4/30: Unification Day

Today was a half day tour of the Citadel and the Tomb of Khai Dinh.

Information about the Citadel from Josh's report: The Citadel of Hue, also known as the Forbidden Purple Palace, was modeled after the Forbidden City in Bejing. Constructed on the north bank of the Perfume River, the Citadel was the home for thirteen emperors of Vietnam. Construction was completed in 1832 under the reign of Emperor Ming Mang The perimeter of its exterior wall is ten kilometers long. It is the sight where the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, abdicated in 1945 to Ho Chi Minh's government. In 1968 during the Tet Offensive, during fierce fighting in the Citadel, many buildings were destroyed.

Walk way and ponds in the Citadel

Mausoleum of Khai Dinh

Information about Emperor Khai Dinh from Emmy's report: Khai Dinh, born in 1885, was the 12th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. His adopted son, Bao Dai, was Vietnam's last emperor. His reign lasted from 1916 through 1925. Influenced by both European and Vietnamese cultures, Khai DaiDinh's mausoleum reflects the architecture of both.

Josh on the afternoon cyclo ride to Dong Ba market

Michelle with a cyclo driver

Market photo

Another market photo

This really cute boy came up to everyone in my small group and shook each one of our hands.

More market photos

4/29: My Son and Hue

My Son (pronounced Mee Sun), which is about an hour drive from Hoian.

Adam, our class expert on My Son, telling the group a little about the ruins.

Though the Cham people of My Son were Hindu, this sure does look like a sculpture of Buddha

History of My Son, from Adam's report: My Son is a cluster of abandoned temples built during the Cham Dynasty, between the fourth and fourteenth centuries. The technique they used to hold the bricks together is a mystery, scientists today still do not know how they did it (while wondering around the ruins, our guide Mike pointed out how you can tell by the moss growth where the original temple still exists and where the temples have been reconstructed - the bricks in the original sites were so tightly placed together that even after 1000 years, moss still cannot grow between them). The Cham Dynasty ended in 1832 at the hands of Viet troops during the Nguyen Dynasty. Many of the temples were damaged during the American War from US bombings.

Caleb looking sad, or maybe contemplative

Shirley, Rebecca, Madison and Anna

Luca, my six-armed student

Hai Van pass, about an hour north of Hoian

Colorful reflections on the Perfume River in Hue, about four hours from Hoian (but Ha, our national guide, told me to write that it was only three hours: "Don't say too much, because people get scared.")

My student, Josh, being green

4/28: Kindergarten and lantern making

On the bike ride to our lantern making lesson, Ha stopped us at a kindergarten. The teachers were so happy to welcome us into their classrooms. In each classroom we entered, the students sang us a song, and then we played with the students for a little while.

After that we rode to the lantern making factory. This is Luca with the lantern that he made. On the way back to our hotel, we also stopped at a rice field and saw how the rice was cut and separated from the stalk.

Banana flower

Banana flower salad - very delicious!

This is our last day in Hoian. Tomorrow we reenter the world of buses, and visit My Son, the site of the ancient Cham ruins, and then bus to Hue, the ancient capitol of Vietnam.

At our evening meeting, students brainstormed strategies for dealing with conflicts which inevitably arise when being with each other 24-7:
"Sometimes I get fed up with people for the smallest reasons. If I take a break, read a book, then it takes my mind off of it, and helps me to put things in perspective."

"I am not the type of person that gets angry easily, but when I do, I get really angry. I've learned to recognize the signs when I am starting to get upset, so I take a break before it gets worse."

"Counting silently to three really helps me to calm down."

"If you let things build up, it can get bad, so talk about it first, before it builds up."

"Going somewhere and being alone really helps me."

"We've been put into a lot of different groups - chaperone groups, lesson groups, random dinner groups. Being around a different set of people really helps me because I am not around the same set of people all the time."

"People get upset about different things, so communicate with your room mate, let her know what your tendencies are."

Talk to your room mate about your issues, for your room mate might not know what he is doing that is upsetting you."

"If you need space, let your room mate know. Use your room for your own personal space for a short while."

"The person at the receiving end needs to realize that it is not person, you just need some space."

"I don't like to be alone when I get upset. Going out and doing something helps to distract me from whatever was bothering me."

"Take three steps back, either literally or metaphorically."

"Sometimes I image the conversation I would have, then I image my friend's response, and how I would reply. The conversation in my head helps me to realize how unreasonable I'm being."

"Make an effort to not do the small things that upset the other person."

"Confrontation is not always bad, it can be good, as long as it doesn't turn into a cat fight."

"If you are having an issue with someone, write it down. Sometimes you get clearer when you spend some time writing. Then, if you can't resolve it, you can also ask your friend to read what you wrote."

4/27: Markets and Cooking

Orphanage update:
19 students donated $320 of their Vietnamese spending money. With your additional support, we have raised over $600 so far. Thank you so much, and I am sure the staff and children of the orphanage would thank you as well.

In the morning I took my group of eight students to the fish and vegetable markets.

Fisher woman

Really large net

Fishing net

Really large cuttle fish and squid

Vegetable market

Woman eating

A shop keeper was explaining to me that since I am 51 (though I am really 50, in Vietnam I am 51 because they count the pregnancy as your first year, so when you are born, you are one year old) and she is 55, that she is my "older sister," so I refer to her as "chi" and she refers to me as "am," meaning younger brother. As a math teacher, I love the use of the "less than" sign drawn on her hand.

Fresh lemon grass

In the afternoon my group rode their bikes to the cooking lesson. But first, we were taken on tour to the vegetable market.

Taro root

I really tired vegetable market sales woman

My students at their cooking lesson

Caleb happily showing off his beautiful fresh rolls

Katie driving the boat back to Hoian after the cooking lesson

RED BRIDGE COOKING SCHOOL
CLASSIC HALF DAY TOUR RECIPES & NOTES

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SEAFOOD SALAD WITH VIETNAMESE HERBS IN HALF A PINEAPPLE - SERVES 4

PAN/WOK MIXTURE
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of thinly sliced shallots
100 grams of shrimp (shelled & deveined) & thinly sliced squid
1 teaspoon of thinly sliced ginger
½ teaspoon of black pepper

SALAD MIXTURE
1 cup of grated or sliced papaya, green mango, lotus roots, carrot,
cucumber & onion
2 sliced red chillies
2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoons of salt
2 limes or 1 lemon
1 cup of mixed mint (Vietnamese & Standard Garden Mint)
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

1 pineapple – cut 2 sides and empty the middle.
2 pieces of crispy rice paper-toasted on bbq

Add 2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to wok/fry pan and stir in shallots until lightly brown - add shrimp and cook for 1 more minute. Put in squid and 1 teaspoon of ginger, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes – adding ½ teaspoon of black pepper at the end.

Transfer wok’s contents to a large bowl and add salad mixture (except the mint and sesame seeds), mixing well.

Add the mint & sesame seeds just before serving, toss lightly – (sesame seeds will become soggy & mint will turn black if allowed to stand in mixture too long). Transfer contents to pineapple boat and serve immediately with pieces of crispy rice paper.

FRESH RICE PAPER ROLLS OF SHRIMP - SERVES 4

PAN/WOK MIXTURE
100 grams of Shrimp.
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
1 pinch of sugar & salt

SALAD MIXTURE
½ cup of grated green papaya (or green mango, bean sprouts)
½ cup of grated cucumber
½ cup of grated carrot
Slices of spring onion
2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lime juice
1 pinch of sugar & salt

Fresh rice paper - as per recipe below.
10 medium sized lettuce leaves - sliced
Chopped fresh herbs - coriander, Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese basil

Pour vegetable oil into wok (medium heat); add shrimp, 1 pinch of salt & sugar, and cook for 1 minute. In a separate bowl add the salad mixture, mixing well. Let sit - while preparing the fresh rice paper.

FRESH RICE PAPER

Rice Batter
1 cup of white rice
Pinch of salt
1 bamboo or kebab stick
Soak the rice in the fresh water for 7 hours. Wash the rice at least 3 times, draining the water each time. This rice should be white, and all water drained away.
Mix 1 cup of the rice with 2 cups of water, and add a pinch of salt. Place in a blender and blend for 7 minutes - then leave for one hour.

Method
Cover a pot of boiling water with a sheet of thin white cotton and secure it using elastic. Using a big soup spoon (about 2 tablespoons) scoop out the batter and pour onto the cotton - use the bottom of the spoon to move the batter around to form a circle. Steam the batter for one minute - then use the bamboo stick to lift the rice paper from the cotton.

Rolling
Place wok & salad mixture, lettuce and fresh herbs on the rice paper. Roll up the rice paper – taking care to tuck the edges of the paper as you roll.

Tips:
1. When removing the rice paper from the pot, flip the paper over, so the top “dry side” of the rice paper is facing down
2. When stacking the rice paper, place a portion of a lettuce or bamboo leaf between each one to prevent them from sticking. This makes it easy to take 1 piece at a time when needed.
3. Fresh rice paper is difficult to buy in most western countries; however dried rice paper, in packets, is readily available - and is a suitable substitute. To soften dried rice paper for rolling – remove contents from the packet and place amongst fresh vegetables or leaves for 3 hours, or immerse in water.
4. Dip rolls into a sweet and sour sauce before eating - see recipe below.

HOI AN PANCAKES (BÁNH XÈO)

Rice Batter
1 cup of dried rice flour
1½ cups of fresh water
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon of turmeric powder (or curry, saffron or food colour powder dissolved in water)
Mix all together, leave in the room temperature for one hour.
An alternative is to use the batter mix from the fresh rice paper rolls (above)

Ingredients
150 grams of finely cut shrimps, shelled, and deveined (or any other seafood)
2 thin strips of Pork
Vegetable oil for frying
2 thinly sliced spring onions
250 grams of bean sprouts
Topping mix - Mint, coriander, Vietnamese basil, carrot and banana flower
Packet of rice paper

Add the shrimp & pork to the rice batter, and heat a little oil in a small non–stick frying pan. Stir the batter and pour just enough into the pan to create a thin layer – top with a few bean sprouts and spring onion - fry over medium–to-high heat until the bottom of the pancake is crisp. Fold the pancake in half and turn out onto a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients, adding a little oil to the frying pan for each pancake.
To serve, each person takes a piece of pancake, adds a little topping mix and wraps it in a rice paper. Dip it into a peanut sauce (see below for recipe) before eating.

VIETNAMESE EGGPLANT IN CLAY POT - SERVES 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Peanut Oil
1 clove Garlic - finely chopped
2 Tomatoes - quartered, inner section & seeds removed.
1 Lemongrass - finely chopped (keep stalk)
1 Spring Onion - cut into 3 cm pieces
2 Asian (long & thin) Eggplants - cut into 4cm long & 1cm wide pieces.
1 Red Chilli - cut into thin strips
1 ½ tablespoons of Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 pinch of turmeric
1 punch of pepper
Basil

Method
Put medium sized Clay Pot on heat, add 2 teaspoons of Oil and stir in Garlic till fragrant.
Add Tomato & Lemongrass to the pot (not Lemongrass stalk).
Add 2 tablespoons of water & stir.
Allow mixture to simmer for approx 2 minutes
Next add fish sauce & sugar - mix well.
Add Eggplant
Pour in a cup of water
Add another 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce & sugar - mix well
Add the turmeric, pepper, & lemongrass stalk.
Allow mixture to simmer for approx 7 minutes (until eggplant tender).
Garnish with Basil, Coriander, Spring Onion & Chilli.

Tips
Serve Hot with steamed rice
Lemongrass stalk is a flavour enhancer only - do not eat
You can substitute Turmeric for curry powder or similar

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

1 tablespoon of water
½ teaspoon of sour chilli sauce
½ teaspoon of tomato puree
½ tablespoon of finely chopped white onion
½ tablespoon of finely chopped pineapple
½ tablespoon of finely chopped tomato
½ teaspoon of crushed ginger
½ teaspoon of vegetable oil

Heat wok with vegetable oil and add all ingredients (except water and sour chilli / tomato sauces) – starting with onion. Fry for a few seconds, then add remaining ingredients. Bring to simmer and serve in a cocktail glass.

PEANUT SAUCE
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of brown sugar or honey
1 pinch of chilli powder
1/4 cup of water or coconut milk

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, and mix over a moderate heat for 10 seconds (add lime juice if necessary)

FISH SAUCE (NƯỚC MẮM)

2 tablespoons of fish sauce – clear or light fish sauce only
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of finely chopped chilli

1 teaspoon of sugar
1 lime or lemon – juice only
1 teaspoon of grated ginger (optional)

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly until sugar is dissolved.
Serve as dipping sauce for spring rolls.

STEAMED OCEAN FISH ON A BED OF MIXED VEGETABLES

200 grams of ocean fish (fillet)
¼ cup of the heart of a banana flower
or fresh paprika flowers
¼ cup of Wood-ear mushrooms or similar
2 tablespoons of spring onions
¼ cup of sliced white onion
¼ cup of sliced pineapple
¼ cup of sliced tomato
¼ cup of sliced carrot
1 cup glass noodles, soaked in cold water

Cooking Sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1½ tablespoons of sugar

Method
Place the fish and noodles on a steaming tray, put the vegetables on the top and sides of the fish, and then add the cooking sauce on top. Place in a bamboo steamer (or similar) and steam for 15 minutes.

Tip
You can also use a whole fish that contains few bones

4/26: Farming and orphanage

Our lesson this morning was farming. We road our bikes out of the city and through the rice fields to this farm. Above are my students on a tour of the farm.

They learned to hoe, plant and water.

My students planting Chinese cabbage seedlings

Three of my students

Then we had a cooking lesson - this is a savory pancake with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts.

The farmers prepared a delicious meal for us after the cooking lesson. This is tuna in bamboo leaf, and rice with sesame seeds

In the afternoon we went to the orphanage. Here we are outside the orphanage with the products Evergreen School bought for them: rice, milk, baby formula, yogurt, lanterns, and school supplies.

There are 64 children at the orphanage, from new born to 18 years old. 20 of the children have physical disabilities, many of them from agent orange (still affecting children from the American war).

There are four infants, including two girls that were abandoned at the orphanage's door within the past month, one of them a few days old, and this one they are estimating at about two months old. I ended up in the room for the physically disabled children and the infants. I held this girl for a long time, for if I tried to put her down, she would start to cry. S0 I never saw what the rest of my students were doing, but I heard later that they went outside to play with the other children.

Shirley, the other trip leader, with the newborn orphan

Two children

This boy loved playing with my camera

He hasn't quite mastered photography let, though it is a pretty interesting perspective.

One of my students holding one of the blind twins

Every night before dinner, we circle up for announcements, and for the students to have an opportunity to reflect and share.
Student comments on their orphanage experience:
"I spent time with a seventeen year old who couldn't speak. The workers asked him what his dream was, and he said to be a singer. So he sang a song, and though he could barely talk, he could hold a tune. "
"I was amazed how resilient these kids are. They have lost everything. The orphanage only pays about 50 cents a day for their upkeep. Their opportunities to get out of the orphanage is not as prevalent as we would hope for. Some of the children couldn't even stand up, and yet they were so happy to see us. It is incredible that they find true joy in that situation."
"One student asked me to draw a picture for him. Nearby was a shy girl. He brought her over and asked me to draw the same picture for her."
"I enjoyed being with the disabled children more than the normal ones. If you didn't have a present for the normal kids than it was as if you didn't exist. With the disabled kids all you had to do was pick them up and rub their back and they fell in love with you."
"I was sad and happy at the same time: sad that there was such suffering, but happy that I could bring some light into their lives."
"I was kind of wondering what these little kids did all day with so little, 'cuz I kind of buy my entertainment."
"I felt so guilty when I saw how their faces lit up with the smallest gift. In America we take so much for granted. When you get something, you want something else."
"It's interesting, depending how you were raised, how some people will always want more, while others are content with so little."
"I walked into the circle and sat down. Immediately a little girl crawled into my lap. I stayed with her for the next hour."

Mrs. Cong, the director of the orphanage, explained to us that this is a government sponsored orphanage, but they pay the equivalent of about 50 cents a day per person for everything the children need. Thus, the orphanage is very dependent on outside resources. When new children arrive, like the two infants this last month, the orphanage must petition the government for additional funds. In the two months it takes for the government to complete the paper work, all costs for the infants come out of the pockets of the administrators, teachers, and workers. In the 24 years she has worked here, only about 6 or 7 children have been adopted (it was explained to me later by our guide that the Vietnamese are very hesitant to adopt children). The director told us her dream: she would like to build three more classrooms for the children, build a kitchen that doesn't leak, make the grounds more beautiful with some landscaping, and install a new pump for the well so that the water is safe to drink.

After the evening session, some students offered to donate some of their Vietnamese spending money to help the children in the orphanage. So far they have raised $120. If anyone who is reading this would like to help out, either let me know how much you would like to donate, and I will get the money to the orphanage (you can send a check to my wife Christy, like we did before with Mikel in India), or use the information below to donate directly.

Quang Nam Orphans and Handicapped Children Center
108 Nguyen Truong To Street
Hoi An City
Quang Nam Province
Vietnam

Director Pham Thi Cong
Account No: 065-1-00-048645-2
Joint Stock Commercial Bank For Foreign Trade Of Vietnam
Branch in Hoi An City,
Quang Nam Province
Swift Code: BFTVVNVX065

Two conversations:
I have been eating pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) every morning for breakfast. I asked the cook to put in some more greens in my bowl. His face lit up. "You like. Me too. Very tasty. I grow these myself."

Hoian is famous for their tailors. Every year I take my group to the same tailor, who does very good work. I bring her so many customers, so always offers to make me something. As she was measuring me for a "Nehru jacket," she said to me, "This year you have bad breath." That was sort of an unusual thing to say to someone, but I have had more unusual things said to me. I repeated what I thought she said, and she replied, "No, I said this year you have brown skin." that was much better.