A Crazy Night and an Upsetting Day

After resting up in the hotel yesterday, we had to hustle to make it to dinner before the Water Puppet Show.  We decided to just eat at the KFC which was right down from our hotel and see what American food taste like in Vietnam.  It was pretty good.  Hannah had 2 pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, and a drink.  It was all served on real plates and glasses.

The we caught a taxi to make it to the show in time.  The show was all in Vietnamese, but we could still follow the story some.  The puppeteers are behind the curtains and the puppets are on long rods.  Enjoy the pics from the show!

After the show, we decided to walk back and I'm so glad we did.  They had closed off one of the streets by the market for outside shopping.  We didn't buy anything, but we had fun walking through everything.  The city is always alive and noisy, but there were so many people out just enjoying the evening.  It was wild!  Here are some pics of the city and Hannah at the park.

We got back to the hotel and watched a movie and headed to bed.  Before I went to bed, I had an email telling about the death of Dorothy McEachern whom I have worked with for the last 17 years.  She was our church hostess and one of the most giving ladies I have ever known.  Don't know much about what happened but she had been having trouble breathing and they found her on Friday morning dead.  I am so sad that I didn't see her the last few days.  I will miss her as well as our church will miss her terribly. I am hoping to be home to celebrate her life!  

Today it is Saturday already and so we slept late.  Our flight is at 11:15pm tonight so we paid for a late checkout so we could go back out and enjoy the city.  I asked about what to see and the desk said to go to the war remnants museum, but Hannah didn't want to.  So we decided just to explore a little.  Famous last words.  We walked a block or so and decided to try some Vietnamese coffee.  I know, I'm not a coffee drinker, but you can get Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk.  

No, neither of us liked it!

Then we decided to head down to the Saigon River.  We've always been close, but never been down there.  It was fascinating.  Along the way, we saw guys doing ice sculpture, probably for a wedding.

At the river, we saw men fishing and just watched for a little bit and of course I took pics of Hannah.

Then we decided to head back towards our the tax center.  I was taking pictures of a big statue with buildings behind it.

I had my camera in my hands and my purse over my shoulder and neck.  I had bought a new purse at the market.  Had a little Dong in it, my phone, a few receipts, and of course, my drivers license and credit cards.  As I went to get a close up of the statue, I felt my purse strap snap, and looked up and guy going by on a motorcycle had grabbed and off he went.  Here's the resulting picture:

We were both okay.  I screamed trying to get some attention.  Took a few minutes, but finally some ladies at a restaurant behind us came to help.  They found a taxi to get us back to the hotel and he took me even though I didn't have any money.  The desk help make the calls to cancel credit cards.  I tried to find the phone on the "find my phone", but to no avail.  He must have known what he was going.  I've suspended the service and hopefully the phone is connected to internet, it will erase everything.  It shook us up a little, but we're okay, and I had some cash hidden in our safe and it should be enough to get us home plus pay for the hotel.  Our passports are also safe.  After all the phone calls, we came up to the room for a snack and just chill.  We have gone over it and over it.  I was an easy target...purse with a fabric snap...he just pulled on it.  I was on the side of the road...an American.  Shouldn't have had my ID and credit card, but we needed to get some cash.  lesson learned.  We have about 3 more hours before we have to leave the hotel which will give us about 3 hours at the airport.  Must admit, I'm ready to go now.  Thankful I didn't get my new iPhone (yes, I still had the cracked screen one) till I got back.  Sorry Ella, no iPod touch for now.  I had tried to get a new phone before I left, but the 5's were not in.  I decided it was probably better to bring the old one in case something happen.  Well, something happened.  I've also suspended my service.  If anyone reads this and thinks of something else I need to do, please let me know.  Prayers for safety coming home, but now we are grateful we only lost "stuff" and I had extra money to come home!  Susie

Shopping and Bargaining

We tried to sleep a little later today, but it is so noisy outside, it is hard.  In fact, it is noisy all night long.  I don't know what these people do all night, and honestly, not sure I want to know.  We went out for dinner last night and it was packed everywhere we walked.  We did have a good dinner and it was not too expensive.

We got up and ate breakfast downstairs in the lobby.  The VP debate was on (live from US) and it was interesting watching the Vietnamese watch the debate.  There are not many Americans here at my hotel, so I'm not sure why they were watching it except that it reminds that the rest of the world is watching everything the US does.

After breakfast we headed out to first buy tickets for the water puppet show.  We decided to walk and get a taxi tonight.  It was only about 4 blocks from the market where we were going anyway.  We bought the tickets and then headed to the Ben Thanh Market again.  It is fun and so many beautiful things, but it was hot and sticky as it started to rain on us on the way there.  We did find a Vietnamese "futball" soccer shirt for Ella on the way.  We also saw a boy band making a video.   Then into the market.  I'm usually pretty good at bargaining, but they all pounce on you when you walk through.  I knew mostly what I wanted and I got tired quickly of people trying to sell me anything and everything and trying to take advantage of me.  We decided to stop and have a smoothie before continuing...a mango smoothie!  It was yummy.

Then back to a little more bargaining.  We left with all we could carry and then stopped at the dress shop and picked up our ao dais that we had made.  They are beautiful.
Here is Hannah modeling hers:

Last stop was the Tax Center across from the Rex Hotel.  We picked up some coconut candy for Hannah to share with her class (and a little for her as well!) and some artwork for my sister.  All done!  Then we came back to the hotel to rest and cool off.  Good thing as a storm came through right after we got to the room.  Nothing big or earth shattering today...just some fun.  Hannah is reading a book right now about a Vietnamese mother who had a daughter during the war.  The Mother sent her to America to be adopted.  The daughter was coming back to visit her Vietnamese family for the first time and all the Vietnamese thought since she was from America, she must be rich.  Interesting story and the truth is, the perception is still true.  But when we drove the villages yesterday, the perception is real.  We have so much.  Here is the view from our hotel and this is in the city.  Many that we saw in the Delta yesterday live on their boats and sleep in an hammock.  What would Jesus Christ want us to do?  I think about it constantly!

So tonight we head to dinner and the Water Puppet show.  One more night, one more day.  We did get a late checkout so we won't have to carry our stuff around all day till we head to the airport.  We're about ready to come home!  I miss my funny Ella!  

The MeKong Delta and a Link to the Past

Today we woke up and went back across the street for breakfast and then met our tour guide for our boat ride down the MeKong River.  Our guide was Thao and spoke very good English.  We both enjoyed him on our trip.  We first headed over to the River and on to the Floating Fruit Market.  We saw real life on the Delta.  We saw farmers growing the fruit, those who transport it to the market, and the market itself.  Once to the market, different fruits and vegetables were on each boat and a sample was up on a bamboo pole, so you could see what they were selling.  We saw everything from sweet potatoes, turnips, bananas, lychee, and many other things.  We also saw them transporting rice and the husk from the rice which is used for fuel.  

Then we docked at a place where they harvest honey from bees.  We could have held the bees, but we both declined.  We mostly enjoyed the tea sweetened with the honey, so of course we had to buy some.  We also enjoyed some ginger candy, melon candy, and a peanut brittle, all made there at the store. 

From there, we walked to a pop rice plant.  We saw them heat sand in a huge wok and then put the rice in with the sand.  The rice would pop out of the husk, much like watching popcorn.  Then he used a screen to empty the husk which would then be used for fuel.  So that is where rice cereal comes from.  We then tasted it mixed with carmel that was made there as well and peanuts for a rice krispy kind of treat.  It was very interesting and fun to watch.  They were also making rice paper for spring rolls.  Have you ever bought the rice paper to make fresh summer rolls?  You know it has a pattern on it.  Well, that's from letting them drive on basket weave.  They were also making caramels.  Yum!

Then we headed back to the boat and went through some canals.  It was much like being in the jungle, and I couldn’t help but think of our Vietnam Vets who tromped through much of the Delta during the war.  Hard to believe we are now touring the area. 

From there we stopped at an ancient homestay.  It was a home built after the French influence and was a French colonial type house.  I wasn’t really sure of the significance, but we did enjoy some fruit and a little show with traditional instruments and singing. 

So our tour was suppose to be 3 hours, but it’s already been 3 hours and our guide asks if we would like to stop for lunch.  So we did.  After a traditional Vietnamese lunch of noodles and beef, we were about to head back to the boat when we saw dragonfruit growing, so we had to go look.  Yes, we love dragonfruit and  it is such an unusual plant.  We also saw a banana flower with the bananas growing inside.  So neat.  And yes, Hannah enjoyed her lunch!

Back on the boat, we headed back to the hotel.  We grabbed our belongings and checked out of the hotel and found our driver.  There seem to be a little confusion about where we were headed.  The plan was to drive to the clinic where Hannah was brought at 2 days old.  We had already discussed that, but he kept having me talk to the hotel lady.  Finally, I went to get our guide from the boat and he talked with the driver about where we were going.  It seems that it was far enough away that he needed more money to take us there.  Well, we were already this close, I told him to go on to the clinic.  I was a little worried he didn’t know where we were going, and he really didn’t.  I had the paperwork from Hannah’s adoption which told about the clinic, so he kept stopping and asking for directions.  Finally we found the clinic.  It was almost and hour drive from Vinh Long (but not that many miles).  They tried to send us somewhere else because of the paperwork, but when we showed up there, they said to go back to the clinic.  I told them that we just wanted to get pictures, not find the birthmother. I think they were trying to find the paperwork on Hannah.  So we went back to the clinic.  It was much bigger than either of us had imagined.  I will say, we were quite the object of attention.  I don’t believe many Americans have been through this area and they seemed fascinated, especially since I had a Vietnamese child with me.  But once they understood what we wanted to do, they took us up to where the babies would have been taken.  We got pictures there too. 

I wasn't sure it meant a great deal to Hannah, but it was a link to her past.  But here's what we learned.  Her birthmother's village was still several miles from this clinic in Mang Thit.  They traveled a ways to get there.  The clinic is also quite far from the orphanage, so Ha (Dillon's contact in Vietnam who worked with the orphanage) had to go almost an hour away to get Hannah and bring her to the orphanage.

As we were leaving, and viewing the surroundings, Hannah and I discussed all the factors that led to her adoption.  We talked about the fact that we didn’t’ believe any of the children in the village we had just seen had probably ever seen a pair of ballet slippers.  If she had grown up there, she would not be taking ballet.  Her birth family had traveled a good distance to bring her to the clinic.  Ha went quite a distance to bring her to the orphanage.  That would have been in June of 2001, the same time I took our youth to Passport and our teenagers gave money to Dillon International to help an orphanage in Vietnam.  I ended up using Dillon International as my adoption agency.  I chose China as the country I would adopt from, but that option closed for me and was given the choice to pilot the program to Vietnam.  Is there any accident that Hannah and I are a family?  God brought us together, just like He brought us on this trip.  There are no accidents.  So my question to Hannah was,  Now that you know all that has happened to bring you here, what are you going to do with the life God has entrusted you with?  Her answer:  “Dance for Jesus!”  She's already doing that and we'll have to wait and see how the rest of the story plays out.  But there is not doubt in mind that God has a special plan for this beautiful young Vietnamese American girl.

Right now we’re in the car on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City.  It has been a beautiful day as we have experienced a link to the past.  Back to the hotel and tomorrow we get to shop!  If you know me…that’s a Woo Hoo!