Study Abroad

Written By Sara Phillips   This is a picture of the front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. On certain days during the week Uncle Ho's body is brought for the people to come see for a limited number of hours.  I went in the morning and expected to wait in line, but I was surprised to walk from security to the entrance of the Mausoleum in less then 30 minutes.  The Mausoleum is a large memorial building in the center of Ba Dinh Square and is also the location where Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence. Deciding to go see Ho Chi Minh's memorial seemed like a once in a lifetime experience and an opportunity that I might not have agian so I decided to go with friends.  I wasn't sure what to expect, I knew they take the take the memorial of Ho Chi Minh very serious and expect you to be respectful. There were lots of military guards directing traffic and standing guard of the building.  Once inside the building the line moved rather fast, we walked in rows of two until the main building.  When we reached the viewing room we walked single file around uncle Ho.  He was in a glass case with dim lights and was guarded by four military personnel.  It was a very different experience, his body was so well preserved and every detail taken care of.  Overall it was a good experience and it was easy to see the respect the country of Vietnam has for Ho Chi Minh. Beautiful memorial building.  A lot of thought went into this building to honor the memory or Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh

    By: Alex Colvard We have been in HaNoi for a few weeks now. Our hotel is situated in location that is great for walking. This weekend we traveled around our home away from home. After our classes on Friday, Ken and Fran took us to the seat of Government in HaNoi, just fifteen minutes walking from our hotel. We crossed the crowded streets like professionals, we passed Stalin Park, countless embassies, and many Communist government officials in uniform. Then we reached our destination the Ho Chi Minh Complex and One Pillar Pagoda.   Photo Credit: Paula Garcia. Above is the group in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which usually houses the preserved body of Good Ol' Uncle Ho, unfortunately Ho Chi Minh was away on a rejuvenation vacation. Photo Credit: Paula Garcia. We also tried to visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, however it was closed. But the architecture was cool!  Photo Credit: Paula Garcia. To Fran's delight, one thing that was not closed was the One Pillar Pagoda. The Pagoda was built after the architect was visited in a dream by a Buddha. We took in this Pagoda and its claim to fame and then moved on. Photo Credit: Paula Garcia.   Since we finished with the historical sites sooner than expected we decided to take a walk to one of the lakes called West Lake. While we were walking we passed this huge mustard colored French Building which was built when the French Colonialists had control over Vietnam. Funny thing is that we were not supposed to photograph it so we were quickly ushered away by a guard. Following are photos taken on our way to ice cream.               Photo Credits: Paula Garcia. Friday was lovely. Saturday we went on a walking tour of the Old Quarter near our hotel with Tony as our guide.         On our tour we walked around looking down allies that house many families and businesses. We tried several different Vietnamese foods such as chicken off the street, egg coffee, and many other uniquely Vietnamese foods. After our food tour we went and saw traditional Vietnamese Water Puppets. We watched the intricate figures weave majestically in the water as skilled hands carefully manipulated them behind the curtain. We viewed the tales from a theater in the city, but the puppet shows were originally preformed in rice patties.   Sunday we took the day to rest. A few of us went to church in the morning and heard Fran and Ken's sermon at their old church and after lunch all of us headed to the Army Hotel to swim and work out in their gym. It was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of busy HaNoi and classes and our internships. HaNoi is such a huge, beautiful diverse city. I am so glad we got the oppertounity to explore a bit of it as a group this weekend. Ken and Fran work hard to make this trip the best it can be and I am so thankful to be able to experience it with this group of people!    

[caption id="attachment_207" align="alignright" width="243"] Fran with flowers she received.[/caption] By: Benita Torres A day set aside to show special appreciation for women in Vietnam. This day is celebrated on October 20^th as a commemoration of the establishment of the Vietnam Women’s Union. This union was created in 1930. They made significant contributions to launch Vietnam into its present state. I was grateful to have the opportunity of celebrating this day with the women at Tea Talk where I am an intern. I was able to share with them about traditions in America, the Bible, and myself. It was a fun and memorable time and would love to celebrate it again.  

Rebekah Young [caption id="attachment_169" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Friends at Friendship Village[/caption] We all started our internships this week, and, on Wednesday, six of us went to an organization in the outskirts of Hanoi called Friendship Village. The Village was founded by an American veteran who had it built with the help of various countries as a symbol of peace. The happy community is a home, school, and rehabilitation center to disabled children. It also is a place for Vietnamese veterans to come and vacation for a month, escaping the rigors of life. [caption id="attachment_168" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Flags of countries that support Friendship Village[/caption] [caption id="attachment_166" align="alignleft" width="274"] Sarah and Mark weeding in the clay mud[/caption] On our first day at the internship, we had no idea what to expect, except that we would be working with disabled children.  After we met with the director of the village, we were basically set loose on the grounds to do whatever we wanted. Since we had no idea what we were supposed to be doing, we kind of just winged it and started gardening. After, we met the most friendly and welcoming kids in the world. They taught us their version of dancing, and we said simple words in Vietnamese to communicate with them. The classes that the kids take consist of everything from language and math to painting, crafts, and sewing. [caption id="attachment_157" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This little girl enjoyed taking selfies[/caption] [caption id="attachment_158" align="alignleft" width="336"] Pig pens[/caption] During our two-hour lunch break, those who weren't sleeping walked around and enjoyed the peacefulness of the campus. There were many different things to see such as pigs, gardens, orchards, a soccer area, a playground, and chickens.   The first time being in the classroom with the children was stressful. We walked in the classroom and the teacher just looked at us and did not say anything. So, we found seats next to the students and tried working one-on-one with them, helping them practice math with objects on the tables. We ended up learning that teaching disabled kids is hard, and it is even harder when we do not speak their language. After a while, the kids got bored and we ended up drawing with them and trying to interact with pictures on paper. The teacher, who worked with the same five kids for two hours, told Mark, our interpreter, that the children we were working with in the back of the class were not even her students. The students were very talented and smart, but they were at a ratio of twenty kids to one teacher, at all ages and at many different levels of learning. [caption id="attachment_161" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Drawing pictures in the classroom[/caption] By the end of the day, we were quite overwhelmed with the uncertainty of what exactly we were supposed to be doing at the Village, blistered from gardening, and extremely tired. The next day, our professor was able to help us get a few logistics worked out, and things started getting smoother. In the afternoon on the second day, we interviewed a group of six Viet Minh veterans. They were all excited to talk, but we had to be careful what question to ask as many of them suffered from PTSD. During the interview, some of the veterans seemed to think that we knew Vietnamese and there sometimes would be two separate conversations taking place. Yet, Mark did his best with translating, and we were able to hear a different perspective on a few things that happened in the Vietnam war. [caption id="attachment_163" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Interviewing the veterans[/caption] Compared to the busyness of California and Hà Nọi, a day at Friendship Village is at a much slower pace and is almost like a different world. There is a lot of potential for us to embrace, help, and make a difference for the people at the Village, but we will have to take the initiative to interact and create activities to teach the kids at the times appointed to us. For the next four weeks, the six of us are immersing ourselves into the educational culture of Vietnam, where our patience will be built upon and we will learn to be better leaders in love. [caption id="attachment_160" align="aligncenter" width="640"] We helped a veteran pluck seeds from branches that will used to make herbs[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Naps during lunch break[/caption] [caption id="attachment_164" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This little girl also liked to take selfies with sunglasses[/caption]

Rachel Richards On Saturday, October 10th, we flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The flight was short and easy, only about 2 hours long and they even served a meal!  Unfortunately however, the food was not exactly what I would call appetizing. Lunch consisted of a hamburger bun, with what looked like slices of Spam on it, some green pea pudding looking stuff, and a small bag of roasted peanuts and dried green peas. [caption id="attachment_145" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Plane food![/caption] So far, Hanoi has proven to be a great city with lots to offer, explore and experience. Like Ho Chi Minh, traffic is hectic and the streets are very busy! As we walk out of our hotel there are many small shops selling fruits, vegetables and meat. It's still quite weird to see live fish just laying in a bowl gasping for air, or live frogs in a basket with their legs tied up so they can't jump out, all waiting to be sold for dinner that night. Sorry, but I won't be touching them with a ten-foot pole! The fruit on the other hand is sensational! [caption id="attachment_146" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Some not-so-fortunate fish at the market [/caption] [caption id="attachment_148" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Houses in Hanoi[/caption] Near where our hotel is located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, is Hoan Kiem Lake, which is a great spot for a morning run or evening stroll. [caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The lake at night[/caption] [caption id="attachment_147" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Lights along the walkway that borders the lake[/caption] Just as in the other cities we have visited, the people of Hanoi are friendly and helpful. Although, I've noticed they are not quite as concerned or bothered to engage with us, because they are used to having so many tourists around. Whereas the people in smaller cities and towns, such as Danang, made an extra effort to talk and interact with us. Another interesting detail that I have noticed, especially in Hanoi, is stores that sell the same items, are all grouped and placed on a specific street. Whether it be clothes, tools, fabric,  flowers, toys, souvenirs, sunglasses, coffee, etc. that specific item will be what the majority of stores will sell on that particular street. Vietnam continues to amaze me with its wonderful people, delicious food, fascinating culture and incredible sights. I look forward to continuing to learn about, understand and appreciate this incredible country and all it has to offer.

Maria Santana [caption id="attachment_129" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Norte Dame Cathedral in Saigon[/caption] [caption id="attachment_130" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Children always waving and saying "Hello"[/caption] [caption id="attachment_131" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Floating Homes where families dedicate their lives to fishing[/caption] It has been a busy week for all of us and it still continues to be. A lot of readings and papers to get done all while trying to absorb everything around us.  Since Thursday evening we have been traveling on just a back pack with a week full of clothes-it's not as bad as it seems honestly. On Thursday we packed up all our stuff and off we were on a 18-hour train ride to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We made a new friend that night; it didn't talk much, but it loved our trash. Sadly, it was not welcomed by all of us so we had to get rid of the mouse. The view outside our window was incredible- large limestone mountains, rice fields, bright green trees, and a light gray cloudy sky. Saigon is much different than DaNang-modern architecture all around and American corporations at every corner(Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King) it was shocking. Nonetheless, a lot of French influence, many which are mentioned in our readings. Now we are hours outside of Saigon. There are no American corporations, just small shops where families are trying to make a living. These past three days have been a humbling experience. From doing a home stay with traditional southern Vietnamese music, meals, and witnessing hardworking individuals sweat to make a dollar and some cents a day. I am very fortune to be here and these are experiences I will never forget. Vietnamese are extremely smart, selfless, and dedicated humans. I've seen many families make a life out of a floating home and boat. We've seen a lot, learned a lot, and I am still trying to process everything.

By Alex Colvard   These are the names of the 504 innocent Vietnamese villagers that were massacred by American GIs. Whole families were killed on March 3, 1968 when American soldiers were given the order to shoot anything that moved, including elderly people, pregnant women, mothers and fathers and 104 children. This past weekend we visited My Lai, where a museum, memorial, and reconstructed village now lay. The atmosphere of the museum was solemn. Walking up to the steps we were invited to come watch a short documentary about the massacre. Tears built up in my eyes with the images of the dead and the stories of horror from the few that survived. When the film was over a guide led up up steps where we were confronted with this wall. The room was silent as we gazed at the hundreds of names. Our guide told us the significance of this wall, of the innocent people attached to the names. We walked around the museum and listened...  My emotions were everywhere. I was in disbelief that American "heroes" could do such a thing. I tried to imagine what it must have been like. To be awakened early in the morning by screams and gunshots.   Then I tried to put myself in the Charlie Companies' boots. If I was commanded to kill, could I? I'd better just stay far away from any military, because my conscious would be severely compromised. If God commanded me to kill could I? Oh gosh, I do not want to think about this- Abraham had greater faith than I. In the middle of our tour, our guide mentioned one American Helicopter Pilot who was not apart of the Charlie Company, who saw nine innocents running away from the horror at My Lai. ... He did not shoot them... he tried to help them. He was the real American Hero.     After exiting the museum, we walked through the town. There were recreated footprints and boot prints going every which way. The was the ditch where hundreds were thrown in and shot. Everyone was solem.         My Lai is a horrific example of what people can do in war. As we continue to learn about it, the Vietnam War seems to be a war ignorance rather than a war for justice. - Alex