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Claudine Haber writes...

...about her experiences while volunteering in Vietnam.

Xin Chao

Well I have had one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Vietnam. Where do I begin? I arrived in Da Nang city last Saturday, excited about my new adventure. The Global Volunteer Network representative picked me up in the pouring rain and drove me to my new house. I was greeted by an Aussie guy and a British girl who welcomed me into my new home. My bedroom backs onto a pub and a construction site. They play Vietnamese music which I getting use to. The noise does not bother me at all - even though its loud.

We have two cooks Huen and Hai (they are my Vietnamese mothers), they also teach us Vietnamese. They feed us 3 Vietnamese meals a day which I learning to digest. After each meal I write the recipes down, as I need to add more to my cooking repertoire (Pasta, vegies and sauce are just not good enough any more).

The neighborhood I live in is the quintessential lifestyle. It's a quaint little street lined with colorful slim Vietnamese houses. Everyone says hello; its great I have only been here a week and I know half the street! My house is number 31. Everyone in Da Nang city knows where I live. Wherever I walk down the streets they all shout out Number 31 Tong Phuoc Pho then they say GVN (Global Volunteer Network). The people in general are very friendly. Today I was learning to ride a bike (again) and everyone in the street was cheering me on. They all want to help me. I haven't ridden a bike in 15 years and I don't have the confidence quite yet.

The Volunteer program comprises of two morning sessions and two afternoon sessions. We are transported by taxi each morning and driven home for lunch for 2 hours, then back to the Disabled House and Baby Orphanage. The Disabled House and the Baby Orphanage are run by the Red Cross. Our morning session begins at the Disabled House teaching English to children with disabilities. I take the advanced class. I have four boys in the class. Toan is in a wheelchair, Linh and Duc have physical and behavioral disabilities and little Duc has Autism. The other girls take the middle and lower classes, which are made up of children who have physical disabilities, polio or who are deaf. It's just great to be able to teach English to these kids as they really appreciate your time and effort. I'm surprised I can even teach English as I've never done it before!

Once the session is over we walk over to the Baby Orphanage. Our job is basically comprised of changing nappies, giving cuddles and feeding the kids formula. What an amazing place! There are so many emotions inside me to describe this place. It's full of happiness, sadness, love, joy, despair etc. The first day I arrived 5 American couples were there to adopt. It's a 2 year process and involves a lot of paperwork. Aside from that it is the most wonderful thing any person can do. Giving these children an opportunity to have a fruitful life is priceless compared to living in poverty while begging and prostituting themselves.

Claudine later went to teach on Cu Lao Cham Island….
Chris (another volunteer) and myself board the only ferry to Cham Island. Arriving early has its benefits. You get the option of sitting on makeshift plastic chairs or a straw mat on the floor of the boat. I was lucky enough to score the plastic chair. The old wooden relic boat loads dozens of people with their chickens, ducks, baskets of fruit and vegetables and even a motorbike. It's a two hour boat ride, which seems like forever, but nothing like a good book to keep you entertained. As the boat taxies at the port, the hustle and bustle is something out of refugee movie. To my amazement, the people disembark by throwing their belongings overboard and jumping onto the jetty, simultaneously. Others put there fresh produce of tomatoes, green leafy vegetables in huge baskets and climb onto the port. I did a graceful combination of both.

We were greeted by two interpreters who escorted us to our guesthouse. The house is right on the water (yes million dollar Sydney harbor views). We stay with another family and two Danish girls, who are doing volunteer work for the Marine Park Authority. My bedroom comprises of a wooden framed bed with a straw mat, and a very thin cushion lining. Electricity runs from 6pm to 10pm. It is so hot on Cham Island. My clothes stick to my body. The sweat pours down. I don't know what is worse putting on my clothes or taking them off. The heat is dry and the sun swelters.

My first class is in the town of Bai Huong. It's 7kms by motorbike from my village. At 2pm the driver and the interpreter arrive to take me to the school. The three of us mount the bike, and I am whisked up a coastal pavement (I would hardly call it a road) to Bai Houng. The journey is spellbinding. With fresh sea breeze on my face, my left side is surrounded by lush forest. The view on my right is that of ocean and white sanded beaches. The most amazing ride to work in my life!

As we arrive in the primitive fishing village, the interpreter takes me to the school. My first class to teach is years 3,4 and 5 English. I have 19 students. Its all a bit scary and exhilarating at the one time. But to my amazement I seem to get through. We end with an old favorite, "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes". I had to borrow one of the children's books to revise the words :). Following, my second class were a group of ladies who are delightful. I have 13 students in this class. They all tell me I look so happy, which is so encouraging. I think I am just amazed that I am here in this village where very few Westerners are allowed, teaching English! As the class ends I am whisked back on the motorbike along the coastal pavement to my village.

I teach two other classes as well. One is a tour guide's English class. Chris and I alternate this class and we are devising a script for them to use when tourists eventually come to the island in the future. My other class is 15 year olds, they are keen to learn and I can see they will progress nicely.

The village awakes at 5 am with The Cham news and Vietnamese tunes belting through its loudspeakers. I take my morning walk through the village to visit the next one. The fisherman are coming into shore in their basket weaved boats with their daily catch of fish. As I walk along the promenade the wheeling and dealing is at its highest. I am told there's is a long chain of events that takes place before its gets to the consumer. People are sitting in the street eating their baguette and noodles soups and drinking caphe sua (condensed milk coffee). As my stiff legs carry me along the street, a myriad of smiling faces stare at me saying "Hello, how are you?" I smile back greeting them in the same way. Wooden carts, chickens and a cow pass me by. The walk to Bai Ong is not only tranquil, but amusing.