Page of Cảm Ờn

More then ten months ago this blog was launched and before the first post was up I wrote and published a Page of Thanks, acknowledging and thanking all the advisors, professors, family and friends who had gotten to the point of disembarkation for my Fulbright. Thus it’s only fitting that on my last day as a teacher at Dong Thap Community College I publish my Page of Cảm Ờn thanking those Vietnamese teachers, hosts and friends who got me through my Fulbright.

So please go to the top right of this page and click on the newly added Page of Cảm Ờn, or click here. You will find the speech I gave today before the college thanking those who impacted my time here.

This is the penultimate Vietnam based blog post.

The curtain is quickly falling upon my Fulbright and I can hear the orchestra getting ready for my swan sang. And here I thought my Fulbright would be tough – turns out saying goodbye (especially to my students) is near impossible.

An Embarrassment of Riches

Slightly more then a year ago I was sitting in the Mann Center in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia sweating under a black polyester gown, trying to manage my stole, honors sash and medallion and Latin honors cords with MCAT flashcards tucked not-so-discreetly up my sleeve and studying while advice was given and names were called.

In that moment I was getting ready to accept a job as a chemical technician at a local consumer quality testing company and settle in for a generic gap year…and my oh my just look where I ended up!

In this intervening year that has passed I have, quite frankly, been so blessed I am wondering (and praying that this isn’t the case) if I have used up all my karmic juju.

I am not working in Horsham, PA , instead I am working in an even more unheard of city called Cao Lãnh, Dong Thap, Vietnam – but that’s beside the point.

I have been on and am in the closing stretch of one of the most incredible and rare opportunities and adventures that could have been afforded to me. I never would have thought I would apply for a Fulbright, let alone be a finalist, and positive that I wouldn’t win a grant thus becoming the second student in my university's history to win one – but nature had different plans.

In the 9.5 months since I stepped on that plane headed for Chicago, then Tokyo and then Hanoi I have:

• ·     Gained admission into my top-choice DO/MPH program and in August 2013 will be off on my new adventure of medical school.
• ·     Recently found out that my manuscript textbook chapter has been accepted for publication. My second first author-peer-reviewed scientific publication, not even a year out of undergrad.
• ·     Learned to love Vietnam, my students and empowered them to reach new heights in their learning.
• ·     Made some awesome connections that would make any ambassador proud.

What has sparked this nostalgic glance back you might ask. My last trip with my Fulbright Family and the realization that I have 14 full days left in Cao Lãnh before I will most likely say goodbye forever.

The Fulbright Family has been planning this Phu Quoc trip for a while as we (foolishly) planned to enter in a local 10K/half marathon and run as Team M.A.P. (Make America Proud) – a small inside joke started by the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Hanoi. This trip was the last hurrah before the final hurrah and impending sadness of our closing meeting in Hanoi.

Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island and is off the coast of Cambodia. It is known for its beaches which remain mostly undeveloped (but that is changing) and its heat.

The beach in front of our hotel in Phu Quoc Island. You get to the various restaurants and cafes by just walking along the beach - you never need shoes. It's great!

Our beachfront hotel

A pet monkey

Team M.A.P lounging the day before the race.

I knew about this 10K for a while and I have been religiously training.  Since I landed in July I have run 516.62 miles. When I started I was choking through 3 miles and dying under the heat and pollution of Hanoi. But I kept at it and in March I ran 83.7 miles and in April pounded out 90.4 miles. In fact by the time April rolled around I was running 2 to 4 10Ks a week and I would run them consecutively day after day until I just couldn’t turn one out. Also I have avoided rice during my time here, focused on eating veggies and fruits and high amounts of eggs, cheese and yogurt with few carbs. Plus there is no junk food or western food in Cao Lãnh so I have been shedding the college weight and inches with startling quickness. The only flaw in this plan was that the race was at 3:30 pm – I teach at 3:30 so I would run at 5:30 after work, but the sun is setting by then and the heat is mostly ebbing. Not realistic race day conditions.

Race day arrived on Saturday, May 11, 2013. It was 93°F, but the humidity of 78% made it feel like 107°F according to weather.com, and I am about to do a 10K. Don’t worry the thought crossed my mind that I had not only paid to run on a public road, but I had paid to run in May at 3:30pm on Vietnam’s southern-most island. A place that most people vacation at and lounge on was for me a deathtrap to be battled. Perhaps I'm crazy.

My only goal was to get in under 50 minutes – a time I had never been able to break in my training runs but often came irritatingly close to.

Team M.A.P assembled and under the unforgiving sun we were off. I started out way too fast – almost 1min:30sec faster then the first mile I usually ran, but I was passing people and it felt good. By mile 3 I realized that there was no wind, and no shade – and now the heat was setting in and my only thought was “You spent 735,000 VND ($35 USD) – 3 months worth of veggie money - on this stupid race, you are going to run this f**kin’ thing even if it kills you”.

The racecourse was on a paved highway and a clay road – now this being Nam the traffic was flowing so huge trucks, buses, bikes and motorbikes are all whizzing by this largely western group of 200ish runners. Since it rained the night before we also dodged huge lakes in the middle of the mud road. On top of that the water-stations were off the course with large jugs you had to dispense into a cup yourself, none of that volunteer holding out a cup of water for you – no siree! I realize now that this is so the way Vietnam would hold a footrace, but those tourists who had flown in were – well surprised to say the least.

As I rounded the halfway mark I was ready to just give up – but the figure skater inside of me said “hell to the no” and off I went. At this point I knew that there were only 3 people in front of me and if I passed one I was guaranteed to place. So I foolishly picked up my already overzealous pace and chased one down, but back on the paved road heading to the finish I couldn’t maintain it and had to stop in the broiling sun to try and not throw-up, and the guy I chased down passed me. I picked myself back up and ran – now out of anger and embarrassment. I came up the hill to the finish and headed down and shady path and said a few hallelujahs to God that I had found shade. I saw a 200 meter-marker – which I had at first read as 20 meters and when that second 0 was visible I swore in an unambassador like manner. Down the hill I flew and saw the 100 meter-marker and my spirit was soaring and then saw a man – who I thought in my dehydrated daze was the finish line. I neared him and he motioned to the right, and then I hit sand.

Yep a beach – the last 50 meters were on a FRIKEN BEACH!!! WHO DOES THAT? After running 9.95K in no shade, no wind, 107°F heat who does that? Seriously?!

I was so weak and caught-off guard I nearly fell face-first into the sand. This isn’t sand pounded by the surf I am talkin’ the sand that is deep and sucks your foot in. I just let out a nice loud F-U-C-K. Again so sorry. I flailed my way to the finish line and the supporters of Team M.A.P. (two Fulbrighters who were wise enough not to run) were screaming to cheer me on. I crossed the finish line, stumbling past a lady trying to give me a participant finishers medal and just mimed water and somebody took pity and gave me a bottle.

I was the first of Team M.A.P. to cross the finish line and I did it in 49min:50sec – 10 seconds under my GOAL! If you're wondering that’s an average split of 8min:01sec a min/mile. What was shocking was that two of men ahead of me weren’t in my age group which meant I was second! Yep I won second place! It's the first time in seven years, since the end of skating that I have won a medal/trophy for an athletic (and not intellectural or academic) achievement. And damn did it feel good - just like the good ol' days. I'm seriously considering making 10Ks part of my new fitness routine, something to take back stateside.

Another gift in the already absurdly rich year since graduation! Minus the swearing I did Team M.A.P. proud and was the only American man or woman to place in the entire event! USA represented!

I then proceded to pull my phone out of my shorts, ditch my iPod and shirt (which was stripped off long ago) and dove into the ocean. It felt great! Then I cheered on the rest of Team M.A.P. I am proud to report we all made it!

Team M.A.P. From L to R (back row): Andrew, Trevor, Jefferson, Me, Quan (front row): Anna, Andanda and Lindsay

Lindsay finding some Zen before the race

Warming up before the race

Lots of warming up - a bit of hyperbole given the ambient temperature that day.

Lindsay with the classic Vietnamese "V". They do that in almost every picture...I still don't quite get it.

Amanda striking a pose

All smiles - clearly we haven't started yet.

And the fools are off in an attempt not to collapse from heat strok or dehydration.

Across the Finish line!

Jefferson coming down the aforementioned beach from Hell.

Next up was Amanda

Followed by Lindsay

Back on an awards podium - God how I have forgotten what that felt like!

Medals, trophies and envelopes - totally made the fee, heat, sweat and cursing worth it!

My new glass torphy to commemorate all the sweat and pride!

As I left Phu Quoc on legs still wobbly (3 days later) I realized that I need to live these last 2 weeks in Cao Lãnh and 5 days in Hanoi soaking in every single hard-earned moment. I have walked that tightrope and even when the wind was strong I clung on because I knew that what was awaiting me was so worth it.

This week I am watching my students’ final presentations and some of them are blowing me away. The journey of Fulbright is more then enough, but to have medical school, a second publication, and a second place finish in the 10K is really too rich and gluttonous and nearing the point of absurdity.

My mother mentioned to me, that I have tendency to forget punctuation. She’s not talking about my grammar, but the fact that I am such a planner that I don’t live in the moment and relish the end of things because I am too busy planning my next move. See example 1: MCAT flashcards at graduation. But I am more determined then ever to end this the right way. You don’t write 40 blog posts (440 pages and counting) to let it fizzle out.

Someday I hope my future (well behaved, responsible, diligent, academically motivated) children will read these posts and be able to take away how much the process, the daily ins and outs, the weekly frustrations, the joys and triumphs and those low moments are worth experiencing and moving through so that you can reach a point of joy and love and reap the rewards of such challenging interpersonal growth and humanitarian scholarly service.

In fact Dong Thap Community College just welcomed two volunteers who will live here for 6 months teaching a variety of things, one from Italy and one from Spain. I have been showing them around town and hooking them up with various people in the college trying to give them the keys I didn’t have as I was the only foreigner in Cao Lãnh for the past 8.5 months and struggled to adjust and deal with the loneliness.

Their presence here at this time is doing 2 things:

1. I am watching them go through what I went through. The amazing sights, smells and food coupled with the shock of adjusting and frustrations with getting the gears churning on their time here. I'm realizing through them that the mundane is pretty special and as I get ready to leave I should take a more honest stock of what Cao Lãnh and DTCC has given me and recapture some of that wonder and awe.
2. It is giving me a chance to take my Fulbright to even more nations that I could have ever imagined. I knew I would interact with Vietnamese and Americans would read this blog. But now my cultural-fluidity (which is still low, but appears high to newcomers) is now helping and Italian and Spanish volunteers. Talk about ambassadorship – done and done! Also it’s nice to leave them with the veggie lady and fruit lady who don’t rip off expats. Show them the bakery with the creampuffs and where the real chocolate is hidden in the VINAMART – all things I stumbled upon as I adjusted month after month. 

It’s time for me to stop writing and get to bed as I have another round of final presentations in the morning. And I am super excited.

Have a good week readers.

Our massive post-race dinner. 19 people (Team M.A.P + so called "Friends of Fulbright" i.e. our various travel companions and co-teachers) and we kept the staff busy

Central Nam

Last week was a five-day national holiday to celebrate a number of things including Reunification (April 30^th – the day Saigon/HCMC fell/was liberated), International Labor Day and May Day. As such the students had five days, which meant that it was time for a vacation, and since I have seen the North and live in the South all that was left was the middle. Of course I didn’t go alone – I went with the most spectacular and entertaining travel buddy anyone could wish for, fellow ETA Michelle Brown! We have traveled together over New Years in HCMC and Hanoi and our similar sense of humor and general desire to run early in the morning, then saunter and café it up all day with a good book make our trips fun and relaxing.

On this trip we took in the sights of Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An. We started in Hue where we hung with fellow Fulbright ETA Anna – who is awesome and super cool. Hue was the northern most city of South Vietnam when it existed and it is also home to the ancient Citadel. Hue is spilt by a wide river called the perfume river. On the north side is the old imperial city, and across the river to the south is the new modern city. The Citadel covers 520 hectares (1,285 acres) and is enclosed by a 26’ high 6-mile long wall with 10 watchtowers and a moat. The Citadel is laid out in a similar fashion to the Forbidden City in Beijing with many smaller enclosures and courtyards opening onto more courtyards. Unfortunately the Citadel was heavily bombed during the war and while restoration is underway large swathes of it remain decimated. During the Tet Offensive the Citadel was used as the last holdout of the Viet Cong so monument was largely ruined.

As I spent time walking through ancient imperial city the feeling of beautiful decay washed over me and settled like a gray cloud. If you have ever been to Venice you know this feeling. The fact that some of the beauty of this place is because it’s so ancient it’s crumbling and you get the sense that it’s time here is fading. The fleetingness gives everything that last tinge of luster as the city slowly sings it swan song. Unlike Venice Hue isn’t sinking, but it’s sad and sublime all the same. Pictures below.

Michelle and I outside the Imperial Citadel

After taking some time in the Citadel we ventured back to civilization where we took a bike ride to a local pagoda and monastery outside of town called the Thien Mu Pagoda. This pagoda is set up on a hill on the banks of the perfume river. It features incredible gardens and pine trees that perfume the air reminded me of Da Lat. Beyond it’s pretty location, and being an active monastery, it’s also the former home of Thich Quang Duc. While the name won’t ring a bell what he did will.

In 1963 he traveled to Saigon and sat calmly in a square, was doused with kerosene and lit himself on fire. He never flinched or screamed, cried or whimpered – he just burned. He was protesting President’s Ngo Dinh Diem’s repressive “democratic” regime. The Austin car he drove to Saigon is at the monastery.

Dragon River boats you can rent to ride to the monastery if biking isn't quite your style.

The Perfume River, which bisects Hue

The main tower of the pagoda can only be reached by ascending this steep staircase

This is the famous photograph of Thick Quang Duc self-immolating in protest. His actions shocked hte world and stirred his people, he is seen as a martyr and is venerated for his bravery. His car is below.

After the biking Michelle and I hit up a rooftop pool, grabbed some drinks and watched the sun set over the Hue sky. The next morning we met Anna and were off to Da Nang. We took a 3-hour bus ride through the mountains up tight roads to reach Da Nang.

View from our Hue to Da Nang bus rest stop

Travel companions - fellow ETAs Michelle (left) and Anna (right)

Da Nang couldn’t be more different then Hue. Hue has a self-awareness and reverence for it’s imperial past. Da Nang is charging so quickly into the developed western future that it’s past is being bulldozed. If Vietnam was to have a (slightly more conservative) Las Vegas – it is Da Nang. Skyscrapers are sprouting up like daisies and they are all mostly empty shells. Bridges twinkle and shimmer and bougie restaurants abound and yet Vietnam is at times conspicuously absent or at least hidden.

Michelle and I started with some exploration of the city. We focused on the mountains on the peninsula immediately to the north called Monkey Mountain. Monkey Mountain is one of the first areas where American troops made landfall and has a military base at its peak. While the base is off limits you can motorbike around the mountain and get some spectacular views. Unfortunately for use the afternoon monsoon/thunderstorm/lightening show was rolling in. That coupled with failing brakes, which at times tried to send Michelle, Anna (the ETA from Hue, she accompanied use for the day), her cousin and I all to our deaths we took 2 pictures and went home. The coastline with its steep cliffs reminded me of the Amalfi coast in Italy. Except that instead of olive and Cyprus trees you have jungle and instead of ancient Catholic churches you have a gigantic Buddha – if you squinted though you could see the Mediterranean and Capri.

Also we caught an international fireworks competition taking place over the Reunification Holiday. Vietnam, Japan, Italy, Russia and America competed. We saw Japan and America’s displays. Really awkwardly the United States won (and beat) Vietnam in the competition – on Reunification Day – the day they celebrate kicking our scared asses all the way back across the Pacific. The American representative at the awards ceremony looked well – confused, very confused.

Our ride/tumble down and flee from Monkey Mountain. I got to sport the hot pink rental helmet and I'm rockin' it. You know you're jealous.

The coastline of Monkey Mountain

Skyline of Da Nang

Dragon Bridge and the new cable-stayed bridge in Da Nang

Monsoon in the afternoon of Day 2

Da Nang by night - the perfect backdrop for fireworks

The next day Michelle and took a quick jaunt to Hoi An, another ancient town about 11 km south of Da Nang. Hoi An has been modeled into a center for fine silks and tailoring. It caters rather exclusively to foreign tourists with a number of perks including: banning street food, banning the roaming “gangs” of street sellers, banning cars and most motorbikes in the central 9 block tourist area.

The architecture is beautiful and its river is quaint with flag draped bridges and docked fishing trawlers but both Michelle and I felt like we stepped into Epcot – a truly startling and un-Vietnamese experience. There was no noise, no chaos, no heckling, no bargaining, no wondering children selling lottery tickets, no chatter – just pretty lanes and mostly foreigners blissfully (and foolishly) thinking what a great ‘real’ experience they were getting. Perhaps if I had started in Hoi An I would have loved it, but after living in Nam – the real Nam, the provincial Nam – I found Hoi An to be a creepy and stale place. So after 3 hours Michelle and I clamored back onto the local bus, squatted on the floor and sweated the 1 hour 11 km ride back to Da Nang. 

Sleepy Hoi An

Some of Hoi An's architecture

Hoi An's Thu Bon River

Ancient Japanese covered bridge built to ward off evil spirits 

Later that day we tried to get to the beach. Central Vietnam is renowned for it’s beaches and Da Nang happens to have one of the best. Running from Monkey Mountain 19 miles to the south China Beach’s straight of fine white sand dip into turquoise blue water. Only problem was that afternoon monsoon that chased us off Monkey Mountain was barreling down upon use for the third afternoon in a row so we took some photos and with the pronouncement of the thunder we scurried back to the city.

China Beach before the storm clouds extinguished the sun 

Paradise - just don't look up

By Friday it was time to say goodbye to Michelle and Central Nam. I was off to HCMC for a quick rest, where I ran into Andrew – the fellow who nearly 10 months ago taught us Fulbright ETAs how to teach English as a foreign language. Then back to sleepy Cao Lãnh. Next weekend I am foolishly running a 10k in Phu Quoc – Vietnam’s southern most island off the Cambodian coast at 3:30 pm in the afternoon in May… if I don’t turn into a prune I will blog about it next week. Till then have a great week!

From the minute I ordered it I knew it was having a photo op, and when I tasted my passion fruit souffle with homemade ice cream it was totally blog worthy. Best dessert EVER!