Since returning from Hue, we have been non-stop, on-the-go. We had a field trip to Ha Nam province to observe their community based surveillance system for Avian Influenza. We were able to talk with some of the community health workers about their jobs, benefits, and some challenges that they face. The greatest challenge they have come up against is the fact that their are so many households to reach for monthly visits per worker, and they are unable to get to each household. We were taken on a tour of two different households: one belonged to a chicken farmer and the other to a duck farmer. We saw the chickens about three to a cage with more room than they would have had at an industrial chicken farm in the states but not much more. The chickens are kept for their eggs until they stop producing and then are sold to someone else for processing the meat. Apparently, the way you can tell if a bird has avian flu is not by any exterior body mark but by the excrement. The ducks were free to roam around in an enclosed yard/pond complex. The farmer fed them and closed them into a pen for the night, but they were largely left to their own devices.
We had presentations both Tuesday and today. The presentation Tuesday was for HIV/AIDS and involved reflecting on our previous field trip to Hai Duong. My group specifically was tasked with presenting information on the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) portion of the Provincial AIDS Committee (PAC). That presentation was fairly straight forward. The one today was for Public Health History and was a whole lot more ambiguous. The assignment was to pick a topic in public health and compare and contrast that topic in Vietnam and the U.S. That certainly is broad. My group chose the topic of reproductive health education. In one night and the majority of today, we were able to compile and practice it sufficiently. I think it went fairly well, but I don't really want to talk about it because I'm trying to distance myself and get some rest. If you are really interested, feel free to e-mail me.
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, we have papers due on both of those same topics, so they are re-representations of what we presented on, maybe with some added research. It has been and will be a busy week.
I am going to spend tonight reading and writing purely for pleasure purposes. It's gonna be great.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
there's an app for that
Today was spent touring the city of Hue. We started this morning by going to one of the Pagodas. There were two guardians at each entry way. One guardian is for the good and one is for the bad. It is all about balancing the yin and yang. Maeve is standing with the good guard.
The Pagoda was followed by the tomb complex of Tu Duc, the last king in Hue. The whole complex was incredibly large. There was a tomb for the king, the queen and one of the king's adopted sons. One of the great points of contention in the king's life was that he was not able to have a child, so he adopted a few sons from one of his brothers. While he was alive, the king would often spend time at his tomb complex. No one knows exactly where in the complex he is buried. They kept it a secret so that no one could steal him or damage his grave. To this information, one of us replied, "I bet there's an app for that."
We stopped by a place where some women were making incense. I'd never seen this process before. The lady rolled this doughy, glue-like substance onto one of the sticks and then rolled that in some cinnamon. They smell was wonderful!
Lunch was wonderful and then we went to walk around the citadel. Large areas of it sustained major damage during the Tet Offensive, but there were still a great number of buildings still standing and plans to rebuild it in the future.
This walkway was truly exquisite. It turn out that red and yellow are the royal colors, which explains why I've seen so much of them around Vietnam.
Friday, September 30, 2011
babies children and babies
Yesterday, we boarded a plane in Hanoi and headed to Hue for the weekend. Hue is considered to be in Central Vietnam.We were all starving when we got in, so a few of us went to a place near the hotel and got these filled rice cakes that you put in a bowl with greens and a delicious peanut sauce as well as pork on onion sticks that you wrap in rice paper with greens and dip in a sweet sauce.
We started this morning as the Office of Genetic Counseling & Disabled Children (OGCDC) to talk about some of the facilities and programs in place for disabled children. There are still a large number of children being born with both mental and physical disabilities due to Agent Orange. On top of that, Autism is becoming a more widely recognized issue for which centers are being established where kids can learn in a more focused environment. We even got the unique opportunity to tour some of the centers and schools where these students learn.
The first place we went to was a center for students with Autism. We didn't walk into the classroom because that would have been too stimulating for the kids, but one boy walked out onto the balcony to see us. Fa has autism and is non-verbal. He covers his ears a lot. Out of pure instinct (thank you Ontario Pioneer Camp), I squatted down so that I would be face level with him. We walked over to me and looked at my intently. I started talking to Fah, and he stopped moaning and rocking and was still. I think I even got him to nearly smile. He tried to follow me down the stairs, but his teacher took him back into the classroom. As we walked back to the van, I got the chance to share with my professor and some of the other students some of what I've learned in my experiences with children, mostly through Ontario Pioneer Camp.
The second place we went was a pagoda of nuns who ran an orphanage for mainstream students and a school for children with special needs. We got the chance to play some soccer with the kid, and then were taken upstairs to hang out with the babies for a bit. I don't even know why they brought us to the babies because I fell in love right away, and it was really hard to walk away from them. This orphanage does not do adoptions because a few years ago they had an interested couple, but none of the kids wanted to leave. They had formed a family of their own and could not imagine leaving, so they don't do adoptions anymore.
We got lunch at a vegetarian restaurant that helps to sustain the pagoda/orphanage. The restaurant was beautiful, and the food was amazing.
We started this morning as the Office of Genetic Counseling & Disabled Children (OGCDC) to talk about some of the facilities and programs in place for disabled children. There are still a large number of children being born with both mental and physical disabilities due to Agent Orange. On top of that, Autism is becoming a more widely recognized issue for which centers are being established where kids can learn in a more focused environment. We even got the unique opportunity to tour some of the centers and schools where these students learn.
The first place we went to was a center for students with Autism. We didn't walk into the classroom because that would have been too stimulating for the kids, but one boy walked out onto the balcony to see us. Fa has autism and is non-verbal. He covers his ears a lot. Out of pure instinct (thank you Ontario Pioneer Camp), I squatted down so that I would be face level with him. We walked over to me and looked at my intently. I started talking to Fah, and he stopped moaning and rocking and was still. I think I even got him to nearly smile. He tried to follow me down the stairs, but his teacher took him back into the classroom. As we walked back to the van, I got the chance to share with my professor and some of the other students some of what I've learned in my experiences with children, mostly through Ontario Pioneer Camp.
The second place we went was a pagoda of nuns who ran an orphanage for mainstream students and a school for children with special needs. We got the chance to play some soccer with the kid, and then were taken upstairs to hang out with the babies for a bit. I don't even know why they brought us to the babies because I fell in love right away, and it was really hard to walk away from them. This orphanage does not do adoptions because a few years ago they had an interested couple, but none of the kids wanted to leave. They had formed a family of their own and could not imagine leaving, so they don't do adoptions anymore.
We got lunch at a vegetarian restaurant that helps to sustain the pagoda/orphanage. The restaurant was beautiful, and the food was amazing.
I don't know what was in these little rice cake things, but I can tell you that they were scrumptious.
Here we've got some noodles with veggies and fresh spring rolls.
Fried zucchini with mayo and sweet chili sauce. Delicious.
After lunch, we spent some time with the students at Future School. This school has 45 special needs students broken up into different classes both by age and by ability. Its everyday classes are run in a montessori style. We got to learn a Vietnamese song with some of the students who taught us some simple choreography and directed our performance of it. We then went to a handicrafts store where the OGCDC sells crafts made by artisans with disabilities. The proceeds from the shop went to sustain some of the programs that OGCDC runs in Hue and in the mountains near here.
All in all, it was a fantastic day. I got to hang out with kids all day. I couldn't think of any better way to spend my time. I was reminded over and over again today that every child is a child of God. His radiance and love is reflected in the face of every child regardless of ability. After a summer spent away from the wonderful familiarity of working with kids at Ontario Pioneer Camp, God gave me a day to reaffirm what I had forgotten: I love children and will be working with them in some capacity for the rest of my life. What a blessing.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
a whole lot of acronyms
Today was spent in Hai Duong (pronounced: "high zoong") for a field trip for our HIV/AIDS class. We toured an out-patient clinic (OPC), a methadone maintenance therapy clinic (MMT) and a voluntary counseling and testing center (VCT).
At the OPC, we were able to ask questions about how they ran the clinic, who funded their projects and some of their projects. They are funded by Live Gap (a Vietnamese health program), Global Fund, and the Clinton Foundation. The problem with all the international funding is that it will eventually dry up. Also, the money can only be allocated for resources that the donor approves. At the OPC, they run testing for HIV and for opportunistic infections that take advantage of a person living with HIV's weakened immune system. They also provide antiretroviral (ARV) medicines. Patients at the OPC can come pick up their ARVs monthly. There is a needle exchange program run out of the OPC that provides intravenous drug users (IDUs) with clean needles and collects the old ones to prevent HIV infection by needle sharing. This facility was unique in that it also had an in-patient clinic to treat for opportunistic infections and when a person's HIV infection has progressed to full-blown AIDS.
The MMT is a fascinating program. Every morning, the patients come to the MMT clinic daily to receive their methadone and then go about their days. This prevents drug users from using needles, breaks the dependence on heroine, sets up a system where dependents can step down off the methadone and reduces the incidence of new HIV infection. I would just like to take this moment to say that needle exchange programs and MMT are genius. There has been a lot of controversy about whether making these services available will lead to increased numbers of drug users or not. I've done the research. I've seen the clinics. I can say without a doubt that these programs do not encourage drug use and are proven to decrease the number of new HIV infections. These programs should be more widely used in the States. It's the long-range approach to a problem that is not going to go away quietly.
The VCT was also incredibly interesting. They use peer educators (those who were IDUs and female sex workers) to go out into the community to educate their peers about risk behaviors and the importance of getting tested. There's a lot of stigma and fear surrounding those who utilize the testing center, but this is all due to a lack of knowledge. These peer educators are trained with communication skills, how to clean needles, how to use condoms, and how to operate effective outreach. They have certain goals each month for condom and syringe distribution as well as referring at-risk people to the VTC.
Overall, it was an enlightening day. I've got a much better grasp on the HIV epidemic in Vietnam and what's being done to combat it. At lunch, we had some good times with chicken heads.
Also, I just chased a mouse out of my room. Well, I stood on the bed while Maeve's roommate chased it out of my room, but I was definitely integral to the whole process.
At the OPC, we were able to ask questions about how they ran the clinic, who funded their projects and some of their projects. They are funded by Live Gap (a Vietnamese health program), Global Fund, and the Clinton Foundation. The problem with all the international funding is that it will eventually dry up. Also, the money can only be allocated for resources that the donor approves. At the OPC, they run testing for HIV and for opportunistic infections that take advantage of a person living with HIV's weakened immune system. They also provide antiretroviral (ARV) medicines. Patients at the OPC can come pick up their ARVs monthly. There is a needle exchange program run out of the OPC that provides intravenous drug users (IDUs) with clean needles and collects the old ones to prevent HIV infection by needle sharing. This facility was unique in that it also had an in-patient clinic to treat for opportunistic infections and when a person's HIV infection has progressed to full-blown AIDS.
The MMT is a fascinating program. Every morning, the patients come to the MMT clinic daily to receive their methadone and then go about their days. This prevents drug users from using needles, breaks the dependence on heroine, sets up a system where dependents can step down off the methadone and reduces the incidence of new HIV infection. I would just like to take this moment to say that needle exchange programs and MMT are genius. There has been a lot of controversy about whether making these services available will lead to increased numbers of drug users or not. I've done the research. I've seen the clinics. I can say without a doubt that these programs do not encourage drug use and are proven to decrease the number of new HIV infections. These programs should be more widely used in the States. It's the long-range approach to a problem that is not going to go away quietly.
The VCT was also incredibly interesting. They use peer educators (those who were IDUs and female sex workers) to go out into the community to educate their peers about risk behaviors and the importance of getting tested. There's a lot of stigma and fear surrounding those who utilize the testing center, but this is all due to a lack of knowledge. These peer educators are trained with communication skills, how to clean needles, how to use condoms, and how to operate effective outreach. They have certain goals each month for condom and syringe distribution as well as referring at-risk people to the VTC.
Overall, it was an enlightening day. I've got a much better grasp on the HIV epidemic in Vietnam and what's being done to combat it. At lunch, we had some good times with chicken heads.
Also, I just chased a mouse out of my room. Well, I stood on the bed while Maeve's roommate chased it out of my room, but I was definitely integral to the whole process.
Monday, September 26, 2011
don't drink the blood
Class this morning for Public Health History was all about Avian Influenza. I hadn't learned anything about Avian Flu before, so this was new. Apparently, the blood of ducks is a delicacy in Vietnam, which causes serious problems when there's an outbreak of Avian Flu. There have been campaigns to educate people about the disease and its transmission. More than anything, they want people to know where their chickens and ducks are coming from.
In the afternoon, I napped and woke up to maintenance coming into my room to fix my roommate's dilapidated bed. They did knock before they came in, and I answered them, but I was napping and didn't have my glasses on, so I was super disoriented. They were very nice and fixed the bed.
I went to help teach an English class of 8 and 9 year-olds this evening. We spent some time going over fruits and vegetables with these large posters that had the fruits and vegetables in both English and Vietnamese. Then, I was with three kids, and we went over some exercises in their books about animals and telling time. They are crazy smart! They were blowing me away with their super English. I busted out a little Ontario Pioneer Camp game knowledge and we played What Time is it Mr. Wolf? The kids were running all over the place and killing themselves laughing. It was so great!
After the class, Maeve, Allison and I went to the Cinemateque. It's an ex-pat movie theater in the Old Quarter. It was so beautiful! There was an open-roofed bar with a tree growing through the middle of it. It was lit with candles and strings of lights. They were playing Billie Holiday, and the atmosphere was perfect. We went to see the movie Elephant. This theater is doing a week-long series of Gus Van Sant films (most notable of these: Milk and Good Will Hunting). The film Elephant followed a day of school that ended in a shooting. It was incredibly well-done and well-timed. Definitely a heavy subject, but at the same time, this film was more of the facts behind the day rather than any of the emotion. I bet we'll be going back to this theater!
In the afternoon, I napped and woke up to maintenance coming into my room to fix my roommate's dilapidated bed. They did knock before they came in, and I answered them, but I was napping and didn't have my glasses on, so I was super disoriented. They were very nice and fixed the bed.
I went to help teach an English class of 8 and 9 year-olds this evening. We spent some time going over fruits and vegetables with these large posters that had the fruits and vegetables in both English and Vietnamese. Then, I was with three kids, and we went over some exercises in their books about animals and telling time. They are crazy smart! They were blowing me away with their super English. I busted out a little Ontario Pioneer Camp game knowledge and we played What Time is it Mr. Wolf? The kids were running all over the place and killing themselves laughing. It was so great!
After the class, Maeve, Allison and I went to the Cinemateque. It's an ex-pat movie theater in the Old Quarter. It was so beautiful! There was an open-roofed bar with a tree growing through the middle of it. It was lit with candles and strings of lights. They were playing Billie Holiday, and the atmosphere was perfect. We went to see the movie Elephant. This theater is doing a week-long series of Gus Van Sant films (most notable of these: Milk and Good Will Hunting). The film Elephant followed a day of school that ended in a shooting. It was incredibly well-done and well-timed. Definitely a heavy subject, but at the same time, this film was more of the facts behind the day rather than any of the emotion. I bet we'll be going back to this theater!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
ohana means family
Yesterday afternoon, Mave, Danielle and I went to went to the art museum here in Hanoi. There were so many lovely pieces: paintings, sculptures, laquer on wood. There were sculptures from temples that represented gods with many faces or many hands. They had so many facets and colors.There were also large doors that were intricately carved with wonderful patterns of dragons, flowers and swirly lines.
Dinner that night was eaten on the street at a hot pot place. This means that all the meat and vegetables were laid down in front of us and a hot plate was turned on where we could cook our own food to our own specifications. There was curried chicken and beef as well as papaya, eggplant, okra, onions, and a root plant. It was so fun to be able to make it all ourselves! I definitely plan to return to this place. I will be sure to bring my camera with me next time so that I can take pictures of it.
I spent this afternoon with Ngan at her house. We rode on her motorbike to get there, her driving, me on the back. There was a possibility of death as we weaved through traffic and especially as we crossed the center line to get around other motorbikes. However, Ngan is a wonderful driver and the ride was quite nice. When we got there, her mother had made lunch for us. There was bun (rice noodles), a crab and tomato soup that had bean sprouts, star fruit and many other things in it. There was fried tofu and grilled pork. So much delicious food! Lunch was followed by a siesta and playing with Ngan's nephew for an hour or two. He is not even a year old and cute as can be. Ngan's mother poured me some wonderful artichoke tea while I played with the little man.
I got to help Ngan and her mother in the kitchen for dinner. We made spring rolls that were filled with bean sprouts, pork, and and so many other scrumptious things that I couldn't even begin to know what they are. We also made these leaf rolls which were a leaf filled with pork and fried. There was beef fried with morning glory. All of it was so amazing! Ngan's mother wanted to know how often my mother called me and if I missed my parents. I answered once or twice a week and yes, very much. We took a picture together before I left with the promise of more visits throughout the semester.
From left to right, there's me, Ngan holding her nephew, Ngan's mother, and Ngan's aunt and cousin.
Dinner that night was eaten on the street at a hot pot place. This means that all the meat and vegetables were laid down in front of us and a hot plate was turned on where we could cook our own food to our own specifications. There was curried chicken and beef as well as papaya, eggplant, okra, onions, and a root plant. It was so fun to be able to make it all ourselves! I definitely plan to return to this place. I will be sure to bring my camera with me next time so that I can take pictures of it.
I spent this afternoon with Ngan at her house. We rode on her motorbike to get there, her driving, me on the back. There was a possibility of death as we weaved through traffic and especially as we crossed the center line to get around other motorbikes. However, Ngan is a wonderful driver and the ride was quite nice. When we got there, her mother had made lunch for us. There was bun (rice noodles), a crab and tomato soup that had bean sprouts, star fruit and many other things in it. There was fried tofu and grilled pork. So much delicious food! Lunch was followed by a siesta and playing with Ngan's nephew for an hour or two. He is not even a year old and cute as can be. Ngan's mother poured me some wonderful artichoke tea while I played with the little man.
I got to help Ngan and her mother in the kitchen for dinner. We made spring rolls that were filled with bean sprouts, pork, and and so many other scrumptious things that I couldn't even begin to know what they are. We also made these leaf rolls which were a leaf filled with pork and fried. There was beef fried with morning glory. All of it was so amazing! Ngan's mother wanted to know how often my mother called me and if I missed my parents. I answered once or twice a week and yes, very much. We took a picture together before I left with the promise of more visits throughout the semester.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
I guess it isn't pulled pork
On Thursday, Maeve and I went for a run in the afternoon around the nicer lake. It was bustling with older people exercising, kids playing soccer, men fishing and couples hanging out in the shade. The lake had a culture all its own, and Maeve and I were lucky to be able to both experience it and get some exercise. There was a young boy walking with his family, and, when we ran up beside him, he took off running ahead of us. I let him go for a little bit, but then I opened my stride and overtook him in seconds. He walked off pouting, but I got a kick out of it.
For dinner that night, we went to this random street restaurant that Maeve, Kim, and Allison had discovered. You sat down at these tables lining the sidewalk and the road and watched them make everything right at this giant grill. We ate chicken wings (the whole wing not just the middle part), ribs, this sweet potato-like root vegetable, and flattened sweet bread. Since they made everything on the same grill, everything had this similar smoky taste, but, at the same time, everything was individually delicious.
Yesterday's lecture was given by a man working with PEPFAR through the CDC here. He grew up in Lake Norman, NC and went to NC State, so we bonded over some good Carolina times. His lecture was about monitoring and evaluation as well as some explanation of PEPFAR and its longevity. Vietnam's HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment is largely funded by PEPFAR and other international programs and agencies. As that funding begins to phase out, Vietnam will need to find alternate sources.
Friday night, we went to a Bia Hoi. There are loads of them around. They sell super cheap, local draft beer. By the time we got to the one we would stay at, they said that they were out of the local draft. We sat down and got different beer (which was coincidentally more expensive). Some guys sat down next to us, and it turns out that they were from NC as well: Smithfield and Raleigh. They had just graduated from ECU. We talked about North Carolina and their travels thus far. It was nice to meet someone from so close to home!
For dinner that night, we went to this random street restaurant that Maeve, Kim, and Allison had discovered. You sat down at these tables lining the sidewalk and the road and watched them make everything right at this giant grill. We ate chicken wings (the whole wing not just the middle part), ribs, this sweet potato-like root vegetable, and flattened sweet bread. Since they made everything on the same grill, everything had this similar smoky taste, but, at the same time, everything was individually delicious.
Dr. Bennett gave me a movie for us to watch called Hollywood to Hanoi. It's about this woman who is Vietnamese, but immigrated to the U.S. after the American War. She ran away from home as a teenager to go to Hollywood and get famous. She was not a very impressive actress, but you can tell that she has a lot of spunk and doesn't give up easily. The movie didn't flow super well, but it still had some great things to show. It followed her journey back to Hanoi to find family and talk with people about their experiences in the war and its aftermath. It was an interesting watch.
Friday night, we went to a Bia Hoi. There are loads of them around. They sell super cheap, local draft beer. By the time we got to the one we would stay at, they said that they were out of the local draft. We sat down and got different beer (which was coincidentally more expensive). Some guys sat down next to us, and it turns out that they were from NC as well: Smithfield and Raleigh. They had just graduated from ECU. We talked about North Carolina and their travels thus far. It was nice to meet someone from so close to home!
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