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LC Pagodas: Day 3 – Chay Village build

November 12, 2015

The group arose nice and early, enthusiastic for the day ahead. Daniel spent breakfast educating us about his newfound language skills. With examples such as suosday (hello), akun (thank you), numbers and a whole lot more. Lizdog brought some vegemite with her from home and made us all jealous of her toast! We got on the bus nice and early, anxious for a long day in the heat.
When we arrived, we were introduced to the family whom we were building a house for. We were introduced to a widow and her four children, three girls aged 11, 12 and 15, and one boy 17 years old. We began our first task: knocking down the old house to make space for the new house. Some of us had to walk down to the police station to retrieve the supplies they had been guarding for us – literally guarding, they were even bribed with McDonald’s. Our second task was helping to put together the all the pieces of the frame of the house where we were swarmed by kids. All the village kids were so excited and friendly, we even taught them how to sing a pop song, ‘whip and nae-nae’. With the extra supplies from the money we raised, we also started to build a green house. The kids helped us move supplies and were very enthusiastic about walking barefoot through the sun. We were amazed. Our first day of the build was rewarding and we are keen to see how the house and greenhouse will look when completed. The trip back to our hotel was about 45 minutes long and on our return we all jumped in the pool, relaxed and enjoyed some down time. At 6.30pm we gathered in the foyer to then head out to a favourite spot of ours in the town centre. We went soup dragon for dinner and had a family meal where we shared lemongrass chicken, rice paper rolls, sweet sour pork and marinated beef. The food was delicious? The restaurant hosted a range of wildlife such as geckos and a couple of cats. After dinner we went to the night market for a second time and many of us improved our bartering skills. A couple of us went for a fish foot massage, which apparently tickled at the time, but felt amazing when they took their feet out of the tank.

Today was a truly amazing day on many levels, everyone worked so hard and we really felt like we achieved something. We are all exhausted and ready for a good nights sleep.

Good night all.
By Daniel and Izzy

Vietnam Yellow: Day 4

November 12, 2015

By Prue Schwarz

Today started off with an early wake up call and a breakfast of banana pancakes and yogurt. We started our one hour walk to the worksite where we have our three day building project. The countryside is really beautiful.

We met the family for whom we are building the house and saw how grateful they are for our help. We learned about the difficulties this family has been through and how they have been living in a tiny lean-to and were caught in the poverty loop. The father lost his parents and his brother and he himself has had health problems. They have a three year old child called Tien. They seem like a lovely family who are extremely appreciative of what St Leonards College are doing for them.

When we were working on the house our jobs included bringing bamboo and palm leaves to the building site. We then had to split the bamboo into small sections for the roof and floor. We also needed to assist in raising the main house frame and chopping down big bamboo trees for the house construction.

It was very hot and we had to remember to drink a lot. For lunch we had a welcome break. We walked to a village and ate a bento box, with chicken, rice, beans, meatball and a kebab.

At the end of the day we were all very tired but content. Today proved to be very satisfying day. We felt as if we had done something good and were helping a family in need.
Andrew Cole and James Reid

The teachers would like to add that the students did a magnificent job on the worksite today. It was hard work but everyone pitched in and did the best they could.

China – Day 5 Xi’an

November 11, 2015

By nhutchinson

Our 5th morning in China started early morning as we woke up at 6.15am ready for our flight to our second destination Xi’an. After we arrived at the airport we spent some time in our plane groups working on our Journey Docs reflecting on the historic relics and cultural aspects of our stay in Beijing. Saying farewell to our local tour guide, Cathy, we boarded our flight. The 2 hour flight saw great opportunity for views of the mountain peaks and the blue sky that was hidden by clouds during our stay in Beijing.

Upon arrival, we met our new local guide, Charlie. Xi’an was a new place for us all and we were excited to see what differences it had to Beijing. Although the skies remained smoggy, a tint of colour provided the evidence of less polluted air. It was a huge improvement finally seeing the blue, beautiful sky! Charlie informed us of some of Xi’an’s ancient history as we headed to our hotel.

After we were settled in the hotel, the group climbed on board the bus to the Xi’an Farmer’s Market. It was spread mostly throughout the backstreets with vendors selling familiar and unfamiliar produce including some strange coloured carrots! We learnt about how this market is a true farmer’s market in that these were the farmers themselves selling their produce avoiding the need for a ‘middle man’. This was really evident as many of the stalls only sold one or a few different vegetables and not a whole range like we see in many of Melbourne’s markets. The streets were crowded with people buying up produce. Charlie informed us that this market is a regular stop for many people on their way home from work as many people in Xi’an buy their ingredients for that night’s dinner on a daily basis. It was truly incredible to see how different it was to Melbourne!

Next, it was finally dinner time. Charlie guided us, all tired and hungry, to a hotpot restaurant. This proved to be a new experience for many of us. The meal involved a pot of water that was heated over a stove. We could select vegetables, meats and noodles to cook in this pot and then eat them with a mixed dipping sauce made up of condiments of our choosing.

On the way home we made a stop at the colourful Muslim Precinct of the city located next to the beautifully lit Drum Tower.

– Bridget Armitage & Tima Alexandrov 🙂

Vietnam red-day 4: Heading to the Mekong

November 11, 2015

By fcreak

Vietnam Red is heading to the Mekong Delta for the house building project this morning. We are not sure whether we will have internet, so we may not be in touch. We will continue to write the blog and publish is it when we return to Ho Chi Minh City on day 8 (if we cannot before).

The group is in good spirits as you can see from this photo at breakfast this morning.

Vietnam Orange – Day 3

November 11, 2015

By chyde

Discovering Ho Chi Minh City

(Image by Aunyarat Watanabe from http://www.aw-illustrations.com)

After a long night’s rest, preparation for the day began with another buffet breakfast and a few making use of the hotel gym. According to the daily brief we packed our bags and waited for the clock to tick 9:00; a slow start to a big day.

First up on our list to-do was the Great Race; a 2 hour scurry through the dense heart of Ho Chi Minh City. We were given a list of questions to answer from points around the city and split into our teams for the day, hastily organising our plans of attack. We set off for the Post Office; an old yet well-maintained relic amidst the bustle of the crowded streets and overlooking a remnant of the French occupation; the Notre Dame Cathedral. We then boarded three-man cyclos to take us through the traffic and to the Reunification Palace for a quick photo before re-boarding and heading to a large market. Inside was a sea of coloured fabrics, cheap footwear and accessories, the overpowering smell of offal, and exotic fruits such as durian (which we tried). Emerging from a side street packed with statuettes, we craned our necks to see the full extent of the Saigon Skydeck before actually experiencing the awe-inspiring view which overlooked Ho Chi Minh City in its entirety. Although the race was more about the experience, team Penguins (Meg, Ry’annah, Jay, Rhys and Nick) triumphed overall and were awarded an all-expenses paid gourmet lunch. All biases aside, the Great race was a highlight for most and made all realise that they are in another country on the Big Experience.

Despite our short expedition to the Chinatown Markets, they provided an amazing experience for the senses due to the humidity, tight spaces and writhing colours. We weren’t able to purchase any items so this was purely to give us a taste of the life of the Vietnamese.

The War Remnants Museum was an eye-opening history lesson on the topic of the Vietnam War. Comprised of three levels, the Museum was constructed for veterans before being opened for the Vietnamese locals and now is a tourist attraction. The first level’s walls are lined with posters and protests in different languages opposing the war. Although quite tame this level shows the lack of support that the Americans had in their incursion into Vietnam. The second and third levels are all photos detailing the horrendous war crimes committed by the Americans and the effects of contaminating Vietnam with Agent Orange. Although confronting the War Remnants Museum was a very important experience in understanding the Vietnam War and its effect on the country today.

The finale to an epic day was a barbecue dinner which we cooked on our own personal grills in the centres of our tables. Subgroups within our group began to break apart and conversation flowed between us as we ate, unified.

Big thanks to Suny our tour guide for allowing us to glimpse the culture and the life of the Vietnamese and for making our lives easier. Looking forward to travelling down into the Mekong Delta tomorrow!

By Nick and Rhys

Temples day 3 – Community Project

November 11, 2015

By dtoohey

Today, we stepped into rural Cambodia.
The main pillar of the Big Experience for us has been fundraising for our Community Service Project here in Cambodia. We did the Seaford to Brighton walk and we have completed lots of personal fundraising, so everyone was excited to put the money to good use and build a new home for a rural family. We got to the village at 9 am and met the family that we’re going to build a house for, it was a very moving experience. The family we were building a house for had a grandmother, father, mother and 3 children. We were instructed to carry wood and bamboo planks and the different material that would be needed. It was amazing to see all the different people in the community there to help build the house. The framework for the house had already been completed by the village people. Everyone helped to lift up the framework and the house building officially began. Carrying the planks was tiring and it was hot but we thought about the family and how this house would transform their lives, so we kept going. Rural Cambodia and the houses that the Khmer farmers live in are extremely basic compared to our houses.

Many of their houses were built using wood and tin and lack basic things like toilets, electricity and running water. They are surrounded by rice fields, rivers and forest. We felt very lucky to live in a city like Melbourne, where such basic luxuries like electricity, toilets, appliances, running water are the norm. Doing this Community Project felt especially good because these people could never imagine they could have a new house.

We still have 2 days of hard work left but by the end it will be very rewarding. This house building is a real whole community activity. Getting to know the Khmer way of life and who they are is the best experience and we are really thankful to get an opportunity like this.

Jenny Zhang & Conor Boyd Eadle