Vietnam Orange Assorted Photos
URBAN DOMAIN 2024
Vietnam Orange Day 6
Another Brick in the Wall pt.2
The constant work of the Vietnamese is a trait that is hard to replicate, our western cultural values of independence and solidarity, but the Vietnamese are a strongly dependant community of people, meaning consistency and commitment are embedded in their culture. This is shown through the various platters of food we are offered at every meal, meaning this morning a nourishing breakfast was served to us to start off the day. Our next in the saga of boat trips from our home stay to the building site commenced. It showed us the same sights we have seen for the past two days; impoverished houses and boats passing us by, as our expensive hiking packs(and sunglasses) travel by.
We arrive at the building site for our second day of work. Carrying with us the fatigue of the previous night, caused by the constant ravings of a pack of dogs and the infamous rooster, namely ‘Dinner’. Our baggy eyes were quickly filled with the powder of the site, as we routinely got to work, with our newly honed skills. Our achievements of the day before were a constant reminder of what we could achieve, striving us to work harder and faster than before. The conduit of our driving force was in the capable hands of the native tradesmen; assisting our amateur hands in their work. Despite our initial sequence of strenuous work, there were dips to every crest; so inevitably a series of lulls ensued; in which the Vietnamese continued to work, irrespective of their white colleagues’ leisurely activity.
Forever hard working, the Vietnamese showcase gratitude like no one else. The man we are building a house for, Đèo, has shown his gratitude through continual acts of kindness, whether it be helping out on site, fetching the workers refreshing coconuts, delivering things to and from the site or the subtle niceties he presents through his body language and his beaming smile. The pleasant atmosphere of the work site has created a sense of community; shared laughter from both the Vietnamese and Australian workers while building to a bond between some of us year 9s and Đèo’s family. Đèo’s cheeky son Tùng formed a strong bond with our very own cheeky Noah, later referring to him as “Uncle”. As our bonds grew stronger, so did the foundations of the building, which was created by the union of Vietnamese and Australian hands. 
All in all, it’s just a few more bricks in the wall, for our teamwork achieved so much today, we are left with little to do tomorrow. Hopefully this will give us more time to befriend the locals and celebrate our great achievement.
By Jack and Max : > )
Vietnam Yellow: Arrived in Hue
After an exciting 13 hour train journey we have arrived in Hue with time in our hotel to freshen up before heading out to explore the former capital.
Vietnam Red- day 8: Back to Ho Chi Minh
This morning we woke up in Peaceful Island on the Mekong Delta in our homestay. We woke early and got ready for breakfast which featured strawberry jam, omelettes and an array of squishy coconut jellies. After swinging in the hammocks and reading a book we boarded the boat which would take us to the floating market. When we arrived at the market we learnt that locals sell their produce by attaching what they’re selling to long bamboo poles on their boats. We then made our way to the fish sauce factory where we smelt (or tried not to smell) the strong vegemite-like smell of the fish, salt and vinegar concoction. After that, we floated to a rice paper factory where we watched people make rice paper, pop rice (like pop corn), coconut lollies and fried noodles. After purchasing some sweets for ourselves we bid one of our guides, Hiêú goodbye. We got on the bus and drove towards Ho Chi Minh city for around an hour. By then, it was time for lunch and we stopped at a Mekong rest stop and enjoyed a vast variety of food including vermicelli soup, sticky rice, spring rolls and fish. When we had finished, we drove for another 2 hours and arrived in our old hotel Bong Sen. We then walked to the market, decided our meeting point and were told we could roam the market until 5 o’clock. This experience was very different to shopping in Australia not only due to the extreme difference in price but also the fact that the shop keepers come to you not the other way around. A few of us found ourselves in difficult situations where shop keepers begged us to buy there products. For dinner, we were allowed to choose where we ate in groups of three. While some of us stuck to the Vietnamese food we had grown used to, others hit up Subway or KFC for a change only to find that their Kentucky Fried Chicken was actually Kentucky Fried Fish. Our leaders efforts to avoid the other Vietnam group failed as we saw them twice on the streets of Saigon. All in all, it was another great day. Tomorrow, we will leave the south and catch an internal flight to Hoi An where we will go from a city of nearly 10 million to a city of 10 000 people. (Photos on the way)
Polly and Marvin
P.S. Thank you so much and I miss you.
Temples Day 8 — Phnom Penh រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ – Kampot កំពត
Following the intense emotional outing yesterday, it was very nice to conclude the day with two relaxing experiences: novelty shopping in the Russian Market and a romantic boat cruise as the sun set.
The next morning, Sunday, we visited the Presidential Palace – the crown jewel of Phnom Penh surrounded by the capital’s residents going about their daily life.
Contrasting this a kilometer or two away, the next site on our agenda was the slums of Phnom Pehn, home to three times the many impoverished families it was designed to hold. We then took a 4 hour bus ride to Kampot where we checked into the hotel, and took a sensational tuk-tuk ride to our scrumptious dinner.
Whilst visiting the slums we were exposed to the outrageous wealth gap between those who control power and those who are subject to it. In attempt to cover up the ugly poverty of the city, the government has erected a large, exquisite hotel to block the view and smell of the run down slums. The presidential palace, a mere 7 minute bus drive away juxtaposed the wealth of Cambodia compared to the majority of the country who can only afford at least basic living standards This is a result of the poor care by the country of its citizens due to corruption. Another example of this was when we took the boat cruise and watched families living in their boats on the Mekong River, with the newest 5 star hotel in the backdrop. These events today have given us an entirely new outlook on our privileged life and how we live it. Our quality of life is so high compared to everywhere we have been (maybe with the exception of the palace) and we are so lucky to have been born into such an affluent life and should take time to be grateful and appreciative of this.
Declan Fode & Adele Evans
Vietnam Orange Day 8
Hello Ho Chi Minh, we meet again!
Today it was time to say goodbye to the Mekong Delta and the family that kindly allowed us to stay with them at their house for the past four nights. We boarded our private boat for the very last time, travelling towards the floating markets, the fish sauce factory and the rice paper factory. As we passed the floating markets, we witnessed many small family shops selling a range of products from fruits and vegetables to fish and meat. Along the way we also stopped off at two family run businesses, which produced the rice paper we need for our spring rolls and the fish sauce we need for cooking. Each person in the rice paper factory produced around three thousand rolls per day, about ten in one minute!!
At the fish sauce factory we learnt that each batch of fish they caught were stored in a barrel for around one year, and then opened to collect the juice to use for the sauce. The factory smelt very bad, so bad that some of us had to walk out because we couldn’t stand the smell.
As we headed back on to the boat towards Ho Chi Minh, we got our last taste of the famous Mekong coconuts, fresh from the trees. It was very sad to be leaving the lovely Mekong Delta, especially after connecting with many of the people and making great memories here in this part of Vietnam. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and knowing that we have changed the lives of the family that we built the house for is heart-warming and a memory that we will always treasure. Our last goodbye was one that we all knew would be very hard to face. This was to our wonderful, talented Mekong Delta tour guide, Han. As a group, we would all like to say how much we are thankful for having him help us throughout our time in this wonderful place. He helped us build the house, taught us how to speak some Vietnamese to communicate with the village children and builders, and overall made our experience here unforgettable.
Our journey back to Ho Chi Minh consisted of playing cards, sleeping, eating and stopping for the “happy house”. The bus ride went smooth and quickly, while arriving back in Ho Chi Minh, it was such a relief knowing that we could FINALLY have air conditioning back during the night. We freshened up in our hotel rooms and then headed off for a yummy lunch of classic Vietnamese Pho. This was such a good lunch and everyone enjoyed having yet another taste of this country’s amazing cuisine. After exchanging money, we spent the rest of the day exploring the Bến Thành mảket. A crowded, crazy market that was filled with many great bargains and many great buys. We also visited Saigon Square and the money in our wallets slowly decreased due to the many purchases that had been made.
Finally, after our long and jam packed day, we earned a well deserved dinner. In small groups, we wandered around the streets of Ho Chi Minh and looked for different places to eat dinner. This was another good opportunity to explore the unique culture and variety of foods to taste test. We finished off the day exchanging money and getting all packed to start another great experience into the city of Hoi An.
So far our trip has been one to cherish, and so many great memories have already been made and shared. Our group has become so much closer than we have ever been, and we are like a big family sharing this one amazing journey together.
Chúng tôi yêu bạn (we love you) and miss you all! xxx
Amy and Grace ❤️
