Ah, Doraemon! You like?

We have arrived in Taipei and about to board the plane to SanFran. 

Mom left her pillow in Vietnam, so we had no pillow for the flight home. We have looked all over Thailand and Cambodia to try to find one. Well, evidently 

they don't use pillows over here in Asia because there is no where you can buy them. So we were walking through the airport today and were on the search for something we could use as a pillow. We came across these circled, stuffed, cat face, pillow thing that we decided to buy. We have gotten tons of attention from these things. Doraemon is the cats name and he is a hot commodity in Japan. At least 10 people have stopped us and asked if we liked Doraemon. I just look at them and tell them I don't know what they are talking about.

Next stop San Francisco, USA!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Today is our last full day in Thailand. Many have said that Thailand is gorgeous and that the people are stunning. Well I am here (in Thailand) to tell you that I disagree. Don't get me wrong the people are averagely pretty but nothing compared to the people of Cambodia or Vietnam. As for the atmosphere it's a dirty Myrtle with Thai speaking people. The beaches aren't as pretty as the ones in Chuck and they are lined with beach chairs. It's just a tourist mecca, no local charm.

We did however ride an elephant yesterday (did you know they had hair). Our guide that mom booked had the reputation of being the best; everything on Trip Adviser said that he was wonderful and by far the best. He drove me and mom crazy! He didn't listen to a thing you said and in the middle of your sentence he would just start talking over you until you were quite. He informed me and mom that if he was to choose a religion he would be Buddhist because the monks only had three things: their robe, man purse, and something else I don't remember. He was basically a self-centered, ignorant, punk.

Today was way better thatn yesterday. We went to a Thai cooking class. We were taught how to make six different things: Tom Kha Kai (coconut soup w/ chicken), spring rolls, a spicy vermicelli salad, panaeng curry w/ pork (we even made the curry paste), sweet & sour vegetables w/ shrimp, and pumpkin in coconut milk. It was a lot of food. The tom kha kai was my favorite and my least favorite was the curry. It happened that the lady that came to pick us up was the owner (we didn't figure that out til later). She offered to take us to buy pearls after the class, so we went.

Once back at the hotel we had facials then ate our left overs (from the cooking class) for lunch. Our first plane leaves at 1 tomorrow.

"America. President Obama. America. Next to Canada & Mexico..."

Cambodia was wonderful. It's definitely one of my top favorite places. As I said before the place was flooded. It was like a snow day in Charleston to these people. Little kids were floating down the streets, people were just watching the water flow through the river and the cars/tuk tuks couldn't make it down some roads (particularly the one to get to our hotel). The flood water didn't hold us back though.

After we got up we went and had breakfast on the rooftop of our wonderful hotel (Viroth). We then went to a Cambodian cooking class. Yit was our chief/guide. He took us to a local market and showed us all the different fruits and veggies and gave a brief description of them. Me and mom were even brave enough to try some fried bananas from a street vender... they were so good! After the visit to the market we went back to begin the cooking part of the class. It was 3 courses plus a drink. Oh, and he showed us how to cut/design a banana leave (lets just say I could never make paper snowflakes).The dishes included: Banana Flower Salad (kind of like a slaw), Khmer Amok Fish (yumminess in a bowl), Sweet Potato w/ Sago & Coconut Milk, and lastly Cambodian Hibiscus Tea. We bought a cook book and had Yit (mom kept thinking it was Yip) sign it for us. We left there and went to visit Angkor Wat. We saw the two main temples but it all started to look like a whole bunch of rock so we decided to forgo seeing all the rest. We did however get attacked by kids trying to sell us stuff when we walked out. It all started when mom decided to by one book from one boy. Then two more kids came over trying to sell bracelets, magnets, or what have you. About this time we saw our tuk tuk driver and started walking fastly towards him. when we sat down in our seats the tuk tuk was surrounded by kids trying to get us to by stuff. If you told them no or you didn't want it they would just lower the price (imagine being in a pond with hungry piranhas and telling them not to bite you). Needless to say, we got two books, five bracelets, and two magnets before we were airlifted (or tuk tuk driven) out of there.

On the way back to the hotel the tuk tuk driver took us by the Children's Hospital. We walked around for a few minuets. It was relatively nice. Once the we got back to the hotel and regrouped we swam (I mean walked) to the Old Market. It was probably the nicest market we've been to so far. A lot of good local stuff. Afterwords we went and grabbed something to drink at a side street cafe. While sitting there a little boy walks up and tries to sell us a book. We say no but he stays and ask were we are from when we tell him America he turns into a instant fact book and tells us about the population, government, geography, etc. (I guess he thinks that will score him some points). Once again we tell him no because we all ready have the books he was trying to sell us. He then says they are the "same, same but different" (in other words yes you do have this same book but it's not exactly the same because it didn't come from him). He laughs and then we laugh. He tried a few more things then he finally said that he would leave us alone if we bought a book so mom asked if we gave him a dollar would he leave. He said yes so she did and he left. Evidently he went and told some of his friends that there are two American girls that will give you money if you don't leave them alone because two little girls walked up and tried the same thing. They even followed us for a good 15 minuets trying to get us to buy "ten bracelets for one dollar" but we finally ignored them and they left us alone.

We ended the day by going to the night market. After being there for about 10 minuets the power went out so it was truly a night market. We couldn't see anything. We walked around trying to see but eventually left and went to Khmer Kitchen. It was really good (and cheap). We brought our leftovers back to the hotel and gave it to the guy at the front desk and he had a smile from ear to ear. The next morning we got up and walked around a bit. On the way to the airport we tried to stop by the silk farm but it was completely flooded so we went on to the airport to fly to Thailand.

Offical Name Change: Bay & Pink Panther's Irreverent Cambodia & Thailand Blog

(Mom waiting for our ride)

As the Chucktown crew went to the left so they could go to gate 17 (headed back home) me and mom took a right and said bye bye to the cruise ship as we boarded our plan to Cambodia. No more herding us around like cattle, we are on our own. It has been quit an experience so far. Getting through the airport and customs was a brezze but once we stepped out of the airport the adventure started. We had no clue if someone from the hotel would be waiting for us to drive us so when we walked out wwe scanned the couple of signs and saw no familiar names. So, we go to the taxi station and tell them were we are going (Vilroth Hotel) and they bring us a taxi around. The taxi driver couldn't be nicer. He informed us that were our hotel is located is completely flooded. He was then nice enough to let us borrow his phone so we could call and make sure that the hotel wasn't flooded/closed; it wasn't (thank God!). He had originally told us that he wouldn't be able to drive us all the way and we would have to walk. He was right in the fact that he could not drive us all the way but we did not walk. He dropped us off at a gas station and informed us that someone from the hotel would be there in a sec to pick us up and not to move. We waited for about 10 mins then got scared and decided to get another Tut Tut to take us. We could have never walked not only was is way to far but we didn't have the slightest clue of were it was located. So we rode the Tut Tut (imagine a motorized pedicab) through the thigh deep water to our hotel were they had put sandbags at the entrance so the water wouldn't come in. Mom said she choose this hotel because it was in the center of town and you could walk to a bunch of cool restaurants. I'm not quit sure why she didn't take into concederation that a typhoon would come a flood everthing and instead of walking we would be swimming from restaurant to restaurant (good thing we have albenazole). Speaking of restaurants we had dinner at an amazing place. We had a baked pumpkin type dish (their pumpkin = our squash, some type of curry, shrimp and veggies w/ sweet & sour sauce, and 3 cokes for a grand total of $12.


(the view from the hotel entrance)

Tomorrow we will go to a Cambodian cooking class and I'm not sure what else.

As The Waves Roll In, We Roll Out

Today is the last day (yay!). It has been fun but all good thing must come to an end. Tomorrow all the Seacoasters will go back to America except for me and mom. We will be on our way to Cambodia. But enough about tomorrow lets talk about today and yesterday...

The past two days can be summed up in two words massages & surfing. Jordan and Micheal are very grateful for the swells that were brought in post typhoon. They woke up bright and early then surfed all day yesterday. After their surf sess. they went across the street and got a $10, 60 min, massage. Right about now JB is waiting for his 4th massage (I was in the middle of writing this and realized that I was late for my massage). He says that he just gets all these massages because he wants the cultural experience (whatever we all know he likes those girls touching him). While JB & Micheal were surfing the girls (and Jack) went to a smelly market. It was a straight local market. We didn't stay but 10 mins then we came back and got massages. Today kindof went the same the boys got up to go surfing (they woke me up to go take pictures but i went back to sleep) and the girls (and Jack) went shopping in a cool little town down the road a bit. When we got back me, mom, and Cyn went and got a intenese massage from the place across the street. Me and mom followed that up by going to get another massage with JB, Michael, and Jack (I swear there was literally nothing else to do besides eat).

We have to leave the airport at 1130 in the morning. Me and the boys from room 335 (Jb & M) are utilizing the free wifi in the lounge.

Crazy Debbie says, "Hello Typhoon!"

The Below Events are True & Actually Happened. None of the Names were Changed

Once upon a time (thats how all great stories start), there lived a group of missionaries that traveled to the country side of Vietnam (A Loui, to be exact). Their purpose was simple... to bring much needed health care to the people and through their actions let the sick know WWJD. It was the morning of the second to last day of clinic when the leader of the missionaries got a call saying that he and his team needed to leave the country side because their was a big typhoon coming and the roads might be blocked the longer they waited. So, the leader, we will just call him Chuck, went to all of his people and told them that the team was request to evacuate the area after lunch. Chuck also told his people that not all sick would be seen but to try their best to see a big handful (185 patients were seen).  After the group ate lunch (or not) and gathered their things they headed up the road to Da Nang. Oh, what an adventure they had. The winds were starting to whirl and the rains beginning to drop all the while 6 buses started on the adventure that was bestowed on them. It started with a fallen tree in the middle of the road (but don't worry all the big, burley, strong men got out to save the day and move it).  Followed by another tree in our path. Next, came a mud covered strip. The team was questionable weather or not they would make it through. They did. They continued on with a few bathroom stops on the way (you know the 60+ crowd have a problem holding it) till they were faced with yet another mud spot. At this point, if they were in South Carolina all the boys would  be yellin, " whoa doggie look at that mud spray." But they weren't so it was more of a "I hope we don't get stuck." After a few more restroom breaks and a little bit more mud, the team arrived at the massiveness that is commonly known as a active mud slide. Now, so far they had been in the bus for 3 hours and the storm had gotten worse so they knew their only option was to try and get through alive. The first bus made it through (I mean of course nothing was going to happen to the Seacoast group), then the next one and the next and so on and so forth till all the buses were through this gravitative barrier of mud and clay. It had been about 30 minuets since the last time the busses had stopped for a bathroom break so the old people, I mean the advanced in age, had to go drain the main vein. After that the 3hr trip turned into a 4 hr trip, which led to a 4 hr 15 min trip, which ended with a total of 5 hrs under its belt. The people then found their hotel rooms and went to sleep.

The next morning upon awaking one of the members, Bailey, heard the typhoon outside her room. When she opened the door to look outside rain came rushing in and the wind was blowing the trees sideways. Her an her roommate went down to breakfast and arrived soaked from head to toe. After breakfast there was literally one thing to do and that was to find some place in the hotel and sit. So thats what everyone did. Oh, and they lived happily ever after (that's how all great stories end).

Ok but for real there was a typhoon its name was Ketsana and it killed some people in Vietnam and the Philippines. It rained alot and the trees blew and thats about the end of the story. Oh, we were stuck inside all day with nothing to do. Now thats the end of the story.

** pics will come later on

Flashbacks, Reruns, History, The Past, What Once Was...

Some random pictures and things from the trip so far...

Can't go over it. Can't Go Under It. Can't Go Around It. Gotta Go Through It

 Today is our first free day since we have started working. It got kind of chaotic with all the organizing of people getting on the right van to the place they choose to visit. The choices included but were not limited to going to the waterfall, going to the waterfall, or going to the waterfall. Oh yea, there was another option.... sit in your room (read post below about rooms). We decided to go to the waterfall. Since we are with Vets With A Mission the majority of the people are veterans, so that means they are at least 60. With that in mind I was envisioning this waterfall experience to be as follows: we pull up in the vans, walk no more then a 100 yard, arrive at the waterfall, marvel and take pictures, then return to the bus. Big whoop, I know. But, oh no, we are in Vietnam and when in Vietnam everything is exciting (except the native food). It went a little more like this: We pull up in the vans or mopeds, notice that we are on the edge of a cliff, of sorts, survey how to get to the waterfall, we realize the only way is to go down this cleared out strip of red clay trail, JB goes first, of course. I'm not going to lie it was kind of sketch but the "young" crowd (aka the translators + Seacoast group & Debbie), minus Cyn & Baba, head down the face of this cliff. Dr. Dave also came with us ( he is apart of the "young at heart" crowd). When we got to the bottom of this almost vertical, 50 foot, trail we were faced with a raging river that we had to cross. The water was cold, the rocks were a bit slippery , and approximately 4 people fell into the water, that doesn't include Jordan & Jack who were swimming in it. It was all up hill from there, literally. We scurried down the path trying to avoid the nice presents the cows had left for us. It was like the game mind sweeper, you steep in the wrong spot and you would wish your foot had blown up. The dirt path turned into antique looking stairs, which then turned in to a rock which was overlooking blustering river waters. The waterfall was in sight and there was no way we were going this far without getting to that waterfall. So, we bounce down into the water and skip, like little fairies, across the river rocks till we reach the other side. We had arrived at the waterfall so we did the typical and took pictures in front, beside, and under the waterfall. The reversed the above steps. I believe I have failed to mention that the water contained some very loving friends... leeches. They were just trying to show some Vietnamese love by kiss our legs and feet. Everybody got at least one leech on them but me (haha). 

For lunch we went to some place the translators knew about. It was different from the restaurant we had eaten lunch and dinner at for the past 3 days, which was a bad idea because they had kind of figured out what we will/will not eat. Not at this new restaurant. Our lunch consisted of wild boar or goat (no one knew), a fish that was fried whole, rice, french fries (upon request), and lizard, yes, lizard. Some one picked up a big lizard, dropped it in some hot grease, chopped it into some big pieces, put it on a plate and served it to us. Eyeballs, legs, skin, everything was still intact. None of the local translators would eat it but they wanted us to. That is like someone telling you to jump into a fire because it is the funnest thing ever but when you ask them if they want to get in the fire the say of course not. Needless to say I didn't eat the lizard. 

Jb spent his free day doing far away from homework. (for about 30 mins)

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn

We have internet here, obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this (actually I don't have it right now for some reason). 

So, we arrived in A Luoi yesterday, early evening. We are staying at a Vietnam guest house. Now, let me just tell you about a Vietnamese guest house... Ok, imagine a 3 store townhouse mixed with a Motel 8. On the bottom floor is an open room with a front desk/bar, stair case, and about 10 tables (which make up a restaurant). If you choose to go up the stairs you will enter into the "guest house" part. The top to floors are laid out the same. A hall with 5 bedrooms, 2 on one side and 3 on the other. When you arrive at the door to your room and put the key in, you have to give the door a pretty sturdy shake for the door to come unlocked. At this point if you walk into the room to fast you will hit the other wall. The rooms are, how do you say, simple, possibly a little dirty (as in sleep with your whole body covered), and with a chance of some type of fungus. Two twin beds are crammed into this "quaint" little space. The beds are lets just say there. They have only a fitted sheet with a "baby making" fleece blanket folded at the end. There is no air condition but the fan will turn the room into a ice box (if thats any indication of the size of the room).  There is a bathroom, I mean shower, I mean bathroom. Um, well, it's a 4 foot by 6 foot room with a toilet, sink (that drains to into the floor), mirror, towel rack, and shower head; call it what you want. So, when you take a shower you have to remove any thing you don't want to get wet including the toilet paper. And when you get finished everything is wet (including the toilet seat). Oh, and another thing, the toilet paper roll is probably half the size of American rolls. I mean I'm not saying that Americans have fat butts but the Vietnamese just don't require as much tp. 

 

After dinner last night Me, Jb, Michael, Debbie (psycho roommate), Steve (deranged triage leader), and Lou (ragged out pharmacy pirate) went out with the college translators. They took us to do none other than karaoke. Now, here, in A Loui when you go out for karaoke you go this place that is once again very similar to a Motel 8, but one story. You went into this 12' by 12' room that had a plastic "leather" couch that was fallen to pieces, a little tv, a disco ball, two speakers, and two microphones. They even had a book full of english songs you could choose from (if you were born in 1934 they would have been your college jams). We stayed there for a good 2hrs and then returned "home".

Today was the first day of clinic for this place. There were a lot of old people, a lot of little babies and a few in between. The people didn't seem to be as sick. We did however still see over 200 patients. During our stay in A Loui for lunch and dinner we will eat at the same restaurant every day. Hopefully by the end of the trip they will realize that we don't particularly care for things that have bones sticking out or isn't completely cooked. Dinner tonight was the first time in the past 4 meals that I didn't just eat rice, it was really good. Fried rice, french fries, veggies, and steak bites; about as American as they could get it. Have I mentioned that the coffee is amazing., well it is.

Tomorrow  will be the last day in this clinic. We will move to another clinic, just down the street always for 2 days. Then on Tuesday we will go to the Furama for the final days.

** Lou & Steve are actually way cool people.

"When the Girls Look at Me all they See is a Green Card"

Chuck got a phone call this morning from a Vietnamese women that lives in America. She called to say that she had heard there was "hot" boy on his team. She continued to tell him that the staff at the Furama (the hotel we go to in 4 days about 2 hrs away) had also heard and was expecting his arrival. You may be surprised to know that it was not Michael or Jack but our own young lad Jordan.  Yes, Jordan has to to Vietnam just to expand his harem. His favorite part, you may wonder, is that in a matter of days he will never see them again. When asked for a statement he says, "I keep telling them I have a girlfriend."

P.S.We are going to A Loue today and most likely will not have internet so this will be the last post for the next 4 days

P.S.S JB is really just ignoring all the girls

Where in the World is Mom?

So it was another day at clinic. I got up too early. I still haven't figured out what good it does for you to get up that early but I did anyways. It was raining today so it was a wee bit cooler than the past two days. Today was the last of the 3 days in Hue. Evidentially they (the locals) had their town hall meeting last night. The number one topic... what to say to the Americans to get medicine. Obviously they had forgotten the fact that they were going to be examined. If you walk into a room of 6 people and say you itch all over there's a good chance that one person is going to want to look at what your itching.  Now, make 3 out of the six people doctors; you can expected 50% of the 6 will ask to see what's itching. With that taken into consideration do you honestly think you could sit in front of a provider & convince him/her that you had a rash, fungus, etc but not be able to produce any evidence, no. Granted, the minority were trying to pull the wool over our eyes. 

There were a lot of family cases today. For instance, the baby would have pneumonia and so would the mom, or the 3 kids and parents would all have scabies (actually it's more like the chief and his whole tribe had scabies). We gave out a lot of vitamins, tylenol, albenasol.

Here are some pictures & a video for your viewing pleasure...

 

Debbie & I were teaching some kids how to say english words.

Michael was "americanizing" a adorable, baby, boy (aka circumcision). 

 

The peds/pharm room

   

The older girl was picking a flower for the baby. They were beautiful.

 

Life is way simpler naked. You can just stop whenever you want and pee.

 

This is how they carry the kids around

P.S. Mom is an unofficial provider. Who says you have to go to extra school to be a doc.

It's Your Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROGERS-TRAMA!

    

Ketchup & Mustard

It was a glorious first clinic day. We got up and ate breakfast between 5:45 & 6:30. Typical vietnamese breakfast is unlike ours, it is more of a full meal... soup, noodles, eggs, steak type stuff, sausage, fruit, etc. I just eat some sausage and fruit and I'm good to go. The ride to the clinic was 1hr 30 min and I'm just here to tell you that it was as smooth as the scalp of a Vietnamese child (if you can't tell from the picture it wasn't smooth). Once to the location of the clinic we were directed up into this "keep the tigers away" hut (it was on stilts). It was pretty cool. There was only one room and the building was made out of bamboo and palm frowns... even the floor. 

I was originally assigned to pharmacy but quickly realized that I would be better suited some where else ("my way or the high way" type women ruled this joint). I went to the providers section to fetch Michael and never returned. I started to work with Dr. Dave.  He's a cool guy with an obsession with cameras. Oh, and he's the big cat on campus. If there's any medical problem that might require surgery (that we can't perform) then they get directed to him for evaluation. 

There was this little boy that came through that had these big purple lips. His fingers were clubbed. And his heart was on the right (like left & right) side of his body (to bad he's not dyslexic bc that would work out great for the pledge of allegiance). Dr. Dave asked his mom if they could get the chest x-rays, etc. redone since it has been a year. She said yes. 

I kind of don't remember anything else that happened yesterday so that will have to do. Oh, we had hamburgers for lunch.

When this Grass Burns my Brain it's like Acid Raindrops, Mary Jane is the Only thing that Makes the Pain Stop

I'm to tired to blog any thing but here is a little preview. 

(This picture doesn't contain actually drug use.... unfortunately, because that would be hilarious)

Last I Checked I'm Not a Baby Goat

Yesterday, Jack, JB, and Michael went to the airport to pickup Cynthia, Baba and our delayed luggage. Me and mom ventured down to the market while they were gone.  It was unlike any other market that I had been in. There was no cheap touristy crap that the locals just used to make money off stupid foreigners (ok there was some of that). The stuff being sold ranged from clothes to sheets to pig legs. The market acted as an american mall. You would be walking and end up in this never ending clothes section. No lie, it was like you were in a cave made out of clothes with these little leeches on the cave walls grabbing you and trying to suck you in to there little hole so then they could try and persuade you that you really  needed something. Once we finally burned the leeches off with a lighter (so we didn't actually use a lighter but it took some strong force) we found out way to the grocery part of this super Wal-less Mart. Someone needs to let Bi-Lo (or you grocery store of choice) know that the only way to supply fresh food to your customers is to kill it right before them. Oh and another thing Bi-Lo, it is the 21st century and we, in America, don't discriminate. So, do as the Vietnamese do and sell every part of that pig that you kill. I mean who doesn't want to eat a brain; brains make you smart so eating a brain should make you smarter. And how cool would it be to say that you had bbq heart for dinner. Needless to say the market had some very interesting smells going on.

We had a pill packing party which turned into an pills already packed party. But we did how ever get our name tags with our jobs for the week on them. Jordan got presented with the job of wheel chair assembly dude. I have to give JB props because he can make some stuff. But usually he likes for it to involve some type of power tool or otherwise it doesn't get done (or it just takes a little longer).

For lunch we went to the Vietnam House. It was extremely good. I had pineapple fried rice in a real, full blown pineapple. It was quit tasty.  Jordan had seafood fried rice on a boring plate. Mom got nasty tofu but she did get cocoanut water in a cocoanut, which was pretty cool.

                                                                 

Fast forward a day and you would find me, yet again, on a plane. Today, Sunday, we flew to Hue (pronounced like way). We then rode a bus 30 min. to the hotel. We went and got linner (lunch+dinner). We got a ton of food and it was $5.25 a person. That was about the extent of today. Tomorrow is the first day of clinic and it should be pretty interesting.

 

Wanted:Dead or Alive

The reason I didn't blog yesterday was because I lost a loved one. I'm going to take some time now to say some words...

You were always by my side and kept me connected to the world. Whenever I needed to know anything you would produce it within seconds. You reminded me when I needed to do something and were always there to be my alarm clock if needed. Oh, dear iPhone I will miss you. Be lost in peace.

It's a bird, It's a plane, Nope... just a heard of motor scooters

WE HAVE ARRIVED IN VIETNAM!!

After 4 different plane flights (ranging in time from 45min to 13hrs), 3 less team members (for now), only one delayed plane flight, 4 delayed/lost until tomorrow checked bags, and a countless number of plane meals... we arrived!

Evidently America didn't get the memo but over here in the Asia part of the world the face mask = style. Designs range from the simple surgical looking mask to the custom designed mask. Oh, another memo that skipped over the good ole' USA was that motor scooters are way in. Forget little smart cars and hybrids just go green by getting a motor scooter. They go fast, use hardly any gas, and can fit into small spaces. Oh and the best part is when a heard of 50 coming charging across the street and your life turns into a game of frogger.

More interesting news: Me and JB became millionaires today! We have a million Vietnamese dollars, so what if it almost will not buy us a tank of gas back home.

Lastly we ate at some really good vietnamese restraunt and followed that up with a group foot/leg massage. It was $7 for 45 mins. I believe the massage ladies and men had just as much fun as we did. They would look at the size of our feet and just laugh. Everyone was crackin up at Jack bc he got stuck with a guy foot massues which i don't know if you have ever had a Vietnamese foot massage but it could get awkrad at times.