3/18: Last day in Hanoi

Our last day in Hanoi, and checking out of the hotel is always a little hectic, so a few of the adults went to the closest banh my shop and ordered 15 sandwiches for the adults. Unfortunately, these banh my were not Alicia's favorite.

The sidewalks in the old section of Hanoi are really just motor cycle parking lots.

We took the students to Hoa Lo Prison museum, known by the American prisoners of war as "Hanoi Hilton." The videos in the museum said it got this name because the prisoners were treated so well. I have a feeling, just a hunch, that there might have been a little sarcasm in the renaming of the prison.

An American who lit himself on fire in protest of the Vietnam War

Hoa Lo prison was built by the French in 1896, and was used to house Vietnamese political prisoners. The prison documents the horrible abuses suffered by the Vietnamese under the French. In 1954 the prison came under the control of the North Vietnamese, and was used during the American War for captured American pilots.

John McCain receiving medical treatment at Hoa Lo prison

About half the prison documented the American War, including the anti-war movement in both Europe and the United States.

John McCain returning to "Hanoi Hilton" in the year 2000.

After the prison tour, we took the students the the Museum of Ethnology, which beautifully documents the 53 minority groups of Vietnam.

Max and Jimmy at one of the minority houses in the outdoor section of the museum

Student meditation
This is about the time of the trip when students start to get on each other's nerves, tensions grow, as does home sickness. So we did this guided meditation and then a few moments of quiet reflection.

We are half way through the third week.
We have all experienced so much.
And all of our experiences are different,
Even when we do exactly the same thing.
Our reactions to the event might be different,
Because we carry so much into each event -
Our own thoughts,
Our own past,
Our own expectations.

Have you ever felt anger or frustration or impatience in reaction to an event,
Only later, when you had time to relax and reflect, see the event very differently.
It is all about who we are,
What we carry with us
And how we choose to react

This is one of the most important lessons we can learn from traveling,
And it's a paradox -
We travel so far
Only to learn about ourselves.

We are more than half way through this trip,
And we have had so many opportunities.
But the opportunity is really to go inside of ourselves
And learn about who we are.

You might be asked to do something out of the ordinary,
Like eat a meal in complete silence.
And you might say to yourself,
"This is stupid," or "This is not fun."
But the opportunity is to take the experience one step further,
And say to your self,
"What does this experience teach me about myself?"
"Why do I think this is stupid?"
"Why do I think this is not fun?"

I am the projector of my reality.
My awareness of the world is a reflection of who I am.
It is a projection of my own state of mind.

I get angry at my friend.
What does this say about who I am?
Why do I choose to be angry?
I get into a conflict with someone.
What does this say about who I am?
What can I learn about me?

I am responsible for my own behavior.
I can be a victim of circumstance,
Or I can choose to learn,
Choose to grow.

In every interaction
In everything I do,
I can choose to curse,
Or I can choose to bless.
I can choose to take responsibility for me.