Tết and the arcade

After another intermittent period with no internet, we are back up and running. I spent the weekend in Hoi An with my two roommates (the only other volunteers) and a few people from the Tam Ky placement. It rained the entire time but we enjoyed ourselves and met a lot of fun and interesting people. Hoi An is a good place to go for a few days to get away from Da Nang, but I prefer being at placement. We met some American doctors and med students living in Vietnam for six months (spending the next two weeks in Da Nang) working in different hospitals, so that was great.

We visited the Hoi An orphanage this morning with is unfortunately incredibly corrupt. They aren't connected with any specific volunteer agency like GVN, but they receive a great deal of money from tourists and some private sponsors. One child in the room we visited was tied to the bed even though she is not able to walk. I'm glad we visited, but I really wish I had more time to actually spend there. Some of our placements are pretty bad, but they always have volunteers coming into work so it is very different. It was really sad visiting. It just reminded me how much work there is to be done and how impossible it is to change anything in a month with little to no knowledge of the language. I would like to spend more time there when I come back next. 

We came  back from Hoi An in the early afternoon because we decided to take the older kids from Social Support who go to school shopping for some new clothes for Tết and for some fun at the arcade. Its funny, the only fast food restaurant that has made it to Vietnam is KFC...we took them for dinner there which is more or less gourmet food to them and then went for ice cream. We brought nine children who were incredibly rowdy after soda and ice cream.....

It was amazing how excited all of the kids were all night. They really didn't know what to do with themselves. I thought that they would want to spend most of their time in the arcade, but we ended up spending most of the time (2+ hours) shopping for clothes. I think it was pretty overwhelming for them. Each kid got about 2 new outfits and shoes or a hat and they were ecstatic. Its amazing how far a little bit can go here and how much the kids appreciate everything they get.

On a less happy note, Hoi is sick. I think we will need to take him to the hospital tomorrow. I saw the physio Mr.Phouc on Saturday in Hoi An and he told me that Hoi was getting worse and asked if I would go to the hospital with them on Monday if he still was not well. I went in to check on him tonight before taking the older kids out and he was hot and upset and painfully sensitive. He usually loves having his head rubbed, but he cried every time I touched him, and when I picked him up he clung to me because I think his head was hurting him so much. It makes me really nervous and upset that I am leaving on Friday. I really wish I could extend my stay. I looked into staying a few days more, but the cost of changing the flight is almost as much as I fund-raised to be here. I miss my family a lot and look forward to seeing them, but aside from that I am really happy here and really like the people I have met and am working with. I know that we could get a lot done if I have even one more month. I actually feel like I could live in Da Nang and be happy here for a long time.

I really never have felt the way that I do now. The thing is, its not at all what I expected. Everything is starting to feel very natural. The different placements aren't overwhelming in the same way. I look so forward to seeing literally every one of the children. Some, such as Dinh and Toi, are particularly special to me, but I am so at ease and confident and comfortable with them. Its amazing how much this place has done for me. I never would have believed that we have the potential to change our entire spectrum of how we view ourselves and the world around us in just a month. I couldn't imagine how inspirational an 8 year old boy who is vision impaired and living with severe CP could be. I never thought that I could be courageous enough to leave my comfort zone and travel 10,000+ miles away from my family.

But now it all feels natural. 3 short weeks later and I feel comfortable in the world. I know that this is just how I feel right now. Maybe tomorrow I will feel the scary sense of helplessness again, but right now I feel calm. I also feel tired and I am sick of being bitten by mosquito's (or mossies as my Australian roommates call them- I will NOT pick up that abbreviation), but that is what sleep and mosquito nets are for. I really want to travel more. I want to come back for a few months and spend most of my time here but also see Cambodia and Thailand and Laos. My friend Olivia has traveled all over Asia (and Europe, too). Its amazing how accessible Asia is for Australians.

On a totally random note- I didn't realize how few people lived in New Zealand. More New Zealanders live in Australia than in New Zealand. There are four sheep for every person there. 4 sheep! I don't know...I think that that is really funny. There are so many people in the US!

Ok, I am going to go to bed now as I have lost all of my ability to actually follow through with a thought. I've started like 3 different conversations with my roommate and then stopped talking and spaced out. Time to sleep. The pictures are from the Pagoda, Hoi An and Social Support. I'm hoping that Hoi is well enough tomorrow to try out his new chair before going to the Doctor. We will see.