Honestly, as silly as this may sound, when I found out that we were required to write a blog post, I felt intimidated. It is a bit difficult for me to put an experience into words. I often feel that I am not vibrant enough in my writing to adequately describe the experience for a reader, let alone the energy and emotions that were felt during. I simply feel that I can’t do the moment justice. Grappling with that feeling is hard when the moment is a core memory or a crucial part of an overall journey. Nonetheless, I am excited to share my experience with you all. Come along for the journey.
We started our day with the most important meal: coffee. While in Saigon – we were told by locals that many of them still refer to Ho Chi Minh City as Saigon – we had a centrally located hotel in the midst of a litany of businesses. One in particular caught our heart, stomach, and wallets. Nghe Coffee, which was ran by Manoel, quickly became a favorite. By the end of the trip, I am certain we tried every single thing that he had to offer. My personal favorite was either the egg coffee or the salt coffee. To be quite frank, I am terrified that I will never have a good cup of coffee again following this trip. When I say I could drink this stuff by the buckets, I am not exaggerating.
This spot became ours. The hotel was about a 2–3-minute walk, depending on our confidence level when crossing the wonderfully chaotic street. Manoel would see us and instantly light up. He would yell out “my friends,” and wave at us enthusiastically. We all truly adored him, and I believe he adored us. His energy was inviting and felt genuine. The conversations had at our tables will forever be engrained in my mind and heart. A cup of coffee became much more meaningful. It was a place where we bonded, had deep conversations, shared our perspectives, experiences, and A LOT of laughter. If you ever find yourself in Saigon, go see our friend and try every single one of his coffee options. You will not regret it.
Much to Professor Buske’s dismay, we found ourselves wanting to try Western food during our stay. While deciding lunch, we saw our opportunity and quickly went for it. We giddily walked to Wagon Wheel, which was a couple of blocks from our hotel. We were all very curious to try the food and experience Saigon’s take on our typical comfort food. Spoiler alert, it was delicious. Upon walking in, it was very western themed. Imagine a Cracker Barrel mixed with Texas Roadhouse, and you have Wagon Wheel. Modern country music was playing, and those old Coca-Cola signs were on the wall. I recall someone making the joke that we were transported back home upon entering the restaurant.
The menu had the standard Western comfort foods. We, of course, ordered a round of onion rings and bacon balls for the table. When our waitress asked us what sauces we would like to dip our appetizers in, I do not think she expected our answer…. “All of them, please.” The first thing I noticed was the portion sizes. During our other dining experiences in Saigon, the portion sizes were moderate, but filling. It felt like just enough, but not too much or overly gluttonous. However, the burger that I ordered was the size of my head. This was a comfort stop for us. Speaking for myself, I started to feel homesick at this point of the trip. Not only homesick, but it was my turn to catch the bug that was being passed around our group. While this food was comforting, I will say that I much prefer the traditional dishes we were served at our other meal. I always felt a lot more energized and not… gross, following a traditional meal. As small as a dining experience may feel, I often thought about how I felt post-meal in Vietnam versus back home. Why do I always feel overly full after a meal back home? Why do I feel so sleepy after a meal back home? Why does the food back home not feel like I am fueling my body? Why did I not feel this way when I ate meals in Vietnam? It truly made me stop and consider what we put in our food back home and how it negatively impacts our overall health. I can go on a huge tangent about this topic in particular, but I have more things to write about!
We had a small break between lunch and our planned site visit with SOS Village. I was really excited about this site visit, because I thought it was such a unique model, and I was looking forward to seeing the village and how it worked in-person. I was deeply moved by what I saw in the village. In my opinion, this organization is truly remarkable. Many people may not realize that the child welfare system in the United States often lacks consistency, leaving many children to fend for themselves once they age out of foster care. I can drone on about my thoughts and opinions on our system, however, that would quickly become a law review article.
A bit of background on the organization:
SOS was created after World War II by Hermann Gmeiner after noticing the significant number of children who lost their parental figures due to the war. Speculating, as I can’t say with 100% certainty, but Hermann must have witnessed a lot of first-hand accounts, as he was actually an Austrian soldier during this time. Nonetheless, he was moved and opened the first SOS Village in Imst.
Today, SOS operates 17 villages across Vietnam, with many more around the world. The Saigon village is the largest in Vietnam, consisting of 20 homes, each led by a housemother who serves as the primary caregiver for 8 to 9 children. In addition to the housemothers, the children are also supported by “aunties” who help provide care and nurture.
The village is home to two schools, and several SOS villages also include health centers. While this particular village did not have a health center, I think there was one in close proximity. The children not only live and learn here but are supported through their university education as well. Even after they grow up, they are always welcomed back into the community and encouraged to stay connected with their family.
The village itself is absolutely beautiful, serene, and feels so warm. There are pathways lined with greenery and trees. It felt very peaceful walking throughout the village. We got plenty of waves and warm welcomes from the families that resided there. One family opened up their home to us and allowed us to come inside. It was full of books, photographs of the family, and genuine love. This home had a very small infant, and it was beautiful to see the older children taking care of their younger sibling. The bond the children had with each other and their mom was obvious and real. There is no other way to describe it other than the feeling of warmth and love. I am honestly getting emotional while writing this portion of the blog, because I can just feel it all over again.
While we were there, we had the joy of meeting the children—who, though not pictured out of respect for their privacy, are bright, loving, and vibrant. We had a blast playing badminton, talking with them, taking photographs (at their request), and just learning more about their daily life. We were asked multiple times if we ate at Taco Bell, to which we responded “absolutely.” This one little boy in particular touched my heart. I think it is because he reminded me of my little brother. In the midst of the energy of the other children, he was very quiet and soft-spoken. At his request, I showed him pictures of my animals back home and we bonded over a shared love of cats. He told me all about his “fat and old cat,” whom he clearly loved. He was a very kind and thoughtful soul and truly touched my life.
While touring, we learned that due to Vietnam reaching a certain status in regard to children being protected and being at a place where there is less of a risk, the organization is moving funding towards different countries that are considered to have a greater need.
This decision has caused the village we visited to shut down some of the houses. In addition, there is also talk of the village actually shutting down in a few years. If this were to happen, SOS village would give the land back to the government, and the government would make the decision of what to do with the space and the children occupying the same.
Of course, this prompted MANY questions. Where would the children go? Will they be able to stay with their families? Will they be separated? What will happen to the housemothers? None of these questions could be answered, and it left me feeling unsettled. The bond is so evident amongst these families, and it genuinely makes me incredibly emotional when I think about the fact that they could get separated and never see each other again.
I truly hope there is some way to keep the children
together. The SOS model fosters stability and creates a loving community that
children statistically thrive in. They are supported, loved, nurtured,
well-educated, and bright. What will happen to these children if that stability
is taken away from them? Will it fundamentally change the trajectory of their
life? I plan to keep up with SOS and hope that my questions will be answered in
a positive way in the future.
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