Author: jricketson

Today, we left our homestay in the Mekong Delta and returned to Ho Cho Minh City via boat and bus. On the way, we gained insight into local manufacturing through a visit to a fish sauce factory and a coconut-candy factory. Upon our return to the city, we visited both the famed Bin Thanh and night markets for a shopping expedition.

The students were eager to share their reflections of the transformative time we spent in the Mekong Delta:

• Emma: When we arrived at the Mekong, we visited the construction site for the build, in our visit we met the family and saw their current home. There wasn’t much to it; you could see that they really needed a more stable and reliable place to live. Any form of bad weather would have been extremely damaging to it. We managed to get a lot of work done in the three days we were building and everyone really tried their best to give the family a home they deserve. When we handed the house over, it felt great to see the smile on everyone’s faces. Although the family didn’t speak English you could tell they were extremely thankful.

• Chelsea: The Mekong Delta was incredibly beautiful. Unlike the city, it was peaceful and relatively quiet. The house that we built was nestled in a quiet little village with chickens, dogs and geese. A fish farm, flowing river and forests of banana and palm trees added to the simple and peaceful lifestyle of these people. The owners of the house were welcoming and friendly and it was an amazing feeling to hand over the house after three days of hard work. All of us took turns in cementing, brick laying, brick moving and weaving. Each day was hot and humid which did not make the build any easier, but did make the breaks and meals even more rewarding. The Mekong Delta was the highlight of my trip so far.

• Veronica: The Mekong Delta was a trip of a lifetime. Truly unbelievable. It was so natural and relaxing, almost as if it was an escape from the city. My personal favourite spot was sitting at the edge of the pier in the village. Watching the people swim or work quietly in the river in front of me, talking to each other, little children waving and saying “Hi!” was just so beautiful. I absolutely love the Vietnamese culture. They are so kind and sharing. But building the house was a whole other experience. We were so committed to do as much as possible that we achieved more than expected. The expectation was that we would completed a third of the house; incredibly, we built over half of the requirement! I’m sure Vietnam Grey and I are extremely proud of our effort, even through sweat and pain.

• Jade: The Mekong Delta was an amazing place. When we first arrived, we were surprised with the drastic difference of the village compared with Ho Chi Minh City. We were welcomed by the friendly people that lived in the village and experienced their peaceful and unique lifestyle in the period of only four days. We were surrounded by palm trees and plants that grew various fruits. The beautiful flowing river had an astounding view when looking out from the pier. When building the house for the family living in the village, we all strived and tried our best to make it as good as we can. Overall, we ended up achieving even more than what was required for the construction of the house and made for a very grateful family smile.

• Matt S – The Mekong Delta was a truly amazing experience that I will remember forever. When I first arrived, I realised that the Mekong Delta had a much more laidback feel to it than the cities. The homestay was right next to the river. You could see a plethora of plant species and there was abundant tropical fruit. The main objective of our stay at the Mekong Delta was to build a house for an impoverished family. This was both a challenging and rewarding experience. At the end of the build, I felt so proud of what we, as a group had achieved and it was awesome to see what difference we made to somebody’s life.

• Hugo: My time in the Mekong Delta was an eye-opening and wonderful experience. I hope to remember it forever. Although I had known that the Mekong River and the surrounding waterways were beautiful, in actuality the Delta was more spectacular than I could have imagined. The Mekong Delta is home to millions; however, the area is very different to the busy Ho Chi Minh city. The people there are more relaxed and seem to appreciate the values of family more. My experience riding through villages and spending time at the local school gave me a new perspective on life. Where you live is so important. The group house build was so rewarding for me and I felt so honoured to have had the opportunity to build a home for a family in need. The things I will take away from this experience is to be more grateful for my life at home, appreciate my natural surroundings and always be willing to help those in need.

• Hamish G: It was very shocking to see how little the people at the build had. To think that is all they have puts what we did for them in perspective. Only after seeing first hand what they had was I inspired to really try my hardest in the build. Overall my time in the Mekong Delta opened my eyes to how simple some lives can be. many people live within the same area doing the same thing every day for their entire lifetime. I don’t know if I would be able to live that way for a long time but during the time that we did live like that I felt more relaxed than I do in my usual life.

• Hamish R: Working in the local village taught us unique and extraordinary lessons that can and will be applied to many scenarios in life. We arrived in the village on our first day of building. There, we were taught about the steps that need to be taken in order to construct a house. Although the work was physically tiring and exhausting, the result in the end was well worth it. It was an intensely emotional experience to travel with one’s friends and work together as a team to build a house. It was an unforgettable event. We have created a safe place for this family to live for many years into the future.

• Ade: The Mekong Delta was an unusual and unique experience, and something that I would definitely do again. Working in An Binh, building a house for a Vietnamese family and talking to the locals and changed my views on the ‘typical’ Vietnamese life. It was a challenging project to complete, but I believe our group became a genuine team and worked as hard as we could. The determination on our faces represented how much we wanted to help this family. It was rewarding to build the large majority of a house that an underprivileged Vietnamese family will get to live in for hopefully the rest of their lives.

• Ethan: I feel like staying in the Mekong Delta was one of the most important parts of our experience. Many life lessons, much experiences, and most importantly, group chemistry were all were acquired throughout the village build in An Binh. The long working days, especially shoveling cement, taught me resilience and persistence, even if I did wake up with aching muscles the next day. I feel like it was a beautiful thing to do for an unprivileged family like Mr. Huong’s to build them a house they never could have dreamed of without our help.

• Chloe: Seeing the differences in environments between the Mekong Delta and Melbourne was truly amazing. I’m glad I helped to make that family their dream home.

• Amelie: Staying along the Mekong Delta was a great experience. Helping the family build their house and seeing the difference we made through raising the money made me feel great. Just to see the smiles on everyone the family’s faces and everyone else’s faces was a moment to remember.

• Anika: I found staying along the Mekong river a stay to remember. Firstly, the room was amazing and reminded me of staying in Bali, the people at the home stay were so lovely and the food and nature made me feel like I was really getting into the Vietnamese culture. The building project was one to remember. I was so dedicated to the house and was determined to finish it for the grateful family. Being able to present the house that took so much effort and energy out of us, but the feeling it left was worth it. I thoroughly hope that they enjoy living in it as much as I enjoyed building it.

• Luca: I loved being able to enjoy and relax in the remarkable village homestay. It was incredible to experiencing a completely different culture and way of life of the locals along the Mekong Delta. Learning new skills and being able to build a house for Mr. Huong and his family was an eye-opening and rewarding opportunity. In contrast to staying in the very busy Ho Chi Minh City, the beautiful village looking over the Mekong Delta was a great place for riding through the scenery and even swaying in the hammock.

• Brodie: Building a house for an impoverished family in An Binh will definitely be an experience to remember. The smiles on their faces were heart-warming. The Mekong Delta was an incredible place to spend our time as the surrounding environment and villages were sights we have never seen before, and sights we probably won’t see for the foreseeable future. The people of the Mekong were astounding welcoming and kind, especially at our home stay. We truly immersed ourselves with the Vietnamese village culture, which was very special and unforgettable for me.

• Matt T: A few days ago, Vietnam Grey was travelled by bus and boat to arrive at a home stay along the Mekong River for four days on just one backpack of accessories. I, along with 25 other students and members of staff were given the extraordinary chance to make a local’s life significantly better. Along with the $4,000 raised, we all chipped in to help create a house made of brick. It was served to create a reasonably spacious and safe place of residence for a man’s son and his wife. Although this was easily one of the most mentally and physically hardest challenging things I’ve accomplished, the house was almost complete when we left. I felt many emotions during this experience; I felt completely tired after cementing and stupefied after bricklaying, but the main thing I felt was happiness at the sensation of completely something challenging and rewarding for someone else. I believe I have changed in such a way from this opportunity to be more resilient when faced with challenging or overwhelming tasks and a harder worker.

• James: I found the stay along the Mekong Delta a different but marvellous experience. It was great to experience the Vietnamese culture through their food, entertainment and other practices. I felt very honoured to be able to build a house for a family in need. When we finished, I did believe all the hard work payed off. I hope the family will enjoy their time in that house and pass it on for the generations to come.

• Shayla: Having the opportunity to stay along the Mekong delta was an astounding experience. By getting away from the busy city life, we really got to immerse ourselves in the local lifestyle. The main vehicles used for transportation were motor boats, which is very different to what we’re used to back in Melbourne. We were also exposed to new foods with ingredients grown locally around our home stay, like long’an and glutinous rice cakes. I’m glad I tried some of the traditional foods because there were some dishes I didn’t expect to like, but ended up going back for seconds. The scenery was also absolutely stunning, as the calm Mekong river lined with flourishing palm trees flowed only meters away from us. However, above all of these amazing things, the best part of this time was being able to contribute to building a house for a very deserving family. Seeing the family’s faces when we handed over the house made it all worth it. Overall, the spectacular scenery, local lifestyle, and the opportunity to make a good family’s life a little better, made my time on the Mekong delta one I’ll never forget.

• Kate: Staying on the Mekong Delta was a different but great experience and one that will not be forgotten. I loved being at the homestay, the room was wonderful and the people there were lovely. My highlight of the trip was presenting the house to the family after everyone had put so much effort in to every step of building the house seeing the smiles on the family’s faces when we handed over the house was something to remember. I hope in the future I can go back and visit them.

• Jasmine: The Mekong Delta was stunning. With hammocks lining the river, we sat and ate exotic fruits while watching the traditional boats travel past. The home stay was terrific, the food was delicious, and the build a thoroughly memorable experience. I feel that after this stay we have all learnt something new. We all feel we have achieved something significant and satisfied with our work.

• Allana: The Mekong was incredible. Going to the village, waking up early and raising money for these people determined us to endure our experience it to its full potential. With the amazing foods, fruits and people that surrounded us, the overall village stay was unforgettable.

• Francesco: My stay along the Mekong Delta was truly a defining and perspective-changing moment in my life. Although as a group we did many other forms of activities on the Mekong such as bike riding, cooking classes and visiting brick, fish sauce and coconut candy making factories, the most spectacular would be the house build. From the second I arrived at the village, there was a feeling of complete contrast, they lived in a world unfamiliar to me and I lived in a world unfamiliar to them. Despite the very different conditions I was used to living in the building came to be quite exciting. In terms of skills that improved upon over the building days, leadership and teamwork came first. Quite simply I would direct others to jobs and together we would work to result in an outstanding accomplishment. In the short term I believe that I have changed in a minor way however I do have hope that in the long term I will reflect deeply about how this experience has shaped me to be the person I will be.

• Lola: it was extremely rewarding. I felt both honored and overwhelmed to be able to build a house for these people. The house build, along with the food, culture and general warmth that the homestay provided is also something that I will remember and appreciate for hopefully a very long time.

• Rhys: Staying along the Mekong Delta was an extremely different experience compared to Ho Chi Minh city. I found the peace and serenity of the resort very unique and special. My highlight of the whole experience was building the house for an impoverished family. The joy on their faces when we handed the house over was priceless. I also thoroughly enjoyed visiting the school and the bike ride around the island.

• Henry: The house build was very successful, providing both sides of the build, the students and the home owner, with happiness and gratefulness. Vietnam Grey and I set out to change the life of a deserving disadvantaged family living in poor accommodation by building a structurally sound house. We were successful and achieved this goal. This has made me happier and more thankful for where I live. This experience has further confirmed that by helping others you are helping yourself.

• Josh: The home stay on the Mekong Delta was a warm and welcoming one with a great sense of friendship and community. The house build was a challenging one that pushed everyone beyond their comfort zones. It promoted a sense of teamwork within Vietnam Grey. Be it sweltering sunshine or pouring tropical rain, we pushed through and were able to complete a significant chunk of the house build, much more than was expected of us. The back aches and tight muscles caused from the three days on the Mekong were definitely worth it to see the elation on the Huongs’ faces when handing over their home.

 

 

 

 

 

By Hugo and Francesco

 

Today was another fantastic today on the house build, despite the early start – breakfast at 6:45am! On the boat going to the house, there was a buzz of excitement as we knew that today would conclude our determined efforts of building. Once we arrived at the building site, it was astonishing to see our progress over the past two days. The emerging house had gone from the foundations to towering brick walls. The tiring effort of transporting bricks from place to place was evident through both their location and the sweat on each student’s face. We were thrilled with what we had achieved so far. With our work on the house coming to an end, newer jobs appeared for us, cleaning floor tiles, leveling the ground and placing the tiles as needed. The final day was filled with a sense of sadness, as we were leaving a family that we had grown so close to. We also felt a strong sense of accomplishment as our efforts had led to a grand establishment. Working on and around the site scurried bright chickens and dogs which gave us plenty of entertainment. At 11, Hai called for the end of our hard work and to formally present the house to the family. We were thankful for the opportunity to meet, work and learn about the village life on the Mekong Delta.

 

Following a well-deserved lunch of chicken pho, fried rice and crispy spring rolls, we were off to tour a brick making factory. Upon docking at the factory, we entered a huge darkened series of rooms. The place was filled with rows of pots, statues and many, many bricks. The tour was full of demonstrations about the various machines, techniques and products of the factory. We were most impressed by the enormous kilns used to harden the clay, while also changing the color from a dull grey and to a vibrant red. The multitude of vases dazzled our minds. It was interesting to note how majority of products from this factory were for overseas orders rather than local.

 

Later, we were able to go on a slow but enjoyable bike ride around the island. We were gifted with new bikes that were safe and comfortable and gave us confidence. The bike route led us to explore parts of the island that we had never seen before, such as an imposing Christian Church, a plethora of bridges, secretive cemeteries and vivid green vegetation. Throughout the bike ride, we witnessed a wide range of housing which included small dwellings to large grand houses. The bike ride left us in awe of the rich local environment and the unfamiliar culture that exists within people.

 

Afterwards, we showered and were welcomed with an awaiting cooking class. In the class, we learnt to cook Vietnamese pancakes and taro filled spring rolls which we indulged during dinner. Dinner consisted of a platter of seafood dishes most extraordinarily the fried elephant ear fish.

 

To conclude the evening, we were treated to a performance by a Vietnamese music group known as Nan Nhac. This group included instruments such as the monochord, acoustic guitar and song lam, which when played together sounded unusual but compelling. Tomorrow we depart the Mekong Delta …

 

Francesco: Dear family, I’m having an awesome time here, hope everything is fine back home and miss you heaps.

 

Hugo: Dear Family at home, I hope you’re all alright and going swell. I’m having an extraordinary in Vietnam and I’m loving every bit of it. Love you lots and miss you dearly.

 

 

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By Jade and Jasmine

 

Today, we started off with an early morning wake-up. For breakfast, we enjoyed jasmine tea and Vietnamese coffee, combined with eggs, bread and fresh local mangoes. We next hopped on the boat, ready for the day ahead. After a 30-minute boat ride to our village build, we arrived ready to work. We were separated into little groups, each with different jobs, as we all play important yet different roles in the creation of the house. After yesterday’s build, we had reached a point where the bricks were above our heads. This meant we had to create scaffolds to reach the higher points of the house, and muscles were required to lift the cement to the higher places. We were taught how to weave wires, make the cement, layer and stack the bricks. We dripped in sweat and the work was challenging, but the smiles of the family we were building for kept us determined.

 

At 10, we all had a quick snack break. We feasted on local fruits such as the longan berry (similar taste to lycee) and guava dipped in salt. After working for another two hours, we had a lunch break. We ate rice, fried chicken and eggplant dipped in the world-famous fish sauce, and noodles with fresh fish and soup. During lunch, it began to rain quite heavily. As the walls rose higher, our enthusiasm rose. The weather cooled and a light rain started as early afternoon began.

 

In the early afternoon, we finished building. Hai organised a school visit for us the Au Binh C primary school, with students in Years 3 and 4 learning English. Initially, this was difficult as there were major language barriers. The guides and teacher were very helpful as they were able to translate for us. As we taught the children new words, the rain started coming down heavily. We sang to the kids and taught them various songs and nursery rhymes that they were able to then recite themselves. They sang to us Frere Jacques in Vietnamese as we departed. We walked back in moderate rainfall, through puddles and muddy spots that were visible. We then took our boat ride home through the falling rain, and all had a shower upon reaching the homestay.

 

At the end of the day, we were extremely excited to have gotten this far in the creation of the house. We are looking forward to passing it over to the Huong family. The local people we have meet have strengthened these emotions and really motivated all of us to do as much as possible tomorrow.

 

Jade: To everyone back home, I am missing you guys so much. I am having an awesome time here. I can’t wait to tell you all about all the amazing memories that I have made (and the delicious food in Vietnam). Looking forward to seeing you soon. Love you, Jade.

 

Jasmine: to the family back at home, I miss you all so much. I am having an awesome time and I love the food. Love you Mum, Dad, Alex, Kim, Mimi, Clayton and Disney’s. Hai is my guide, yay! Keep Max happy and send him my kisses.  Wish me a happy birthday. Xxxxx Jazza.

 

 

 

By Brodie and Luca

 

Today was our second day on the beautiful Mekong Delta River. We all woke up to a brilliant home cooked Vietnamese-style breakfast. After a good feed, we were all keen to start building a new dwelling that will change the life of Mr. Huong and his family. We embarked on a thirty-minute boat trip to An Binh, where the Huong family live. An Binh is a minuscule and remote village off the Mekong Delta. Walking into the village, we were surrounded by the vivid colours of the Mekong environment.

 

Hai, our local guide, allocated tasks when we arrived. He explained and carefully demonstrated how to mix cement, lay bricks, scaffold, refine sand and more. The building began with five cement mixers, and twenty-one brick layers. Being a cement mixer involved straining sand, collecting water from the river, combining sand with cement powder, mixing with water and finally supplying the finished cement to the brick layers. Bricklaying requires the movement of bricks from pile to building site, laying cement, halving bricks and then laying bricks. After a morning of sweaty and strenuous work in humid conditions, we were supplied with a hearty luncheon. We ate on the boat with a lovely view of the Mekong Delta.

 

Once we devoured our lunch, the reapplication of the essentials of sunscreen and insect repellant was required. Later, we were gifted a one-hour break, where we were able to explore the delightful village. Exploring An Binh helped us to understand the simple and peaceful lifestyle of being a Vietnamese villager.

 

Although continuing with the build after the break was tiring, we managed to keep spirits high. Finally, Hai called an end to the day and tools were replaced. An audible gasp of relief and astonishment was heard from everyone as we stepped back and admired our day’s work. We felt satisfaction as we relaxed on the boat trip back to our homestay.

 

Today was a productive and rewarding day. Our tiredness is temporary, but the enjoyment and satisfaction from this experience will last. Tomorrow, the build will continue.

 

Luca: Family, I am having a lovely time and this a great experience. Everything is hunky-dory! Love from your favourite son.

 

Brodie: To those at home, I am having a ripper time. Everything is going great. Hope all is well and Chev and Dex are behaving! See you all in thirteen days.

 

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Written by Anika and Amelie

 

This morning we were still buzzing with excitement from yesterday’s visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This is where we had the opportunity to learn and experience the way in which the Viet Cong survived during in the Vietnam War. We made our way through the claustrophobic underground tunnels that the soldiers once crawled through and spent extended periods of time. Although we felt a little anxious when moving through the tunnel, we later learned they had been altered and expanded from their original size. After a day full of learning and new experiences, we immersed ourselves in the cooking culture of Vietnam at the Barbeque Garden. Here we practised the techniques of cooking our own food on a small hot plate at each table. It was a challenging, stimulating and thoroughly worthy experience to prepare our own food. We were surrounded by the tantalizing flavors in these Vietnamese dishes.

 

Today, we departed from our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and arrived to the Mekong Delta after three-hour bus ride. We then ventured via boat along the river to our lunch destination at a homestay. Here we immersed ourselves in rice, spring rolls and chicken. The food in Vietnam is one of the many delights we have encountered along our journey so far, with flavors from overly sweet to spicy.

 

We next arrived at our homestay destination, where we settled into our rooms. Next, we enthusiastically returned to the boat, filled with excitement at the anticipation of meeting the family whom we will be building a house for in the next few days. Seeing their current living conditions was rather eye-opening. It revealed to us the reality some people are facing in this world. Seeing their grateful smiles upon our arrival was a transcendent feeling.

 

We are charged with excitement, ready to start work on the house and looking forward to seeing the finished product!

 

Anika: To my family at home, I’m having a blast! I cannot wait to share with you all the amazing memories I have made when I get home. I miss you all! Lots of love, Anika.

 

Amelie: To everyone back at home, I am missing you a lot. I am excited to tell you all the funny stories. Don’t miss me too much – I’ll be home before you know it. Love, Amelie.

Hello all. 

We will be travelling down the Mekong tomorrow to get the village build, and the wifi may be unreliable. It may 4 days until we are able to blog again so watch this space! We will be continuing to write the blog each day, and if necessary will post when we have connectivity.