Alive and Well!

Hello! I am sorry that it has been so so long since I have last written. I do, however, have a very legitimate excuse - my laptop broke. It is a long story that I don't even want to begin describing, so I am now on a computer in the ecotour company in Sa Pa (where it is freezing temperatures) in northern Vietnam with numb toes (3 pairs of socks later) and my entire family bundled up in our muddy clothing beside me. You would think from this description that I have been roughing it once again in Vietnam over the last week and a half since my family arrived in Vietnam. But that, in fact, is not the case, minus today being the exception. The day my program ended (December 14) was a very bittersweet day. It was very sad to say good bye to everyone in my group, especially after the intensive 4 months we have spent together, just 8 of us. I do realize that the difficulty in saying good bye is only a true indication of the close friendships I have made with them here. Even though everyone is home, I have still been in touch as best I can so far,and I think once I get back home, this communication will remain and be more possible.

After the tear-filled trip to the airport, I went out to lunch with Thuy (program assitant) and Alex, who was also staying longer in Vietnam. After lunch I checked into the beautiful Bong Sen Hotel in downtown Saigon where I stayed the night by myself before my mom and sister arrived the following morning (my dad came 3 days later because of work committments). Although I was worried the night alone would be lonely after saying good bye to everyone, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I strolled along the Gucci, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton filled streets just outside the hotel, a foreign and "non-Vietnam" experience I had yet to have in Vietnam. As I walked around that evening alone, feeling confident in the Vietnamese environment that I remember was so intimidating to me just months ago, I realized that I really have grown up and changed since I got here months ago --- this realization has become even more clear since my family arrived. I'm not babysitting them by any means, but let's just say I have come in handy communicating and getting around this crazy place. I can't get over the fact that people can get used to anything - there are so many aspects of life here, daily events, and national quircks that have become so normal to me, that I don't even think about them or get shocked by them anymore (e.g., all the trash on the sidewalks, people spitting everywhere, the difficulty in speaking English/getting the correct order in a restaurant, cockroaches, rats...the list goes on). Having my parents here and recognizing their reactions and shock that I somehow managed to live happily here for an entire semester has really made me see how much this country has enabled me to grow and how much this experience has challenged and rewarded me simultaneously.

Although there is this strong desire inside me to just get home, which I CAN'T WAIT to do, I had a great time showing my family around the "real Vietnam" as I call it- this means the broken sidewalks around the University, the grocery store I went to, the old, tattered track (which I got to run on with my dad - half of the track was blocked off so we ran 100 meters over and over and over....typical running experience here). We have had quite an intense traveling experience after we left HCMC - we spent a few days in the central area visiting Hoi An, Hue, and Da Nang, and then Ha Noi and a luxurious cruise along Ha Long Bay. Last night we took the overnight train from the local people-filled train station in Ha Noi to Lao Cai, arriving at 5 AM and then driving an hour on the foggy roads with zero (and I mean zero) visibility to Sa Pa. Today we spent the day trekking in the incredible terraced rice paddies with local Black H'mong girls (google Sapa, Vietnam, or BlackH'mong ethnic minority people to see pictures of this incredibly beautiful place). Even though it was freezing temperatures, the hike was great. We also had a chance to visit the market this morning before the trek, where my family got to experience yet again the smells and grime of Vietnamese markets - including the slaughtered dog meat dispersed throughout the market. At some point when I have my computer alive and well again I will post a picture of the dog head from the market. It is a very traditional winter food here - the yin yang concept applies to food here too. Dog meat is considered a warm food so it perfectly complements the cold of winter. The perfect "Vietnamese hot dog," some say. Although I have eaten bird saliva (which I made my sister and dad try too), cow blood, and a whole bunch of other crazy things, I have never and will never venture to the dog department!

I had a great time in Hanoi also showing my family my daily life there - we had dinner at some of my favorite restaurants and street food places (yes, that's right, I convinced my mother to squat in the insanely crowded old quarter of Ha Noi and eat street food...we have a picture as proof of this noteworthy experience for her). I showed them my infamous Lotus Guesthouse, where I lived for 6 dollars a night and endured the construction noises of the room below me made possible from the massive hole in the ground of my ant infested room. Of course they completely renovated the guesthouse since I lived there, so I couldn't REALLY prove to them that I survived that experience! They also met some of my Vietnamese friends and just in general got a good feeling and sense of my life here in Vietnam. It was amazing for me also how many of the street vendors I went to routinely remembered me - when they met my family they hugged and embraced both me and them. I couldn't believe it and couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Tonight we spend our second night in a row on the overnight train back to Ha Noi where we will then go directly to the airport there for our flight to Laos. We spend 5 days in Laos before heading back to Danang to spend our last 4 days at a resort on the beach (Whew! That was a mouthful in words...can you imagine in reality?) Despite the hectic traveling, it is nice to be living in much more luxurious hotels etc. This has definitely been a trip to remember so far...

When I find another computer I will update more...but until then, I hope everyone is well and having a great winter break!!