saycheesee!

vietnamjump trip 1 is over, and it’s really hard to summarise everything into a few pictures and words. 

‘enlightening’ would be a good word to describe the trip. this trip that is far from successful probably provided us with the chance to discover how a country really ticks. we spent half the days walking around markets, visiting historical sites/attractions, and the homes (and plantations) of our vietnamese friends; the other half were spent interacting with orphans, the handicapped, and i even spent a day helping a dentist at dak nong; while the nights were spent in meetings, pondering how best to handle the never-ending stream of bad news (last 3 nights were parties that will not be easily forgotten of course). 

first photo would be the ‘best’ shot i have of the jumpers, taken at the airport on day 1, and second shot would be the most complete i have of the jumpers (even though all of us look like blehhhh). one of the most amazing things about this ocip was how all of us started off as complete strangers to each other on day1, and at the end of the 2 weeks, be so comfortable with each other, it’s as if we’ve known each other for years. 

3rd photo is a farewell shot (from a truck) of a few boys we played with when our bus couldn’t continue on the pothole infested roads. we could not communicate with them at all, the only words of english i heard from them were “hello” and “i don’t know english”, yet we managed to have fun with them for about 2 hours. we watched them climb trees, run about, and some girls even had to take care of little toddlers. they gathered around us and looked on curiously when i started sketching, and when cameras were taken out. i guess kids all over the world enjoy attention, and perhaps that’s something to remember.

4th photo is my best shot at dak nong, it depicts a girl observing us from behind a pillar. this place that made me realise “you can’t miss what you never had” will not hold true in today’s world. some stories: 1) a mother asked the doctor to help treat her daughter, one of her illnesses being a sore throat. the doctor said that she’s suffering from the cold, and needed to wear more clothes to keep warm. the mom replied that she cannot afford clothes..without hesitation, the doctor took off his coat, and gave it to them. 2) as the sun set, the pharmacists needed more help. people were needed to hold torchlights. apparently, the school did not have electricity, and as night fell, it became harder to read the labels on the medicine.

5th photo, independent palace. vietnam is a country that has seen much war and suffering. her people are still seeing the effects of the vietnam war. 

6th photo, SNAILSS! :D they taste much nicer then you’d imagine it to be. yummmmm! :D food is awesome la, vietnamese coffee, baguettes, pho bo (though i’m not really crazyyy over them), and pancakes! you can not know a place without knowing it’s food! :)

1. autumnhopes liked this
2. speciallyi said: wow this sounds great! must share your stories!!! seeya tmr :)
3. speciallyi liked this
4. saycheesee posted this