Xin Chao

Xin Chao, pronounced sin jow, is the more common Vietnamese greeting, and pretty much the only phrase I can say with confidence. I was more comfortable at the orphanage today, and thus it was more enjoyable. I worked with Thien again, encouraging her to walk within the parallel bars, as well as another boy who was doing the same thing. Although the boy has a more difficult time putting one foot in front of the other, he is significantly more enthusiastic about physical therapy than Thien. For him, I would kick a small volleyball-sized ball to him and he would dribble or punt it in front of him. He seemed to enjoy chasing after the ball more than just walking back and forth. For Thien, I put my remaining two silly bands on the ends of the parallel bars, which she raced across the bars to grab. However, I would pull them off the bars just as she was reaching for them, and run to put them on the other side. Sounds cruel, I know, but it got her running (sort of) and laughing.

Another girl I played with can walk and run okay, but her left side is significantly weaker than her right side. There are a couple other kids in the same boat, so I wonder if it is a right brain developmental disorder or something of the like. With her, I held a small ball, and later a bigger exercise ball, between my hands. She loved hitting it out of my hands, and doing that over and over again. Most of the time, though, I made her use only her left arm, and she complied. I also have a great time with her because she knows how to count to 10 in English. It's hard not knowing even basic words to communicate with the kids, but facial expressions are unquestionably universal. Funny faces I make gets them laughing, and I can tell when they are uncomfortable. Although their teeth are in terrible condition, they are absolutely adorable when they smile.

Bastian is a French guy who is working at the orphanage, too. He's in Vietnam for a year to do missionary work, and it's great having someone else to do all of this with. The nuns that run the orphanage speak enough English to converse with me minimally, and Basitan's English isn't all that advanced either. However, it is a generally supportive environment as everyone is trying to help the kids as much as they can.

After returning from the orphanage, I thoroughly enjoyed my mid-day shower. I think I'll be taking at least 3 showers a day here because in addition to the constant sweat that covers my body, there is a layer of filth that seems to accumulate from just walking around. Ho Chi Minh City, like most metropolises, is a city of dichotomies; while the curbs are usually dirty and filled with trash, people will sweep right outside their storefronts. There is an incredibly gorgeous building next to the coffee shop I was at last night, though, that was actually cleaning their sidewalks with a Rug Doctor-type appliance. Beautiful structures are side by side ramshackle houses. There are people wearing torn pants and worn-out shoes, and there are people all done up at every hour of the day. There definitely is money here, but the city itself seems far from well-off.

It was super hot and sunny again today, but you would never know it by what people were wearing. Apparently lighter skin is more desirable here because if you are dark, it means that you do manual labor and work a lot. As a result of the stigma placed on darker skinned people, everyone bundles up when the sun is out. Most people wear hospital masks over their noses and mouths, but usually cotton and with various patterns and designs, all the time. In addition, everyone was wearing pants and zip-ups today. Not even light-weight long sleeved shirts; they were closer to sweatshirts than blouses! I even saw a bunch of people on motor bikes with soft gloves to protect their hands from the sun, while I was sweating profusely in my running shorts & tank top.

The coffee shops here love Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion. It's refreshing to just hear English lyrics for a couple hours- and get a nice blast from the past- because the constant Vietnamese chatter and yelling can often be overwhelming. The coffee shop I'm at now is another touristy one in District 1, and they've been playing some soothing Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Death Cab for Cutie :)

If you have Skype, sign in whenever you're on your computer! I would love to talk to friends because I miss all of you. Shoot me an e-mail with what time you wake up in the morning because the afternoon (12 hours ahead) is most convenient for me, but I don't want to wake you. I think I'll grow to like Vietnam more as the time goes by and as I do more. For now, I'm just trying to push through and get the most out of every day.