Volunteer

So the original idea was just to hold some sort of fundraiser to raise money for Village Focus International. After a coversation with a friend (a singer) in Melbourne, the idea became more developed and we figured that a concert could be rather successful. Hanoi's expat community is rather small, and the idea was that something a bit creative and a little different might actually work.

After a month or so of thinking about it and general procrastination, came probably a good month of proper planning. My wonderful friend in Melbourne booked his flight to Hanoi and then all of a sudden it was a reality I was doing it.

Green Mango Restaurant and Bar in Hanoi was the venue, right in the centre of Hanoi - a funky place with a good vibe, and a fantastic reputation. It's owner offered a great service in hosting the concert, and has now become a good friend.

On the night, we had a mass of varied entertainment - performances of belly dancing,

kung fu,

tango,

live music,

and Kehinde, an awesome singer!.......

There were auctions,

raffles,

and extra prizes here and there.

I have raised over $1000 US in concert funds, donations and sponsors, a really really great effort I would say!

I had support from Green Mango, the performers, and my friends in Hanoi. The performers did a fantastic job, and provided some really creative entertainment in a city that can't always provide that.

Thankyou to all those who assisted me in the planning and on the night, to Green Mango for hosting, and to all the donators and sponsors!

The beneficiaries for the night were Village Focus International in Cambodia (www.villagefocus.org) and Blue Dragon Children's Foundation in Vietnam (www.bdcf.org).

Both organisations do vital work within their communities assisting disadvantaged children.

Read my following entry about my trip and experiences in Cambodia. Similar to Vietnam, yet different in so many (good and bad) ways.

Please also read about my 10km run at the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon 2008 in Siem Reap.

Peace out.

Love.
Cat.

P.S. Apologies to the "oldies" who don't/cannot use Facebook and therefore were oblivious to my movements over the last month. It has been a while since I have written due to being incredibly busy with (life) so I hope you enjoyed the update!

I love running. I not only love it, but it makes me feel, well, I guess, free. It sort of has this affect on me, making me feel like anything at all is possible. But Hanoi is good for running. Ok, yes the footpath's are just terrible for running because of the amount of obstacles (motorbikes, piles of rubbish, potholes etc), but the lakes, OH THE LAKES. I cannot speak more highly of the lakes, scattered everywhere around the city. Yes, I do have a small love affair with the lakes here, because they are so picturesque, especially at night time. While I'm running at night time, there are hundreds of couples crowding the banks of each of these lakes.

PLUS, the good thing about running around a lake, is that you can actually see how far you go. One lap, then you think, why not do two, why not do three, four, five? Yeah it makes you feel tired, and worn out and exhausted or whatever, but as Nike says, why not just do it.

So right now, I'm training for a 10km run in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The run is organised by Village Focus International, a charity supporting vulnerable children in Cambodia and landmine survivors. There are other run events (marathon, half marathon), bike events, events for the physically impaired, and even a cyclo race! (google it if you don't know what a cyclo is). I decided to do the 10km, because, well I've never ran more than 6, and I only gave myself 9 weeks to train. Well it's coming up fast, on the 6th December. And I am trying my hardest to train hard, it's a lot more motivating when I'm running for a really important cause.

If you don't know much about the history of Cambodia, I highly suggest you google it and do some research, because the country in general, and what it's people have been through, is a lot less known to Westerner's as say, for example, Vietnam.

If you would like to sponsor me for the run, you can visit Village Focus International's site at http://villagefocus.org/angkor_marathon/index.htm. This will give you lot's of info about the event, and also some info about VFI. You can sponsor me by finding my name on the sponsor page.

It's all for a good cause, so sponsors are very highly appreciated, but at the very least, please educate yourself about the work that these type of NGO's do in Cambodia.

I am holding a benefit concert on the 15th November in Hanoi, with a friend of mine who will be singing, tango performance, belly dancing performance, shishas (google it), and lot's of other extremely cool things. Half the proceeds will be going to VFI, and half are going to a local Hanoian charity supporting similar projects, Blue Dragon Children's Foundation (www.bdcf.org).

If you will be in Hanoi on that date, or know anybody in Vietnam, please spread the word! (Ok, my chances are slim, but the power of word of mouth can be rather effective). If you want more information just email me.

Oh! And corporate sponsors are always welcome!

AND REMEMBER, just think, can you run 10km? It is no easy feat.

Love.
Cat.

P.S. Motivating thoughts, wishes, messages, comments, phone calls, emails are of course welcome.

Thankyou!

Ninh Binh is in the Red River Delta region of North Vietnam. Goat meat is its local delicacy, while touring brings in outstanding views of its beautiful National parks, temples and pagodas, and wetlands that show you the true countryside of Vietnam.

Qyunh, a Vietnamese friend, was kind enough to take myself and two other international volunteers to stay at her parent's home in the town that is Ninh Binh. Qyunh's family were true hosts, cooking delicious food, while providing very comfortable accommodation. And yes, I did try goat meat. Although that is where I draw the line. No dog meat, cow tail or pig's feet for me!! These are just some of the "exotic" meats that are sold in Vietnam.

A visit to Tam Coc brought in more magnificent scenery. 60,000 VND included four boat rides, entrance to several Pagoda's, and the opportunity to visit the caves there. Rather than the traditional walk through sky high caves, we were rowed through very dark, very low caves in between different parts of the lake.

These Vietnamese women must have extremely strong arm muscles, as they rowed us (one boat of three Western people, and one boat of three Vietnamese), around for a couple of hours.

However I guess they get to work in these sort of conditions!

When we got a break onto land, I got to do this:

Then hopped back on the boat, and relaxed viewing magnificent architecture such as this pagoda:

Tam Coc was very beautiful, although it did take it's toll on my body! More mosquito bites, more walking up and down many stairs, and more heat. However, no complaints! I recommend this small "undiscovered by tourists" destination to anyone.

The Phat Diem Cathedral was less painful, as we only did a small amount of walking, and lots of sitting (on the bus). At first I thought the Cathedral was actually a Buddhist temple, as that is what it looks like on the outside. Qyunh could not explain it very well in English either.

However on closer inspection, you can see a cross at the top and once you go outside, it is so obviously a Catholic church. Very beautiful architecture shown here.

Mass was being held while we were there, so there were several Vietnamese waiting for mass to finish so they could go inside. These kids entertained me while I waited to go inside the Church.

Those kids looked like they were doing what they were told, however these boys hung around lying in a hammock picking fruit off the trees.

The Cathedral drew in a large crowd, yet there were some spots so quiet you could actually hear yourself think:

Another beautiful day out, and not too hot.

Only 2 hours back to Hanoi, but with many memories of a Qyunh's generous family, some amazing architecture, and magnificent scenery.

Before I sign off, I'll attach a photo of the friends that I have made while here. There are only a couple of international volunteers, and the others are all Vietnamese.

And, one last thing - a trip to a Western Supermarket could not go undocumented!

Lots and lots of different brands of water, catering to foreigners, and I recommend La Vie, or Aquafina.

Love.
Cat.

The kids have now discovered the use of the video function on our digital cameras. On uploading my pictures to my laptop, I discovered 8 videos that they filmed of them dancing, hitting each other, laughing, playing and whatever else kids get up to.

Anyway, here are some more pictures of the kids, other volunteers and myself at the school on our teaching mornings.

As you can see, the pictures are endless, but they display an emotion that is only shown in the presence of children. Children that have so little, yet give so much. They give you an energy, a vibe, and have this power over you that causes you to feel so content with everything around you.

Viva La Vida!

Love.
Cat.

Mai Am school is a school for street children, abandoned children, and even orphaned children. All classes are provided free, and some children sleep at the school.

They are the most enthusiastic group of people (people, not just children) that I have ever met. What a delight to go and visit their community. I think everyone can learn something from these children. Their school facilities are nothing like to what I am used to, their clothes are dirty, and some of them do not even have a family. Some lack basic health care, particularly dental care.

However, they smile. They smile a lot. And they are happy. They will bring a smile to anybody’s face. There is one boy, who really impressed me. His name is Anh. His English is just fantastic, but he’s probably only 7 or 8.

He gives me a hug every day, and is so unbelievably polite. He repeats and remembers words that he learns in class, and does not complain. What a little champion of a child, with so so much potential.

These are kids who go to school in the morning (7-11ish) then go and work in the afternoon selling whatever they can. If they don't have a home to go to, they stay at the school.

The kids ages range from around 3 to I think about 13. The oldest and biggest boy is really difficult, and probably has some sort of learning difficulty. There are a couple of kids that are so ridiculously small, however they display this attitude that says “I’m tough, I’m big, and I can do what I like!” (sounds like my dog, Bella).

The boy at the front in the shirt, is so small. He leaves school by himself, with this huge satchel bag on his back that is half the size of him. He crosses the street alone, avoiding motorbikes, cyclos and cars and walks home with this "Life is great" attitude. What a champion.

There were three of us (international volunteers) at the school, and as soon as we walked in, they clung to us. Climbing on us, jumping on us, and “man!”, within three minutes I was exhausted and sweating again.

Teaching is awesome. Nir, Keren and myself take the class together, and it’s heaps of fun.

As you can see, there were lots of photos taken. The kids hijacked our cameras. It's quite funny to watch a 3 year old whose not even a metre tall, use a brand new digital camera and actually take decent photos!

What a fantastic bunch of kids, and I love being around them. They bring a smile to my face. These kids are the future of Vietnam (or wherever else for that matter) and they show huge potential in an extremely challenging situation. These kids need to be mature and adult when they shouldn't have to. However, kids will be kids. They see the good in everything, and do not judge.

A few volunteers are off to Ninh Binh this weekend. We were going to go to Halong Bay, however the weather is not suitable (storming). So Halong Bay next weekend. It will be nice to get out of Hanoi. When we were on Ba Be Lake, I really appreciated the silence!! (well in comparison to Hanoi it was quiet!).

One more photo: dinner time!

Yes, my back is very sore and I need a massage every day, however I am getting used to sitting and sleeping on the floor. I do miss sitting on a couch, and my lovely bed, however, nothing beats Vietnam. It's awesome here, and I don't expect to be leaving anytime soon!

For many many many more photos of these beautiful children and the occassional photo of me, check out Facebook, but I cannot upload too many here.

Keep sending your comments and emails please! Please also subscribe to my blog. This means that you get an automatic email everytime I update my blog. Thanks to the one and only person who has already done so (Claire!).

LOVE.
CAT.