Just got back from a ride on the pedi-cab, we went around the city swerving between the motorbikes and cars...I rode with Hoa on a little rickety wooden one...my bum suffered, I almost fell off when we went up a steep incline on a bridge, I loved it, now I am in need of another shower (super run on sentence)...

The first day of work was so rewarding, most of us painted; windows, doors, the fence. Local teachers were out to lend a helping hand, and they were all dressed so neatly while we all looked like scrubs…And by the end of the day we were all covered in paint, rust, dirt…and the local school faculty, impeccible, I don’t know how they do it.

Half-way through the day we sat down to a lovely lunch under the thatched roof of a family that lives adjacent to the school. We finished off our meal with fresh green mangos plucked off of the tree in the front yard. They are SO much better than ones from the states, we cannot express that enough. Another popular mantra "I LOVE BEING VIETNAMESE!" If people aren't saying it they are thinking it.

After lunch we played games with the children, some were eager to engage, others not as responsive, but a few minutes of Huy's silliness and antics and they were our best friends. The kids are precious, all the girls are so beautiful and sweet. The boys are rambuncious (sp?) and feisty as would be expected. We played for a while and finised off the rest of the painting. Windows and doors have a first coat (at least)...Around 3 the work was thinning out and the kids were waiting and waiting for us to come out to play again…we had no choice…

We played tons of games…I don’t know their names, but a lot of them had us in a circle doing silly things while Huy was in command…We did a lot of singing and although I did not undersatand 100% of the words, I could get the gest of it…my favorite one was the where we had to sit on each other (as though each person behind them was a chair) but ALL in a row….anyone that broke the chain was out. It is pretty funny watching a grown woman (myself) mock sitting on a 4’ tall child…I think he was scared of me, because we broke the chain…

At the end of the work day the family made us che, it was soooo good, how can you refuse such generosity? Suffice it to say we were so appreicative of everything they had to offer, I only hope my shoddy paint job will help them too.

Until next time, sending our love from the 12 hours in the future…

QTM