11 hours in Phnom Penh

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 / madisongoesglobal / Leave a comment

Travelled: December 19, 2015

The bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh was rather pleasant for a 7 hour bus ride with a barely reclining chair. I had a window seat and a woman who sat next to me for a mere hour. Other than that I was able to sprawl out a bit and get comfortable. Crossing the border was easy. Long Phuong bus took care of the Visa application form and pretty much everything except for the payment.

Border crossing from Vietnam to Cambodia.

It’s $35 USD for a 30 day single entry visa. I had $41 left from what the Vietcombank couldn’t convert for me back in July. There was a reason for that…it wasn’t accepted for my visa either due to one bill having writing on it and one with tape. Great. I ended up converting some money in line at the border, but not enough- leaving me with some USD and some Cambodian riels. The coordinator on our bus had the driver pull over for me so I could take out money from the ATM. (So for anyone traveling to Cambodia, make sure you have crisp, fresh from the bank USD upon arrival.)

After pulling over we stopped for food. I got a chicken curry, which was delicious until I found a full black feather stewed up with my meal. Getting back on the road, the bus arrived in Phnom Penh at 1:00pm. I took a tuk tuk to One Stop Hostel to check in and book my overnight bus to Siem Reap. With not enough time to do both the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, I prioritized and went with the Killing Fields. For $13, Sothea (so-tea-uh), my tuk tuk driver, drove me to the fields, about 40 minutes outside city center, and back.

The mausoleum built in memory of the victims during the Khmer Rouge Regime. Inside is stacked with ten shelves of human skulls, teeth and bones.

The gruesome stories and setting of the killing field was very eye opening to the brutality humans can obtain. Being only $6 admission, it included an audio tour that gave you an in depth history and stories of victims and survivors during the the Khmer Rouge Regime in 1975. I spent well over two hours walking through and listening. Sparing the bloody details, this brutal Cambodian genocide should be something you look up or go see one day if it interests you.

When I got back to the tuk tuk, Sothea pulled out pictures and told me about his own family and how they were prisoners. His father was killed at one of the other killing fields. At 10 years old, Sothea was beaten for playing. He shared his stories with such an open heart, as sadness waved through his voice and eyes. As we headed back to my hostel, we were caught in traffic jams amongst small, bumpy dirt roads full of people selling and buying things at the market.

Traffic jams in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

As we were approaching closer to city center Sothea asked me if I wanted to join him for dinner at his house with his family. The sun was setting to a dim light and of course I was skeptical being a solo female traveler, but something in me felt safe and sure it was only a good intention, so, I said yes. We carried on our way to his family’s home, passing through a temple with practicing monks, to lead us outside his home where it was set up with tents, round tables with table covers, chairs with seat covers and sashes, and full of smiling people eating, drinking and laughing through conversation. It was a celebration of life for his grandmother. Being the only westerner, with my pale skin, green eyes and long blonde hair, I was of course looked at, but only with the kindest eyes and smiles. Those who spoke English greeted me with the warmest welcomes. I met Sothea’s beautiful wife and four daughters, one of which is also an English teacher.

Home cooked traditional Cambodian dinner, Babaw.

Each table had a large pot in the center full of home cooked Babaw, a rice and meat soup. This one was full of assorted mushrooms, shrimp, pork, chicken and green garnishes. It was incredible. Sothea served me a bowl with a glass of Fanta grape soda to go along with it. After demolishing (as politely as possible) my first bowl, he gave me a second portion before the end of my last bite. Dessert was jack fruit and sweetened crackers (I wouldn’t quite call them ‘cookies’). After eating I talked with his family for a bit before we headed back to my hostel.

Sothea and I at dinner.

Within hours I was transfixed at how cruel the world could be and how inviting, generous and kind humanity is capable of being. Driving through poverty where children are in rags of clothes (if in any clothes at all), playing in rubbles of dirt, trash and torn down cement buildings, they were playing with sticks, laughing, waving and appearing happy as could be. There is so much beauty and non-materialistic riches residing in Cambodia, it truly is amazing. I finished off the evening going to the night market with some people I met from my hostel before getting on the midnight sleeper bus to Siem Reap…

Hà Nội –> Sa Pa

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 1 Comment

Travelled: October 16 – 18, 2015

Sa Pa is one of those dream like places you see on Pinterest under “Bucket List” or “Wanderlust” and decide if you ever make it to Vietnam, you will go there. Now that I have lived here for nearly five months, I finally made it to the beautiful northern mountain town. Many people in Hà Nội say how it is over priced and a tourist trap. If that is how your trip to Sa Pa ends up being, you are doing it ALL WRONG.

Getting from Hà Nội to Sa Pa, my friends and I chose to take the Camel overnight bus. Round trip tickets are $24 USD. Each person has their own “bed” which is really more like a glorified lounge chair accompanied by a pillow, blanket and cup holder. Comfort wise, it wasn’t too bad. Heading up there on Friday at 10:00pm, we knew we would be sleeping, but first, wine. At the very back of the bus there were three conjoined beds with a low ceiling. One of my friends and I snagged that area for our slumber, claiming it as our fort for the night. Four of us crammed back there, with our heads at a 45 degree tilt (due to the low ceiling) or slouching back, to drink wine, talk and ultimately laugh until tears dripped down our cheeks. After killing two bottles of wine, we all separated to our designated bunkers to go to sleep. Laying down, looking out the window with head phones in, listening to whatever came on shuffle next, I couldn’t help but smile to myself for the sheer happiness I felt. The places we go… Here I was, travelling by a sleeper bus taking impressive curves through the mountains half way across the world, going to a place I had yet to see.

I was woken numerous times by questionable turns and bumps, abrupt stops and music I had left on blaring in my ears. Arriving a few hours after the scheduled time (which actually worked out for the better), the sun was newly shining for the day and we were on foot going towards Sapa O’Chau to check in for our Handicraft day tour and book a homestay. After getting everything situated, we went to eat breakfast before getting picked up by a van to take us (most of the way) up to the Handicraft studio.

The Handicraft studio is in a village called Tả Phìn. It is in a valley with a view that could best be explained visually. (See below)

We spent the whole day learning and creating our own traditional crafts. Starting off, we all sat on tiny plastic stools in a circle. In the center was beeswax heated by coals. Each of us had a square of hand made hemp fabric. We used different tools, dipping it in the hot wax and tracing patterns on to the hemp. With the help of our lovely guide Sue and another woman, we created individualized cloths.

When the wax and design process was finished, we went around to the side of the house to find a barrel of indigo dye, made from indigo leaves. The cloths were to be left to soak for the extension of our stay at the Handicraft studio. In order to get a deep indigo color (kind of like a dark denim) fabric is left in for several days.

Giving our hands a break, we took some time to take in the view, drink some coffee, take a walk and eat a delicious fresh cooked lunch. After lunch, we began to embroider small squares using the cross stitch and different colors of silk string. Some of us enjoyed it and the detail that went in to it and some did not take a general liking to the craft. When finished, we chose fabric to be turned in to a purse. The small embroidered squares were sown on to the fabric, making each of us our individualized bag.

While the bags were being made, we learned how to weave using the large loom contraption made of wood. As we were contributing to the extensively long hemp cloth, another woman was washing out the indigo from the cloths we designed. It went from going in the barrel of indigo, to hot water, to being rinsed with cold water and hung to dry. Once dried the light blue denim color came to life with the designs in an off white.

We spent pretty much the whole day up in the wooden studio. When it was time to leave, Sue lead the way through the valley and mountains to our homestay about an hour trek away. Being amongst the scenery and passing through the villages was a really neat experience. All the children and numerous kinds of livestock came out to say hello. Smoke was filtering through the sky from the bonfires of trash being burnt and food being cooked for dinner in the coming hour. By the time we arrived to our homestay it was dark out. We settled in with some beers and water. Our host family is part of the Red Dao hill tribe, with Mrs Chao Man May wearing the traditional clothing and her family wearing Westernized clothes. They cooked us dinner (all included in the cost). We sat at the long bench tables with the family communicating through minimal words, just smiles and motions. They noticed how we inhaled the spring rolls (typical) and filled our plate with more from theirs with nods and laughter. The husband poured us all multiple shots of rice wine, in which he calls”happy water.” All of us raised our shot glasses to the center, cheering in Vietnamese. After the delicious meal, we went back to the round table for more beer and to digest before going into the herbal medicine tea bath.

The herbal medicine tea bath could only be described as pure magic. Stripping down to your purest form, you climb into a wooden barrel full of hot water, black tea and herbs picked from the hillside by Chao. Relaxation soaks in right away and leaves you on cloud nine when getting out. It was a perfect way to end the day and have an amazing nights sleep.

Waking up in the morning and knowing what scenery and environment we were in was pretty much a mystery. We knew we were tucked away amongst the mountains, but that was all we were able to sense when arriving at night. We drank coffee and ate pancakes (crepes) with sugar, honey, bananas and pears. While signing the guest book, Sue included us in on something she keeps very close to herself, her letters from pen pals all over the world. She pulled one of the letters out and had us read it to her and write a response.
With no formal education, she taught herself English over the years while raising a family and working. Although she can speak English, she isn’t able (yet) to read or write. The interaction of so many people, coming together to help communicate globally through language and cultural barriers, is absolutely incredible.

It was a fairly clear, beautiful day with the perfect temperature to go for a trek without freezing or breaking in to an uncomfortable sweat. After breakfast we set out for our trek through the mountains and back down to Sa Pa’s center. Sue led us through the locals way where the only few people we came across was the husband from the homestay who was picking and chopping wood and another local. The views were spectacular. Jaw dropping. Surreal. We stopped a few times to drink water and take in the serene landscape we were entangled in. And to take some obligatory pictures using none other than my shameless selfie stick. Along the way Sue picked us all flowers. At one point of rest, we sat on our bags looking out at the valley full of perfectly staggered rice fields. Sue pulled out more of her acquired letters and I had the pleasure of reading one to her. This one had enclosed money for Sue to give to a neighbor for mosquito nets for the children. Her kind words and charity warmed my heart by the genuine love strangers are capable of withholding.

Heading back down, we stopped at an abandoned old church where we came across bride-to-be’s having photoshoots with their fiancés. We waited out front for our driver to pick us up and take us to the day market for shopping and eventually lunch. After bargaining and purchasing a few hand crafted embroidered goods, we grabbed lunch and coffee’s before heading back on the bus home.

Sa Pa was everything I imagined and more. It was truly an incredible girls weekend full of art, trekking, culture and commonality within diversities.

Hà Nội –> Mai Châu

November 1, 2015November 29, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 1 Comment

Travelled: October 3-4, 2015

Another weekend motorbike excursion is now under my belt. This time we cruised out with 23 people to Mai Châu. We met at Ho Chi Minh mausoleum at 5:30am. We didn’t leave as soon as expected, not taking off until just after 6:00am. However, we did catch the morning yoga workouts done by locals, spread across the grass and concrete walkway, and the rising of the flag. It was unexpected and a really beautiful moment.

The whole journey there was a bit rocky. Naturally the large group split into three smaller travelling groups. Each group seemed to have some sort of defaulted motorbike journey, whether it was mechanical, a flat tire or an accident. Within my group, I was the unlucky one who was hit by another motorbike. Slowing down for a pothole, I cruised over it soundlessly until two seconds later the person behind me slammed into my left calf and bike, making myself and my bike fall. My immediate reaction was to get the fuck up before I get crushed by a cement truck. Getting up I hobbled over to the side of the road, asking someone to grab my bike out of the middle of the highway. I was just happy I could walk, although there was a limp stemming from the bottom portion of my leg. Falling on my left side is always a gamble with my hip replacement. I was alright— a few rips in my denim jacket, but shockingly no damage to my $2 made in Vietnam cotton pants. (Impressive!) After I was hit, a Vietnamese lady behind me got hit and fell as well, but had what appeared to be pretty bad road rash from having a large portion of her skin exposed. Standing on the side of the road, I tried to pull myself together. Thankfully I had support from my friends and we chilled out for a minute before heading back on the road. The irony in the fall, was the song I had playing at the time, Ween’s “Falling Out.” Although the connotation of the song is based on the extremities of ending relationships, the fact I was hearing the words falling out as I fell of my bike, resonated pretty comically within myself.

Back on the road, the 11 of us continued on our journey. We stopping for lunch and coffee, pulled over to put our rain ponchos on, paused to make sure one of our fellow traveler and friend skidded out on the road from gravel was okay and made a group consensus on which route to take. We settled for the longer way, passing through a waterfall and a village. This road had so many natural beauties as well as so many imperfections in the ground. We passed over mud, sharp large rocks, dirt paths, severely unpaved roads, puddles of water and lose gravel. We avoided flocks of animals, road kill, other motorbikes coming in the opposite direction, children playing in the roads and bits of nature scattered along our path. We stopped a few times to observe and take in the stunning views of mountains, valleys and waterfalls. After a long 8 hour journey, we finally made it to our home stay in Mai Châu.

I was happy to be settled in somewhere for a day, not having to drive my motorbike and be able to catch my breathe from the anxiety I accrued on this excursion. I put my stuff on one of many lined up floor mattress on the top floor of our home stay. There were about 20 beds lined on the floor, each with a blanket, pillow and mosquito net to be put down once getting in to bed. The bottom outside area was lined with bench style tables and a box fridge full of Hà Nội beer, water and Coca Colas. As always, gravitating to an ice cold beer, a bunch of us hung out just talking and sharing our bike journeys. It was nice to all be there safe and sound after all the accidents and mechanical fails.

Shortly after, picking ourselves up, we began roaming the intimate streets of the Mai Châu village we were staying in. Each store had a rustic build, all wood and open. They were lined with colorful and embroidered handcrafted goods for sale. It was a nice and slow paced walk with good company. We spent the afternoon exploring, drinking beers and doing some shopping. The day shifted into evening and we headed back to our home stay for some delicious home cooked Vietnamese food.

Every Saturday night there is a bon fire event in Mai Châu that is full of young adults dancing and singing around a field of multiple bon fires. Being part of the reason we took the trip, it was an obligatory thing to see although it was a long exhausting day. I walked as far as I could, until I found a large golf cart that drove a friend and I to the bon fire for $1. The bon fire was full of energy, music and laughter. I only stayed for a short while to see what it was about before heading back to be more comfortable and horizontal.

Early the next morning I was awoken from an already shitty sleep to a chain of three roosters cock-a-doodling like no ones business. It went on for hours, as I would hear them doodle from loudest, to medium volume to the quietest on repeat. When the sun finally came out at 6:00am I walked downstairs to ice my leg. An hour later, delicious egg and cheese sandwiches were served for breakfast. After eating some of us went to the rooftop Sunset coffee bar to enjoy a hot Vietnamese coffee with milk and take in the foggy mountainous views. It is so peaceful being amongst the mountains, not hearing horns or logged in to social networking.

We spent another hour walking around doing last minute bargaining and shopping before heading back to Hanoi. The ride home was a lot more soundless with the only interruptions being to get gas or stop and take a few pictures. Although driving on the open road has gorgeous scenery and you can cover more ground in a shorter time, it is more dangerous going at a faster speed and hitting larger pot holes or any unfriendly road condition. There was a huge sense of relief getting back in to the city.

Hà Nội –> Hai Phong

October 1, 2015November 29, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 4 Comments

Travelled: August 22-23, 2015

Last month, I was invited to visit one of my co-teachers, Thuy’s, hometown in Hai Phong. Obviously saying yes, three other of my friends/co-worker’s and myself took an early morning bus ride with Thuy to stay with her parents. Upon arrival, her parents had cooked us a wonderful feast of authentic Vietnamese home cooking. We were also offered rice wine. Kate and myself said yes, as usual. The funny part is that it’s not exactly “rice wine,” it’s scotch whiskey! After eating and conversing, through translation, with Thuy’s parents, we relaxed for a bit drinking hot green tea and more conversation.

Shortly after we went to Tiên Lãng Resort Spa for a pamper treatment. This place was an oasis from any outside city or countryside. It was lined with tons of trees and waterfalls and the sounds were strictly nature. We got a deal to do a steam room with eucalyptus air, a mud bath, jacuzzi, rock shower and mineral pool. None of us had ever been in a mud bath and had the best time pouring mud on each other and laughing hysterically about the ridiculousness of it. Enjoying all the amenities we had there, the mineral pool was weirdly refreshing, although the temperature nearly mirrored the heat outside of the pool. Being filled with minerals, the water was heavier and easier to sink when floating. We tried teaching Thuy and her friend how to swim and float on their backs and even played a few games of chicken. It was great fun.

Heading back to Thuy’s parents house we laughed at our driver who literally drove with her horn pressed down the whole time. It was pretty ironic and comical as we were driving through the countryside with some classical styled Vietnamese music playing in the background and fully engulfed in spa relaxation. When we got back, we laid down for a little before changing and going to Thuy’s Uncle’s house for his wedding. Weddings here are a bit different then the states. They are more casual (in terms of the reception), but last a few days of eating and drinking with family. The ceremony is only with the closest family at a church. Apparently the bride only wears white for her wedding pictures and ceremony, but after that is in an elaborate colored traditional Áo dài dress. The meal for dinner was an elaborate array of Vietnamese delicatessen and noodle dishes, only dabbling a tid bit in some unfamiliar territory. After eating we walked over to a church down the road where we hung out and admired the fine architecture and shrines.

The following morning we woke fairly early to grab some Phở, traditional Vietnamese breakfast, and then to see the famous temple, Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, in Hai Phong. We cruised over on two motorbikes through the countryside. Humidity was high and energy and enthusiasm was even higher. There is something so refreshing about being on an open (small) road of rice fields and a sky full of white clouds smiling down on you.

Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Temple

Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm temple was yet another peaceful sanctuary full of metal statues, a bridge with some sort of body of water and a huge statue of Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm himself.

Women were peddling around trying to sell us monster size stuffed animals and some kind of bread. Although very pushy for us to make a purchase, they were very sweet, keeping a smile plastered on their faces underneath their straw hats.

Quickly going through the temple, due to uncomfortably hot weather conditions, we headed back to our home base at Thuy’s parents house. We freshened up a bit before continuing the wedding festivities at her Uncle’s house. Once arriving back, we continued eating and drinking Hanoi beer. The children gravitated towards us, so we were kept entertained and created our own entertainment for a handful of sweet nuggets. We continued eating fresh, home cooked food, chasing it back with beer and Sting, a sweet energy drink. After a few hours of socializing and eating we had to start heading back to catch the bus back to Hà Nội.

The bus home was crammed packed with passengers sitting on tiny stools in the walkway due to being at its full capacity. Thankfully we snagged proper seats for all of us and weren’t stuck lingering at foot level for two hours. Women in the aisle were throwing up in bags. I really felt for them until they got off at their stop and decided to leave their bags of vomit aboard the traveling bus…

With the beautiful bride…

Aside from the puking departure, it was a perfect weekend getaway full of relaxation, hometown hospitality, good company and endless laughter.

Hà Nội –> Cát Bà Island

August 21, 2015November 29, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 1 Comment

Travelled: August 15-16, 2015

WOW. Words can barely explain the amazement and satisfaction I endured this past weekend. Friday after work, I finally drove myself to Miss Nhi Beauty Club to treat myself to a long overdue pedicure. For $9 USD I got a pedicure, 30-minute foot massage and made a new friend Ly. Ly works at the salon, selling accessories and speaks really great English. Friday was the first day of the month on the lunar calendar and in Vietnam that is a sacred day where many people go to the Pagoda to pray to Buddha. It’s also traditional to burn fake money in a small kiln on the street. Nhi, the salon owner, began burning fake USD, VND and gold blocks outside her storefront. I went out front to see what it was all about and ended up burning the money with them. It is supposed to be good luck for fortune and to tribute to the dead in heaven. Lightning was bolting in the background, cars and motorbikes were honking in a heavily backed up traffic jam and I sat in front, taking in the culture first hand, with freshly painted toes.

Ly lives very close to me so I followed her to our neighborhood in a frantic state, as we zipped in and out of the clusterfuck of vehicles. This only prepared me for my first motorbike trip to be followed the next morning.

Rising at 5:00am to hit the road by 6:00am was a brutal and beautiful way to start the day. Waking up is always the hard part, but knowing you are about to set out for a new adventure keeps those eyes wide open and focused. Leaving from a local coffee shop, six of us set out on motorbikes to Cát Bà Island. The drive took about five hours, with a few stops for pho, rice noodle soup and nước mía, a sugar cane juice. We missed the 11:30am ferry by 20 minutes so we had to wait about an hour and a half for the next one. In the meantime, we ate pho for the second time that day and had a 333 beer. Once we got on the ferry it was a nice resting point to just relax and take in the view. The sky was clear with bodacious white clouds filtering through. It was nice to just zone out and look around in such a peaceful state of mind.

The drive was still not complete, as we had to get to the other side of the island. NO PROBLEM! Peaceful Easy Feeling by the Eagles was my song of choice that I kept singing out loud to myself throughout the journey. That with many others, formed a small and fitting playlist for my trip.

Once we reached the beach town of Cát Bà, we found a hotel to stay in for the night. We ended up staying at the first place we looked which was a whopping $5 USD per person for one night’s stay. AirCon included. Quickly, we changed in to our bathing suits and started on our mission to get drunk on the beach. The hotel manager told us the second beach was the best and was only a ten minute walk. Off we went on foot, grabbing a beer for the walk uphill to reach the beaches. We paid the minimal resort and chaise lounge fee, put our stuff down, bought some beers and carried on our way in to the warm, salty water. The feeling of getting in the water was a magical relief. WE MADE IT!

We brought countless bottles of Tiger beer in the water with us. With the one goal solely being not to get the salt water in our bottles. When a wave would be mellow, we would sip. When a wave would be larger, we would raise our arm, high to the sky to keep the beer safe. A German woman traveling alone, put her stuff with ours and upon request, took some photos of us as a group. She happened to capture the epitome of our actions.

Then there was the tennis ball—the social interaction of the Vietnamese and the Americans—a simple game of catch from us in the ocean to those on the cliff. I didn’t partake too much in this game, as throwing a ball is not really my forte. It was enjoyable to watch the excitement of everyone, as people passing by on the cliff would stop and play a few rounds of catch. It truly is wonderful how strangers and those of different cultures can connect in such a simple way.

We must have been in the water for a solid three hours. The sun was starting to set so we went in to shore and continued drinking beer and just hanging around. Eventually we started our trek back to our hotel to change and get some much needed food. Dinner was delicious. We ordered pizza, spring rolls and French fries. A wild combination of everything a drunk person may want. And more beer. And some margaritas. The constant chatter and laughter at our table was timeless until I decided to fall asleep at the table with a slice of pizza in my hand…

Assumingly so, myself and one other went back to our hotel to catch some z’s. The other four continued on with their night of debauchery. Always hesitant to leave the party, even when I am half asleep, it was a glorious thing I did considering we woke up early to catch the ferry at 10:30am to head back home.

Ranging from 40-80km per hour, we zipped through small towns and open highways, crossed bridges, braved roundabouts with vehicles coming in all which directions, and avoided and flew over one too many potholes. The views and drive was well worth the gravel, dirt, sweat and bugs that hit and stayed put on my face. It was worth the quick turn around and forever-memorable first motorbike adventure.

Ms. Madison

August 9, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 1 Comment

Lesson plans, schedule changes, over 100 new students…all components to make you want to scream and laugh at the same time. As if moving across the world isn’t a big enough change, learning a new profession amongst an environment that is merely disorganized is enough to make one go semi-insane. Thank goodness for red wine and having the company of other teaching newbies who have quickly turned into friends, as well as the more seasoned teachers that have helped guide us through the ways of Wellspring and teaching ESL. I’ve survived a week of classes, where I finally got to meet all the pretty faces of my new students. I am teaching 1^st and 3^rd grade English and 2^nd and 5^th grade math, as well as instructing “My Cool English” club. Hearing the children say Ms. Madison and their “good morning/afternoon teacher” chant at the beginning of class, is just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I look forward to embracing the full big kid in myself to entertain and educate my students. The school has gifted us all with work computers consisting of all the necessary software for interactive white board teachings—a computer that also disguises itself with constant mishaps.

I’ve gone from wearing five-inch platform designer shoes at work to being barefoot, both of which jobs have been set in a professional environment. Although I miss my shoes, it’s very liberating and comfortable to trot around the classroom barefoot. We were all fitted last week for our uniforms that will soon be worn a few days a week, with the remaining days being free “business casual” dress. I’ve been getting away with wearing $2 pants I got in the streets of the Old Quarter mixed with some dressy shirts from home. I definitely cannot complain.

Happily Humid

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 11 Comments

Wow! It has been such an adventure so far and it has only been 13 whole days since I have moved here. So much has happened within this time so I will just touch on the key points.

Today was the last day of the two week orientation. It felt like I was attending summer school, as we were meeting in a classroom. The first day we went right in to Vietnamese lessons. It is a very complex yet fluid language. The Vietnamese alphabet does not have the letters F, J, W, or Z. This explains why my last name was spelt without the F upon airport arrival. In Vietnamese culture you acknowledge and speak to someone based on their age and gender. For instance, if I was saying hi to my mom it would be “chào chị” and to my dad and brother it would be “chào ahn.” (Hi family!!) I have no doubt, once able to know how to fully pronounce each sound it will be a bit easier to pick up. This past week we broke off into Primary and Secondary training. We have been doing mock lessons with eight students to get the feel for teaching a class. In preparation, we have been learning how to teach using different activities for all the key points in learning English like vocabulary, grammar, phonics, etc.

Originally I was contracted to teach Secondary school here at Wellspring. With a little persuasion, I was transferred to teach Primary school. When I think of teaching English, or any subject in general, I always imagine teaching to younger students. That is where my experience is and it is a more creative teaching process. I am so thankful and grateful that I was switched to teach 1^st and 2^nd grade English and reading. I will also be teaching 5^th grade math, which is where the challenge will come in to play. I do look forward to it though, as it will refresh my own math skills.

I have tried pretty much all the food that has been put in front of me. For those who know my picky food habits, this is rather surprising. The strangest thing I have knowingly eaten so far is duck tongue. I went in to it thinking it was chicken feet, which is still pretty gnarly for me, but was told afterwards it was duck tongue. I have to admit, it wasn’t the worst thing I have eaten.

Getting my medical exam was quite the experience… The days leading up to this were a bit nerve racking. The hospital we went to was cleaner than I had expected, but did have a lingering smell of urine in the stairwells. We all started with the blood and urine test. They administer their blood test in a room amongst a dozen or so other people. It’s very impersonal and borderline questionable. Thankfully, I have a nice fatty vein on my right arm, so giving blood is usually easy for me. The test tube we had to pee in had a circumference smaller than a dime, which was exceptionally challenging. We also had to get a chest x-ray, vision test, dental test, ENT test and just a basic check up like height, weight and blood pressure. Each type of test you had to go to a different room. It took two hours for ten of us to complete our exams, which was not as bad as I anticipated.

After the medical exam we had a city tour where we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is where he himself once lived. Guards protected the front, which is always a bit intimidating. It had a sense of calming and peaceful environment once entering through the gate. Although it had a ton of shading, it was one of the most humid areas I have been to here in Hanoi. We indulged in well-deserved ice cream at the exit and continued on our tour to the Trấn Quốc Pagoda, which is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi. It had a very picturesque view along the West Lake and had a constant aroma of incense. Walking in to the temple, shoes must come off, before observing all the Buddha shrines. It is filled with money and food, which visitors give as a gift to the Gods to give them good luck.

There was an unexpected stop to observe the process of lacquer paintings at a studio and shop. Each painting takes two months and is inlayed on wood with either eggshells or mother of pearl. The lacquer process takes ten steps to be complete. It is very fascinating and incredibly beautiful. I can’t wait to get my first paycheck here and indulge in a few pieces!

When we got our Vietnamese bank accounts we had to fill out a ton of papers. It got kind of irritating, but Thuan and Hoa, our coordinators were so helpful and did the hard parts for us. Downstairs at Vietcombank we were able to exchange our USD to VND. I converted $1100 USD and left with just over $24.5 million VND. It felt pretty awesome! After a long while at the bank, we headed back to Long Biên to get our international SIM cards. It cost $70,000 VND to activate for 3G, which is only $3.21 USD. I do believe this is the monthly cost and then you just add however much money for minutes. Kind of ridiculous how little it is to have a cell phone plan out here.

We went to Long Biên’s street market with our Vietnamese teacher Ms. Thu to practice and engage in conversation with our very beginner stages of Vietnamese. I got three mangos and a pair of pants for $4 USD. We ate breakfast at a place, where mid meal, Ms. Thu told us we will probably need some medicine after we eat and that she can give it to us. She was right.

Last week we all went to see the Thang Long Water Puppet show. It was a very beautiful and different form of entertainment. It was all spoken and sung in Vietnamese, but the water puppets in action helped formulate a storyline that was understandable.

House hunting was quite the mission. To cut to the chase, we are splitting into two houses, one with five and one with six teachers in the Tay Ho district. I move in today to my new home, where I can finally unpack my suitcase and settle in. Not to mention, go grocery shopping and start cooking!

Hang sửng sốt caves resembles life on another planet.

I can finally say I have been on a cruise! We spent the weekend in Halong Bay and were guests on Majestic Cruise. The bus ride is about three hours from where we are currently staying in Long Biên. On the way over we were all singing oldies songs and looking at all the new surroundings out the window. It made the bus ride go by quickly. When arriving, we docked Majestic Cruise and were greeted with welcome drinks and keys to our rooms. We settled in for about 10 minutes before eating lunch. There was so much food, I am not even sure how many courses it would be considered. Food just kept being brought out to us. After lunch we had about 30 minutes to digest the food before taking a smaller (tender) boat to Hang sửng sốt where we hiked to get views of Halong Bay and walk through the caves. This was so incredible! I didn’t even know the caves existed. We went back to the cruise liner then headed out to go swimming and more hiking. Some of us did the additional hike to the top. Nearly breathless and contemplating giving up halfway, I made it, sweaty and panting as all hell. The water felt deserving afterwards, although it was just as warm as the outside temperature and not the cleanest feeling water. Floating and swimming around taking pictures with Joseph, the Irish’s Go Pro, kept us all insanely entertained. The water left orange coloring on our skin, which is apparently from gasoline. It looked like we all had really bad spray tan’s coming off.

When we got back to the boat, we took well-deserved showers and met on the upper outside deck for happy hour. Piña coladas, margaritas and long island iced teas all being slurped down before dinner and karaoke. Another large course meal with my favorite dish shockingly being fresh bbq’d squid. After a filling dinner, we continued on with happy hour and began some pretty hilarious karaoke. Thuan and Hoa came with us. Hoa’s ringtone is “Kiss Me” and every time it plays we all break out in song to her. So naturally this was our group karaoke song. At night, these big flying ants decided to come out and join our party. Apparently they are harmless and don’t bite, yet I have managed to acquire four bug bites this past weekend. After karaoke, we went “squid fishing.” It was fun to see if we could catch anything off the bamboo pole with fish wire and bait. Staring in to the lit water and watching the jellyfish go by was a very relaxing and calming few moments. No one caught any except for the fisherman who came running in with a freshly killed squid in a net during dinner.

Kate and I kayaking in Halong Bay.

Sunday morning we woke up at 5:00am to watch the sunrise. The sun was already up so I went back to my room, took a nap and headed back to the deck at 6:15am to do some Thai Chi. Although I have never participated in any form of martial arts, Thai Chi is a very graceful form (at least what we were taught) and it was the most peaceful feeling doing it on the deck of a slow boat cruising in silence. Shortly after breakfast was served. It was really nice to have some eggs and toast with jam. After breakfast we took a tender to the fishing village where we went kayaking. Yet again, another memorable kayaking experience. Some people decided to go swimming and two people got stung by jellyfish and one person fell in. We headed back to our boat, sat on the deck enjoying the views and one another’s company, then went to the dining room to get a lesson on how to cook spring rolls! We all rolled up a spring roll and then the cooks put them in the fryer and served them to us with our lunch. They tasted great! Knowing how to make these is going to be very dangerous. I may just eat these everyday for the rest of my residency in Vietnam. Unfortunately Halong Bay was a bit overcast, but nonetheless magical and relaxing.

On our way back home we stopped at the fresh water pearl factory where we saw how they make and take out the pearls. Everything in the storefront was absolutely beautiful. I treated myself to a black mother of pearl bracelet and I got to choose a complementary ring made out of a seashell.

Photo Credit: Jordan Crandell

One of my fellow teachers Erick, asked us all, as we were sitting on the top deck of our boat drinking piña coladas, where we were at one year ago… I was still driving around on a golf course beverage cart serving beer and snacks feeling pretty lost with what I wanted to do. In this moment—in this country—I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Good Morning Vietnam!

July 12, 2015July 12, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / 14 Comments

After three flights, two layovers, thirty hours of being in transit and an additional hour driving in to town, I made it to my new home in Hanoi, Vietnam! I want to give a shout out to Singapore Airlines for being absolutely fantastic. Their service is impeccable and I highly recommend that airline to anyone traveling out this direction. Greeted with warm towels before take off, inclusive and rather tasty meal options, snacks and alcohol and a ton of great movie options, they make you feel very at home for a long journey. Another thank you to the people I met in transit the last day and a half. I engulfed in many great conversations, introduced Mad Libs to a Brit, and was invited to the VIP lounge at my layover at Narita Airport in Japan, where I took a shower, drank beer and connected to Wi-Fi for free! Singapore Changi airport is beautiful and was very peaceful at 3:00am. They have coy ponds, resting areas and a really large art.

Upon arrival yesterday, Jordan, another teacher and I, came in only about an hour apart from each other so we were picked up together. It was so exciting seeing someone holding a sign with my name! Totally a movie kind of moment. My last name was spelled wrong, as it usually is. It had a “g” instead of an “f” but did have the double “n’s.”

“Madison Kaugmann” airport arrival

I suppose this has been coined as my Vietnamese last name for now. We were taken to eat at a local street food joint for pho. It was absolutely delicious!!! For my first introduction to authentic Vietnamese street food, I opened it with an open mouth and belly!

Afterwards, we were dropped off at the dorms, given a key and the Wi-Fi password and then were left on our own. It was a weird and uncomfortable feeling at first, but it subsided once I started unpacking a few items. Having another person with me was definitely comforting and shortly after our arrival some other teachers came back and we all had each other.

Five of us went out to explore, withdrawal money from an ATM and most importantly, find beer. We started at Thai Café, got some Wi-Fi (since mine wasn’t working at the dorms), touched base with some family and friends at home and tried my first Vietnamese coffee. It was absolutely delicious and only 20,000 Vietnamese dong (VND), which is equal to $0.92 US dollars, (USD). After that we walked over to what we call the Bird Spot and had beers. Each beer is 15,000 VND, equaling $0.69 USD. There are birds in cages hanging from the ceiling and we sat in tiny plastic yellow chairs.

“Bird Spot” for beer.

Continuing on our beer and food crawl we went to get food a few shops down and got “duck” and two rounds of beer. The meat was a little chewy, but wasn’t horrible. There were a few other items on the table, some mystery meat wrapped in endless rolls of leaves and bland, but tasty peanuts. It took a few moments to actually try the leaf meat, but we all did. After paying our bill, we took off to a different spot around the corner and had more beer and fried dry noodles with vegetables and “beef.” This was a really good meal! The ladies taking care of us were so nice and were teaching us some Vietnamese words. We will definitely be back! Carrying onwards, our fourth spot was a trendier spot, more inward of the city. We had Budweiser and BIA Saigon Special beer. They put ice cubes in the Saigon beer, which none of us had ever seen or done before. It was someone’s birthday and they kept playing this pretty epic, Vietnamese birthday song. This turned out to be our highest bill since we were drinking imported beer, but it still was only $18 USD for two rounds for five people. When everything is so cheap, it’s easiest to each take care of a bill at a time so there doesn’t need to be any confusion with splitting checks. On top of how inexpensive everything is, you don’t tip here either. I can get used to this!!!

Us teachers are currently living in the dorms at the school. We have our own bed, desk, closet and a balcony overlooking the school and city. Jordan and I are rooming together and woke up this morning at 3:30am to what may sound as rain, but was the ceiling in our bathroom leaking. While waiting for our coordinator to arrive and help solve this problem, we put trashcans to catch the water and were dumping the filled one every so often down the shower drain. We went down to the security guard at 4:30am and tried to use Google Translate to explain our problem and see if there was anyone around to help. It was a failed attempt, to say the least. It was rather comical and I am just thankful it chose to leak in the bathroom and not on our beds! The amount of water was ridiculous. If only I can ship it to California to help with the drought!

Jordan and I walked in to the hall to see if anyone else is up and they were having the same problem as well. There was a massive puddle in the hallway, but it seems no one had as much flooding in their rooms as we did.

Putting all judgments and fears aside, I am willing and able to try whatever comes my way. Eating unknown meat and having a flooded bathroom all within 12 hours of arrival is only making this experience more memorable.

One Day Away

July 8, 2015July 11, 2015 / madisongoesglobal / Leave a comment

In one day I will be venturing off for the biggest journey I have yet to take. Being born and raised in the same city for the last 26 years has been wonderful, but I have yet to experience the enrichment of living elsewhere. Going all out, as I usually tend to do, I am not only moving away from home and all that I know, but to a country that is on the other side of the world, a day away. One which values and cultural representations are far different to that of a SoCal native. I am looking forward to exploring the differences and finding those shared similarities humans everywhere share. This last week I have been trying to keep my sanity, anxiety level low and embrace every moment with my loved ones.

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