrived has involved a number of classroom sessions in the morning and the afternoon. Some of the information has been very informative but it’s difficult to tell if our counterparts have taken away as much. With such variances in language skills, talking about abstract concepts can be terribly difficult. We are starting to get a better idea of what our projects are going to look like and how we can make a difference. Following information sessions we have played a great deal of football and swam in the stream everyday at least once. The heat here has been intense each day; even when raining. In addition to being in the mid thirties the humidity is always high. We were told that the mountains would be much cooler than the city but I don’t find this at all. Being in a valley we don’t even have the benefit of a breeze. Cool drinks from the local store are a wonderful treat in such heat. In the evening most of us have gathered there for a very refreshing beer. It is sweet and light and cost only 3000 Vietnamese dong (0.15 CAD). The people that frequent are very kind; this evening we got back from the city with new 3G USB sticks and were checking our email with drinks and had throngs of men watching the videos we showed. Moments like this are really fun.

The food has been one of my greatest sources of pleasure and stress. I love most everything that I’ve eaten so far but feel the obligation to try everything; even when I’m sure I won’t enjoy it. There is a huge amount of attention paid to meals especially when a guest is present. Alcohol is served at every meal breakfast included. It is usually rice wine, which tastes to me like a mix of vodka and Saki. It is also much stronger than any wine that I have ever had. I learned last night that this is a catch all term for alcohol that is not beer. Last night we were served large quantities of Whisky wine. I have twice gone for special meals with my counterpart and different girls from the group, both times there was much more attention payed to myself, with an expectation that I drink large amounts and eat lots of everything. The first night was at a restaurant that seemed to only serve goat. The second was last night at the brother of the host father's house. Last night and for many meals, great amusement comes from the fact that my legs do not cross when I am sitting down the same way as everyone else. My discomfort has everyone gasping for breath with laughter. I actually find it quite funny am am pleased with the attention most times except when food is placed in my bowl. This evening it was a chicken's head other times it has been choice cuts of dog and processed meat "made with pork". I ate the dog which was much better than expected but took a pass on the "Pork". 

Overall, the last few days have been some of the most amazing in my life. I hope to pick up much more of the language in the coming days and weeks but am so satisfied with my surrounding that I am content to just enjoy myself. Many of the misconceptions that I came with are also changing very quickly, I will go into that further as I see and understand more

Hanio after some sleep

This city and country get better with each day. Its been 4 days since we arrived and the more I see, taste and understand, the more I enjoy it. Since I wrote last we have been practicing vietnames with help from our counterparts. I do not have any gift whatsoever in learning languages and find vietnamese especially difficult. The most difficult part of the language is that there are six different tones depending on the accent.  The word ma means 6 different things (ghost, cheek, but, rice seedling, tomb and horse) depending on where you place the emphasis. A lot of sounds are not ones that we use in english either. Overall the language workshops have been very fun, lots of laughing and I know introductions and how to barter. What else do I really need?
Each day we have started off with great breakfast followed by more delicious motor oil coffee and then headed out to various activities and briefings. We have gone to a few more cultural centers and were lucky enough to have a history lesson from a prominent cultural author yesterday. The gentleman was an officer in the American War and has been an journalist and author since then. The way that he framed the nations history was fascinating and gave me such respect for the people around me. This really is a country that has gained strength and focus through its tribulations.
The food has continued to be great, there have been some odd things but nothing that didn't agree with my stomach. One desert that other people enjoyed but I really didn't, was a moon cake filled with purple yam and an egg surrounded by pastry. Food in the street has been easy to find with prices varying greatly depending on local availability. We bought a quart of Vodka that was the equivalent to $3 Canadian but electronics are more then North America.
Last night a whole bunch of us went to a Karaoke bar down the street, the facility was ultra modern with each room having a different theme. We were in the Egyptian room that was filled with hieroglyphs and pyramid sculptures along with flat screen tv's. The Vietnamese were great singers and most of the Canadians belted out a few tracks. We laughed a lot and the solidarity of us as a whole grew.
Walking around the city is a blast, each street has so much going on and every store seems to have so many different items. Counterfeit clothing is everywhere and a lot of it is very well done. We will be going to a market this afternoon and all of the Canadians are planning to pick up lots of stuff, myself included. Burberry shirts are around $10 CAD and shoes range from $5 to around $50, stuff like Louis Vuitton bags are likely more but the quality of leatherwear is very impressive. I really didn't expect our counterparts to be as well dressed and stylish as they are. Everyone here pays a great deal of attention to there outfits, wearing high end brands that are all very fitted. The Canadians look like slobs in comparison. I came bearing gifts of hats and don't really think anyone that I've met so far would want them, material want is not something I've encountered. It might be much different in the countryside but right now I feel like my western perspective was a little off.

Hanio, First Impressions

I arrived in Vietnam yesterday morning local time. After a 13 hour flight another 2 and half hour one and an 11 hour time difference my body was wanting sleep and my internal clock was out of sorts. We were greeted at the airport upon arrival by our Vietnamese counterparts for the next 6 months . All of them have decent english skills while a few are nearly fluent, thank goodness since all of the Canadians have very basic knowledge of Vietnamese.
 The first thing to him me when we left the airport and made our way to the hotel was the speed of everything. There were so many motorcycles going everywhere with a seeming disregard for order. Motorcycles are the main form of transportation that are used for everything, from people mover to motorcycle movers. Cars have only been available for import in the last few years which means they are all new and shiny but few and far between.
After checking into our hotel we had a wonderful lunch of spring rolls, clam soup, baguette, cucumber salad and fried tofu. For the afternoon we did icebreakers and some basic Vietnamese language at the Communist Youth building not to far from our hotel. After a dinner of chicken, fish, salad and rice I fell asleep by 7 with my computer still on my chest. With 12 hours of sleep in me, I woke up amazing hungry and had a huge breakfast of baguette, cucumber and eggs with hot sauce. The coffee they brought us was very strong and must have been made with sweet and condensed milk. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever had, everyone in the group asked for seconds.
This morning we went around to a few museums where uncle Ho lived and saw his grave. We then came back for another amazing meal. The food has blown me away. I had been introduced to Vietnamese cooking in Vancouver a few years ago but am so surprised at how delicious everything is. The people have been so kind so far, we are greeted with such kindness everywhere. It is also very interesting to be watched by everyone.

Thank You

To everyone who supported me on my bike Journey that completed last week; thank you very much. I had an amazing adventure that was made in large part by the kindness of so many people. I have reached my fundraising goal thanks to all of your financial contributions and have been surprised and humbled by the generosity of so many. I am in the midst of packing as I prepare for my next adventure to Vancouver then on to Vietnam. I will try to update as often as possible so stay tuned.

Kind Regards

Brendon Storm Chrus