Welcome Home to Hoi An

We have travelled far and had many adventures, but at last we are home in Hoi An. The hugs and squeals of delight from our family and friends have been heart warming, almost overwhelmingly so.

The young woman you see pictured above is Ha. She was the receptionist at our homestay last year, but now works at a different hotel and also with her brother in his woodworking shop. we took advantage of the river tour offered by our hosts and went over to the village the other day. Ha knew we were coming and could barely conceal her excitement on seeing Bruce. Such affectionate people.

Of course we have also been hosted by Quyen and Binh at their home and it was Sesame who stole our hearts once again. He is a typical five year old and could sit for about three minutes to do letters in the book which JoAn had given him. Sesame's English is surprisingly good and he shakes hands upon meeting.

Getting Books to Village Children in Laos

We have discovered that it is even a bigger challenge in Laos than in Vietnam to get books to children in the villages. Not only have many village children not seen a picture book, but there are few in print throughout the country.

An organization called Big Brother Mouse is working towards correcting that situation. This small NGO encourages young adults to write children's stories and also publishes and prints the books. Many of the books include the English translation on the page. The books are introduced to the villages in much the same way as we do with Global Village Foundation in Vietnam.

Happily, JoAn and I found the office of BBM through a booklet called "Stay Another Day" which promotes responsible travel, supporting locally made, fair trade crafts and environmentally friendly tours ( such as the elephant ride we took). BBM makes it very easy for short term visitors such as ourselves to be involved. In the office there are bundles of books, which one can buy on the spot and put in the box. As soon as the box is full it is delivered to a village. How easy and thanks to our friends on Salt Spring, we were able to contribute a very big bundle to the box!!! Thank you from the kids of Laos.

Messengers to the Ancestors' Spirits

I'm not sure that I have the legend straight, but when I saw these little birds in cages at the stupa on top of the hill which dominates this small city, I knew that the practise was to buy them and release them. This could be for luck or as I chose to think, to carry messages to the spirit world. As they went fluttering away, I knew that they would indeed tell Mom and Dad, that their middle daughter is well and happy in Luang Prabang.

May all Beings Be Peaceful

How could one not be at peace in a city where monks wander the streets in their robes, reminding us of the contemplative life. They move with such grace, their shoulder bags perched carefully on one shoulder or in the heat of the day, shaded by black umbrellas. There is a wat or temple almost every block and the monks like most citizens, garden on whatever patch is available to grow basic vegetables and greens. The river banks are skillfully cultivated in steep rows. We have determined that it takes about three days for lettuce to ripen!!

We have visited many wats and offered flowers and incense. JoAn and I have joined the monks in the wat across the road from our guest house to meditate while they chant.

It is so lovely, to sit on our tiny porch at our guest house and be able to gaze on the huge lotus flowers flanking the stupa.

Sabaidee

Sabaidee means "hello", "goodbye","be happy", "blessings" in the Lao language.

Luang Prabang is a one hour flight and a world apart from frenetic Hanoi. We were immediately struck by the absence of motorbike horns...they are here...but the volume is considerably less. The pace is slow and no one seems to be too intent on working. Today, I spied some very beautiful cards made of hand made paper, with images of elephants, but as it was shortly after noon, siesta time, there was not a soul to be seen in the wide open shop. Sometimes the proprietor will be snoozing on a cot in the back of the shop...but not this one!

Luang Prabang is at the confluence of two rivers, so it is easy to find a shady spot to sit and watch the river flow slowly by and sip a cup of really bad coffee or a really good bottle of beer.

The taxis or tuk tuks are three wheeled vehicles, with rows of seats in the open bed. We piled into one of these at the airport and were transported to the centre of town and had a real tour. Our driver, so willing to please, as are all Laoations that he just kept saying "yes,yes" "OK OK" as we cruised to several guest houses, which were not our destination. After many false stops, he finally succumbed and phoned the hotel from his cell phone to get us to the right place. A marvelous introduction to the city of 26,000 people, 178 hotels and about 400 monks.

This World Heritage site is a treasure, but will we fear ,too easily slip into a tourist Mecca, where traditional culture pales. Meanwhile we are lucky to be here at a time when by walking over a rickety bamboo bridge or putt putt across in a slow boat we can see village life where the only evidence of the modern world is unfortunately the plastic bag. They are everywhere, on river banks, in ditches and low hedges. The streets of Luang Prabang are quite clean, but this clean up is a facade, one only has to walk along the river and peer over the embankment to see the detritis.

Such a contrast to the beauty of the woven fabric, it's precision and glorious color speak of a pride of place and culture; silk, cotton, and hemp all with exquisite Hmong embroidery.

Ba Be National Park...a trip back through time

The pictures of our trip to this remote, wild and primitive place, (which can be viewed on our web album...by clicking on the slide show to the right), do not do justice to the experience. The van ride was billed as 5 hours, our friends told us maybe 6-7 and in reality it was 8 gruelling hours north of Hanoi...over rough roads and a mountain pass with dangerous "S" curves and steep prespices down unguarded gulches.

We were so glad to arrive safely, that we accepted without question that we would bed down in the crumbling and decaying park lodge, which may have at some time been a fairly posh retreat for the French, during their occupation of this tiny country.

Our river trip the next day took us to remote villages , where we saw people living as they have for thousands of years, no mechanization, tilling, spinning, weaving all by hand. The best part was being invited into a village house, where Mama was making the rice wine for Tet, and although it was only 10 am , protocol dictated that we sample.

At our home stay that night, our meal was cooked on an open fire which the cat seemed to love, but his proximity to the same flame which cooked a duck...did not singe his fur.

Hectic Hanoi

Hectic Hanoi

Hanoi was a rapid immersion in South East Asian culture for all four of us.....even though our travelling companions JoAn and Michel Maurer had visited ten years ago and Bruce and I thought that we had become acclimatized through previous visits, we were all breathless within the first day!!! The sea of humanity, millions all living, working, eating and careening around the dusty streets on motor bikes, was an assault on our senses.

Thank goodness we were immediately diverted by our excursions with Quyen ( the retail Manager of Reaching Out in Hoi An) and her Hanoi representative Yen. With them we visited two sites in Hanoi where goods for RO are made by disabled persons. Quyen was delivering Tet( Lunar New Year) bonuses, so everyone was glad to see her, and of course they remembered Bruce from his visit to their shop last year with Binh. The seamstresses were busy with the cotton carry bags which have been such a good seller. At the second facility, the workers were also blessed with a plot of land, where they were able to grow vegetables. They were happy to share the bounty with Quyen, who somehow was going to manage to get them home on the airplane to Hoi An!!!

Dinner was at the home of Tue and Yen ( another one) whose gracious hospitality and sumptuous meal typified the warmth of a Vietnamese welcome. Tue and Yen both speak excellent English and were very open and candid about their life as professional, European educated Catholics. They characterize so many of the contrasts and contradictions in this society.

Tue and Yen's second son is Autistic. Their love for him is tender and because there is little understanding of autism and absolutely no resources in Vietnam, they have educated themselves and developed and funded a school. Eight Autistic children have prospered under the guidance of their seven teachers.

Another dinner which we will remember always is that which we shared with the other Yen at the home which she shares with her mother Phuong, a married sister, husband and two very charming daughters. The special Tet food was lovingly prepared and delicately presented. Phoung, who is our age, had been a young mother during the war and shared openly the hardships and terror during bombing. On learning that Bruce had served near Cu Chi and Na Trang she said" I am so happy that you were not killed". Bruce, with tears in his eyes said the same to her.

Our next day was spent travelling with Quyen and Yen again, this time to a village which specialized in the art of pottery and ceramics. We visited a "factory" where disabled people create goods for RO. This entire village is devoted to the productions, sale and distribution of the most amazing ceramics. The village itself, a labyrinth of lanes through ancient neighborhoods, was fascinating.

After a great lunch at a Vietnamese version of a food courst....fabulous open air place, with specialties all around the perimeter being cooked before our eyes....we did a little "market research" at fair trade shops aand a bakery/restaurant where street kids learn food service...what a nice vibe in the place.

we are again in love with these dear people.

We are Off!

With the winter snows, which have had us confined to quarters for almost three weeks, slowly receding, our attention is diverted from shoveling, to our Journey of the Heart.

We depart from Vancouver very early in the morning on January 15th. The long flight, through Taipei and on to Hanoi, will be one of contemplation and anticipation. After a week of travel in northern Vietnam and Laos, with our dear pals JoAn and Michel Maurer, we will arrive in Hoi An on Febraury 1st. Our work at Reaching Out and with Global Village Foundation will begin almost immediately.

Thank you to our "home team", whose generosity has already made possible four, yes four!! portable libraries for the GVF's project. Although we do not go to the village schools until the week of February 15, the funds have assured that the boxes for the books are now being built. Four boxes will provide 1000 books for these villages. Our friends and family have also contributed enough so that we have sent Le Ly Hayslip of GFV, $2500 to buy much needed equipment for a hospital in Que Son. We hope that we, along with a delegation of Japanese, will have the opportunity to visit the hospital and see your dollars and theirs at work.

Weaving looms have been ordered for the workers at Reaching Out and we will also be sponsoring at least two disabled persons to pursue training. While in Hanoi we hope to visit a new producer for the shop, located about 60km from Hanoi.

All this and we haven't landed yet!!!

Our next blog entry will probably not be until we are settled in Hoi An, with the family at Vuon Trau. Several of the Canadian contingent will stay at Vuon Trau as well, JoAn and Michel and Stan and Marie Teitge. Brenda Smith from Sussex will hang her hat with us at this family homestay. Sharon Brewer will be at the Ha An Hotel. We look forward to their participation in our projects and of course sharing wonderful meals and adventures.

Your messages from home are so important to us, while we are in Vietnam.....they keep us grounded and motivated, so please send us an e-mail or add a comment to this blog by linking on the "Comment" icon after each entry.

To Market To Market

We are always so impressed with how industrious and creative the Vietnamese are! Pictured above are only a few of the many products that we have seen on the backs of bicycles and motor bikes. on their way to market. If you click on the picture you will see a larger version of these quite spectacular feats. How the riders manage to stay balanced with such heavy loads is miraculous. Equally amazing is that the take home pay for these loads is only pennies a day. But they are undaunted, repeating the exercise 6-7 days a week.

When we are in Hoi An, we feel obliged to try to match these Herculean efforts, but we are merely 60 something Westerners, softened by the luxuries of our lifestyle. We rise before dawn, it's true but by mid-afternoon we are ready for a nap! Perhaps we should be working on our "staying power", getting fit for longer days of toil!

We are working here at home our projects for Reaching Out...consulting with Binh on a new Business Plan and creating an Employee Handbook for the sales staff in the shop. Our attempts at learning the language are still rather futile, and we will have to remain dependent on the help of others to translate for us and the patience of our Vietnamese friends while we pantomime our intentions.

Despite our limitations, we are buoyed and looking forward to our Journey of the Heart 2009.

Please Note: There is a new feature on this blog. On the right hand side, at the top, you will see a small picture. It changes every few seconds and is our slide show of this year's trip. If you click on the picture you can enjoy the full screen show. Once you are on the album site, watch for the slide show icon which appears above left of the picture. I promise, I will replace this show with pictures from Journey of the Heart 2009 as soon as they are available!

What a Difference!

Remember this little guy? Last year he was our "poster boy" for our appeal campaign. Vinh was so dear, enchanting us with his bravado on a mouth organ which he had never seen before, while soliciting the help of a buddy to take care of his prized A&W Root Bear! He was the first in line to get his face painted.

This June, Bruce saw a very different little boy. The next picture shows him not only having grown like a weed, but also showing off his skills on the keyboard.

What a difference a year makes! And what a difference the gifts of funding and equipment mean to Vinh and the others in this orphanage!

Duc Son Orphanage

One of our favorite places to visit in Hue, Vietnam, is the Duc Son Orphanage. This photo was taken on Bruce's last trip there, with Tours of Peace in May of this year. The young man with him is Anh, the tour guide who has been a faithful TOP partner for many years.

The Buddhist nuns at Duc son, care for up to three hundred children. Although our hearts break that these delightful children have been abandoned by their parents, we are comforted to see them so well cared for and loved.

The atmosphere at Duc Son is vibrant, the children are all clean, healthy and well fed. TOP has visited regularly over the years and so our visits are anticipated with much excitement. This picture is a rare moment of quiet, before the bedlam which erupts when the toys are brought out

There is much singing, by the children and the TOP delegation. We paint faces, play musical instruments, play circle games and hold a lot of babies and toddlers.

The big treat for the kids is the dinner that TOP presents, including meat, which the nuns do serve the children if the budget allows, but that does not happen often....the food budget is 30 cents a day per child.

2009 Return to Our Beloved Vietnam

As the weather cools here on the West Coast, the leaves begin to turn and the garden takes its last gasp, we are beginning to anticipate our next Journey of the Heart.

In January 2009, we will travel to South East Asia, to once again serve the people of Vietnam. Our appeal for funds has generated such a response, that we are inspired to work even harder to alleviate some of the suffering in this small country still suffering form the centuries of conflict within her boundaries. With your support we will be able to accomplish more than we had anticipated.

Not only have our friends and family offered funds, but this year we will be accompanied by other Canadians, who also are intrigued with the beautiful country of Vietnam and her welcoming people.

• JoAn and Michel Maurer will join us for our first two weeks. We will travel to Laos together and on to Hoi An, Vietnam.


• Stan and Marie Teitge, our neighbours, will be in Hoi An for a few weeks and look forward to helping with our projects.


• Sharon Brewer, another Salt Springer, will arrive in March to help out at a child care centre.

Brenda Smith, from Essex, England, will also arrive in Hoi An to add her willing hands and loving heart to our projects and is likely to help Catholic nuns deliver rice to needy hospital patients. In Vietnam, family is expected to feed their relatives in the hospital....some are unable to do this...they are too poor or live and work a distance away.

How wonderful that the Canadian ( and British!) contingent is growing!

We hear regularly from Le Ly Hayslip of the Global Village Foundation, with whom we work to deliver portable libraries to remote village schools. Binh and Quyen at Reaching Out have a "to do" list growing for us to tackle when we arrive in Hoi An. The 2009 Journey of the Heart promises to be as busy and rewarding as our earlier trips.

Cam On (thank you) To Our Benefactors

We are home on Salt Spring Island and trying to make the transition back to "normal". Our Journey of the Heart was far richer than our wildest expectations. Altogether, we spent 80 days in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam doing volunteer work with two different organizations.

We have added a new link to our list on the right side of this blog. http://vietnamanon.blogspot.com/. Here you will be able to view a video of an interview with us in Hoi An. There is also footage of a speech made by Le Ly Hayslip with whom we worked on the Portable Libraries Project.

We would like to express our profound gratitude to the many friends and family who supported us with genenrous contributions to our work. We felt blessed to be able to deliver so many gifts from our benefactors in Canada and the United States.

This is the way we put your gifts to work:

• Go Vap Orphanage in Saigon - $500.00
• Bursaries for disabled trainees at Reaching Out, Hoi An - $2,000.00
• Tours of Peace Vietnam Veterans - $1650.00
• Global Village Foundation, portable libraries project - $500.00
• Hoa Van leprosy village - $500.00
• Hoi An Foundation for Children-$100.00
• Leprosy victims, school children, the aged and the poor -Leprosy bandages, medical supplies, personal hygiene items and toys.

We would like to acknowledge the following very generous donors to our projects:

• George and Nancy Alliston
• Trisha Wilcox
• JoAn and Michel Maurer
• Gail McKechnnie
• Bryna and Dan Cable
• Suzanne Bolton
• R. Bruce Morrison
• Ivan Mindlin
• The Red Tent Book Club ( the Best Book Club in the World!)
• Stan and Marie Teitge
• Heather Horton
• Barb and Bruce Housser
• Janet Musgrave
• Grade 8C, St Thomas Acquinas High School
• Rosemary and Jim Robertson
• Kim Young
• The Rowlandson-O'Hara family
• Stan and Ann Derelian
• Pat Sather
• Carole Earle
• Philip Musgrave
• The Conradi family
• Dr. Richard Hayden
• Ganges Liquor Store
• and of course the many knitters in the Bandage Brigade

You were all in our hearts and we bring back to you the warm smiles and deep appreciation of the Vietnamese people to whom your gifts brought comfort and joy.

Homeward Bound

We are in Ho Chi Minh City, ensconced in a small "boutique" hotel, somewhat far from the centre of the city, but it provides the quiet and comfort that we need to rest up for the long journey home on Saturday, March 29th.

Our last "exta" week in Hoi An, was, of necessity, also very quiet. Elaine spent hours sleeping, trying to aid the healing of her old bones. Bruce, UIN, ( unqualified, inpractical nurse) doing his duties, with a few last tasks for Reaching Out and some editing for Global Village Foundation and the ocassional bike ride.

The stream of well wishers was endless, Quyen bringing lunch or dinner everyday, unless we strenously objected. One day Elaine said to Quyen, " I feel badly that you are cooking for us, as well as your family, working at the shop and caring for Sesame" to which she responded " I will feel bad if you don't let me cook".....ah the straight forward logic and candor of the Vietnamese!

The staff of our homestay spent our last morning pampering us and showering us with gifts. The drive away from the gate, with everyone waving was so tender.

Quyen arranged a comfortable car and escorted us to the clinic and on to the airport. Our parting at the check-in counter broke our hearts. We had already said good bye to Binh at the gate of their home. Words were few, tears many.

It is hard to imagine that we are about to embark on this epic journey home. It is always a
gruelling experience, even when not dragging one very painful, semi-attached limb in a sling. We have mega pain killers on hand.

The sweet memories well carry us through, as will the excitement of seeing you all. Your interest, financial support for our projects, many messages of encouagement and of late concern for Elaine's healing have been a comfort. We are blessed and are very grateful for this three month Journey of the Heart.