Care to take a drive?

For anyone waiting to read part two of my previous blog post I promise it is coming soon! In the meantime though…The following is an extract from my travel journal written on the 21^st September 2012 on possibly one of the most harrowing road trips of my life as I headed off to spend a weekend in glorious Ha Long Bay…  

 11am (ish), somewhere just outside Nam Dinh city…

I’m sitting in the back of a bus right now that I’m fairly certain was made some time in the 80’s! At the very least the internal upholsteries can’t possibly have been updated any time this century… Nearly all the seat coverings are ripped or torn and if that is all that’s wrong with yours you got a good seat. Many seats are not actually fixed to the frames and the frames themselves are so rusted it appears as though they might collapse as soon as anyone dares to sit down. Adjusting the seat positions is definitely beyond the realms of possibility. Seatbelts? Pfft! Not a chance… which is actually somewhat disconcerting given the speeds we are currently travelling at and the fact that the driver appears to have little intention of stopping for anything, including the steady stream of traffic just barely scrapping past us as we travel down narrow highways! Did I mention there is no air-conditioning either? The breeze coming in the window provides some relief from the penetrating heat, but this is sadly offset by the toxic stench of fuel, rubbish and dust drifting through the air - I now understand why so many Vietnamese wear face masks when they are travelling!

It is interesting to observe the various characters that make their way on and off the bus each time the bus pulls over (often in locations that appear to be in the middle of nowhere). Several male passengers appear well acquainted with this method of transportation and lounge around lazily, spreading themselves across multiple seats where space permits and with apparently little intention of relinquishing their seat should another person require its occupancy. Other passengers look decidedly less at home on this rickety old bus; such as the woman a few seats in front of me wearing six inch heels and a silk button down shirt, or you know, me, huddled up the back of the bus keeping very close guard of my overstuffed backpack and trying hard not to pass out from heat exhaustion! Nevertheless, comfortable or not, the means of affordable transportation from Nam Dinh to Ha Long are somewhat limited and so those who desire such a paradisiacal destination as Ha Long Bay must suffer through this decidedly unpleasant fate…

About an hour or so later… somewhere between Nam Dinh and Ha Long City,

In the past half an hour or so the unpleasantness factor of this particular journey increased significantly! Linda and I had the unenviable experience of being harassed by several Vietnamese men who took a fancy to the foreigners sitting at the back of the bus speaking English and scribbling in notebooks. They therefore decided it would be fun to spend their time taunting and harassing us for our food and my notebook and then later had a go at Linda, making rude insinuations about her Chinese ethnicity. Whilst we didn’t feel immediately threatened for our safety we certainly weren’t keen on this charade continuing for another three hours until we reached our destination. Eventually we rang Khiet (one of our placement mentors) who spoke to one of our fellow travelers whom we had befriended before boarding the bus in Nam Dinh. Following the phone call the woman swiftly berated our harassers with a slap to the arm and what appeared to be some rather harsh remarks and the men sheepishly made their way back to their seats with grins on their faces.

Just after things settled back down the bus came to a stop at the Vietnamese version of a rest stop and unfortunately I really needed to use the bathroom… I had cringed using the rest rooms at the supermarket before our departure and this made those look like the Ritz Carlton! After squeezing my way into the tiny cubicle I couldn’t bring myself to sit on the filthy seat and instead crouched awkwardly trying very hard not to drop my luggage on the soaking wet floor (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just water!) in the process. During this particularly delightful experience I became incredibly glad for the packet of tissues I had thrown in my bag on the way out the door as toilet paper was nowhere to be found! Eventually I escaped the bathrooms from hell, bought a cold drink and have been sitting in the heat writing and waiting for others to finish eating lunch just long enough to be extremely uncomfortable…

                A little while later… somewhere in northern Vietnam;

I am finding it somewhat off putting the frequency with which I look up from my notes to see a large truck or other oversized vehicle less than ten feet in front of us, driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic, only swerving out of the way at the last possible moment and nearly grazing the side of our bus on the way past…

                A little while later again… still too far from our destination;

So we were just pulled over by a uniformed official who had a heated conversation with the driver before sending us on  our way… have no idea what that was about. I’m really starting to miss Australia’s wide, smooth, open roads! In many places here the road is narrow and uneven- the highway (if you can really call it that) is a single lane in each direction for the majority of the time with a disproportionately large number of oversized vehicles travelling along it. For travelers occupying less hefty modes of transportation (mostly bikes- motorised and otherwise) the shoulders are mercifully wide although I really hope no driver swerves right in a hurry!

For the most part the landscape consists of rice fields and banana trees, often for many miles towards the horizon, and every so often we pass through yet another small but densely populated town or city. Many of the sights in the towns are ones that have become quite familiar to me over the past few weeks; Students riding their bicycles to school, men and women tending to the crops often with buffalos grazing or working in the fields nearby and countless people sitting at roadside stalls and shop fronts selling their goods to passers-by. Just now I am starting to see more rugged, mountainous terrain ahead which is rather stunning to observe, but I am really hoping we are going around the mountains and not over them given our highly precarious current mode of transportation…

             1.40pm… still on this darn bus!;

From time to time here in Vietnam I have moments that absolutely confirm that I am a long way from home. Many of the things that initially took me aback, such as the insanity of the traffic and the absurd amounts of luggage carried by bikes of all descriptions, have become at least vaguely familiar if not comforting, but occasionally still I will witness things that make me do a double take. For example, yesterday I saw a woman casually riding down the street outside the school with what appeared to be her dinner laid across her carry basket- in the form of a dead, but still fully intact, pig. Just now I have had another such experience as I witnessed an older man lead a buffalo out to work in the fields- not such an unfamiliar sight except for the fact that he was leading the buffalo out of his living room and through the front door!?!

                2.20pm… are we there yet?

The land surrounding the highway is now dense with farming agriculture and quarries and in the background mountains and cliffs emerge as haunting silhouettes to the immediate scenery. Increasingly the landscape is similar to the quintessential picture shown in travel brochures… hopefully that means we are close to our final destination! Getting excited now!

                3.10pm…

Just saw a sign saying 12kms to Halong City! Thank goodness! Right now I am dusty, sweaty, hungry and in desperate need of a shower but I have to say the emerging view is pretty great!!

Eventually we did arrive at our destination in Halong City where we were unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. We hailed a nearby cab, and headed to our hotel where I didn’t really care about the soft comfy beds so much as the fact that we finally had access to air conditioning and showers! I spent the afternoon wandering the docks near our hotel before meeting up with about 14 other YPWB volunteers for dinner. The following morning began bright and early as we went for a hike up a mountain in the middle of the city, from which we beheld absolutely stunning views of the bay and then we headed off to the port to board our cruise. We spent the next 24 hours swimming and kayaking, eating amazing food and enjoying absolutely breathtaking views of Ha Long Bay. I thought about writing another blog post to try and describe the beauty of Ha Long Bay but I don’t think words could possibly do it justice… They say a picture’s worth a thousand words and I took nearly a thousand photos (yes I know that’s insane for a 24hr trip) so I thought instead I’d simply share some of the best of the weekend… showing the experience before we had to endure the journey home again!

The Journey Begins (part 1)

I started writing this blog post the first day I arrived in Vietnam… that was twenty days ago and here I am still working on finishing and publishing my very first in country blog entry!! The last (almost) three weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of new experiences, new people and even new emotions. At times I have been elated and other times I have felt completely overwhelmed by the whole experience. Much like when I wrote my very first blog entry a few months ago I really am not entirely sure where to begin…so I guess this time I will simply start at the beginning;

It was 10am on the 1st of September as I boarded a flight to Hanoi from Changi (Singapore) Airport my mood was less than great; Having already flown 8 hours from Sydney to reach Singapore, followed by a 10 hour layover (arriving at midnight) at Changi Airport with little sleep (and a bout of food poisoning thrown in for good measure) I have to say by this point I was simply over it all- I was tired, queasy and desperately craving sleep, instead of feeling enthused my mood was one of trepidation and even a bit of apathy.

Fortunately once I boarded the flight I found pleasant distractions that tempered my gloom somewhat as we set off on the final leg of our journey to Hanoi, Vietnam. A young Singaporean girl seated next to me (who was so adorable and minute in stature) kept me entertained and fascinated as she spoke to me about her schooling and read the paper aloud to her mother- I couldn’t help but be intrigued watching a six year old girl having somewhat educated and informed discussions about topics such as the ‘paralysing impact of recent typhoons’ in south-east Asia and the differences between government in Singapore and Vietnam. This was really my first significant interaction with ‘locals’ since I had left Sydney and by half way through the flight my mood had improved dramatically as I continued to interact with my young neighbour. As we neared Northern Vietnam my mood improved even more as I gazed out the window and was greeted with a sight that I can only characterise as quintessential Vietnam. Through a haze of luminous clouds with fairy floss texture I laid eyes upon endless fields of green, many appearing to be rice paddies , interspersed with clumps of buildings built so close together it was hard to define where one ended and the next began. As we moved inland a river emerged (possibly the Red River Delta- I’m not sure though), scattered throughout the landscape with more and more towns emerging along its banks. By this stage my trepidation had been replaced with excitement and fascination- this whole experience suddenly felt much more tangible and compelling as I witnessed for the first time the nation I will call home for the next five months. Before I knew it the landscape I was admiring from afar was drawing ever closer as we headed in for landing at Hanoi International Airport.

Upon landing at Hanoi International Airport I was struck by the very stark contrasts between where I had come from and where I was about to go. Heading through immigration the mood of the officials was focused and unyielding; stepping forward to present my passport I was met by a stone faced official who examined my passport, stamped it and returned it to me without once directly acknowledging me (or anyone else) or even changing his expression. Once through immigration we headed to the baggage carousel to grab our bags. As I watched bags circle endlessly around the rickety old carousel I began to become acquainted with the first of many cultural differences that exist between Vietnam and Australia. Security was lax at best and many locals had checked their baggage simply in large cardboard boxes wrapped in endless layers of tape. Once I had grabbed my bags I set out to find a bottle of water (which seems to cost on average 20 cents a bottle here- so cheap!). As I approached the counter I came to the realisation that I had no clear way to communicate with the cashier and only a loose grasp on the currency system. Whilst not particularly difficult or overwhelming this was certainly one of many not so subtle reminders that I was now a long way from home- and things I usually take for granted like talking to a cashier, or crossing the road would now be challenges to embrace and/or overcome… After grabbing our luggage and precariously navigating our way through the airport car park I and thirty other volunteers piled onto a bus bound for Hanoi city.

When first arriving in Vietnam’s northern capital Hanoi inevitably the first thing that people notice is the traffic! To say that traffic in Hanoi is insane is an understatement!! Motorbike riders and cars alike swerve and honk their way through the maze of often narrow streets with little regard for other road users and perhaps even their own safety. Road rules are more guidelines than actual requirements, the near deafening cacophony of honking horns which replaces all normal driving practices such as yielding and indicating drones on throughout the day and well into the evenings and even driving on the correct side of the road is a concept that is only sometimes understood, particularly by cab drivers. And of course it would be highly remiss of me if I failed to mention the insane amount that locals are able to carry on motorbikes or at times even bicycles; families of four or five people on a single bike, entire palates of coca cola, floor rugs stacked at least a meter high, construction equipment of every variety (chipboard, glass, guttering) - the methods used to transport people and objects alike in this country never cease to amaze me!

The first time I went wandering through the streets of Hanoi with other YPWB volunteers it took us the better part of an hour to work up the nerve to step out into the never ending stream of traffic to reach the stalls and shops that waited a terrifying twenty metre walk away on the other side of the road and it would take several days before I no longer contemplated my seemingly eminent demise every time I stepped out into oncoming traffic. Eventually though the culture shock of navigating or being driven through the traffic of Hanoi became slightly less confronting experience for the most part, except for the time our taxi did a U-turn which put us 20 feet away from an oncoming bus on the wrong side of the road when I was almost certain for a moment that we were all going to die! Despite the chaos however the traffic in Vietnam is really a somewhat fascinating sight to behold and throughout my week in Hanoi I could not help but marvel at it even if I never quite felt at ease amongst it.

The first three days of our orientation in Hanoi we were more or less left to our own devices and spent our days and evenings exploring the endless sights, sounds, tastes and smells (pleasant or otherwise) that make Hanoi such a vibrant city. We visited sites like the Temple of Literature, the old quarter (quite possibly my favourite part of the city with its eccentric personalities and constant busyness), the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (well the outside anyway- it was closed the day we wanted to see it) and night markets and on more than one occasion found ourselves completely lost; I enjoyed wandering around fascinating markets and back streets that we would have no idea how to find again. There are so many fascinating things to see, do and buy in Hanoi but personally I found the most enjoyable experiences the ones that involved interacting with the locals or simply watching the locals as they go about their daily routines. In the evenings we explored the many culinary offerings of Vietnam; freshly baked pastries, pho (beef and noodle soup that is one of Vietnam’s best known meals), roast chicken (served with the head still attached) and many other weird and wonderful concoctions made their way onto our plates. Overall the food in Vietnam is for the most part wonderfully fresh and highly affordable ($2.50 AUD can buy you a very filling meal here) however at times the food preparation process can be uncomfortably transparent and wandering through food markets can at times make your heart sink as you witness the cruelty with which animals are often treated such as eight to ten chickens in single carry cage or large fish being kept alive with a bucket and a hose in street markets. After three days of wandering, exploring and getting to know other volunteers we knuckled down and attended a three day crash course in how to teach English as a second language. Before I knew it the orientation had drawn to a close… on the last afternoon of our training we sadly parted ways with the other volunteers, met our host mentor Thuy, were presented with stunning bouquets of  welcome flowers and Linda and I were bound for Nam Dinh city, the place we are calling home for the next four months…

As this post is getting ridiculously long I have decided to make it a two part entry in order to not completely overwhelm or bore you with my unending stream of consciousness… Part two coming soon! (In the meantime I have included pics of Hanoi, Nam Dinh and my lovely students at Le Hong Phong secondary school for you all to check out!)

24 Hours Out...

Back in early June 2012 I boarded a plane to fly to Sydney to attend the YPWB pre-departure camp. As I said good bye to my parents and walked across the tarmac I remember thinking to myself that in three months time I would be saying goodbye to my family once again and boarding a plane- only this time I would be headed to Hanoi, Vietnam. Back in June, three months seemed like a pretty long time to wait. I awaited my imminent adventure with great enthusiasm, excitement and a large dose of impatience… I felt as though August 31st might never arrive! Nevertheless the days and weeks passed by (much too quickly) and now I can hardly believe that in just 24 hours I will be on my way to Vietnam!

As my departure has grown ever nearer I have often found myself contemplating what life in Vietnam might look like. In particular I have found myself considering how historical events and the media may have shaped my perceptions of the country I will call home for the next five months. Like many westerners my initial perceptions of Vietnam rest around images of the Vietnam War; napalm bombs, Agent Orange and bloody battles as ‘we fought the scourge of communism' as it made its way ever southward. In fact it often seems to be that these images characterise the western world’s collective perception of the nation and its past. Interspersed with a kaleidoscope of hard fought battles and occasional victories are fragmented images of tragedy and suffering, perhaps none more famous than the photograph of a young Vietnamese girl running naked down the street, her clothes melted away from the heat of napalm bombs, shouting “too hot, too hot” as she desperately tries to escape the chaos and devastation behind her. As westerners  it is all too easy to think of Vietnam’s past as characterised most strongly by the ‘American War’ as we either forget, or fail to realise that Vietnam has a fascinating and often tumultuous history that extends well before, and well beyond, the ‘Vietnam War’ that we place front and centre in our own limited historical memory.

Of course nowadays as Vietnam heads swiftly, though not without some cultural resistance, into a world of capitalism (although perhaps only economically as Vietnam is still a single party communist nation), free trade and tourism, we have been given entirely new sources from which to build our perceptions. But I do wonder if the representations in travel brochures and even the direct experiences of holiday makers really paint any more accurate a picture of the ‘real’ Vietnam? Sure, we are now able to gain a greater appreciation of how physically stunning a country Vietnam is (and like many travellers I am eager to explore sights such as Halong Bay and SaPa) and perhaps sadly have come to appreciate how inexpensive (and therefore desirable and increasingly less ‘unspoiled’) a travel destination it can be,  but to date I found very  few instances where individuals or groups have taken the time to document impressions and representations of the country and its citizens outside of the contexts of tourism or the Vietnam war.

Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time researching Vietnam’s history and culture, seeking to gain new insights about a place that as yet remains quite foreign to me. In light of what I now know (and perhaps more importantly do not yet know) about the nation to which I am about to travel I have developed an intense curiosity about how Vietnam perceives itself. Do the aspects of Vietnam’s past and present that the western world accentuates hold the same significance to locals? What significant parts of its culture are largely overlooked by travellers and media? How do citizens perceive living under a system of government (communism) that those who have freedom of expression often demonise?

I also find myself contemplating how I personally will adjust to living amongst a culture so far removed from my own. Will I pick up the language quickly…or at all? What will the food be like? How will I respond to living under a communist government where I may at times be required to respectfully withhold my views and opinions (those who know me can attest that I am not particularly well known for keeping my opinions to myself)? In the coming weeks and months I hope at least some of these questions will be answered…

For me, perhaps the most exciting, and simultaneously terrifying, part of this whole experience is the opportunity to explore the unknown… about the place to which I am headed and also the things I do not yet know about myself.  24 hours- after I’ve tearfully farewelled my family (I cried saying goodbye to my dog so I don’t hold out much hope of making it through customs with dry eyes) and boarded a flight to Vietnam- until my journey of discovery begins...

Raising Awareness of The United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020

For this blog entry I would like to let you know about the social cause I have chosen to raise awareness of; a fantastic campaign known as The United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

“For some reason people have allowed themselves to accept road accidents as something that is somehow inevitable…” (Michelle Yeoh- Make Roads Safe global ambassador)

Many people, many nations, and in particular western nations, seem to be largely complacent when it comes to the issue of road safety. Despite realising that road deaths are a serious issue we are never quite willing to do as much as is really necessary to fix the problem. Perhaps it is that we see road fatalities as ‘inevitable’ or maybe we have simply become convinced of our own invincibility, that is, we have come to believe that our roads are ‘safe enough’, our vehicles are ‘safe enough’ and that road accidents are something that will happen to ‘somebody else’… until one day we, or someone we know, become the latest victim.  In 2010, 33,900 people were killed or injured on Australian roads. That number alone should be cause for alarm- any single issue that causes that much death and devastation, much less an issue largely of our societies own creation and one that is largely avoidable, should have governments and individuals alike up in arms, demanding that more be done to fix this problem!! But this is an issue that goes way beyond our borders…

Road safety is something that many seem to perceive as an issue worthy of address for developed nations but  fail to recognise the importance of addressing this issue beyond the first world. The assumption is often that there are ‘bigger problems’ to address first before moving onto ‘less critical’ issues like vehicle safety, motorist behaviour and infrastructure. What we fail to recognise is that the devastation and suffering caused by poor road safety is tantamount to a global epidemic;

In the next 24 hours 3,500 people will be killed as a result of road and traffic incidents worldwide! Of these fatalities, one in five will be children and 90% of these deaths will occur in developing nations.

Every year 1.3 million people are killed on roads and an additional 20-50 million people are left injured, many severely and irreversibly. Road and traffic incidents are already the number one cause of death in 5-25 year olds worldwide and it is estimated that if left unchecked casualty figures could double by the year 2020 which would place road casualties in the top 5 leading causes of death for any age group globally.

Road casualties are a HUGE problem in modern society and ‘road safety’ is a global problem! The implications of ongoing death and injury on roads are wide reaching; beyond causing unimaginable grief and suffering for the individuals involved these accidents perpetuate the cycle of poverty for thousands of families and communities throughout the world with many survivors unable to ever recover enough to continue to provide for their families. For a child in a developing nation who risks their life crossing a busy highway every day in order to simply get to school and receive an education, or a mother who does the same to buy food for her family, road safety is a BIG issue!

Road Safety is a global issue that requires a global solution. To that end, in 2011 the United Nations in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, World Bank and many well recognised groups and individuals including Nelson Mandela and actor Michelle Yeoh, and with the support of over 100 nations worldwide, launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. The goal of this campaign is to implement programs and initiatives globally that are aimed at reducing death and injury and increasing road safety and awareness of road safety practices- with the ultimate goal of halving the number of deaths and accidents on roads throughout the world by the year 2020. The campaign is founded on the notion that the vast majority of road deaths are preventable. It emphasises that workable and proven solutions do exist and that if we can make a sincere pledge as a global community to improve the roads and road user safety, particular for those in developing nations and particularly for roads used by children who are by far the most vulnerable of road users, that five million lives will be saved in the next ten years!

As part of my raising awareness campaign I chose to focus on one of many initiatives that exist as part of the Decade of Action campaign called the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative (GHVI) which aims to reduce fatalities and traumatic brain injuries in eight target countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Nicaragua, Uganda, Lebanon, The Philippines, Senegal and Vietnam) by raising money and providing resources to educate people about safe road use and provide helmets for children. In Vietnam 95% of vehicle owners are motorbike users. Despite laws that make wearing a helmet mandatory many people either don’t own or don’t wear helmets. As a result, on average 35 people are killed in road accidents each day in Vietnam! Road accidents are the leading cause of death for children aged 4-15 in several countries including Vietnam. For just $15 this initiative can provide a child in Vietnam with a standards approved safety helmet which, in an accident, reduces the chance of injury by 69% and death by 42%. In order to actively support this campaign as part of my fundraising for YPWB my family has agreed to donate an additional $15 for every $100 raised which will be donated to GHVI to help provide helmets for children in Vietnam.

As well as fundraising I recently attended a local high school to talk to year 11 and 12 students about the Decade of Action and why road safety is such a relevant and important issue (I also had the opportunity to talk to them about the YPWB program and how they can get involved!). Using a PowerPoint (which is attached for you to view), videos and a discussion of what they thought were some of the biggest ‘global social issues’ that exist today I was able to give them insight into the impact of road safety- many students seemed genuinely surprised at how far reaching an issue this is. As well as talking to students about the global implications of road deaths I made a point to emphasise that road safety starts at our own front door; Road accidents are already the leading cause of death worldwide for people under the age of 25… Pay attention, obey the road rules, don’t drink drive, put down your mobile phone and wear a seatbelt; the next life saved could be a family member, a close friend or even you- what better reason do you need to pay attention to road safety?!

For more information on the Decade of Action and the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative watch the attached video documenting the campaign launch and check out the following websites:

http://www.helmetvaccine.org/

www.decadeofaction.org

Videos:

Decade of Action launch video- behind the statistics:

The impossible texting while driving test (Worth a look):

Name the Peeps...

If any of you have recently been perusing the Young People Without Borders Facebook site (and if you haven’t I strongly recommend you check it out- https://www.facebook.com/YoungPeopleWithoutBorders­) you may have spotted some “peeps” in all sorts of weird and wonderful places throughout Australia and Asia. These ‘peeps’ I refer to are not the YPWB participants however (although they have been in some pretty cool places too!) but rather they are special little guys who look just like delightful lads (ladies?) pictured below:

Meet my travel companions!

So who are these guys exactly? I guess you could say they are YPWB’s mascots. At the beginning of our journeys, each ‘trailblazer’ was introduced to one or more of these little characters who will become our travel companions as we set off on our adventures in Asia.

These three are the guys who will be alongside me on every step of my journey from researching my trip, to packing my bags (a journey in its own right, I’m discovering), getting my vaccinations (actually they get to skip that part- Lucky ducks!), to teaching English at Le Hong Phong Gifted Secondary School in Nam Dinh city (with my lovely partner Linda) and everything in between. They will help document my travels and will no doubt insist on getting in on plenty of the action and photos along the way.  So far they are proving to be pretty reliable travel partners although I have occasionally left them alone and returned to discover that they have landed in some pretty sticky situations in my absence (it appears my family have had a bad influence on them.)

Otherwise though they are great peeps to have around and certainly adventurous enough to take on a challenge! They are very resilient and just keep on smiling regardless of their circumstances.  There is one problem however… They need some names! For that, I’m asking for your help; using the comments section of this blog entry suggest what you think would make the perfect names – remember there are three of them. Be as creative as possible and I will choose my favourites and announce them in one of my next blog entries!

Cheers,

Jessica H.