Vietnam Vodoi!
Day 3… And I don’t even know what day it is! Monday or Tuesday, I’m clueless! It’s just another day at Xuan Thuy. Though it feels as if we’ve been here longer. It feels as if before lunch is one day, and after lunch is another. Anyhows, in the morning we began by shifting sand. In the most primitive but ingenious way ever…The Human Chain my friend. Which is highly effective cos everyone is absolutely cooperative. No doubt the team is good. Oh but in the afternoon it began to rain. Just when we were heading out to lunch. Lunch, or mealtimes for that matter, has been an interesting affair for the three of us: Hajjar, Khairul and myself. Being Muslim, finding Halal food had been arduous. The cook that the team had engaged didn’t know the concept of Halal , as Islam is not a major religion in Vietnam. But the cook, and the team have been greatly nice and supportive! Buying new utensils and crockery, the cook prepared for us vegetables and seafood which we were able to eat without worry! SO NICE! Just an issue of what to do with the thousand and one canned foods Hajjar brought. Hmmm…Fwahaha Anyhows, after lunch, the rain grew steady, though light. Work was halted. Grace, Sarah and I decided then to borrow bikes and go cycling. I mean, the locals do it, and so we wanna try! Borrowed three bicycles from the students (SO NICE!) and we went out. The rain wasn’t pouring so it was okay. We visited several churches and a few shops. IT WAS FUN! It was the first time we really explored the village, and this is the best way to do it. So yay for us! Got back, rather wet, but three very satisfied girls. Rain finally stopped but work had to be stopped still because sand and compactor still hadn’t arrived. They’d only come after dinner. With that the entire team decided to take a nice walk! Walked as a big mass attracts a LOT of attention by the way. According to Ha, it’s because these villagers rarely get to see foreigners. Guess we’re a treat! It’s nice cos they say “Hello!”, the children especially! And we say “Xin Chao” back. That gathers much laughter from the kids. Anyhow, we walked. Came across the first church. Ha exclaims “Welcome to the Disneyland of Vietnam” Haha…which isn’t entirely true but has a point. The architecture did seem rather kitsch. Anyhow we entered it. Magnificently grand despite its simplicity. We were a curious sight to the kids there and we all took photos! Went for dinner. yum. Back from dinner and the sand was here. Time to spread and dig! IT’S HARD TIRING WORK!!! In the dark and with hardly any lights on. But it was all good. Everyone took it as something we needed to do. Common goal and we achieved it! ———————- An actual entry from my travel journal to Vietnam. It was AWESOME! I loved it. I love the people, I love what we did, I love the environment. And I’m still missing all of it. It was more than I expected, and it was exactly what I needed! Ahhhh Vietnam Vodoi! heehee am sooo in love with Vietnam now. I think it was the total experience. If I had merely went there on a holiday basis, I wouldn’t be so infatuated with the place. But with the community service…the interaction with the villagers…and working with our own people… AWESOME. Three cheers! The Beginnings… Break from work The ahem…hot arki boys… too bad Michael hid his face behind that cap of his. Tsk. I can’t remember why I laughed… Our love… My love… And the friends to thank for… I know this post is overdue. And it lacks the expanse and depth of a much-needed description. But I wouldn’t know how to compress a two-week wonder in just a single post. Or express what I felt and loved in so many words. Or maybe I’m just lazy. Never was great at communicating my thoughts lucidly. But sometimes when you feel something, you just want it to remain a feeling. Vague but personal. It isn’t a secret, it’s just a feeling. And to feel what I feel, you have to zap it from me. But trust me when I say…the trip was good. And I’ll return one day and pay thanks for the trip that saved me.