Arrival (letters home)

Hello Everyone,

I made it safely to Vietnam. We arrived last night around 7 pm, 4am for all of you. We missed one of our flights (by 10 minutes), from Ho chi min city to Danang, cause the immigration line was long and slow. Luckily we were able to find someone to help us and there was another plane leaving in the afternoon. We just had to wait 6 hours. The flight was great China airlines is the best airline ever, we had individual TVs that allowed us to pick from over 10 movies, it had video games, cameras to watch outside the plane and music. They had the best vegetarian plane food I have had. It didn't seem like I was on the first plane for 13 hours.

When we arrived in Vietnam Three people greeted us with a Global Volunteering Network sign, the driver, the translator, and the program director. I must say the driving was crazy. First of all there were no seat belts which I have grown accustomed to since there is a seat belt law in Washington. Second first off the driver started honking at all the pedestrians crossing at a cross walk just outside the airport. The road was mostly filled with motor bikes and bicycles which was such a different sight to see compared to Washington. The most disturbing part of our car ride was that a good part of the time our driver was driving down the center of the road honking. The people coming the other direction would have to move out of his way.

The first place we stopped was at a restaurant where we met some of the other volunteers who just arrived. The food was okay. Then we were taken back to the house we will be staying in for our two months of volunteering. There we met the outgoing volunteers who are leaving for either volunteering in another town or traveling else where, one girl will stay. There is two girls from Sweden, a boy from Australia, a girl from London and one girl from Holland. We also met the man who is our night watch person. Our house has four- five stories, with 3 bathrooms. The floors are all marble (or marble like) and the ceilings have beautiful detail. I love our house.

We both slept well and don't feel jet legged. In the morning we awoke to two new people in our house. Two women who cook for us. They are very friendly, one speaks English a little and the other wants to learn, her and I have already formed a relationship of teaching each other our languages. Our first breakfast was delicious we had sweet yogurt, baguettes and soft cheese( the kind that is a small wedge shape and has a cow on it, I think you can get it at costco. And Asian Pear. Although I thought it was delicious the other volunteers said get used to get because it is your breakfast 90% of the time. As of right now that does not bother me any.

After breakfast Chelsea and I went out exploring for 2 hours. We had to learn fast how to cross the street when there are a million motor bikes coming at you in every direction who don't slow down, the best way of doing this is crossing kinda slowly so they can go around you. Everywhere we walked we had people saying Hello, pointing at us, and laughing (I think even once someone threw a rotten fruit at us although they missed, we just heard something hit the ground). Da Nang does not see very many tourist (it might have something to do with all the guide books saying that there is not much to see) I think it is beautiful here.

When we got back from our walk we had a delicious lunch waiting for us, fruit smoothies, rice and vegetables. Now I am here in an Internet cafe writing you this and will return to a delicious dinner. Our orientation starts tomorrow and we start working on Monday. I think it will be hard, because I just found out that the kids are tied to there beds most of the day because they do not have enough staff. But it is nice knowing that I am here so they can be untied some of the time. I hope I remembered all the key parts. I will look forward to hearing from all of you and I will write when I can.

I love you all,
Stella

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