Happy Thanksgiving

Another early morning! When we stepped outside the hostel at 5:30am we KNEW it was gonna be a hot one today. I attempted running with Khaly and Ken, but I am WAY out of shape. More than that, I am NOT a runner so it was soon after I started that my muscles told me, “You can keep going, but you won’t be able to walk tomorrow”. So I was good and didn’t push it too hard. I will slowly work my way up! The air was thick and heavy and I was already looking forward to a shower before aerobics even started! Even though I don’t like waking up early, I do enjoy my time in the morning to shower and eat and skype! It was so nice to see my lovely parents today!

I met Ken and Khaly (they usually get breakfast at a place nearby) and we were off! The bus ride was HOT but we made it in under an hour! The temple was happening when we arrived and we think there was a Buddhist ceremony going on. We could hear the drums and what sounded like singing, it was really beautiful!

All three of us went to the large room to help with feeding. I found my boy and he was MUCH easier to feed today! Although he is still messy he ate most of his food! While I was feeding him I saw my other boy (the kind one) who can feed himself. We played a little bit of peek-a-boo and it was so fun to watch him laugh!
We did the dishes and cleaned up while the kids played for a bit and then got ready for their nap. Right before we were about to eat my blind boy wanted to get picked up and would NOT let me put him down, it was really cute. I had no problem eating with him on my lap but the workers yelled at him and whatever they said worked because he let go!

Lunch, was lunch. I mostly ate rice. I do try other things but I just don’t like them and it’s hard to get down. I was feeling VERY hot at lunch and had a headache and was dizzy, so afterwards I pushed for us to leave! We normally do anyway, but we were going to meet Hung a bit later today so we had some extra time.
While we were waiting for the bus Ken said, “You know..we don’t HAVE to go today!” it made me happy that I wasn’t the only one struggling, but I told him not to give me any crazy ideas!

I almost feel asleep on the bus ride back but it felt good to rest. We passed a bank or something that had those signs with the time, temperature, etc. so I converted the temperature on my phone and it was 93, which doesn’t seem THAT bad but when I just checked the weather online it says it feels like 106 with the humidity, which sounds a bit more accurate.

It was wonderful to rest in the air condition but it didn’t last long enough! Ken was NOT feeling well (either something he ate, or maybe the heat and dehydration or lack of sleep..) so he stayed home to sleep and Hang took myself and Khaly to the boy’s shelter. We both really weren’t in the mood to do anything. We were hot and tired and yes, we are princesses. We also were given NO information (sound familiar?) so we showed up and off we went!

There were only 10 boys in the class (MUCH different than 40) and they ranged from 8 to 18 which made it a bit difficult. I don’t think the teacher spoke much English so Khaly translated. I THINK what I understood was the boys are orphans so they live there, but some of them are behind in school and stay and learn at the school and others leave and some study at night as well. They knew a bit of English but we taught them numbers, My name is.., months and hobbies. I did feel a little “left out” because sometimes they would say stuff and everyone would laugh but obviously Khaly can’t translate everything.

Khaly and I were REALLY embarrassed because the teacher wanted them to learn, My birthday is..but when we asked some of them they said they didn’t know. Khaly and I looked at each other and panicked and hope we didn’t offend or make them uncomfortable but they seemed alright. Overall, I didn’t really like it. Even with only 10 of them they weren’t very well behaved and the teacher just sort of laughed along (versus in Beijing where they would discipline). I loved having Khaly there so we could team teach! So we left and Hung had been making “Pho”, a popular Vietnamese dish. We stayed for dinner and had to wait about an hour so we spent some time with the kids. They actually DID grow on me and they all seem like good kids. They did their chores without complaining and they are young boys so they are always fighting and yelling, but I think next time will be better now that I have seen them out of the classroom. Khaly told me after that when we first got there they said something like, “Why are those girls talking?” which sort of made me laugh because maybe they didn’t know Khaly could understand. Dinner was good and we left and went and got Smoothies so Hang could tell us more of a schedule.

We can volunteer at the orphanage any day but Sunday and it can be morning, afternoon, a full day. We can do the soup kitchen any day of the week but Sunday and it’s a full day. The deaf school is only on Wednesday afternoons and the boy’s shelter is only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. So that sort of gives us an idea of what to work with. The original plan was to go to the women’s shelter tomorrow but I don’t think Hang can make it so I think we will go next week!

P.S. I am ok without a thanksgiving; I am eating waaaay to much as is!

Hugs and kisses from a turkey less Ho Chi Minh City!