California, 2013

Here are a few pictures from my summer as an intern in Los Angeles.

Sick in Nam

For the last week and a half of my Vietnam travels, I was stuck with the sick bug.  2 trips to the hospital later, (one in Can Tho, one in Ho Chi Minh City) I was still throwing up randomly and decided to come home instead of continuing travels around SE Asia.

An with me at the hospital-reading an American Cosmo!

Laura always at hand for the sicklies

I was really happy about having an IV

Yay no flying cockroaches in this room!

Thumbs up for finishing the IV drip

meds meds and more meds

This past Wednesday I was not feeling well at all at camp-so as soon as I got back to the Hoa An Center (where we sleep) I hopped in my bed and tried to sleep it off.  We had scheduled a shopping trip to Can Tho to get some last minute items before the weekend-but I chose not to go due to how I was feeling.  While the coaches were gone, I started to feel dizzy and proceeded to vomit all that was in my stomach. (noodles and Pepsi-a pretty sight right?)  As soon as the girls got back to the center from Can Tho they immediately turned into caring and compassionate nurses that took care of my every needs.  These included:

-       moving my bed from the top bunk to the floor so I wouldn’t have to climb down to go to the bathroom

-       providing me with all the water and Gatorade packets I could need

-       offering to stay up with me all night just in case I needed company while not feeling well

-       refreshing cold wet rags to put on my forehead

Let’s get this straight-I have known these girls for a little over one and a half weeks, and they were there for me-whatever I needed.  I am so appreciative of what these girls did for me-I wish I could thank them every day.  So a big thank you goes out to Laura, Sophia, Lauren, Morgan, and Ania-thank you guys so much for taking care of me.  Thank you so much for showing me the care and compassion I needed being sick here in Vietnam.

A few more photos...

Sickly body

What I woke up to after day 1 of sickness

The kids here in Vietnam are amazing

The kids we have had the privilege of teaching are simply amazing.  Every day they come to school with smiles on their faces-eager to see the teachers regardless of the classroom atmosphere.  It makes you think-these kids are so happy just to come to school-how often do you see this in America?

Linh

One of the girls who likes to visit class

Sydney

Visiting girl

Tram!

Love Tram

Hoa An School

Julia

Cuong

Huong!

Sydney

Sydney and Ashley

My favorite photo from Nam so far

I took this photo during a morning basketball class with the red team.  They had finished early since the kids did really well, and I was able to snap a few posed photos.  Among these photos (and the rest I have taken so far) this one is by far my favorite.  This is Dr./Nurse/Caring Roommate/Coach Sophia with "Sydney" from the red team.

Pyrotechnics and heart poses-more life in Nam

Last week I was able to take some photos during the classes here in Hoa An Camp 4.  Here are some of my favorites of our fabulous coaches and fabulous kids.

Amy "watching TV" during Morality Class

Erika telling Amy to do her chores instead of "watching TV"

The punishment for "watching TV"

Lindsay hard at work teaching Physics

Ricky the devoted Physics teacher

Blue teaching velocity in Physics

One of my favorite students-Tram-from the Lucky Green Puppies team

One of the Lucky Green Puppies attempting a Physics problem

So here are the official pictures from the electrical fire in the Red Team room.  No worries, no person actually caught fire-just severe smoke damage.  Again, totally kidding here.

The whole "electrical system"

A close up of the burnt wire

For some reason looking at it didn't stop the fire...

Sophia always makes lovely poses for pictures

Sydney and Ashley wanted to join in with Sophia

Tram and Sydney-two very pretty Vietnamese children

Hornets, fires, and slaughtered pigs-real world Vietnam

The first week of camp was an interesting one to say the least.  Monday and Tuesday went well going through the life skills, academic, and sports classes, but Wednesday was where it got interesting.  Some coaches thought the locusts were coming for the end of the world, the Vietnamese kids grabbed their noses and pointed at us to run, and all we saw was a huge swarm of bugs flying straight for us.  It turned out that someone in the town had ruined a hornet's nest and thousands of them were flying together to find a new home.  After we calmed down from the hornet attack (no one was stung, thank goodness) an electrical fire happened in the Red Team's room.  Once I heard my name being yelled from the upstairs room, I ran up to see the wires that were connected to the light switches smoking and melting away.  The Hoa An principal cut the electricity and had someone come in to fix the problem.  Thursday was a whole other story, since the volleyball coaches (Lauren and Morgan) approached me after one of their classes and told me about their dilemma.  Initially they thought a broken lawnmower was running outside the school, but one of the Vietnamese coaches clarified to them that it was actually a pig being slaughtered.  They were also able to see the half deceased pig be carried away to another destination, and refused to eat pork for lunch or dinner that day.

Stretching in Morality Class

Green Team enjoying English Class with Sophia and Lauren

The "Lucky Green Puppies" (?)

Volleyball demonstrations

Keara leading soccer warmups with Ricky giving peace signs on the side

Lauren teaching bumping in volleyball

Morgan teaching bumping in volleyball

Morgan waiting for a stray volleyball from bumping practice

Some of the coaches from Camp 4

Gee An

Candid photo of American directors

Vietnamese student's bike

One of the kids who hangs out around Hoa An (faking an injury)

Lauren's demonstration of "I am tired."

Green Tornadoes practicing English

"se-ven"

Jenny (Huong) posing in English class

Erika teaching Morality