UPGRADE!

Current location: Seoul, South Korea.
Hours without sleep: 24
Amount of time in the airport/left in the airport: 1 hour down, 3 more to go
Amount of total airplane time done: 5 hours
Amount ahead of me: 21 hours (3 of which are a lay over in Chicago)
Good part of the day: When I started crying while watching Toy Story 3 in the plane, I got to do so in a reclining seat with a 17 inch monitor in business class. Yes. That's right! I got upgraded. And guess what, it was only for my 5 hour flight and not my 17 hour flight. Am I still happy? Yes. Am I going to try and upgrade in my next flight even if I have to pay? You betcha!
Bad part of the day: I had to pay American prices for my Caribou Coffee. I used my debit card for the first time in four months at a store. I didn't like any of these aspects of the day. (But the coffee was pretty good.)

Well, this isn't everything that I will talk about. The last week in Vietnam has been filled with lots of work (finishing up my Independent Study Paper and Presentation), eating lots of food, going to Vung Tau and swimming in the ocean, drinking beers behind a market watching tourists, and buying lots of name brand clothes with small defects at super cheap prices in Saigon. It was great and I still can't believe I am going home. It's so crazy. Also, it was in the high 80's our last few weeks in Vietnam. Guess where it's not in the high 80's? MN. I guess I need to contact the weather gods again.

Alright, see anyone who wants to see me soon. You'll know me by my glowing tan that most of you probably lack by this point!

Last Chances

Well, well, well...who would have thought that 15 weeks could fly by so quickly. Certainly not I, every time I have looked at the calender lately, I haven't really grasped the date. The fact that Santas seem to be popping up everywhere didn't even tip me off that December truly was here. This lead me to a very angry 15 minutes, when I realized that I can't be in two places at once. And then I got even angrier, because seriously, what are scientists working on these days. Instead of working on things like renewable energy or a longer lasting lipstick, they should be doing something to ACTUALLY benefit me. Come on; who ever finally achieved it could make millions. I feel like the military maybe has technology for this, but I don't think I could afford it.

I leave to go back to Minnesota on Sunday, and I've started thinking about the things I will miss most (and least). And whether I like it or not, this week will be my last chance to soak in the grandness of all the things I have come to love. I thought I would share some of these things with you.

• Mani-pedis that cost less than $5. 
• Entire stores devoted to fans.
• Motorbikes and honking.
• People starring at me.
• GOOD coffee.
• 80-90 degree weather.
• Fruit and vegetables (or leaves, as I called them when I first arrived. Some of them are, after all, simply leaves)
• Biking in the traffic.
• Geckos.
• Obvi, my host-family. 
• Street food.
• Meals costing $1. 
• Entire stores devoted to stuffed animals.
• Chopsticks.
• Monks on motorbikes.
• T-shirts with English sayings that don't make sense.
• Old Vietnamese people.

Things that I won't miss in Vietnam are:

• Motorbikes and honking. 
• 80-90 degree weather.
• Mosquitos.
• Vietnamese music. 
• The Backstreet Boys.
• My bike helmet.
• Warm beer served with ice.
• My "Giant" status.

See most of you soon!

I have a blogging problem

Sooo…I promised myself I would wait until December 1st to post again, but I just can’t wait. It seems I am totally addicted to blogging. I don’t even really know why. It’s not like I am discovering any new life secrets when I blog, I just retell stories from my life. Though SOMEHOW it is AWESOME. In fact, I don’t know what I will do when I get back to the U.S. I might have to start a blog named “The Chronicles of Alissa Morson” where I write about a lot of pointless things that happen throughout my day. And although all of you are thinking, “I would never read that,” actually you would. You know why? We all hate working and we all love procrastinating. What’s the best way of procrastinating? Doing pointless things, like checking our Facebook 400 times a day, or reading about Alissa Morson’s boring life that she retells in a somewhat humorous and self-deprecating way.  But enough of that!

I am back in Can Tho and soo incredibly excited about it! You have no idea how awesome it is to be home, or shall I say, “My Home Away from Home: Viet NAM Edition.” I have to specify since I do have other home away from homes. Well, I have been here almost a week, and soo many fun things have happened (but also really boring things). I don’t know where to start, so I will just give you some of the highlights. Get ready, there are A LOT!!

1. On the night train from Phan Rang to Ho Chi Minh City, there was a fellow traveler in my cabin who smelled really bad. I don’t know what it was: his feet, his clothes, his rotting bananas? I don’t know. But I do know it definitely wasn’t farts, it stayed around the entire 8 hours. I challenge someone to fart for 8 hours straight with a constant stream of stench like that one.
2. The next day when I got home, Trang got me a massage. I giggled through most of it, but tried to hide it as best I could. The masseuse was blind and didn’t speak English. I didn’t want him to feel bad.
3. On Thanksgiving, I got a mani-pedi. Be jealous!
4. On Thanksgiving, I went to the rented house where 4 of the SIT students are living, and had the wonderful cooking of Julia, Jana and Cassie. The food was awesome and just like America. It was so delicious, not nutritious, and actually made me want to vomit a little bit. No that sounds bad. I mean, I did want to vomit, but its just because I am not used to such rich food anymore. But no worries, Julia, Jana and Cassie are all great cooks, they never include food poisoning in their recipes.
5. On Saturday, we decided to be adventurous. So we went to the movie theater/coffee shop to see Salt. First of all, we didn’t really know what we were supposed to do when we got there. So we did what we always do when we don’t know what to do. We stood around and waited for someone to do it for us. It worked. Second of all, the movie is supposed to be in English right? Wrong. It was in Russian and only the flashback scenes were in English. I don’t feel bad though. When I read the synopsis, I was so glad I could only get the drift of the major happenings. The plot was weird and not great.
6. I taught a priest English. I think there might be a spot opening up for me in heaven after all.
7. Last night, after going out for coffee with Trang, we stopped at Saigon bakery to get bread for her daughter. I saw this interesting cake with three layers there. It intrigued me and my hostmom saw that it intrigued me and bought it for me. It really confused me, because the layers were so stuck together, just perfect. I didn’t understand it. But then I discovered that (I’m pretty sure) they just buttered the cakes and stuck them together. It horrified me…but it was also soo desirable. Who knew butter and cake were so good together, well, except my whole family in America and anyone who eats banana bread. And although I wasn’t actually hungry, I ate it soo fast, I forgot to get a picture of it. Sorry!

Well, that’s it for now. But don’t worry, my addiction will set in again soon and you will probably hear about the adorable puppies that I sometimes see for sale on the side of the road, or how I sit in my room most of the time trying to force myself to do work or one of the other many things I feel you deserve to know about my Viet Nam trip!

I don't actually have any pictures from this week, so I give you polar bear pictures instead.
 Awesome picture taken from www.mypoweranimals.org

OMG. Seriously, what could be cuter, right?
Image taken from keetsa.com/blog

The Dream Job...Gone Bad

Tonight, I will be heading back to Can Tho City, which I am having very mixed feelings about. I have come to really love Phan Rang (mainly just the balcony that Alex and I drink beers on and the relaxing nights we have without work), but I am also very excited to go back to Can Tho and see everyone and have more than just 2 people to talk to. Although I am very excited to have a group of people I can talk to again, I will miss going to Cau Gay, the Raglay ethnic minority village, where Alex and I had many great times. Over the course of our two trips, each about 4 days long, we really formed a close bond to our homestay family. Even though they didn't speak English, and we soooo obviously don't speak Vietnamese or Raglay, we got to the point where we no longer even needed a spoken language to understand each other.

But first (before I get all mushy. Well, honestly, I'll probably stop before the mushy part in this blog. Don't worry, the last paragraph was the mushiest that I will get), before I go back to Can Tho, let me tell all of you about the last four days spent in the village. I really like the analogy of the first day of a dream job. You know, that dream job that you're offered (probably involving something like polar bear observation) and your sooo excited that the opportunity has presented itself that you don't really ask any questions about it. You just say "Yes!" But then, you show up at work the first day and there is a whole list of problems when you get there.

1. There is a huge leak above your desk that probably won't be fixed for a week or two, so basically you just cover up your papers and hope that your shoddy rain jacket will keep you a little bit dry.
2. The air conditioning is on the fritz and its much, much colder than anyone is used to, but of course they forgot to mention this point, so you come in a T-shirt and one warm jacket that you really don't want to get wet. You sit there all day long with your teeth chattering and your hands in your armpits to keep warm, but you still have a cheerful face on when the boss comes by and asks if everything is ok. "Oh, of course I'm fine. Oh no, don't worry. I love cold, wet weather. You can count on me boss!"
3.  They only have horrible fluorescent lighting.
4. The cockroach problem has again gotten out of control, and the creepy little guys seem to pop-up when you least expect them, like when walking to the bathroom.
5. The boss brings her dog to work, but the assistant forgets to pick up its poop. 
6. They promise you cheesecake, but forget to mention that we will only get it after hours and you have to climb to the top of the skyscraper where your polar bear observation company is located to eat it. But, also don't forget that the stairwell is under construction on floors 19-22, so you have to climb up the ladder in that part. But the good part, you still get the cheesecake (It's got raspberries on top, so it's, like, way extra good.)

Well, at this point, you're like, "OMG, Alissa, is there a point to this story? Or are you just going to make these weird references that no one but Alex understands." Hold on to your little horsies, because I am about to explain each of the analogies. My dream job that I didn't ask any questions about is going camping in the woods of Nui Chua National Park. The beautiful tropical forest and mountains seem like the perfect place to go camping and trust me, it was...except for these points.

1. It rained the entire time we went camping. We were supposed to camp for 3-nights, but thank god, it is too dangerous to go the route we originally planned when it is raining, so we got to sleep in the homestay. Concrete flooring is wayyyy better than sleeping in a hammock. Especially when its raining.
2. Did you know it was really cold in the mountains, especially when its raining? And when I say really cold, I mean like maybe 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit. I had my fleece, old woman head wrap, scarf, pants and socks on, but my teeth were still a chattering without a blanket that night. Also, hammocks don't really hold heat in all that well. Who knew? Well now I know, and I will be a princess and drama queen and ask to sleep on the concrete floor from now on. 
3. Since it was raining, it was cloudy all the days. This means that the view of some of the mountains were obstructed and everything had a misty haze about it. 
4. So, wet season in the tropical jungle...you know what that means. Watch out for poisonous snakes and scorpions. Of which we saw both. I saw a poisonous green snake up in the trees, Mr. Vinh saw what was most likely the end of a king cobra, and we all saw a scorpion. Let's just say, I was more than a little paranoid when I had to squat. 
5. In Nui Chua National Park, there are free range cattle everywhere. Even way up in the mountains where you would never imagine there are cows, there really are cows. This means there are cow pies every where, on every path and if you don't pay attention for one tiny second, your shoes will have an even worse smell than normal.
6. The langurs! We were promised Langurs, well, suggested Langurs. We tried to see them the second day of our camping trip, but it was too cold for them to be out. So no Langurs. We wanted to see them the third day on our trip to Cau Gay, but we had other plans on the other side of the village. So, finally, on the last day in the village, we got a call from our host, who said that the langurs were near his farm. So we did the hour hike up the mountain and saw the Langurs. Soo worth the hike. They were spectacular. They were across the valley in some trees and rocks, just doing their things, and they were so fun to watch.

So, as you can tell, although our trip started out kind of miserable, it definitely was a ton of fun by the end. It was one of those trips though, where I really, really wanted to say that I enjoyed the camping part, but honestly, I am too much of a princess to be outdoors in the rain for that long. I just wanted to go back to the village...and we did. We had great nights at the village though. The first night back, we had beers and sat around with the family and some of the village heads, singing and drinking and having a good time. The next night, our host bought some rice wine and we finished up Alex's work and the wine that night. Very, very fun.

Well, this blog post is about a million pages long, so I am going to sign off for now! So, if you enjoyed it, or didn't enjoy it, leave me a note in the comments box. I am seeing all these viewers from all over the world, and I am very curious about who all of you are!

It rained and rained and rained and rained some more. Surprisingly (except not), these super thin ponchos don't last that long. Both Alex's and my poncho were completely destroyed by the afternoon.

Mr. Yen being amazing as usual. Here, he is showing us the Spirit Tree. The sap of this tree is used for poison on the arrows that the Raglay used for hunting. There are only two trees that they know of that are used for this type of poison. The extraction process is also quite complicated, including fasting for two-days and sexual abstinence for one day prior to collection. 

Scorpion!!! Thank god the Raglay have about 5 different ways of treating scorpion stings and poisonous snake bites. I suggested that they include a free snake bite with all their eco-tourism gigs, and then they can heal them with their natural remedies. I also suggested the bite be free, but the treatment not be included in the tour price.

I didn't really know this picture was being taken, which is why I look like I am in a stupor. But this was beer night at Mr. Yen's house. His mother is the one in the head-wrap and his wife is the one in yellow.

Mr. Vinh interviewing Mr. Yen on stories of this cave during the war time. It was used for the Raglay to take shelter and hide from the American observation planes that flew overhead almost every day.

Group Photo. Say Cheese! Same cave with most of our group. Tram aka "Mama Tram", Mr. Vinh's assistant who always takes care of Alex and I; Trinh, one of the National Park Forest Guides; Me, student; Alex, student; Mr. Yen, pure man in all respects and holder of wisdom.

Our last group meal at our homestay. There was the most delicious food, including vegetables that we gathered from the forest that morning. From left to right: Me, Alex, Canh (Mr. Yen's daughter) and her 3-year-old daughter, who is very easily entertained, Mr. Yen, Trac (Mr. Yen's wife, who was a messenger for the North during the war), Mama Tram and Trinh

Cow! In the middle of a stream. I told you they were everywhere. Alex and I were teaching Trinh English words the whole four days, and when we were riding the bus back to Phan Rang, we saw many cows. But at one point, Trinh just burst out shouting "Cow!" It was great.

Nui Achuuuuu!!!!

At this exact moment in history, my classmates at Carleton are surely celebrating the last day of Fall Term classes, my father is gearing up for his BIRTHDAY in about 2 hours and People Magazine is slowly, but surely, picking their "Sexiest Man Alive 2010." And I am sitting in an office building. This may make some think that I am getting homesick, ready to sit in a plane and come home and see them, or celebrate with them. After all, ALL of these events are very important (Who will the sexiest man alive be?? I don't know if I can wait any longer!!) HA! That would be false, I do not want to be in the U.S., well except for a one or two reasons. Such as, Ellen Peterson so cruelly pointed out that on Monday, she will be sitting in her home in Fargo...on a COUCH...watching TLC. Guess who won't be doing those things? Me. I will now inform you of one of the worst things about Viet Nam. There are NO couches. NONE. Don't even try to look, because they don't exist. The only comfy things we have to sit on are beds (sometimes, but sometimes they are just entirely too soft) and office chairs (but only in my homestay, my chair at Nui Chua is a plastic chair).

But I wouldn't trade anything for the things that I mentioned above. Why? I am currently at Nui Chua National Park and am doing my independent study project with the help of Mister Vinh and the Institute of Tropical Biology. My project includes the geology of the park and presenting their formation in visitor friendly language and the legends/history of the Raglay minority in the Cau Gay village. So some reasons I wouldn't trade anything in the U.S. for my time in Viet Nam at the moment are as following:

1. My independent study project is geology based. I get to be a geologist and run around the park on the days we are in the field looking at rocks. And collecting rocks. And admiring rocks. Basically anything to do with rocks, I get to do it. I LOVE it. 
2. There are beautiful mountains in sight from Phan Rang (where Alex and I stay) and a beach only 10 minutes from our hotel. 
3. We did a 3 night/4 day stay in Cau Gay, one of the Raglay ethnic minority village in the national park. Alex, Mister Vinh and I conducted interviews on the history of the village through out the French Colonial time, the American War and post-war, legends of the people and also the ethnobotany of the village (Alex is looking at the ethnobotany for his independent study project).
4. Soon, we will be climbing the tallest mountain in the area, or partially climbing. It's really up in the air. It rained cats and dogs when we got here almost two weeks ago, and it has started to rain cats and dogs again. (It also rains small frogs. We have seen like 900 million baby frogs, or frogs that are approximately 1 cm long. Alex informed me that he heard a theory that frogs/tadpoles and fish actually do fall along with the rain. We agree with this, except how would they get up in the clouds? I hear evaporation is a big problem among the tadpole population. Check it out: It's Raining Tadpoles in Japan!!!)  We were to go to the mountain today, but it was raining too hard. But hopefully, while on the mountain we will see some awesome rocks, spiritually significant trees/plants and MONKEYS. 
5. Alex and I live in a run down hotel about 2 blocks from our office. The bathroom door doesn't really close anymore and it is really, really stuffy inside all the time. But, they cook us the best dinners EVER there and the balcony is a really nice place to just sit and relax at night. And all for $3 a night per person. Who could complain??

Our host in Cau Gay, Mr. Yen (pronounced Ian) holding homegrown oranges. They smell so good, I wish I could wear their scent as perfume. Mr. Yen will be one of our guides when going up onto Nui Chua Ong, the tallest mountain in the area.

The "front yard" of Mr. Yen's family's plot. He has 4 dogs, a cat, some chickens and a pigeon that all run around this area. Plus, his 3 year old granddaughter, who was adorable, but LOUD.

The inside of Mr. Yen's house. Although we slept in his daughter's house, it was set up very similar. We slept on bamboo mats on the floor with mosquito netting over us. It doesn't sound that comfortable, since the floor is concrete, but surprisingly it is very comfortable. Also, notice Uncle Ho in the middle of the room where everyone can see him.

Rocks and the beach! It was great. One the left-hand side is ancient coral reef that has been compacted down, and on the right-hand side are granite cliffs.

This is a view of "Meat Beach," named for the sea turtles that used to be hunted on this beach. Now there is an extensive volunteer program set up for the conservation and protection of the sea turtles. The granite boulders in front have wonderful weathering designs.

P.S. Thanks to my partner in crime, Alex Greene, for helping me with the title of this blog post. For those of you who have read the entire post wondering who the hell "Alex" is, he is the only other SIT students still at Nui Chua with me. He does girl talk very well and likes to people watch as much as me. Basically, we are becoming besties who tell each other constellation stories. 

Birthday Buppie!!!

Proof as to how terrified the puppy I held was.

Cultural Exchanges and Birthday Bashes

As many of you know, I gained one whole more year of life on November 5. It was my birthday!!!! I love my birthday, you get to do what ever your heart desires and no one can say anything because its your birthday. For example, there is an unwritten rule in Vietnam that you are not allowed to touch your motorbike taxi driver. Well, on my birthday, I threw that rule out the window for our ~20-km trip from an ethnic minority village to the beach. I was almost hugging him, that's how much I disregarded that rule. And I have to say, I don't feel bad about it, and I think he was fine with it. Plus, he was going like50 or 55 km per hour, which doesn't sound fast until you experience it.

Anyway, my birthday was great. The night before we had a cultural exchange at the village of Cau Gay, where the Raglay ethnic minority live. I was feeling a little homesick, because I didn't have my friends and the villagers were very shy and weren't really trying to make friends with us. But thankfully, Mister Vinh announced that it was my birthday the next day and the night transformed. There were lots of shots being poured, lots of laughter and singing and it was an amazingly fun night. Also, when I said that all I wanted for my birthday was to hold a puppy, they caught me a puppy. I got to hold it for a while before they told me to let the terrified little creature go. Julia has some pictures, but I haven't gotten them, so you will just have to wait to see them.

On my actual birthday, we went to the beach!!!!! We learned about sea turtle conservation and went swimming a lot. We tried to go snorkeling but the waves were too large to get to the reef, so unfortunately, we missed out. But did I mention we got to go swimming...on a private beach. Swimming was the best. That night we also got ice cream. Man, it was a great birthday.

My birthday gift to myself was a very red sunburn on my back that may never heal. It also looks really funny, because my swimsuit is backless, except for a small cross pattern. So where the straps were, my back is still pasty white, but everywhere else it is fire hydrant red. I would have attached a picture, but it is too painful to look at. (Plus, I didn't take any pictures on my birthday, because I was having to much fun just enjoying everything. No time for pictures.) I've been taking a lot of aspirin and using a lot of aloe. But its sooo totally worth it.

For the next two weeks I will be staying in Phan Rang, where Nui Chua National Park is located, and working on my independent study project. I think I have stepped into a boys' club here, but at least there is one assistant who works for the park that is a girl. I also have Alex, who is pretty patient when I go into girl mode and is also definitely willing to humor it. But I will keep you updated on my ISP in the next post when I've actually started my project.

Children in the Cham ethnic minority village who were so excited to get their picture taken. We were almost stampeded.

Cham ceramic artisan, who finished  this pot in about 5 minutes. The Cham in this village are known for their ceramics.

Another Cham woman who does traditional Cham weaving. No worries, I bought plenty of things from her, so you can all see it when I'm back in the states.

That flower lets me remind of, my flower...Welcome Back to Viet Nam

Oh, English translations in Viet Nam, how I have missed thee!!!! The nice little ditty in the title "That flower lets me remind of, my flower" was painted on some restaurant rice bowls. Apparently, the porcelain factory didn't have the budget to get a real translator, but instead had to make due with Google Translator.

But getting back to the point. I'M BACK IN VIET NAM! And really happy about it. Although Cambodia was great, Viet Nam is, without a doubt, about 4 million times better. Sorry Cambodia. But we have been so busy since getting back. We have constantly been exploring Ha Noi, trekking in the Cuc Phuong National Park Forest, overnighting in ethnic minority villages, being head-butted by cows, looking at floating villages and being tourists. Let me tell you, enjoying life is exhausting!!

Here are a few of the memorable moments from the last week and a half:

1. Street food in Ha Noi is amazing. And you get to sit at little baby plastic tables. You know the kind...the ones you used at your childhood tea parties where every stuffed animal got their own chair. Yea, but they use them for real here, its awesome.

2. Monkey (actually Delacour Langurs) watching on a boat.

3. Spot-lighting for animals at Cuc Phuong National Park. At first, we were only finding lots of lizards and insects (aka BORING animals. well actually the chameleons were pretty sweet). So I took matters into my own hands. Basically, I called upon my powers with the mammal gods. Jana and I clasped hands and chanted to the mammal gods, and whaddya know? Right as we were done chanting, our guide spotted a giant flying squirrel. To be 100% honest, I did ask the mammal gods to give us a bat, but whatever. Bat, squirrel...both rodents, right? Same, same...but different. Moral of the story, I do have some kind of pull with the mammal gods.

4. Julia got head-butted by a cow at the ethnic minority village. She is just having really bad luck when it comes to keeping her legs healthy lately. But no worries, she was not injured, just got a long, blue bruise.

5. Ha Long Bay, Ha Long Bay, Ha Long Bay. Cassie's birthday. Swimming in Ha Long Bay!!! Ha Long Bay!

Muong ethnic minority village on the edge of Cuc Phuong National Park. 

Interesting rock formations in the cave we visited.

They must have had a lighting professional come in and do the lay-out. It was pretty cool seeing all of the stalagmites and stalactites lit up.

Floating fishing village in Ha Long Bay. The houses are within a cove of limestone mountains. 

Sunset on Ha Long Bay as we arrive back to port.

Blurry picture of a 1,000 year-old tree at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

After two weeks in Cambodia, I am sitting in the airport (our plane is obviously delayed) waiting for my return to Vietnam. As I sit here, super, super excited to go back to Vietnam, I have to tell you all the amazing things we did in the last week of Cambodia. It was really hectic, hot, sun-burny, and FANTASTIC. We saw a ton of stuff that most tourists only dream about seeing. 

We spent two days in floating villages on the Tonle Sap trying to understand the conflicts of the fishing lots there. Basically, private owners have possession of much of the main fishing parts of the lake and the families in the floating villages are subsistence farmers, meaning they have to pay for entry. This causes problems, because many hardly make enough money to support their families, and the only way they make money is through fishing. However, while we were in the floating village, I re-scraped my already scraped knee, making it look nasty, nasty, nasty. But, luckily, we just happened to be visiting the local Khmer medicine man. I asked if he could help me with my knee and he agreed if I sent him a picture. He started by lighting an incense for me, then he got some lotus balm and began rubbing it on my knee while saying some prayers. All of sudden, out of no where, he started spitting Betel Nut onto my leg. He repeated this process three times in all. Although it shocked me, that betel nut worked MAGIC. My re-scraped knee healed up within a week, faster than any of my other scraped knees have ever healed. 

We also took a four-day river excursion down the Mekong River. The stretch of the river that we traveled is actually pretty dangerous, so it is very difficult for tourists to find someone who will take them on these stretches of the river. On this trip, we saw a really cool waterfall (see below), Mekong River Dolphins, and a cultural exchange. The cultural exchange was the most fun I have had in so long. There was dinner, and we sang, and there was a band from Phnom Penh and the whole village (or so it seemed, at least 200 people) turned up to watch the traditional Cambodian dancing that was being performed. Oh, I think they also came to see the goofy white people make fools of themselves. We learned how to do some Cambodian dances, which consisted of just doing very simple steps around a round table (dancing for some was really touch and go at first, especially for the poor injured Julia, who had 3 stitches put into her knee the night before). I picked it up pretty quickly, and soon added my own American flair to it. I felt sooo popular that night. I got so many compliments on my dancing AND it was probably the first dance EVER that I have ever been to where I was asked to dance during every song. I may have also had a boyfriend, one of the river guards always asked me to dance. Look at me go, belle of the ball!

There was tons more stuff that we did, but unfortunately, I don't think you want to read about 32000 pages of my stories. But tune in next time for stories from Northern Vietnam.

He may think its creepy (but secretly he loves it), but I thought you would like to see more of Erik's fashion sense. Now you all know what I have to live with. But to be fair, we all got the orange hats and I wore mine everyday on the boat.

The hike to one of the Mekong waterfalls.

The floating village on the Tonle Sap where we stayed for one night. 

The Khmer medicine man worked some magic on my twice scraped knee. But for real, it healed up within a week. Lets see western medicine do that.

The medicine man in front of his shrine to his ancestors. When he heals his patients, he lights incense and waits for his ancestor to come and whisper the treatments in his ear. 

A close up of the Mekong waterfall. It was really moving fast since the rainfall had significantly increased in the last week. In the dry season, apparently the water is calm enough to swim and the waterfall only has trickles of water coming down. That wasn't the case this time. 

Helloo Ladyy. You want a...

Tuk Tuk, ice cream, fish massage, ice cold water, book, bracelet, postcard, flute and the list only goes on.

You may be saying, "What the heck is she talking about?" Well, in Cambodia, I (and every other tourist lady... I am not that special) am known as lady. And everyone wants to sell something to the rich Westerner, so I am constantly being yelled at. "Hello Lady, you want fish massage. Only $2. Free Beer." For this reason, at first I didn't like Cambodia. I constantly wanted to shout, "No! No! No! Obviously I don't want your tuk tuk!" Also, I didn't like it because I was no longer a special feature or attraction. Parents don't point you out to their children here, unless they want them to come and try to sell me something. So I don't feel as special. But it has been growing on me since that time. Unfortunately, it still isn't any Vietnam.

When we left Vietnam, we took an approximately 6 hour boat ride from a border town to Phnom Penh. We had to stop at the Vietnamese immigration center and check ourselves out of Vietnam. Then we had to stop about 5 minutes later to check ourselves into Cambodia. We got the sweetest Visa for Cambodia.

We spent 3 days in Phnom Penh, where we explored the downtown area, the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and obviously some of the clubs. It was the first time I had been clubbing in southeast Asia. It was interesting. Our tuk tuk driver took us to a "last resort" club/disco (We were at one club, but we wanted to try somewhere else. So the tuk tuk driver took us to a pub in the backpacking area, which was closed. Then he took us to the other better disco/club, but that was also closed for some event). It was a huge building with lots of lights. Eric got patted down and was not allowed to bring his camera in. Man! But when we got there, the music was great. Everyone was dancing. We thought, "Oh, just one quick drink and then dancing." Well, about 5 minutes in, the dance floor clears and the live music begins. It was not what we were expecting, nor what we really wanted to be truthful. The Cambodians have different taste in live music apparently, because it was super corny, but we still enjoyed it. We were the only foreign people there, so obviously we enjoyed it.

We then took a 6- or 7-hour boat ride up to Siem Riep. I decided it would be a good idea to sit outside most of the time. I also thought it would be fine if I forgot to apply sunscreen. Guess what? It wasn't fine. I came off that boat looking like a lobster that had just been boiled. Oh goodness, but it has already pretty much disappeared, thank goodness. But then, I fell and scraped my knee. Always something.

Today, we also went to visit the Temple of Doom, Angkor Thom, and Angkor Wat. Amazing, amazing, amazing. But at the Temple of Doom, Sean and I were off exploring. About 15 or 20 minutes into our adventure, we realized that no one else was really where we were. Turns out we were exploring in the "Danger Zone" of the Temple of Doom. And it was dangerous, Sean totally broke his ankle. Well, he didn't break it, but close. He stepped on it wrong and it "hurt." He of course blamed it on me. Then at Angkor Thom, I was exploring on my own and heard Alex and Sean talking. Sean got stung by a scorpion. He also blamed that on me and my "gossip" gods.  I thought it was hilarious either way and served him right. Why? Because he kept saying that those things were going to happen to me. But then, I guess I got it served right back when I fell and scraped my knee.

Tomorrow, we are leaving for a floating village, where we will do a homestay. We are constantly on the run, and I am exhausted, hence the above post, which isn't so clever. I am way too tired to think of anything that might actually entertain you. But please read next time anyway!!!!

Me and a demon at the entrance of Angkor Thom. I might marry it, but I hear demons don't listen very well. 

Eric looks like a warrior, or perhaps a bushwhacker in this photo. Bandanna and hat. Only way to soak up all the sweat apparently. 

Angkor Wat. Pretty sweet staircase up to the highest (accessible) part of the temple. 

Vietnamese Pagoda. It was in the border town that we stayed in for one night before heading to Phnom Penh.

Red like a lobster!!! Hair like a zombie. Oh my, thank goodness everything can be tamed after a while.

Temple of doom!!!You may recognize it from some movies...guess which ones!

Got Alluvial Sediment?

Before I get into the really awesome excursion that we got back from on Monday, I must admit something very hard to all of you. I AM HOMESICK. But it's really not what it sounds like. I'm not actually homesick; I love Vietnam. But it is lacking in a few things...

I MISS MY:

1) Clothes - Leopard print shirts, leggings, over-sized sweaters, can you hear me? I miss you!

2) Make-up - I now realize more than ever what you do for me every time I put you on. How can I live without you!?

3) Hair products - Although it is soo humid here, my locks are dying for some moisturizing products. And mousse, where has the volume gone!?

4) Car - Your air conditioning was just so great. And you run all by yourself once I put gas in. Please teach my bike to do that!

Ok, I know what you're thinking. What about my family and friends? Here's what I have to say....my family and friends have phones and email. My clothes, make-up, hair products and car do not. I had to go cold turkey, and baby, it ain't easy. But no worries, Vietnam is definitely making up for these things everyday...except today.

Of course today I got a flat tire. Ugh, how annoying. So I had to call my hostmom, and I rode on the back of her motorbike, holding onto my bike as it rolled along-side the motorbike. This looks a lot easier than it is by the way. It almost got away from me a couple of times. And then when I went to go pay the man who was fixing it, I didn't have enough money. Well, I had enough money, but not enough small change. So I jipped him and I feel so bad. I'm going back as soon as I have the money and giving it to him with interest. But he was kind of crotchity, so maybe doing this good deed and being rewarded for it will be good for him.

Now, on to Can Gio. We were definitely supposed to learn things at Can Gio, but honestly I don't really know what! All I really learned was how they restored the mangrove forest after the war and now there is a debate about whether it should have human influences or go au natural. I voted for au natural, because that's how I've been going latey and its really been doing wonders. Anway, I also learned how to walk/crawl in waste-deep mud and have mud fights. So much fun! Please see below for some visual representations. I also learned that three-star resorts are incredibly cheap here (about $15 a night) and salt-water swimming pools mean you don't have to do anything to swim. Just lay somewhat still and your head stays above. 

Monkeys! Monkeys also were a big part of the trip. When we were having our mud fight on the mud flat, three monkeys were about 50 feet away munching on some crabs and fruit. I liked these monkeys, because they kept their distance. We also went to a tourist attraction called Monkey Island, which was actually kind of scary. There were wild monkeys just roaming around and some "domestic" monkeys in a cage for us to see. First of all, the wild monkeys really need to learn some manners. There was so much monkey sex, monkey fights and monkey scary, scary stares to last me a life time. We had to walk around with a security guard with a sling-shot to protect us from them. And baby monkeys are the ugliest animals ever! They just cling to their mothers with naked heads and big scary eyes. I don't like them. 

Well, that's all for now. Friday we are taking off for Cambodia for 2 weeks. I will try and keep you all updated on some of the fun things we do there!

Who needs a spa when a mangrove forest has plenty of mud for a bath? Alluvial sediment!

A muddy, muddy group pic. From left: Erik, me(!), Jana, Cassie, Sean, Julia, Dr. Be (who will be participating in a beer drinking contest with Sean and I), and Alex

Washing up in the river. We thought we would just pull a boat for the heck of it too.

Devil Monkeys!

Rat...It's what's for dinner.

Ok, well, actually it was for lunch. Before you cringe and judge, I must admit that it was pretty darn good. Although it was a bit stringy for me, those little critters do have quite a bit of meat on them. But first, before we really get to the nitty gritty of things, let's go back to the beginning...

Sunday at 6pm, we headed out for our third excursion, Tram Chim National Park. It is home to the Sarus Cranes, which are the largest of the crane family. They have a wing span of about 12 feet and stand about as tall as Eric (a guy on our program who is 6 foot 2 inches). It is funny, because we call him the "White Crane" every once and a while. Unfortunately, we didn't actually get to see these. They don't come during the wet season. But I did learn that there is an International Crane Foundation (who knew?).

We arrived around 10pm and checked into our rooms at the guest house. Cassie and I were greeted by a 4-inch spider sitting next to the light switch. Since I was so tired, I asked if it was real. You know, I hear a lot of places started decorating with fake spiders (I don't know what I was thinking).

The next day, we explored the national park by boat. We then packed up our stuff and went camping!!!! Pictures are coming. We put rat traps out that evening, to catch the little critters. We needed a lot to keep our strength up, so the next morning they also went hunting for them. They had some narly spears going on. But back to the night: they had all the stuff set up for us to sleep down in the shelter, but of course (like at Long Hoa) we got to drinking. Around midnight, we decided (the staff of the national park and 5 SIT students) that we should let the others sleep, so we meandered up to the watch tower. It was awesome, we drank some beers and sang songs about 50 feet above everything else. And we even got to sleep there. I also made best friends with a 65 year old boat driver. He was way cool and could sing like no other.

The next day, we went swimming in what I swear was 100 degree weather. It was so hot. You know how in Minnesota the water is refreshing and cool? Yea, its not like that in Vietnam. It is nasty hot and full of plants that want to rip you apart. But it was still fun to get in the water, and it really built up our appetite for some rat. Although I really didn't eat too much of it (because of the texture and the delicious soup that was available), I do believe my friend Julia fell in love with the critters. She might even be hunting them down back in the U.S. when she gets there. 

All in all, another great trip. Our fourth excursions begins Oct. 1st at 5pm. We are going to Can Gio Nature Reserve and staying in a resort. Whoa, luxury! I don't know if I can handle you. But there are monkeys!!!!

Look at the concentration of a well-trained rat hunter. Maybe someday, I can be just like him. 

Always the graceful one as we all know. There was a huge drop off there. I didn't want to drown.

There are plenty more where that came from. Rice Wine!

Our camping shelter. It was soo beautiful. And although we didn't actually sleep there, it was quite pimped out for us.

Look, Mom! Look, Dad! I climbed the watch tower (even when I was sober!).

Nam Moui Nam Moui

Cow!

Walking through the rice fields. It was kind of like follow the leader.

Mangroves are muddy.

On Tuesday morning, we left campus bright and early (6am!!) to venture off on our second excursion to Long Hoa Commune, Tra Vinh Province. It was about a 4 hour trip up, most of it on a bus, but we also had to take a ferry to get to the island. When we got there, it was probably about 19 million degrees fahrenheit (I am not even exaggerating) and there were no trees or any structures to shade us. But after the 30 minute walk to the house that we used as our check point, we had a great lunch and some time to relax. And everything just got better from there for the following reasons:

• amazingly friendly and easy going village guides
• Alcohol
• Cows were everywhere
• Alcohol
• The toilets, or perhaps lack of toilets
• Alcohol
• Wooden Plank Bed

Here's the low down in more detail:

Amazingly friendly and easy-going village guides

So, basically the people that I met were sooooo friendly. There was our host, Mr Quac, who I am probably going to marry. I was pretty in love with him. It's ok if the only things we can actually communicate to one another is our names, age and whether we're tired, right? Then there was a lady who was about 45 or 50, who I was supposed to call Co, which means Auntie in Vietnamese. She was the best. She was only at lunch with us on Wednesday, but her and I knocked back quite a few shots together. There were also the men who were also about 5 or 6 government officials and some farmers throughout the couple of days.

Cows were everywhere

Do I even need to say more?

The toilets, or perhaps, the lack of toilets

When we had to pee, we went into a small room that was made in the kitchen with blue tarps as the wall. Inside the dirt floor was so compacted, that it was almost like cement. In one corner, there was a little opening to the outside world in the small ledge around the "room." When you had to go, you just squatted and let it all flow. You then "flushed" it by scooping water over the area and cleaning it out. The drip dry was the best. I LOVE THIS TOILET. You think I am joking? No way. First of all, there is never any worries about pee on the seat, because there isn't a seat. Also, you can never miss. Can't see where you are? No worries, just drop trow and go. Need to go poo? Take it out back, jack, where the hole in the ground is.

Wooden Plank Bed

So, you think you have the hardest bed in the world? Try again. The bed that Julia and I got to share was just a bed frame with a wooden surface. Surprisingly, wooden planks are pretty comfortable. Unfortunately, the non-functioning mosquito net made it less so. 

ALCOHOL!!!!!

Man, oh man, can those Long Hoa-ans drink. Tuesday night at dinner we had rice liquor that was half way between whiskey and rum. Wednesday at lunch I had rice wine, which was super strong. It was delicious. I don't drink here in Vietnam, but when you have every government official and host coming up to you saying "Nam Moui Nam Moui," which means 50-50, it is a little hard to say no. Mainly, because when you say no, they just laugh and tell you to drink more. 

So, the drinking ritual goes as following. There are bottles and bottles and bottles of alcohol and some shot glasses. When you want to drink, you poor a shot glass and go up to a someone and invite them to drink it with you by saying "Nam Moui Nam Moui." You both drink half the shot. Sometimes, you invite them to take a whole shot with you. 

Everyone there loved drinking with me. At lunch, they made me sit on their end of the lunch circle and consume shot after shot. It was great and I was drunk at 12:30 in the afternoon with about 5 middle-aged (well, one 25 year old and four men ranging from 31-60) and Auntie. Auntie and I were also smoking cigarettes together, which although is very bad, was hilarious because it is totally unacceptable for women to smoke in Vietnam. But I think the guys loved seeing us just go crazy together, especially since they were the ones giving them to me. 

All in all, I loved Long Hoa. I drank a lot. Was told by our host's mother, that she would like me to stay with her because I smile and laugh so much. Was introduced to the provincial policeman, who was 31 and looking for a wife. And had another mother tell me that her 29 year old son was looking for a wife and she would like me to marry him. I thought she was joking til she showed me his picture. And of course, we got to get dirty again. Oh, what a GREAT trip! 

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

who has the fairest toes and fingernails in the land?

Me, of course. You saw the pictures above, so it should be obvious. My
hostmom, Trang, took me for a mani/pedi this afternoon. It was great
and she insisted I get the little flowers painted because I never had
it done before. Oh, how beautiful they are! Now, if I just shaved my
legs and started wearing cute shoes (aka not just my chacos), the
beautiful nails might fit in a bit better. Oh well, I guess my
black-hairy legs will go just fine with my white nails that cost
approximately $2.25 (cha-ching. That was SUCH a good deal, I think I
might have made money on it.).

Also, last night I was dragged along to Karaoke. I totally expected
some lame stuff to go down. Like having to listen to horrible singers
who weren't my friend. But when we finally got there (it was Cassie,
Julia, Jana and Eric from our group and 2 Vietnamese students), it was
sooo different than expected. Basically, we came to this building that
looked like a hotel. There was a smoky entry way and male workers in
horrible plaid uniforms and a waitress in a skimpy little black dress.
We looked at each other and asked if we were in a brothel. We didn't
know, in Vietnam things could just be THAT different. But we were
escorted up to the fourth floor and brought to a private room with a
karaoke machine and a flat-screen TV. What pursued could be described
as THE COOLEST, MOST FUNNEST THING EVER. Who knew karaoke was fun? But
really it is when you just have to listen to your friends and you sing
any song that you want and not have to wait for some drunky to finish
up their horrible rendition of Mr. Piano Man by Billy Joel. Some of
our specialties from last night were:
My heart will go on by Celine Dion
Bohemian Rapsody by Queen
Barbie Girl by Aqua
Dancing Queen by ABBA
We didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel
and the list goes on.
It was sooo much fun. If you didn't want to come to Vietnam before
this blog post, this alone should make you want to come.

One more thing: Today is the birthday of the coolest big brother in
the world. HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, NICK!!!!