Hey Mainers!

Here we are in Ho Chi Minh City as our trip draws to a (delayed) close.  In less than 48 hours, we’ll all be flying home.  Everything continues to go well and we couldn’t be happier with how the kids are doing, both healthwise and morale-wise.

On Friday morning, after breakfast, we headed down to the beach on Con Dao island for one last swim in the crystal-clear water before leaving.   On the beach, we played soccer (and the chaperones felt old and out of shape!), swam, collected shells, and generally basked in the tropical sun.  By noontime we were all packed up and heading for the Con Dao airport, which is roughly the size of the Priscilla Savage Middle School.  After an uneventful flight, we landed in HCMC and headed to Mr. Khuong’s cousin’s family on the outskirts of the city.  We were greeted warmly and we sat down to an enormous meal of homemade traditional Vietnamese food that included many kinds of fruit, spring rolls, winter melon soup, carmelized sauteed pork, calamari, chicken, and myriad other foods.  Several of the students thought it was our best meal of the trip yet, which is high praise!  After the meal, we spent time with Mr. Khuong’s family, saw where his childhood home used to be, met his aunt and another cousin, and saw his old neighborhood (which has changed enormously since he grew up there).  As we walked around the neighborhood of Thu Duc, we were struck by the fact that we were the only westerners around and that the people there were quite surprised to see us.  It was really interesting to get off the tourist track and to be in a regular working Vietnamese community: several students said it was one of their favorite parts of the trip.  In the evening we checked into our hotel and had a relaxing evening after a busy day.

On Saturday we had a leisurely morning, which included visiting a local Hindu temple and hanging out at a local park, where we played soccer (until the police told us not to!) and then kicked around a shuttlecock (sort of the Vietnamese version of a hackey sack).  We had some Vietnamese sandwiches for lunch before heading back to the hotel for a siesta.  Mr. Khuong and Mr. Ramsey took some of the kids out for shopping and other adventures in the afternoon at Ben Thanh Market (the biggest market in HCMC) and other parts of the city.  In the evening, we headed out to “Sarpino’s Pizza”, where we ate food that was definitely not traditionally Vietnamese!  We figured that after two weeks of intensive travel, the kids would appreciate a “comfort” meal.  After pizza, we returned to a fantastic french-style ice cream place that we had visited the week before.  Alex and Robert F ordered the world’s biggest ice-cream fondue dish, which they promptly ate, and which led Alex to have some digestive issues soon after (we’ll let you get the inside story first-hand . . .).  After dinner, some students went back to the hotel and some students went to a special outdoor market that happens on Saturday nights.  We walked around packed streets among food and craft vendors, scooters, shoe salesmen, and thousands of people.  It was one of the rich environments which are a regular occurrence in Vietnam, and which we’ll miss when we return home.

This morning we continued the “comfort” theme and went to a showing of the hollywood movie “Rango” at a local cinema.  The cinema was located in a modern 13-story upscale mall that represents the kind of fast growth that the Vietnamese economy is going through.  As we rode the escalator past high-end foreign boutiques like “Clarks” and “Nine West”, we were struck by this entirely different side of the country.  We felt like we were in a New York Mall, when, in fact, directly outside the mall, the streets were filled with buzzing scooters and vendors selling coconut juice, dragonfruit and Durian.

In the afternoon we met up with the local college students whom we had befriended the week before.  In a park, we engaged in a bunch of different activities that helped the American and Vietnamese students to understand the differences and similarities between our cultures.  As we sang songs, played games, asked questions, and had conversations, the kids laughed and bonded.  After a few hours, we said a bittersweet goodbye, knowing that we had made good friends whom we would probably never see again, except through email or Facebook.  In the evening we walked around HCMC’s active nightlife for a bit before sitting down to another great meal.  After dinner, we celebrated Mr. Khuong’s birthday with a cake and singing.  Earlier in the day, some of the kids had presented Mr. Khuong with homemade cards written in a mixture of Vietnamese and English (written with the help of Maggie’s phrasebook).

Tomorrow we’ll be exploring the city a bit more and packing for our departure. We’ll also spend some time in the afternoon debriefing, asking kids their opinions about the trip and getting feedback about what they liked and didn’t like.  We’re looking forward to a rich conversation as we’ve found these students to be consistently thoughtful and insightful.  It will also be a nice little ritual to tie the trip together before we get on different flights to head home.  Tomorrow evening, Mr. Ramsey, Robert F and Ruth will board a flight to Seoul, and the next morning, everyone else will fly to Hong Kong, marking the end of this adventure.  We’re sad that the trip is coming to an end, but we’re also looking forward to returning home to share our many stories with our families and friends.  It will also be good to get back into the more regular rhythm of school.

With that, we’ll sign off and look forward to seeing you all back in the states in 48 hours or so!

Cheers,

Mr. Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. Khuong

Hey Everyone,

We just wanted to check in and update you about how things are going. We’re still on Con Dao island, where we’re enjoying the tropical weather, the ocean, the pool, the food . . .in other words, it is pretty nice here! The island is mountainous and surrounded by turqoise water, so it is quite a chance of pace from downtown Saigon. This morning we visited the Con Dao prison, where the French and Americans held Vietnamese in deplorable conditions for many years. It was eye-opening to see the prison grounds, especially in contrast with the beauty of the rest of this island. This afternoon, we’ll be exploring the island on foot and doing some more swimming. Also, some of the girls are doing a “fashion shoot” here on the island, so look forward to some great pictures!

We will be staying in HCMC from Friday afternoon-Monday night. We have reserved rooms at a hotel there and Wide Eyed Tours will be providing transportation for us. At the bottom of this email, we’re including the names and contact information of the hotel.

Tomorrow afternoon, after we leave Con Dao, we will travel to see Mr. Khuong’s family and enjoy a meal with them. We’re excited for the kids to have a chance to experience a real Vietnamese household, especially one that they have some connection to.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we will be hanging out in HCMC, where there are all kinds of things to do. Several students are looking forward to playing soccer in some of the parks, and there are many museums, temples and pagodas to visit. We also hope to meet up with our Vietnamese college student friends that we hung out with the other day.

As you know, on Monday night, Mr. Ramsey, Robert Field and Ruth will fly to Korea, and then New York, on their way home. On Tuesday morning, the rest of the group will head home, stopping in Hong Kong and Chicago on the way. We are really thankful to have found these flights. Todd Paige deserves a big round of applause for all of his work in helping to make this happen! We’re happy to have flights and our hotel nailed down. The kids are in good spirits and are doing really well in terms of supporting each other and having fun. Con Dao is turning out to be a great place for the group to rest up and regroup before heading back to HCMC and then home. Over the next few days, we’ll keep you posted as to new developments and let you know what we’ve been doing.

Cheers,

Mr. and Mrs. Khuong, and Mr. Ramsey

Hey Everyone,

We arrived in HCMC on Sunday morning. As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we were confronted with 95 degrees and humidity. HCMC is a big, bustling, growing, modern Asian city with lots of constructions, high rises, and traffic. It is also a beautiful, colonial city with lots of history, palm trees lined street, and interesting culture. After checking in our hotel, we set out on foot to have lunch at a restaurant where Bill Clinton ate at when he visited Vietnam. After lunch, we explored Ben Thanh Market – the biggest market in Vietnam where vendors sell everything from clothing to food. We walked through narrow passage ways between vendors, crowding past lots of other people. After a few hours, we were exhausted and retreated to a coffee shop across from Notre Dame Cathedral, the most prominent Catholic Church in Vietnam – built by the French when they colonized Vietnam.

In the mid-afternoon, we visited the War Remnants Museum, which tells the Vietnamese side of the war. While the museum is definitely slanted with propaganda, it is still an interesting and useful place to visit and learn about what happened through the eyes of the North Vietnamese. While we were waiting outside the museum, a group of Vietnamese college students came to our group and chatted us up. They were English/Economic students who wanted to practice their English and befriend Americans. We made arrangements to meet them on Tuesday for a game of soccer. In the early evening, we visited the Water Puppet Theater, a beautiful traditional Vietnamese art form where puppets dance and move in and through water, recreating the Vietnamese landscape and history. The puppets act out various myths and legends while musicians sing and play traditional Vietnamese songs and instruments. The performance was fantastic, colorful, and a feast for the senses. After the performance, we had dinner at Ngon Restaurant, where we were treated to many courses of Southern Vietnamese cuisine. After dinner, we retreated back to hotel and bed.

On Monday after breakast, we hopped on a bus to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an elaborate network of underground tunnels that the Viet Cong created to help fight the South Vietnamese and Americans during the war. There are over 500 miles of man-made tunnels equipped with living quarters, kitchens, conference rooms, manufacturing areas, ventilation systems, and many necessities that allowed the Viet Cong to live and fight for months and years. During the tour of the tunnels, we saw all of these things as well as traps and other improvised weapons that the Viet Cong used during the war. It was inspiring and frightening to see the sophisticated yet primitive technologies that these people created. The students were able to walk through one short section of tunnel as well as step into tunnel entrances, see bomb craters, and eat some of the food that the Viet Cong lived on. The kids were very impressed by how small these tunnels were and by how tough the Viet Cong were. It was very apparent that it must have been incredibly difficult and frightening for the US soldiers who had to go into these tunnels to fight them.

In the afternoon, we drove to the Mekong Delta, where we had lunch at a restaurant along the water. We ate elephant-ear fish and many other delicacies. After lunch, we took a boat to a coconut candy “factory” where workers created and wrapped candies made from coconuts under a thatched roof. We continued (via carts pulled by donkeys) to a village where we tried fresh fruits grown locally and heard traditional Mekong music sung by professional musicians. Several students were brave enough to hold a python around their necks. We ended our tour with a boat ride on “sam pans” (small, wooden canoes) through narrow canals surrounded by water coconuts and mangrove forests. Afterward, we drove back to HCMC, rested for a few hours, then met Mr. Khuong’s friends, who took us to dinner at a restaurant specializing in Hue’s cuisine. The meal was delicious and very filling, due to many appetizers. By the end of the meal, students had tried every main dish in the Hue repertoire! We took taxis back to the hotel and crashed after another long day.

We had a leisurely morning today. At 10:00 am, we took xit-los to the downtown of HCMC, where we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, then headed to the Reunification Palace, which served as the capital building of South Vietnam until 1975. Only four presidents ever lived there; the first lived there for two years, the second for eight years, the third for seven weeks, and the fourth for 43 hours!!!! The building was built and decorated in the mid 1960′s, and it feels a bit dated, somewhat like a setting of a Sean Connery James Bond movie.  The palace is a fascinating piece of history that captures that time period really well.  It is also fascinating to see the “War room” in the bunker beneath the building, where much of the Vietnam War was controlled.  We were struck by how “old-school” the radios and technology were in the bunker. We also were able see the Mercedes that the last Vietnamese President used as his main form of transportation.

In the afternoon, we met the group of college students and went to a soccer field, where we played soccer and ultimate frisbee, ate Vietnamese sandwiches, and learned about each other’s cultures. It was really wonderful to see all the kids hanging out, laughing, and being genuinely interested in each other. Even though it was only a few hours, it was by far one of the most meaningful parts of the trip. At the end of the visit, students traded email addresses and planned to become facebook friends. Saying goodbye took a long time because no one wanted to leave. It was really wonderful to break through the tourist barrier and to just spend time with those Vietnamese kids. While waiting for our taxis, one of the Vietnamese students sang a love song for us, and Jenny, Ruth, and Hannah sang “Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin, giving the Vietnamese kids a wacky taste of American culture.

This evening we had Thai food at a restaurant near our hotel, and went out for ice-cream at a nearby ice-cream buffet. Because of our 4:00 am departure time tomorrow morning, everyone went to bed early. Tomorrow morning, we fly to Con Dao Island, where we will be until Thursday.

We would also like to say that everyone is in good health and spirits. Aside from a few grumpy stomachs and tiredness, everyone is holding up very well. We are finding that students are doing a good job of taking care of themselves and each other. We sustained a few blisters and minor cuts during today’s soccer game, but nothing to worry about.

Best,
Mr. Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. Khuong

Hey Everyone,

You might have heard of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan earlier this morning. We want to let you know that we are safe and are not affected by this catastrophe. We are over 2500 miles away, buffered by many islands, and we are 6 km inland from the Vietnamese coastline. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you apraised of any new developments. We’ve checked the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Vietnam is not on the advisory list. That said, we will email you tonight at 11:00 to confirm that we are OK. By the way, we had a great afternoon and about to enjoy a great dinner. We’ll keep you posted.

Best,

Mr. Ramsey, Mr and Mrs Khuong

Hey Everyone,

We’re back in the land of the internet after two days in Ha Long Bay. We’re now in Hoi-An, where the temperatures are warmer (77 degrees), the sun is brighter and the food is a bit spicier. Everyone is now caught up on jet lag and is feeling good and healthy. The hotel we’re staying at has a pool, which everyone is enjoying. Ha Long Bay was fantastic. We drove up from Hanoi on Wednesday and boarded the boat around noontime. Everyone was stunned by the gorgeous topography of the bay (which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site), as hundreds of limestone islands jut up from the turquoise water. In the afternoon on Wednesday, the boat stopped at an island with an enormous limestone cave called “Surprising Cave”, which had three enormous caverns, one of which is the size of an opera house. The cave walls were filled with stalagtites and fascinating limestone formations. In the evening, after a great dinner, we had a karaoke party which featured somewhat bizarre renditions of songs like “Ice Ice Baby”, “I Want It That Way”, and “Hey Jude”. Particularly inspiring vocal performances were given by Maggie on “Ice Ice Baby”, Owen on “Hey Jude” and Robert Field on “I Want It That Way”. Afterwards, the somewhat sleepy group (still recovering from the flight) headed to bed, while a few played card games like “Uno” and “Skip-Bo”.

The next morning, after a breakfast that included Asian Pears and Dragonfruit, we cruised in the narrow passages between 10-story-high islands to a floating fish market, where we picked out several different kinds of fish, crabs and clams (to be prepared by the chef on-board for lunch). For lunch, we enjoyed a four-course meal that included the fresh seafood. After overeating, we left the boat and hopped on the bus to head down to Hanoi to catch our flight to Da Nang. On the way to the Hanoi airport, we stopped at a ceramics factory, where beautiful clay pottery is made from local white clay. We watched artists painting intricate designs on enormous pots, and we were sobered to learn that these highly skilled and talented people only earn about thirty cents a day for such quality work. It was an opportunity for our students to see the economic differences between our countries in a very concrete and powerful way. As the trip continues, there will be many more times when we will be confronted with these kinds of teaching moments when we can help to open students eyes to the realities of the global economic market and their place in it compared to other people. In the evening, the flight went smoothly and we stepped out of the plane to temperatures that were twenty degrees warmer than Hanoi.

Today we rose early for a great breakfast on the roof of our five-story hotel. Breakfast included Pho, many kinds of exotic fruit and pastries. After breakfast we headed out for a bicycle tour of the area, which included peddling along the local river and through the busy in-town traffic. We visited a silk factory and shop, where the kids learned how silk is made and saw artists making highly detailed silk thread “paintings”, sewing silk clothing, and dying silk fabric. We also visited several wood shops where carvings, wooden sculptures and abalone inlay are created. Next to the wood shops, we watched carpenters building and repairing wooden boats. We also took a boat ride on the river, passing many traditional Vietnamese canoes, fishing boats and fishing nets, and saw Hoi-An’s busy and beautiful riverfront. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel. This afternoon we will have lunch at a traditional vegetarian restaurant and then explore the city on foot.

As we mentioned before, everyone is thriving and having a good time. Here are a few individual highlights for each student during the past few days. We are certainly bonding as a group and enjoying and appreciating everyone’s personalities!

Alicia has outeaten everyone at most meals, including Mr. K! She has also perfected counting in Vietnamese from 1 to 100,000! We can also hear her laugh from great distances!

Maggie is surprisingly eating pretty well and even tried almost all of the seafood in Ha Long Bay!

Aaron continues a rigorous diet of minimal Vietnamese food and consistent American junk food. He also serenaded everyone during the bus ride and during karaoke on the boat.

Hannah is looking forward to showing everyone around Hoi-An and has been a great contributor to the group with her previous travel experience here.

Ruth has enjoyed leading many card games and other games during our down time, which has really brought the group together.

Sarah is quietly hilarious (keeping everyone in a constant good mood with her subtle and often unexpected jokes). She is also looking forward to having meals that are terrestrial-based and less seafood-based.

Robert Miller (aka ManScout, aka Bert) is learning to navigate the shorter doorways and showers of Vietnam with minimal head injury and is contributing to the group with his previous experience here.

Robert Field is a funny and thoughtful presence (as well as Karaoke master). Keeping up his pre-season training, he went for a 3-mile jog this morning around Hoi-An with Mr and Mrs K.

Owen has assigned spirit animals to each person in the group (who knew that Jenny Sharp is a goose?) which has entertained everyone. Today he really enjoyed watching boats being built this morning in Hoi-An.

Grace has tried and enjoyed every type of food and keeps up a perpetually positive presence, most notably dancing last night in the Hanoi Airport!

Jenny was the first one up in the morning in Ha-Long Bay, shooting photos very thoughtfully in the misty dawn light. Jenny is also obsessed with the cuteness of Asian babies, which concerns us a bit, but so far she seems to have her addiction under control.

Anthony enjoyed the cooler weather in the north (wearing shorts and a t-shirt while everyone else was bundled up on the boat) and helped everyone else enjoy it with his positive and calming manner, even when the group was tired. He has also been sharing his love of Metal music with the group.

Alex has finally caught up on sleep and recovered from jet-lag. Even when he was tired, he was still an enthusiastic and supportive group member. We’re also looking forward to seeing the photos that he has been shooting in an artistic way.

Lillie is working on setting a record for most white rice and soy sauce eaten by one human being in a one-week period. Lillie is also obsessed with the cute dogs and Asian babies in Vietnam. She contemplated bringing a baby back to the US in her suitcase, which worried us . . .

That’s the news for now. We couldn’t be happier with how things are going. We’ll keep you posted throughout the trip.

Cheers,

Mr Ramsey, Mr and Mrs Khuong

Hi All,

After a restful night’s sleep at our hotel, everyone was up at breakfast early. After a delicious breakfast that included dragonfruit, Vietnamese coffee,and Asian pears, we explored the city on a “xit-lo” ride (bicyle-driven carts-check out a picture on the photo page). We toured Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh’s Tomb, and the Temple of Literature. At Ho Chi Minh’s Tomb, we got to see the great man himself, as well as two houses that he lived and worked in. The Temple of Literature was the first university in Vietnam; teaching Confucian philosophy. The students had their first true experience with traffic in Vietnam. They were terrified at first, but within a few hours they were comfortable in the chaos and able to cross four-way traffic by themselves.

After lunch, afternoon highlights included a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, a soccer game with Vietnamese kids, watching local break-dancers and skateboarders performing tricks in front of the statue of Ly Thai To (the famous confucian teacher from the Temple of Literature), and an initiation into Vietnamese bargaining.

Later in the afternoon, some kids rested and some continued to explore the city. By dinner time, jet lag finally caught up with everyone. We had our first dinner at a restaurant called Little Hanoi where they enjoyed catfish springrolls while listening to song birds singing on the balcony. Tonight, everyone went to bed early to rest up and prepare for our morning departure to Ha Long Bay. We will not have access to the internet for the next two days so this will be our last blog posting for the next 48 hours. Everyone has been eating well, feeling good, and taking their medication. We couldn’t be happier with the way the trip is going. We look forward to telling you about Ha Long Bay and its beauty, caves and amazing seafood cuisine.

Thanks,
Mr and Mrs Khuong, and Mr Ramsey

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- Mr. Mazzurco

Hey Everyone,

We just wanted to let you know that we’ve arrived safe and sound at our hotel in Hanoi after 32 hours of travel, including 3 flights. Everything went very smoothly. Japan Air has more leg room than many other airlines, which made us all very happy, particularly Robert! Tomorrow we’re hoping to start the day with a “xit lo” ride through the city to go see Ho Chi Minh’s tomb, and then we’ll spend the rest of the day exploring the city. Everyone is tired (Alicia went straight to bed and missed the group picture), but feeling good and in positive spirits.

That’s all for now. We’ll keep you posted on the blog. We’ve already posted a few pictures, and you can expect more in the coming days!

Cheers,

Mr Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. Khuong