the end of one journey marks the start to the next.....

28th January, 2011
The adventure is coming to it's final hours and as i sit in hightlands coffee with 'betty and jets' blaring in my ear i'll try to  concentrate on the job at hand....see if i can get back to that feeling of each place, the experiences and the lessons...knowing that first time experiences are hard, frustrating and wonderous all at the same time....
my last days in Tuy Hoa....
Tuesday 25th - i spent the morning at the Fishing Village school and had so much fun with the kids...there was a bit of impromtued dancing as well as my english lesson of course...we all had a great laugh and when Nguyen explained to them that i was not coming back the kids surrounded me, high fiving and hugging me...all saying 'thankyou teacher'...it was the cutest moment and very very touching...i love that so many things have made my heart smile here..it makes up for the sadness it has also created....... Well for my last afternoon I spent it at the Special School i worked with Duoc my little 2 month old baby..( i use the word 'my' cause i want to!!) i spent a little time with Tro but this was my last chance to hold and love this little baby...and yes i'd still like to take him home, more so now than before.  The mums had just fed him so he was a happy little camper and fully awake..i stretched his little limbs and did the sequence of motor skills with him...helping him to reach out his arms and legs...giving him some time in the 'childs pose' position balanced on a roll pillow (so cute..looks like a frog)...then sitting him up to see the world and taking him outside...probably for the first time...he loved the fresh air and the look of the trees...he was so alert...taking in everything he could and before long it was hard for him to keep his eyes open...i held him for the rest of time in different positions as i know he generally only gets to lay on this back.....he's so small i held him curled up in one arm while his face rested in my hand...i spent the time silently saying my goodbyes to him and holding Tro for the last time, hands on his heart and sending him all the love i had to give.....
When we eventually left i felt at peace....i had told my little men how much i loved them and that I prayed for protection over them in the future...i know i have to now leave it up to the Universe to take them on their path but i at least left knowing i gave them the love i came to give freely...as much as that never seems enough it was all i had to give in the end.
that night i had my last session with the kids from HOA...it was fun...bingo numbers, some dancing and singing and i presented each of the kids with lucky money for the new year....(the money is put into special envelopes that are red and you give the person a special wish for their future)..their grateful and surprised smiles and best wishes to me was...well... endearing...and heart warming...i'll actually miss my english lessons with them and their teacher who was my most attentive student and the one i had to keep telling to be quiet so he didn't prompt answers from the students!!
The following day I got to spend the morning with the kids from the Little School....Chan and I took the class together and it was great fun...she taught the kids a new song (the penguin song...it's so cute with actions) and we all looked equally ridiculous when doing the actions to the words....again lots of laughs....took some photo's of the milk mustaches and ended the session with some group pics.....it was a wonderful end to my voluteering and left me on a high...
When we came back to the house Miss Chi had arranged food for the blessing to the chicken..... a ritual to send the chicken back up to heaven and allow him to come back with riches for you and your family....it was a feast to say the very least.....and it was nice that this was my last meal shared with everyone....
We presented Miss chi and Nyugen with their gifts ( a charm to hang on their necklace) and i gave them each some lucky money.
before i knew it i was saying goodbye once more and heading off to the airport..surprising enough for such a small town they have an airport which i was truly grateful for...didn't fancy another 9 hour bus ride!!
I arrived in HoChiMinh and caught a taxi to my apartment which i again splerged on...a full one bedroom with a kitchen...yeh...i actually got to cook my own meals!!!...what a treat...vegetables that weren't overcooked....an amazing treat after 3 months of overcooked veggies....
The apartment was great, the hotel was lovely but this place is sooooo busy....have to admit places like that by myself are just plain old scary for me....after a trip into the market place and then being ripped off by the taxi driver i thought it best to just stick around my little apartment and the pool....time to just relax and absorb the last 3 months....
Had one last spoil on my last day at the hairdressers who do all manner of other spa treatments and i have to say it was the absolute best i've ever experienced overseas and in Australia....the guy who did my hair was actually quite good looking as well...by the end of the treatment i felt totally pampered and somewhat beautiful....it was nice feeling like a girl again......and wouldn't you know it...on my last hour of my trip the hairdresser tried picking me up....how nice did that make me feel!!!....no time for romance, have to head home now and face my reality with a new perspective..
the flight home was long and uncomfortable, not to mention the seemingly neverending turbulance that scared most of us on the flight.....
I arrived in Sydney and was running late to catch my domestic flight back home...i managed to catch the eye of one of the customs men and asked what time it was....i explained my international flight was late and that i have a flight leaving shortly....he pushed me ahead of the line which at that stage was about 50 people deep....my customs lady was lovely and took one look at my items to declare, had a quick chat with me and off i went...
29th January, 2011
when i finally touched down on the gold coast i cried...not because i was happy to be home but because it now seems like i lived an amazing dream with experiences that have touched my heart and changed my persepective and now that i am home i am scared of losing all i have gained.....do i have to wake up from this dream or can i now create a new journey and keep my new found heart connection at home where i felt i lost it in the first place....
I know it's time to move and rethink my life, there is now a lot to consider and a lot of changes to make....the next part of my journey is truly finding my feet and my purpose....something that makes me feel alive from the inside out....
I am scared but i am excited about what lies ahead....i finally realized that i am capable of doing so much more than i give myself credit for....and i can make a difference in peoples lives...even if it is just bringing a genuine heart felt smile to their day and sharing my love.
30th January, 2011
I know i am truly blessed to have had the time i had and the experiences i did and when i asked for a guru to come into my life i know that they arrived in their different sizes, shapes and ages to teach me....and to those amazing gurus who affected my outlook and touched my heart i have no words to match the deepest gratitude of those lessons you presented me....but my gratitude will hopefully now be in my actions moving forward in my next journey.
xxxx

The sad truth

i am definately a person who shows my passion and compassion through my actions and over the past few days my frustration has mounted with the situation at the special needs orphanage....i touched on it lightly in my previous post but tonight after an indepth conversation i need my thoughts to be written down if only to get them out of my mind....i hesitated about writing this in my blog for fear that i would have disappointed those who've donated and fund raised themselves for this project...i am embarresed and disheartened by this project and the apparent lack devotion and compassion for these kids who are truly dependant....but please know that the money raised will be used to benefit those children who need all the compassion and care we can give.....
My thoughts...and rantings.......
i have been coming up with various ways to spend the fundraising money kindly donated and listed a few of the items that had been purchased...one i don't think i mentioned was nappies for all the children...i went and bought several sizes and on Friday asked the 'mothers' to use these over the weekend and let me know if the sizes were ok so i could purchase in bulk for them, this not only makes their lives easier but it enables the children to move around a lot better (currently they are in huge clothes...not even cloth nappies, with two types of pants over the cloth...the kids can barely keep their legs closed so most have a frog legged natural stance about them which is so bad for their hips)...we arrive at the orphanage this morning and we find that the mothers have not used the nappies provided but instead have chosen one size for all....adult nappies!!! Their excuse was that they didn't undertand and that they thought they would save the nappies for the Lunar New Year....(insert rolled eyes, raised eyebrows and a look of 'what the fuck' here)....as i was working on Tro again (who did not have a nappy on and instead they have devised this plastic bag that they peg around his penis and have cut holes in his pants to accommodate this!!!...don't ask....) one of the mothers comes over with a nappy and shows me that she is going to put it on him...the language barrier here is enormous as what i say to Nuin (our volunteer co-ordinator) and what is expressed are two different things....i let them know that if they don't use them then i won't bother about buying anymore....i needed to find out the sizes and types they were using and without this information i can't buy the correct ones.....they bring out the two packets that we hadn't opened on Friday and tell me that these are the ones that they use...they are unopened....Nuin even tries to tell me that they are the ones being used....i am in the middle of working with the hardest kid who needs your undivided attention and i'm caught in a nappy battle with 'mothers' that don't seem to care.....i tell Nuin that it's all too hard....just as the mother puts an adult nappy on Tro...who's bum is the size of a new born!!!!....it's hanging off him and they still don't get it....we even showed them the sizes to use and put their names on the packets....no excuses...just an unwillingness to change.....i just don't get it...Nuin says the 'mothers' will use them if i buy them but as i've just seen (not just with this...as the 'mothers' have been given quite a few things to make their lives easier and the childrens lives much more comfortable but in the end they don't use it....a simple thing like moisturizer for the kids skin which looks like snake skin is not even used and i'm told that they moisturizer there at the orphanage!!!..again, what the fuck!!!!) this is not the case and i don't have faith that they will use the supplies given....time to scrap the nappy idea....i work for the rest of the morning with Tro and eventually ask for some relief (as i've mentioned he is frail but the little guy is just all muscle....his body is in a state of constant contraction so it's a 2 hour battle every time you work with him) in the last 20 minutes...i take baby Duoc (as you have probably noticed i have my favorites...these two boys) and get to feed him his bottle.....both boys make my heart smile and cry with sadness for them at the same time.....i leave the house feeling totally disheartened and defeated by nappies....i remain quiet for the rest of the morning and after lunch i head back to the special needs orphanage again...my attitude is better and i have to keep reminding myself that i'm in a very poor country and these women are old and stuck in their ways....they have no nursing or special care training and they do their best.....i work with Tro again and he is not as good as he was in the morning....by the last 40 minutes he was in muscle spasms every few minutes....as much as it hurts to see him like this i went about the routine....i flexed his little limbs, i held him, i rocked him, i sung to him and in the end he was most comfortable when i held my hand to his chest (his heart beats so so fast) and my arm under his knees.....i asked Chan to find me a blanket so i could keep him warm and when she appeared with a blanket one of the 'mothers' took it from her and handed her a towel....she explained that we needed the blanket to keep Tro warm and was told that the blankets were for the mothers not for the children!!!!...just to make it clear here...it is not warm at the moment...it's quite chilly for me and i'm doing a workout with him..he is cold he is not moving and cold muscles clamp up..they also have the windows and doors open all the time....i've told them this is not good but they refuse to close them......i can't even begin to explain the rage i was in when i was told that we couldn't use the blankets for these kids....(straight away i thought i'll just go buy some more you nasty old bitches!!!)...i had to walk away pretty quickly.....i had just spent my morning and afternoon at this place (which you never do as it's very very draining)...and my frustration and anger where at their peak....i cried again in the taxi ride home......i feel like my time with these kids is useless...i can't change the carers they have so in the end what is the point....(i know there is a point but at that stage i just wanted to pack my bag and leave)....
Tonight we went to the Cendeluxe for farewell drinks with Eva who leaves tomorrow, eventually the talk came around to the Special Needs Home and we got to voice our frustration to Nuin with the help of Chan translating when Nuin couldn't quite understand....the outcome of the discussion has left me heart broken....First we were told that one of the other volunteers had bought blankets for the kids (apparently woolen ones from australia and about 20 of them) then we were told that the 'mothers' are all leaving as there are 8 more children coming to the orphanage 6 with CP and 2 Down Syndrome all around the age of 6-8...the orphange is going to move the current cleaning staff who look after the old peoples home on the same property and put them over to the orphange to take care of the kids......i'm totally amazed and confused and disappointed and all feelings of sadness however you'd like to express to them....we then discussed a few of the children one in particular is Thu (2 year old girl with huge head)...we find out that she is unable to have the operation to fix her hydrocyphilous and therefore the don't expect her to live very much longer, Tro will also eventually die of aspiration or other complications caused by his severe CP and without the ongoing physiotherapy that too will not be too far in the future...my eyes tear up....i had no idea that the outcome was so grim...that these kids may not last till the end of this year.....my heart is truly breaking tonight as i know that tomorrow afternoon i have to say goodbye knowing that their little lives have been full of pain and suffering and that i can not do anything to help them.....as i write my eyes fill up with tears again....i truly love these kids...they are amazing and the smallest difference you see is like a huge mountain that you have helped them cross....I had an amazing experience with Tro again today....he moved his head on his own...he wanted to look over at one of the other kids and then toward Chan and then back to me...he did a few times and i was like a proud mother holding her son and watching in amazement at his accommplishment.....i can not put into simple words how my heart feels at the moment know knowing his future.....other than to say crushed.....
If i could bundle up little baby Duoc and walk out with him tomorrow i wouldn't hesitate....the grim reality at the moment is not good or hopeful and i'm going to bed tonight wondering how i will be able to turn my back and walk away for the last time tomorrow.....knowing that no matter how much passion you have about a situation or compassion you hold for those you want to help your actions sometimes don't amount to very much in the end....
I do know that there will be huge amounts of love flowing tomorrow....and thereafter from a distance.
with tear filled eyes it's time to curl up in bed and have a good old fashioned cry....
Love and light to all...please include these kids in your prayers or special thoughts.....let the universe take it from there..
xxxx

only 2.5 days to go....

it's been a few days since my last post but try not to make this too long...
lots has happened but for now just a quick update.
The money that has been raised is being put to good use, among the odds and ends that also need to be replaced, we have bought mattresses for the kids at the special needs orphange....they have been sleeping on wooden slats....i am heading in tomorrow to work with the kids and also see the mattresses, i did not skimp on the thickness and we are getting them specially made as they need to be wee proof...i have also bought new drinking cups for the little school and the fishing village school, toys, nappies for all the kids at the special needs orphange (a few months supply) i am also intending on sending some protein/carbohydrate chocolate powder for the kids so they can enjoy milk shakes everyday that have a balance of all the vitamins and minerals they need (Chan is sponsoring the milk program for a year so the supply of powder suppliments will be quite a big expense but needed). There are a lot of other menial things purchased and still being purchased so for all of you who have donated and helped me raise money for these kids we send you a huge huge thanks....
On a personal note, this week has been tough...i found myself getting quite emotional about the special needs kids of late...forgive me if i'm all over the place with infomation and feelings...
Thurday after lunch we cycled to the big buddha near the special needs orphange...this place is wonderful and it was amazing to walk into nature again...this part of the trip has been tough in so many ways but one quite selfishly is because i don't have nature around me...it really takes it toll....after the pergoda trail and big buddha i went to the special needs orphanage and as there was 4 of us there i worked a bit on Tro and then spent most of the day with Duoc; the 2 month old with a cleft pallet, i got to hold him, play with him and do some physiotherapy that was taught to me by Tanya...basic needs of a baby...helping him roll to the side and teaching him to reach out for a toy, letting him pull himself up while you hold his hands, making him sit in a frog position and rocking him till he falls asleep....i've fallen in love with this little guy, my heart hold a very special place for him....on the same day once Duoc was asleep i helped Chan with Tro, she had already gotten him into a great position (Tro is one of the kids who has C.P and is very very stiff) so i just sat infront of him and helped straighten his head a bit more and held his face on either side...just talking to him and stroking his cheeks...eventually he fell asleep...he actually stayed asleep for about ten minutes, letting his face rest in my hands...it was remarkable...this poor boy goes into muscle spasms so often that he hardly ever sleeps and here we were, both Chan and i holding him and feeling his little body relax, this has to be one of my most memorable and touching moments..my heart hurts for him each time i see him and each time i work with his tiny frame to release his muscles....i have huge love and compassion for this frail little boy....
Friday i got to go to the special needs program again and worked with baby Duoc for a little bit and then the little girl with hydrocyphilous (huge head)...Tanya the physio worked with us again so i helped her out with Tro...not so easy this time around and she is a tough cookie...she works him hard which is really necessary...we only had 1.5 hours and in that time I felt we didn't get too much done....no real relaxation in his body...his muscle spasms were bad that day and by the end of our session i was sweating...to try and hold him is tough in itself...he is remarkably strong even without the muscle spasms but when they occur they are a workout to keep him relaxed....when we left that day i could have cried and probably should have....

Friday was our half day and when we came back to the house we were to get ready and head off to Nha Trang. our train was leaving at 2.45 and it was a 3-4 hour trip ahead. We booked the most remarkable place (over the internet it looked great) called Hon Tam resort on Silkworm Island. We arrived at the train station and after waiting till 3.10pm we asked the ticket lady what was happening...she informed us that the train was delayed till 6.30pm!!...we decided to cash in the ticket and try to bus it...we hopped in the taxi and on the way there i asked Chan to ask the driver how much it would cost to take us all the way there...he said 1.1million dong...the equivilent of about $50 between six of us...i put it to the group that i thought this would be a better option as most people who were due to catch the train would be catching the bus and it's not exactly a comfortable ride...no prizes for guessing the outcome of that question....2.5 hours by cab (the scariest ride i've ever taken...these people are dangerous on the road...the overtaking on a winding ride on a blind corner and trucks everywhere) a bit of medition to calm the nerves and all of a sudden the tears came...they came and wouldn't stop...my morning had just caught up to me and my heart was so sad....my thoughts were only of Tro and Duoc...I am leaving soon and so are the others....I know there are other volunteers coming in March but it's a whole month away and my heart is so sad that they will not have the attention they so desperately need...i couldn't even cry properly...i'm in a car with 5 other girls who are excited about our weekend trip and i didn't want to make a scene....i hold back as much as i can and manage to calm myself enough that no one realizes i've had my moment....we arrive in Nha Trang for $10 (including a tip) for a 2.5 hour ride....we are dropped off at the train station as our driver did not know the streets of Nha Trang...that's cool, one more taxi trip later and we at our Marina...this waiting area is great....couches and T.V's...so nice....we have a 50 minute wait for the free ferry to the island and we sit back in luxury and are thankful we decided to have a princess weekend...
our ferry arrives and we hop on board....10 minutes later we are at our island...and it's gorgeous....it's night but i can just tell...it's beautiful.....we get our rooms and head off in our buggy to our hilltop....i have a room by myslef and it's magnificent..it overlooks the rest of the resort below, the pool and then in the distance the beach and the mountains further away, and this is the view at night!!!..and the bathroom....to die for!!!..;pitty it's such crappy weather.....
we meet for dinner and have the most amazing meal...we decide on a spa day the next day and i go all out...really all out....i've booked 5 hours in the spa....i'm really looking forward to the next day....
i just have to mention the bed...and the pillows...oh my god...a real nights sleep....it was amazing...i could have stayed in that bed the entire day........
we meet up for breakfast and then head off to the spa....i start my session with reflexology, then a sports massage, then a hot rock massage...after that i head to the lounge chairs for my heel scrub, parafin wax on my feet, a manicure and a pedicure as well as french polish on my toe nails.....5 hours later i am back in my room and ready to just hop into bed....have to admit something really childish and ridiculous....i feel so left out....i love the people i am with and have a great respect for them as well....i just feel like i'm the odd one out....i don't fit in....and i don't want to try either....trying just makes it worse....it's either natural or not and at this stage it's not....Chan and Eva have so much more in common, Tanya is only here till Sunday and then back to her placement further up north and the sisters...well they are sisters.....that just leaves me....i'm so different to all of them and i feel like i'm on the outside...it's ok but it's sad to feel this way at the end of my trip....i'm glad to be coming home soon....
the end of my weekend was ordinary....i spend the rest of Saturday afternoon and evening in bed..Chan and Eva went to Nha Trang and met up with the other 3 girls..they had a great night out....
we were supposed to meet up for breakfast for 8am the next morning but the girls slept in...breakfast by myself...and a good book...thank god i kept my yoga sutra book...takes me back to the real me.....by the time the girls got down to dinner i had finished and was sitting outside reading, i eventually joined them after they had eaten and had let them know that i was going to take a look around the ancient home that had been preserved on the island, they decided to go back to bed....i'm glad i went though...it was great, the island had so much more on it than we could see from our rooms...it was twice the size i thought it was and the old house was lovely and the area surrounding it was peaceful and balancing.....by the time i finished my walk it was time to start packing and check out.....
a quick ride back to the main land and an equally quick ride in a taxi to an art gallery where the girls had found some stuff the day before and wanted to go back.....
in the end i bought 2 paintings and found out that if i send a picture to the guy he will reproduce it for me in the colours i like for around $100...happy about that cause i already have a picture in mind!!! finally my walls at home will have some art work on them!!!
as they were packing up my paintings i wandered down the street and found a great little bag shop with other bits and pieces but who am i kidding...i don't use bags....internally i say 'i will not buy for the sake of buying'..... i go back to the art gallery and they have rolled my paintings and put them in a pvc piping with a rope attached for easy carrying....loved their thoughtfulness.
we headed across the road to another shop that had clothes and bags and shoes....(i must mention two things here....i have been trying to find a pair of sunglasses for the past week...nothing flash but something nice and different to what i normally wear...i must have tried over 100 pairs of glasses on and nothing is nice...the second thing is that my only pair of shoes now stink...no seriously they smell really bad and they're Merrell thongs...the inner soul is cloth and with the journey i've been on they are not smelling the best so i've been desperate for a pair of shoes...comfortable of course)...i see the shoes and pick a pair that i love....they don't have my size....i start looking through the clothes...Eva walks out in a fabulous dress...i figure i should buy the same as we don't live near each other....but no more of those dresses...i try on a couple of other pairs of shoes...they are ok so i leave them on while i look over the clothes again....i try a couple of dresses on but i feel like and look like i've put on weight...nothing looks nice...the shoes are still comfortable...i have one of each on my feet.....i decide on the shoes and while i wait for her to get them together i walk over to the sunglasses..i try on a pair of aviation style...yuk...although i knew that already...i grab another pair (they say rayban but seriously doubt it)...they look great....there's another one to go into the bag....all up $25 for 2 pairs of shoes and a pair of sunnies....happy about that...
we meet up with our taxi driver and we start the long scary trip home only to arrive and the house is locked up...none of us have a key....we decided to head out for dinner and wait it out on full stomaches.....
the feel of the group is different now and although we all like each other and get along really well it's just a feeling i get.....maybe it's because Eva is due to go on Tuesday and me on Wednesday...i'm caught up in thoughts about these kids and what the future holds for them....
I've just finished chatting to Leah and Alana and we are all feeling fairly useless.....it's hard to do this type of volunteering and not feel like you've accomplished anything at any placement (i take care of 5 groups in total)...i'm off to bed now feeling sad and defeated, not yet wanting to leave but wanting to at the same time...
i'm off to bed now....slightly deflated but hopeful that for the next 2.5 days i can just be present with these kids and show them how much they mean to me...
sweet dreams all
love and light
xxxxxx

Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th

Monday 18th....
i spent the morning at SPC (the special needs school) but today i got to work with two physiotherapists and boy did they make us feel inadequate, not purposely but as we were never given any real instruction on how to deal with these kids it became glaringly obvious that the time we have spent with them was a huge waste....
The therapy needed for these kids is nothing like what we were doing (instructions from a very old manual is all we had to go by) and both Chan and i were left feeling very deflated and frustrated to say the least. It was however a great morning in that we got to have real direction and instruction from those qualified to show us.
There is so much that needs to be done on a daily basis and we are so under equipped and staffed....
we have been trying to get the 'mothers' (the ladies that take care of the children on a daily basis) to bring out the mattresses for the beds...these kids sleep on wooden slats!!!....obviously they are scared of the physio and when i bought this up with him he addressed it straight away. They told him dozen or more mattresses they keep in the storage room are not theirs and therefore they can't use them (WHAT THE!!!...who's fucken mattresses are they then and why are they storing them!!!)...i suggested that i buy all new mattress for the 7 beds and 3 cots so the children could at least have some kind of comfort...we all agreed and Mr Foop is going to arrange for them to be delivered over the weekend as we need plastic covered mattresses and that this the real reason why the cloth ones are not used....the mothers don't want to have to clean too much!!! It's a shame there are not more people here who are willing to work with disabled kids and give them the real care that is necessary without thinking of the workload they might bring on themselves....but i guess the love and care that they do bring is better than nothing at all so i'll stop bitching about them now.
good news is that with the advise of the physio's we are getting the mattresses as well as some much needed physio equipment for the kids. I have also dedicated some of the money to buying supplies needed for the Little School and Fishing Village school being milk and vitamins which they do not have unless it is donated and also some outdoor equipment like balls, skipping ropes etc... The Deaf School also needs outdoor equipment and one thing i would love to buy (if i can get it here) is a basketball hoop as currently they have a wicker basket tied to a pole with the hole cut in the bottom of it!!!! it's cute but very flimsy and i can't image it lasting much longer.
we are still discussing the use of the rest of the money but will be sure to keep everyone up to date on what i purchase and how the money is being used to benefit the larger majority not just a few.
anyway...moving past Monday morning I then taught at the Little School and as always it's lots of fun with singing, alphabet, singing, numbers, singing, colours and ending with a book, milk, vitamins and more singing.
After dinner it was teaching with the Home of Affection kids and Alana was my helper today (not that i got her to do anything much but it was nice to have someone else in the class that understands me) as she will take over my class once i have left. I have to admit how stupid i am....i decided that i would teach the kids apostrophes....when i suggested this early in the day both Chan and Eva referred to it as contractions....i told them both that contractions are what you have if you pop out a child and nothing to do with the english language....we all laughed....i had no idea that these things had names to them....nothing like being the oldest and the dumbest on board the good ship 'english teacher'......anyway, i took my class and said nothing about contractions....they can't really understand me anyway so it's no point confusing them with words they'll never use..best just stick to teaching the concept and understand the rules of that concept....that's my way of thinking anyway. So i revise the plurals and the 'ing' words and then move on to the 'contractions'....i think my kids are really starting to understand and then i stumped them....i tried getting them use the plurals and contractions in one sentence so i wrote on the blackboard I have an eye and asked them to change it to I've got eyes (there is an ongoing dispute about whether or not that is proper english but who cares....as long as they can say it, spell it and understand it right!!)....the first kid had no idea how to spell 'got'...even when i told her each letter...she didn't understand the alphabet...i think i'll have to go back to the real basics for some of these kids but all in all it was an ok class...other than the fact that i had to call out 'Im Lung' to the teacher (which means quite) as he was calling out before the kids...again....at least this time he remained at the back of the class for most of it but did move down when we started working on 'contractions' he is such an attentive student...maybe i should sponsor him!!!!
We leave Home of Affection and Alana tells me i am a natural at teaching and she enjoyed the class and how i taught....aaawwww how nice....i was touched....
We come back home drop off our stuff and we head off to the Cendeluxe for a spoil at the Spa.
I've decided to go for the VIP treatment which is a package deal and includes a steam sauna, a dry sauna, a body wash (yes they wash you with disposable undies on), a hair wash, a herbal soak in a japanese bath, a spa bath with rose petals and then my girl washed me with the rose petals and also gave me a facial with them...ahh the indulgence....that is then followed by a combination of hot rock massage and japanese massage (which feels like thai massage but with a little bit of oil involved) and to top it all off i added to my package a facial which was being done at the same time as my body massage (while i was lying on my back of course)...all this for a huge amount of 280,000 dong which is equivilent to about $14 aussie dollars.....i've decided that i'm going back every night for the VIP treatment as this is probably my only chance of pure indulgence for so cheap!!!! besides we leave a nice tip and we are keeping them in business......
we get back from our pampering and decide we are hungry so we head out for the street stalls and some snails with rice wine....wasn't too fussed but is was nice to hang out and be away from the house for a bit...besides there was a bit of action in play as there was a fire in a house down an alley right next to where we were eating so two fire trucks pulled up and i can tell you they are not fast movers or thinkers...the trucks couldn't get down the alley so passers by ended up driving their scooters to the house and they managed to put the fire out without the help of the two trucks in the end....too funny...the firemen just stood around...didn't even bother to help out!!!! we did laugh as they pulled up because the new girls are twins with red hair and we joked that they thought they were on fire....childish but funny...at the time...not like this little town has seen red heads before and two that look the same!!!...they are fascinated...
Today being Tuesday we start the day the fishing village school, these kids are really adorable...some not so smart but man are they cute....i have this one little kid that just stands out..he's a real groover and everytime i sing a song (which they are supposed to sing along with me but don't) he grooves in his chair or he does some dance type moves...he even got them all clapping their hands at one stage....i do this class by myself so there was no one to ask to film it but it think next time i'll get one of the girls to come and film for a little bit...it's not a memory easy to forget but i'd like to see it over and over again...it makes you smile from deep down!!
We finish school and decide it's time for shopping after lunch...you know the essential supplies when you've got a house full of girls....chocolate, chips and any other kind of junk food that looks tasty.....we pull up and i go to use the ATM machine....i can't find my card...that is the second (and last) travelex card that i've lost...and now i can't access that money...for some reason i can not access my savings account, my cheque account or my visa card either (and yes i have these cards)...the ATM would not allow any transactions...
i am now 10 days away from leaving and have no access to money at the moment....I've send emails to Travelex and also to my gorgeous friend Lynne who has taken over my job in the hopes that someone can call the banks and travelex and find out what the fuck i do now!!!!...looks like my plans on having my VIP spoil every night this week have come to a grinding hault.....not happy!!!! and very frustrated that i have obviuosly forgotten to take my card after the money comes out...(it is hard though as you withdrawal 2or 3 million dong and it's a lot of cash coming out of the machine....it makes me nervous.....and obviously forgetful.....AHHHHHHHH
I'm now home alone as i needed to send emails and try figure out how to get money instead of going to SPC with the others which is a shame as i really wanted to have one last session with the physio's before they take off..hopefully we can squeeze one more session in with them and the kids...fingers crossed.
anyway that's it for now..
huge love to everyone
xxxxx

The weekend and Monday...

15th to 17th January....now you know this will take some time...as always get yourself comfortable, i'll try not to bore you too much!!!
Saturday i have to say was seriously uneventful...We went out for breakfast hoping to get the buffet at the beachside resort, with other parties running late we arrived just as they were packing up the buffet so it was the normal menu for us...i got station eggs....not sure why they were station but two fried eggs with a bread roll!!!..not what i had in mind....anyway, breakfast finished at 11am as we didn't arrive till 9.30...i hate the feeling like the whole morning was wasted..lucky i managed a bit of yoga..not too much as my mini pneumonia is still working it's magic....by the time we got home i was so tired and still coughing up my lungs so i pretty much took the day to snooze...and then when i finished snoozing i hyrdrated coughed up my lungs again and snoozed some more...yep, a whole day wasted...lucky the weather was crappy....that night i passed on the invitation out to the 'disco' which opens at 8pm and closes at 11pm and plays hard core Techno music...definately not what i felt like....
Sunday we decided that after breakfast we'd go and walk up to Cham Tower and the War memorial...an easy bike ride and then a 15 minute walk up through their botanical gardens....can i just say this is a highlight...there is no greenery anywhere so i lapped in all up and enjoyed the freshish air, the peace and quiteish and the beauty of the scenery...although smog cloaked was still lovely...from Cham tower you look over the city, river, beach and toward the mountains...i really didn't want to leave...we tried to get into the war memorial but it was closed...we're hoping to do Cham tower at night as it is remarkable all lit up...
We ended our little peaceful tour with a quick trip down to the river and to eat at one of the side restaurants (using that term loosely) and we decided on one where there seemed to be a lot of locals gathered..always a smart move....we wait for Chan to get comfortable (we are seated on little tables made for children and chairs that i'm lucky my arse fitted in!!) and then we ask her to read out the menu...did i mention how much i love this girl...she is so accommodating and helpful but not in the sucky way....she reads the menu out to us and i am happy to hear there is chicken...i've waited a whole week for chicken...everytime i order it they are always out of supply....this time...pot luck...they have chicken...and lots of varieties as well...i order the chilli and ginger and Eva decides on the chilli and Lemongrass....Chan goes for fried rice....the lady takes our order and once we are done she explains to Chan that the chicken dishes are a whole chicken....we all laugh...what is it with chicken dishes in this country!!!...i say f**k it...whatever i don't eat we'll take home to snack on...Eva is happy with that as well....Lucky for us the lady decides to halve the chicken and serve only a half to each of us...i love how accommodating they are...nothing is too much trouble at this little family restaurant...the food arrives and it's devine....best meal i have had in such a long time....the greens had some little caterpillars in them so unfortunately i didn't get my favorite meal....a plate of greens!!!...at least i got the chicken....
we come back home and decide on nap time....or quiet time in lieu of a nap.....and after dinner we decide to head into town for the night market...we step into a glasses shop and find out we can get prescription sunglasses made within an hour...this is now on the agenda for the coming days....the glasses are so cheap here but the quality is really good...they'll even test your eyes on the spot.....worth the $40 it'll cost me!!!
we get to the market and all i want is a hoody....something to keep me warm....i find a really cute top but it looks second hand...the lady tells me it's 130,000 dong...about $7....i know it seems like i'm a teddy tight arse but the material was already pilling...she asked how much i would pay...i say 50,000 dong..she is not impressed....i leave without my warm hoody and am still cold and upset with myself for not just buying the friggin thing!!!...when will i learn...!!!
anyway, we head off to a Cafe Tung...i have to say this is the most amazing cafe/restaurant i have even been in...part of the building backs onto the mountain that Cham tower sits on so the inside is truly unique, they have also decorated with wood slab tables and tree root chairs, there are Bonsai everywhere and all different shapes and sizes...we take a seat and order some fruit juices which is really funny as this place is known for their coffee....too late in the evening for us to consider coffee though....as we sit and eat our watermelon seeds; which is a standard given to your table but charged....and sip on our very fresh juices we notice a rat run across the floor...then up the wall infront of us...which is the mountain side...we watch it for a while as it scales the mountain and then disappears....it's freaked us out but not enough to leave...until it happens again...was it the same fat arse huge rat we saw earlier or a family member....we discuss if rats are solitary or not...we figure out quickly they are not as two of them dart across the floor again and under our table....three girls and two rats running toward them....no prize as to what our reaction was.....yep...squeels and screams with feet flying up towards our heads...lucky for us a table of local ladies had the same reaction....although most of the other guests there just laughed at us....i have to admit...we were funny...especially considering that after that none of us put our feet down again till we paid the bill....we decided to walk up to the third level which is the roof top with stunning views and amazing furniture... fairy light everywhere and the place seems to have multiple split levels and would sit across 3 or 4 of their standard blocks of land....definately coming back here...just have to suck it up that there are huge big arse rats that occupy some of that area!!!
We head back to the house to greet our new volunteers and Tanya (a volunteer that we met when we first arrived in DaNang...i spoke about her in a previous post, stunning Indian girl) and Mr Foop who is our Physiotherapist...well not ours as such but the children with disabilities.....
The new volunteers are twins...Alana and Leah and they come from Queensland...too funny!!!...lovely girls in their early 20's....
Today being Monday (although as i type this it's just turned to 12.07am Tuesday morning...what the frig am i stll doing up!!!)....think i might post this now and add to it tomorrow....not sure how the spelling is but forgive the mistakes considering the time.....
till tomorrow....
love, love and a just a little more love to you all.....xxxxx

Friday's Creature

This morning started out like most others....white bread roll served for breakfast along with banana's peanut butter and jam...oh and the coffee....let's not forget that amazing coffee they serve here....anyone who has been here will know what i am talking about....YUM...fully addicted to this stuff....i'm dreading the detox headache i'll get when i finally go home and remove caffine from my life again......
anyway...with the bread roll pushed to the side (i'm not coping with the breakfast at all!!!), i start on my coffee and banana....such a healthy breakfast....how do i go about making my own breakfast for the next 10 days without seriously offending our cook (who, by the way is the most ditsy person i have met...she is my age and refuses to believe she is over 20....she acts 12 and she is a sure test of my patience and acceptance of all....i'm not going too well on either of those two tests!!!)....the repercussions could be huge considering her personality....but i'll think of a fun way to make it happen....i have to!!!! White bread for breakfast does not agree with my hips!!!
After my breakfast for champions i get my materials and equipment ready to take to the Deaf & Mute school, today i will be showing them how to make monster toys...(for those who have not read the previous email scroll down to see a pic of Sylvester...my monster toy, and at some stage why not read the post :)).... we hop on our push bikes and head off up the road to the school...we arrive to the cheers of the kids and as i hop off my bike (secretly hoping that the kid who punched me in the guts the last time is not around...) the kids are swarming us, trying to see what is in the bags.....as i gather my stuff and go to walk off i feel a big wack on my arse.....yep little angry kid who punched me in the guts is back again...i must really look like a punching bag to him...to goes for me again and i use my boxing skills to duck and weave my way around him....who would have thought those skills would be handy in a Deaf school!!!!
i am soon grabbed by hand by the little boy i played with last week and he tries to take me outside with him to play frisbee....i have to explain in sign language (and not the real signing...my version of it...lucky i'm a wog...i know how to talk with my hands) and he runs off to find someone else...a few of the other boys are hanging around and saying hello to me...yes one of them was mr touchy feely boy but he kept it clean today which was nice......
We finally get our room unlocked and the kids swarm in...and then most swarm out...and then in again and then out again....with each time it gets smaller and smaller until we have a nice group of about 9 kids to start....i show them Sylvester and they are excited, smiling and laughing and each trying to take a closer look Sylvester...guess i found something they hadn't tried before.....we explain how we are going to start with choosing two colours for the monster....one for the front and one for the back...then comes the shape...then the sewing starts.....it was really nice to see them so into the task...even in their frustration at some things they seemed to enjoy the process and once they could see it coming together their focus was solely on their toy making skills...we only got through half of the toy making as it does take a little while to make them...we should be done by Wednesday so i'll post a picture with me, the kids and the team of monster toys created...i'm excited to see how it all turns out and am hoping that the kids like the end result...fingers crossed!!!
after class we have the rest of the day free....we are all tired....and two of us are quite sick so we opt for a nice little nap or lay down and relax in my case (still can't do the nap thing in the afternoon, best not get used to it either, not sure Pete would approve of a midday nap session!!!)....we get up around 1pm and go for a coffee with Seamus who is leaving at 2pm....he's bought mud cake so we head off to the cafe up the road with our cake and soon realize that the words mud cake and Vietnam don't really go together...the cake is strange...no really chocolately and more like pudding, but not, not really sweet, not really any taste at all....shame...we were really looking forward to cake.....
We say our goodbye's and the three of girls sit and chat for a while longer...we decide to head out for dinner that night...just have to remember to let Miss Chi (the cook) we won't be in....
as Seamus has left i now get to move into the presidential suite...it's huge and has a wardrobe, windows that open onto the balcony and a door to the balcony as well....there is light and fresh air....real sunlight and real fresh air....i am in heaven...i spend most of the afternoon moving and settling into my new luxury room...i seriously feel like a princess now....
We forget to tell Miss Chi about not wanting dinner and we only remember after we smell the dinner cooking...we decide that we'll go to the 5 star hotel called Cendeluxe (same place i got my hair done the other day) and have a drink and dessert (to make up for the unusual mud cake)...following that we're going to the spa and getting something done....anything...but we each feel like a little spoil...
We get to the Cendeluxe and order our desserts...we each order 2 and share....they are all so awful....hugely dissappointing, we won't be back for dessert in a hurry....
we head downstairs to the Spa and i order a Facial Sauna, Face Massage and Mask along with a Hair Oil Treatment and a French polish on my toes.....all was going well until the lady snipped my toe and made me bleed...i wouldn't stop so she decides that some acetone will help it....OUCH!!!...then more pressure holding then the good old lime juice on the cut....OUCH!!!....still not stopping the bleeding she goes for the acetone again (at least it's steralizing!!!)....i can't take much more of this so i suggest i hold the cotton wool on the cut to make it stop while she gets on with my other foot.....she's a bit more gentle with this foot and manages not to draw any more blood...thank god!!!....
i've told the girls that i am going to come in everyday starting on Sunday and get the VIP treatment massage done.....the full package is a sauna, facial mask, thai massage, hot rock massage, body wash and scrub, hair wash and ending with a rose petal bath.....all of this for $7.50!!!...why not have it done everyday for a week...not like i'll get a chance to do that again!!!
i go to bed that night in my presidential suite and am glad that i woke up this moring with sunlight and fresh air...it's been the first morning i am feeling up to doing yoga as well....my mini pneumonia must be calming down....that and fresh air and sunlight....as much as i enjoyed Seamuses company....i'm so glad he's gone and i've this room.....the next 10 days won't seem as bad that's for sure!!!
love and light to all....
Om Shanti.....

Tuesday to Thursday

A couple of days of work gone by and lots has happened....
just a quick ending for Monday....i managed to buy some second hand pants (yes i caved with the price, not as cheap as i thought but it's all in fun) to use for my Arts and Crafts project with the Deaf & Mute School...we bought up supplies and i went by myself to the second hand clothing place and managed to use my limited Vietnamese to get what i wanted....the staff were so impressed with me that i knew a few words...although they also just keep speaking to you in Vietnamese like you know what they are saying...all very confusing....but hey, it was fun....will be teaching the class how to make toy monsters....just have to figure out how to do it myself before i go in and make an arse of myself....
Tuesday i had the fishing village class and i ended up in a class of about 27 kids by myself...they are about 3-4 years old and it's stress time.....I am so not prepared for this....the kids at Little School are just one year older but they have better attention and they are in a routine...this group is way beyond my capabilities....we sing to start the class and then we start learning our ABC's...doesn't sound bad but i have 27 kids yelling out the letter...which doesn't really sound like anything except for AAAAHHHHHHHHH for every letter!!!
27 kids times 25 times (actually more as you get them to repeat it in the hopes that you can understand them!!)...it's a lot of yelling first off in the morning....we then follow the ABC with numbers...and you guessed it...more yelling of the sound of AAAAHHHHHH...lucky it's only up to 10!!!...then it's colours....yep, repeat of the last yelling......I'm so exhausted from yelling over the top of them along with still  not being well and my voice is cracking so i have to speak louder than normal which takes up so much friggin energy!!...by the end of the hour (yes it's only an hour!!) i am ready for a lay down and 4 panadol!!!...my head is killing me and my voice is no longer audible...Chan (who had a smaller and older group) laughs when she hears my voice....any way, we leave there and we have the rest of the morning free....we have to go and try on our Ao Dai for a final fitting before the wedding tonight....we are all so excited.
We bike to the dressmakers and we each take turns trying on the dress and pants.....i am amazed and impressed at the accuracy of these ladies and the fitting...it fits like a glove and we are all even more excited about tonight. The dressmakers make us take a photo outside of their store with the name showing...they think we all look amazing and i have to admit, i totally agree!!!
We take off home for lunch and after we've finished we have the Special Needs school to attend...i am surprisingly happy to be returning there so i can see my little boys...Duoc (2 month baby with cleft pallet )and Tro (cerebral palsy and locked up in extension throughout his limbs, back and neck)....Eva has also decided to join us for this session which is great as we could use the extra hands...there is only two of us and 6 of them!!!...I say hello to little mr Duoc and then start to work on Tro again....this is the second time and i am with him and today i know it's just all about the loving touch...i can not make any real lasting difference with his limbs as that would need to be done 3 times a day at minimum...all i can do is my best to relieve some of the over extension in his limbs and massage his thin little limbs with love and care....i chat to him (not that he chats back or even shows acknowlegement but he deserves the respect of speach every now and then!!) 
We do our best in the 2 hours we have there and we head back to get ready for our wedding....it's so hard leaving there...i wish i could stay longer....i start to feel like i am abandoning them instead of saying 'see you later'....funny how the heart reacts...
back at home we get ready and eventually we each emerge in our Ao Dai...they are stunning to wear and you feel so elegant (i've had three made and plan to wear them every chance i get..probably my new work uniform!!)...We pose for some photos and head off to the wedding feeling very much like a local now...

So we all head off to the reception (we couldn't make it to the ceremony as we were working) which is help around the corner from our house in a quick taxi ride....a reception hall across from the beach...we arrive and notice we are the only ones in Ao Dai's......of course....these people rock up to a reception in jeans and t-shirt...some of the women dressed up in semi formal wear or nightclub wear.....let's just say we did turn heads and not only because we were foreigners!!!
We get ushered in by the mother of the bride who directs us to a table right at the front...actually just next to the bridal table...we are seriously front row seats for this!!!
The reception starts with a quick word from the M.C. who is female and wearing red (you should never wear red to a wedding in Vietnam as that is the brides colour!!)...and a split right up her left leg that stopped just sort of her...well...you get the picture!!...then the entertainment and food start.....
The bridesmaids and groomsmen are now up on stage and performing a choreographed dance routine complete with cheesey poses, a fake basket of flowers, smoke machine and more cheesey poses...then they stand to the side and gesture towards the back of the room for the bride and groom to make their entrance....cheers, photo's and lot of Mot Hai Ba go!! (one two three go)..which is a sign to skull your drink...lucky i was on water!!!....We then endure the speaches of which we can not understand anything and as the happy couple take a drink of Red champagne the jet sparklers are set off with a bag and everyone cheers...more photos' and of course a lot more Mot Hai Ba go!!!....
the food seems neverending and it's all amazing...some even cooked on the table infront of you....we certainly wouldn't go hungry!!!...as we eat there is also improptu karaoke..some great, others clearly had been playing too much Mot Hai Ba go.....i did spot a really good looking Vietnamese guy though....but then again it's been a while....I was happy to know that the other girls also thought he was quite good looking....also good to know that i haven't lost my taste in men...well the looks side anyway as we all know i'm not good at the 'picking the right guy'....:)
anyway 2 hours later and no more food the place clears out.....literally within 10 minutes....apparently this the norm for Vietnamese weddings...everyone just comes for the free food and drink and then they disappear....
We walk outside and try to make a quiet exit past the bride and groom who are getting photo's done...we are called back so we can stand with them and have a photo taken...it's good luck to have foreigners at your wedding but even better if you have them in your wedding photos....we were happy to accommodated!!!
So 2 hours in our traditional dress and we are back at home...it's only 7.15pm!!!!....we get changed and sit around laughing and talking about the wedding....i am so lucky i get to spend my time with these people...they are wonderful company and we all get along so well....i still have to remind myself every now and again that this is only for a short time...i've settled in and it feels like my life...not just a snippet...
Oh, forgot to mention, i was told at the wedding that i will no longer be teaching the 27 young kids at the Fishing Village school....how embarassing...i teach one class and they take the whole 27 kids off me!!!...again this proves i am just not cut out for teaching!!!!
anyway with the night still young i decide to make a move on my toy monster as i have to teach this tomorrow and still have no real idea how to do it.....it take me about an hour to make a mini version of what i will be teaching and i so impressed with how cute this little guy is.....meet my monster toy....Sylvester!!!

Ok, it's not much but it was all hand stitched and should occupy 12 Deaf Kids pretty nicely....i'll pat my own back as none of you are hear to sing my praises...:)
Wednesday - we have two classes for Little School today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our Class with the Deaf School has been cancelled for today (they probably got wind of the monster making and how hopeless i am at teaching!!!)...so today i have lots of 5 years olds and lots of  songs ABC's, numbers, songs, colours, songs, reading, drinking milk and more songs.....i love this!!!...i could do this for a living...must look into doing a Tesol course...you can get a basic certificate in just two days....can't imagine you'd need more than that for 5 year olds!!!
anyway...in our break between morning and afternoon classes (did i mention anywhere before that the Vietnamese have a two our nap time from midday to 2pm everyday!!)...Chan and I decide on going to the hairdressers for a trim...it's only $2.50 so it's worth getting it done here. we arrive at the Cendeluxe (which is the 5 star hotel with a spa and hairdressers) and we go all out and ask for a wash, cut and blow dry...i also ask for my hair to be straightened...i quickly point out not permanently as all the ladies get it done for real..not fake like me.....they take through to the back for the hair wash which we enjoy in a lay down chair and they scrub my hair...seriously they scrub it and your scalp over and over again...it was nice the first washj but through the second wash it was getting too much and i had to ask Chan to explain to the girl that she was giving me dandruff because my scalp was actually being ripped apart from her nails!!!...
the hairdresser start to cut my hair and is talking to Chan and letting her know that i have grey hairs that should be dyed and that i should get my hair permanently straightened....he was shocked when i said i was happy with my grey curly hair....he finishes the cut and two girls attend to drying my hair one standing on either side of me....now this is service!!!...they finish drying and start to straighten, by that time the hairdresser is finished and he comes over to straighten my hair..they do an amazing job and i am told again that i should do it permanently as i look so much younger....oh and don't forget about the greys!!!...i do like it, it's easy, i can run my fingers through my hair...i can wear it out and it not develope into and afro...looks like i could be considering the permanent straight./..or not...or maybe...or not....
my evening class with the Home of Affection (8-24 year olds) is planned...we are revising our plural words and i have planned to teach them 'ing' words....i get there and the class is ready and waiting for me but i have no interpreter....i get nervous as this is so much harder when i have to try and explain it!!!....i ask my class to wait a moment and take a quick look through the halls to see if i can see someone hanging about to help me out...no such luck....guess it's improvise time.....i manage to explain in hand language and props that we will revise and i start to use the blackboard again (oh the power that big board and little chalk brings...:))...we revise and i am happy to note that most of my students (including the teacher) have remembered and also understand the concept and rules for plurals.....yeh for me..mini success!!!...My interpreter finally arrives as i am trying to figure out in my head how to explain adding 'ing' and the rules for this....yeh...stress has now left and i can breathe......we start and it takes a while for them to grasp the concept but eventually one girl gets up (when i requested someone to write on the board and show me) and adds the letters ING to my word...i clap and then the whole class claps and we all have a laugh...they get it...now everyone wants time at the big blackboard!!!...we go through a lot of words and then i challenge them on both the plurals and the 'ing' and they all get it right....did i mention that from the start of the class the teacher has moved himself from the back up to the front and is joining in on the lesson, so much so that the kids don't get a chance to answer...i have to ask him politely to be quiet....i think we should have a seperate class for the teachers to learn english by themselves....it is really cool that i seem to have both students and teacher being involved in the class now instead of it being a class where everyone just talks or turns their backs on you....maybe i'm not so bad at this after all....the class ends and the students come and place their school packs in my bag and something funny starts to happen...they start to say thank you teacher and touch my arm, smile at me and make real eye contact...one little girl even holds my cheeks, smiles so big and says Thank you teacher with a little squish of my cheeks to end....can i tell you truthfully, in that moment i wanted to cry.....it was so heart warming...two of the boys carry my bag downstairs and one of the other boys yells out see you on Monday teacher...i turn and smile and call out 'and Tuesday and Wednesday'...he was thrilled and said 'yes mam, Tuesday and Wednesday, good'.....wow...i leave the school on a high and if that's as good as it gets i am happy i reached this part just once in my life.....i feel like i am doing something....that my day has not been wasted...that my stress about what to teach and how to teach has given some of these kids a new spark for learning....i'm excited about next Monday..the evening is again spent with laughs and chats about our students and our own teaching practices...especially the pronunciation and how we over exagerate...it's funny to see yourself do those actions in front of a mirror...actually it's hysterical!!!!
Today - thursday was fishing village school in the morning and as my 27 students were taken away from me i was given a much smaller group (15) of 4 year olds....again..these kids are super cute and you just want to pack each of them up and take them home....i can't help but smile through my whole class...we do the same routine as the Little School but they are not as advanced so we take it a bit slow...we concentrate on pronunciation at one point for the letter F...Vietnamese language does not have the letter F...and i try everything to teach the sound...teeth over the lip usually works...somehow it always comes back to P or B...strange but they manage to do it over and over and over and over and over again...(actually more than that)...two of the boys are convinced that every letter requires your tongue to be outside of your mouth so it takes everything in my not to laugh...not in a bad way but in that 'cute as a button and i want to squish your cheeks' way....one of the other boys has these huge fish lips and the way he uses his mouth is the best... his lips are constantly fish like and it's the cutest thing i've ever seen...there are so many other gorgeous quirky things that they do but i won't bore you with it as i understand it's a visual and moment thing....lets just say i love my new class and at the end we read books and sing songs...they are so delighted with the songs that they are laughing and smiling...again..i love this part of the job!!!!
we break for our lunch and nap time, we go material shopping and then head off to the special needs school again...guess i dont have to describe this again....but again i feel at the end of it that i am abondoning them....we don't go back now until Tuesday afternoon so it's quite some time between visits.....
we get back home and have the tailor come and visit us to take some measurments for some dresses we want made with our newly purchased material....not sure how it's all going to work out but fingers are crossed they work out!!!
the rest of the evening after dinner is spent updating you and now it's time for me to go to bed...everyone has just come back from their night out with one of the previous volunteers and as i was typing before they left i guess it's a bit sad that i'm still typing now that they are back....
guess this one has been a very very long update....
i'd apologise but i don't think too many people will read the whole post...at least not in one go and if you have....i am seriously impressed and thankful that i'm not just speaking to thin air and a screen!!!
love, light and did i mention love....
P.s....can't believe it's nearly over and i have to come back.....

Monday Jan 9th...my first real day of teaching

before i get into today's summary (Monday) i have to comment of couple of important issues from sunday...
i spent a lot of Saturday and Sunday coming up with plans for the next few classes of which are looming over my head like a huge black cloud...especially the class with the Home of Affection kids, considering the disaster the last one was...also i had to think up some craft ideas for the Deaf School which is quite hard as we are limited in our supplies or what we can buy and these kids are really really good at artsy fartsy stuff...i think they should teach me!!!
anyway, printed off a few ideas from the internet and made a shopping list...went shopping and realized that 99% of the stuff is not accessable in our little township...disappointing to say the least and with my head the way it's feeling i could not think off the top of my head what else to do....i resigned myself to the fact that i should take care of the things i needed first....number one on my list was the mattress....the girls take me to where they had seen the mattresses in the supermarket...they are ok but the cost is much more than i want to spend (considering that the volunteer house is being renovated in February along with new mattresses!!)...disappointment again....we walk around to get some other stuff and then i decide on buying those square seat cushions....i figured 2 across and 4 down should do the trick and be wide enough to sleep on....will soon find out when i get it all home....can't find a needle and thread in the supermarket, or even safety pins....fingers crossed Miss Chi has one hidden somewhere in the volunteer house.....
we get back and have dinner, we are then supposed to head out to get a massage....i'm just not up for it and i decide i'd better get my class schedule done for Monday night....
i work on plurals and create a word search, i go through the que cards we have and find some that may work...i also look through the workbooks and find a page that seems relevant to start with....i have somewhat of a plan and am feeling a bit better about having to face the kids on Monday night...i also bought some bribe lollies....or as we like to call them....'rewards!'
i then head up to the room (after receiving some cotton and a needle from Miss Chi) and plan my attack on the cushions that will soon become my new bed topper....it takes about 30 minutes but 6 squares later (i couldn't be bothered sewing all eight) i am remaking my bed only to find out that the wall that my mattress has been sitting against is soaking wet.....now my sheet is wet down one side....no wonder i have spent the last week freezing my arse off at night and no wonder my cold has turned into a slight case of pneumonia!!...now i have to rearrange my bed and the room!!...why didn't i start this earlier!!!
everything now in place and my wet wall at the far side of the bedroom i am hoping that my mini pneumonia will not turn into the hospital pneumonia!!!...i am just hanging out for Friday when one of the other volunteers leaves and i get his room...it has windows...and fresh air....ahh the luxury...it will be like being in a resort come Friday!!!!
i eventually go to bed on my new made mattress and have a decent enough sleep....better than previous nights at least....
Today being Monday Chan and I head off to the little school where we have our first day of being teachers assistants....we soon realize that we are taking the class....i now understand why people work with 4-5 year olds..they are so darn cute and so enjoyable to be around....we sing, we learn, we try to work on pronunciation, we sing some more, we drink milk (complete with milk mustache) and we read a couple of books..oh, we did take a toilet break which just so happens to be the gutter outside the school...all the kids just run out in the street, line up and drop their pants, squatting or standing in the gutter to wee...no wonder long bus trips don't bother these people, they just wee anywhere, anytime......by the end of class I am exhausted as the breathing and speaking is really hard for me (mini pneumonia) and i've had to literally yell as my voice is so hoarse...all was worth it as i came out on a really big high...loved it and i get to do it again with a different group at 2.15pm.....
with the morning and afternoon classes out of the way all i have is the Home of Affection class at 6pm which all three of us girls are dreading...there is no structure or consistancy so we really are winging it....
i walk into my class hoping for the best, the kids sing the  "Hello Teacher" song and then i have to start the class....i speak with my interpretor and let her know my plan....it doesn't go according the plan but i actually think i did well...i think they learned something..it was kind of fun and now i am looking forward to the next class on Wednesday night....still happy to recieve any kind of advise from anyone who has taught english to foreigners before....songs, games, etc....
I've ended the night with a little card game called 'bullshit' and we all had a great laugh and ate chocolate and chips....all in all my first full day of teaching has been really good....
anyway...off to bed again with a happy and content mind and a smiling heart....and am looking forward to lying down and not feeling the springs in my back for second night!!!..partly the reason why i am smiling...
i have the Fishing Village kids tomorrow which are about the same age as the Little School Kids so am hoping that i have just as much fun.....
fingers crossed.

missed post for the 7th jan

Ok missed this one as the internet was down but this was my Friday morning.......

this morning started out with some much needed meditation....i've not been well over the past few days.
Had a nagging cold in Thailand which hit me the minute i left and has been getting progressively worse...not sure how much snot one head can make but i am sure i am over it....so blocked up my ears feel like i've been on an aeroplane and need popping...throut is scratchy and i'm not sleeping well so my whole body is just plain old tired....but, today i got to go to the Deaf School.
we rode the push bikes to the school (which in itself was fun but scary as they ride on the wrong side of the road here and the road rules...well lets just say there isn't really any, it's just whatever gets you there and alive!!!...lucky we're not in a big city as i would never have coped..
We reach the school in one peace and as soon as the kids see us we are smothered with attention and the toys we bring are quickly grabbed and taken away....i hop off my bike and one little kid comes up and punches me in the arm...then he moves to the front of me and decides that i need one of those punches in the belly!!!...i sure do have a way with kids!!!
feeling the love i stick close to Nuin and Chan and we go to the arts and crafts room were i just observe for a while (and try and get the guts to go outside and 'play' with these kids)...Chan decides to ask the class to draw a picture of cananda, the snow the bare trees etc...i am then ushered out to the awaiting crowd of children....again this is a 'wing it' kind of thing...i look around to see if anyone is not playing and what we have that we could play with....soccer was the easiest, as was catch...i start to walk over to one of the kids who wants to play soccer and another one grabs my arm (he is a little larger than the other kids and on our visit the previous day i pegged him as cheeky) i turn around and he has a huge smile on his face while he is rubbing his penis....i take no notice (on the outside cause on the inside i am freaking out!!!) and i casually walk away hoping to god that he doesn't follow me....i play a bit of soccer, a bit of catch...we find a basket ball hoop which is literally made of a basket and tied to a pole...i have two very short young kids trying to throw the ball in the hoop....they motion for me to try and i get it in (man i could never do that normally!!!)...they are excited and want me to do it again....one of them realizes that i am closer to the basket than he is so he starts looking around for what he can climb on...the balastrauding (located under the basket so not much use, plus a bit dangerous), the park bench seating which he soon realizes is too far away to make any difference then the step just under the basket...each time he trys he misses and becomes more frustrated...he then decides i should i be able to help him so he grabs my hand and takes me over to the step under the basket, then he gets on the step and literally climbs up on me to throw the ball....still no luck....he figures he'll take is ball and go elsewhere....
I get back to the open area where the other kids are and a frisbee nearly hits me in the head, i see the kids using the toys as weapons instead of play things...each item no matter what it was soon become some kind on misile or hitting devise...I'm starting to get nervous about a group attack on me.....
I find a houla hoop and me and one other kid start houla hooping....well maybe i houla'd and he just hooped......it was fun but later on was a constant thing that the kid wanted to see...just randomly he'd come up with the hoop and pass it to me...most of the time he'd just walk away after that but sometimes he'd stay and smile or laugh....it's the little things....
there were a couple of the little ones that didn't want to share and one of them ran away with a ball into the building only to come back with a whopper of a bump on this head and a large scratch on over his eyebrow....didn't seem to distrubed by it though...he kept up his rough little play so all was well...
One of the kids took the plastic bat and was running around trying to hit anything and anyone...he even managed to hit me in the bum as i bent down to get one of the balls off the ground....he thought that was very very funny and two of them chatted and giggled in the corner about it, all the while looking at me....
later it seemed that everyone had disappeared except for me and one of the down syndrome boys...he was quite happy to kick the ball to me and me back to him...another kid appeared so we all played together....later on we had two balls going...both the boys would kick it to me and they found it really fun to watch me chase after each ball and quickly kick it back....
we eventually were joined by one on the girls who i motioned to come and join and we started to play catch, another girl joined us and both were squeeling when the ball came near or they missed catching it...it was very cute...
then all of a sudden bat boy appeared again and he grabbed my hand and took me over to another ball so i could throw to him....he could hit it so we swapped...two throws later and he was bored so he just walked away....
i can tell you i could really feel the love!!!!
how could i be feeling so out of my depth!!!
they are only kids!!!
with weapons!!!
that i provided!!!
next time it's soft toys!!!

Time off...

so i finished work early Friday afternoon and we decided that we should go shopping for traditional vietnamese dresses called Ao Dai...we went and chose the fabric, not as easy as that sounds..then off to the dressmakers to get measured and plead with her to have them done within 4 days...this is usually not a big deal but as Tet is coming (which is the Vietnamese or Lunar New Year) everyone is getting new things made and the dressmakers are really quite busy....3 hours later we finally get back to the house and we are all excited about the fact that we will have our traditional dress ready for a wedding that we've been invited to attend on Tuesday night....can you believe it, i'm here for 2.5 days and have already been invited to a wedding...
Today being Saturday we decided to go out for breakfast...we arrive at a place called Tech where they have 70's and 80's Western music playing...the menu is all in Vietnamese so it take quite a while to choose a dish...eventually i choose chicken...(just so you know i am seriously not well, my nose is blocked up my ear still feels like it needs to pop, my throut is 10 times worse than the day before and even breathing hurts.....i am so tired from lack of sleep on these incredibly uncomfortable beds and i just plain grumpy...) all i feel like is chicken soup but there is no soup that has chicken in it..you can get seafood or beef or pork but not chicken....i opt for a steamed chicken and am happy with that....5 minutes later i am told there is NO chicken at all....i don't have the stomach for anything else so i just have my coffee (which if i haven't mentioned before is seriously the BEST tasting coffee ever!!!)...we sit around for a while and then decide we should stop at the shoe shop as none of us have shoes to wear with our Ao Dai....5 girls, 2 scooters and one bicycle later we are happily trying on shoes and as they are only $7 i decide on two of the same style in differnt colours...yes one is black!!!...we come back to the house and figure we may as well eat out for lunch as well...there is a great resort directly on the beach (no accommodation just facilities like 2 pools, great gardens and two restaurants)...the four of us volunteers hop on our pushbikes and take an easy ride along the beach road. We reach the resort and they are overly nice...like right ontop of you....(this becomes the theme of the afternoon)...we order and i decide on a seafood hot pot...everyone gets there meals and i am told mine will be another 20mintues...not sure why....anyway i hang in there and eventually they bring out a portable stovetop...then a large pot filled with broth and onions...everyone comments on how nice is smells....unfortuately i can't smell anything....i then get a large plate of raw seafood and am happy to start the process of cooking my lunch...except that the waitress is hovering and each time i go to do something she takes it from and asks if she can do it....(i can cook and it's only broth...you just chuck the stuff in....right)...i let her take over and she chucks the seafood into the pot (now that was a no brainer!!) she then comes over with this large serving platter filled with green leafy vegetables (of which i am unsure any of it is) and asks if i want that too....you could guess my answer...me and green vegetables...hell yes!!!...she chucks that into the pot as well....i wait a few minutes and then go to serve myself some of my lunch and she is quickly by my side fishing out the seafood and putting it on a plate for me and then putting noodles into my bowl (which i didn't actually want)....ok, ok....i know it sounds ungrateful but seriously, i'm 38...i know how to serve up my food....i am half expecting her to pick up the food and start saying..'open wide...here comes the aeroplane'...once she and i have served my meal she tell me that the meal is actually for 4 people!!!...would have been nice to know that when i ordered it!!!...what a waste of food....i could hardly eat...mostly stuck with the greens and the broth....just wasn't interested in the seafood in the end....
We finish up and bike back to the house, the others decide to go further and have a look at the Chan tower...my body just can't do it....i just want to collapse....i try and nap and just can't do it...i hop on the internet to try and find accommodation for my last 3 nights as i don't fancy taking the 9.5 hour bus ride back up to Hoi An....all i want is a little villa like the one i had booked....sounds easy but to get anywhere from here is a few hours on a bus or train....i like the thought of Nha Trang and they have a resort on the Silkworm Island that has villas...it's much dearer than the original....still haven't made up my mind but do know that i want to have something quite and luxurious for my last 3 days away...
Everyone comes back and we have dinner and talk about the structure of the volunteer progam and how we can make it better....i have to admit that at this point i am feeling very much out of it...i'm not sure half the time what they are talking about as it's all in the content of teaching but nothing was gelling for me...they talk about a process but i didn't see how or where the process begins....
i end the evening feeling very useless and completely out of my depth....not to mention no closer to any kind of structure for my next class on Monday night with the Home of Affection children....i'm definately not happy about being thrown into the deep end with these kids and feel it's even more unfair on them that we don't have a simple guideline and structure so they are progressing....hopefully some of the things that were discussed with fall into place tomorrow..lots to study up on tomorrow...yeh for me!!!
oh, and tomorrow no matter what i am getting a friggin mattress....i can't deal with this anymore!!!
ok, had my sook for the day....
P.s. i really need a mummy hug and a nice hot lemon drink...I hate feeling like this....my first weekend here and i can barely do anything!!!
love to all...
xx

Special Needs Kids and Teaching Street Kids

My afternoon started with a trip on the back of a scooter with our cook Miss Chi for about 15 minutes to get to SPC which is where the special needs kids are that have been abandoned. We enter and soon realize we just have to wing it...we do have a folder in which each child is listed with their diability and what they supposedly like....
i meet Xuan (pronouced Zwan) who has Cerebral Palsy and who is sitting in a wheel chair..very active and happy...he grabs my hand and is happy to have someone touch him and talk to him...next to him is Thu, a little girl of around 2 years old with Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and her head is quite large..Miss Chi lifts her up and takes her for a walk and i am asked to take a look at the baby who has recently arrived that has a cleft pallet...he has no name as yet but they are refering to him as Duoc (which kind of translates to 'give')...he is so small and only about 2 months old (or so they guess)...he is lovely and i nurse him for the next 15 minutes while I speak to the head co-ordinator via Nuin (my volunteer co-ordinator) and ask how much his operation would cost. It works out to be approx $300 AUS and i suggest that i sponsor him to get this operation done. Nuin and the head co-ordinator talk this through and i am told that his operation is for free through doctors in Australia but he will need special care needs after and the cost of that is not covered...i am asked by the head co-ordinator if i have children...i say no (which is not a good thing considering that in Vietnamese culture you should be married and having children by the age of 24)...he laughs and i think he'd like me to take little Duoc home with me....something that i have to admit had already crossed my mind but i just smile and move away to nurse the little man and give him some much needed love.
later (after i tear myself away from Duoc) i decide i should do some hands on with some of the other kids and i sit with Tro who is approx 6 and looks around 3-4 years old...he has Cerebral Palsy and it is my job to get him to move is legs, hips, arms and neck..he is severely locked up and for such a little guy he sure can push with all his might...it takes me the rest of the hour and half to get him to bend his legs and arms but i was not able to get him to loosen his back or sit up....I felt a bit like a failure as the book shows this happy little boy sitting and smiling and all i managed was no expression, unhappy expression and inbetween a lot of drooling and chocking....he is so thin and frail and my heart is definately touched by him....both Chan and I feel like we needed the whole day instead of the couple of hours to really make a difference...we only visit these kids 2-3 times a week for a couple of hours each visit but I was surprised that i handled it so well...i have not had to work with kids with these kinds of disabilities or deformaties and i can now understand why people choose to work with them...it is truly special to be a part of their world even for those brief moments and not as confronting as i had imagined....it's really very very easy to give love in the form of touch, talk and singing....i really enjoyed it and am looking forward to my next visits here.
We come home on the scooters and dinner is soon put in front of us as we need to eat and run tonight...
I spend the afternoon trying to figure out what to do with my class of 20 street kids and not really knowing what their level of understanding is or the structure of the class i am beyond nervous by the time we actually leave.....
We arrive and are ushered into our classrooms (each of us girls, Chan, Eve and I have a class each with an interpretor to help us....i will be completely honest i had no idea where to start...the run down of the class went a little like this....
Introduce myself and let the kids introduce themself to me and tell me one word in english that starts with the first letter of their name....easy....no....the notes on these kids are nothing like what they are actually capable of....second problem is that my glands have become swollen and my ears are slightly blocked...the room opens up to the street and the noise from the street drowns out the very very quite voices of the kids....the first girl is Ahn and she was not sure of a word starting with A....the second girl was Nuong and she felt that banana was the word that started with her name....and so on and so on....at least it made the nest 10 minutes pass.....i decide the next thing to do is start with numbers...i ask the interpretor to find out which numbers they have learned...i am told 1-100...so i start to use the blackboard and write up random numbers from 1-100 and choosing one child to tell me the number....again this did not work very well....most did not know anything past 20...i soon realized that i had to start back at the beginning...but hey at least that was the half hour mark so only 30 more minutes to go....oh, and i also had some talk back from one little girl and one little boy just up and left!!!....yes i sure am engaging their little minds!!!!
after the number game was over....which i even handed out stickers for the correct spelling....i decided on a song...yes a song....even though i hate to sing the book refering to these kids tells me how much they LOVE to sing....i write a simple sentece on the board which is only the first line to the song....the words are
Every little cell in  my body is happy.....ten minutes later we are slowly repeating Every Little ma ma ma body ma HAPPY...gee they love the word the HAPPY...eventually the teachers aid starts to sing loudly along with me but the kids are either miming or just waiting for the word HAPPY.....another failure....
i decide that with only 10 minutes to go that the students should choose a song they like to sing....they decide on Happy Birthday......ok, we'll go with that....their verson of the song not the one we all know....
they start out very silently and i am told that i need to sing louder (do they no understand that i do not sing out aloud!!!....all self respect out the window again and i am singing loudly in the hopes that the children will join in....aparently not....it again reverts to nothing or miming...oh and saying the word Happy!!!....
maybe i should teach them the happy song....
I am Happy
You are Happy
We are Happy
She is Happy
He is Happy
the dog is happy
the flower is happy....
so on and so on....
Just made that one up but now i'm kinda liking it and might just use it in my next class on Monday....
anyway, with no more time left and the entire hour a complete shambles i am sure no one has learned anything and that the kids hate me...they actually sing goodbye teacher to me before they leave...and they are smiling for the first time in that hour!!!
i return to the car and the three of us girls exchange our experience...mine being the worst....Chan seemed to have a really great class as did Eva..the only complaint from Eva was that one of her students wrote 'I miss Judy' on her paperwork (Judy was the last teacher they had)...she was a bit upset but overall their classes seemed to go really well..
i am now going to implement bribing into my class, as well as going back the real basics...i have even considered an aptitude test just so i can figure out how advanced some of these kids are....the ages are so varied from 8-23 years old and the level of english is also so wide...apparently i have the hardest group...something i was told by Nuin on the way home.....made me feel slightly better but in all honesty i feel defeated, embarassed and kind of lost.....
Although on reflection i am glad for the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and also the challenge to engage these kids for the next 6 lessons i will have them.....i also just feel sick at the thought of having to go back in there but hey, thems the breaks....doing it for the kids!!!
that's me for today....
i now have to figure out some crafts and outside games to play with the Deaf & Mute kids tomorrow morning.....any suggestions please comment or email....any suggestions on English games (with large groups) please also free to inundate me with your knowledge as I am willing to try anything.....
love, peace and light to all
xxxxxx
Om Shanti.....(time for me to meditate and breath it out!!!)
P.S here is a picture of Little Duoc...i know that some of the money i raised wil definately go towards him and his medical needs.

Back from school....

Orientation over and we have visted the Little School; it has one class room for about 25 small kids aged around 5....they sang to us in english and were so happy to see us....they smile so big...i already want to take them home!!!! we then visit the Fishing Village School....There are two classrooms, one is for small kids about 3-4 years old and around 27 of them...and the other around 5-6 years old...there are about 15 of them...both classes again sing a song for us and we introduce ourselves in english...they are very big on getting their kids to learn english as this increases their chances for better education and much better job opportunities....i'm thinking we could trade...i teach them a word...they teach me.....seems only fair!!!
and yes...i want to take all of them home as well.....
we only stay in each of these schools for 5 minutes as this is just an introduction to them and how we get there...apparently by pushbike...oh yeh for me....
we then head off to the DS school which is for Deaf and mute children. This is large school and the classrooms we enter are of different ages and levels...there is at least 15 kids in the each of the 2 classrooms we walked into...and there were more classrooms of children we did not enter...our job here will be do hold crafts with the children and to also play with them outside....we have been told to create a lesson plan for the crafts....both Chan and I are nervous about this....we go there for a few hours tomorrow....from 8.15am to 10.30 and then we have the rest of the day off....back to work on Monday....
After the DS school we get shown a few of the local sites (one of them is the resort of the beach...no accommodation just this amazing resort with restaurants, seating and two swimming pools....breakfast is a buffet and only costs 50,000 dong which is about $2.50 AUS....we then pick up Eva; she was taken to the Tech school earlier...and we take a little tour around the village (which is so much bigger than any villiage i've been staying at!!!) where the post office is, where the supermarket is, the best bakery, the market place for clothes and food, the ATM's for foreigners....i really like this place, it is so quaint...not too busy, has everything and there is so much stuff being built...i think they are trying to make this a little tourist area...and if you like little townships where everything is close by this is definately the place....did i mention i really like this little town....and the people...
anyway back to the tour...we then go to the local high school and they ask if Chan and I will be teaching...i said i'd think about it....let's see how i go with the little kids first....we take off and head to the vocaional school and again we are asked if we will teach there....same response...i find it quite daunting to stand up infront of a classroom of students (most classes are about 30-40 students) and somehow hold their attention...just need to find that confidence....i guess as i'm not a teacher it's not something that feels like it's in my reach but there's still 2 more weeks to go so you never know!!!
We head back to the volunteer house and we are greeted by the best smell of lunch cooking...chicken and vegetables....the weather has been miserable and has rained everyday since i arrived....not cold but i do feel it more than the others.....
I have to now start to read up on my SPC children which are the children with Special needs due to Hyrocephalus; which is an enlarged head due to fluid on the brain. Cerebral Palsy - we have both Flexion and Extension pattern to deal with...meaning that the kids are either locked up in a flexion (arms bent and inward to the chest) or extension...locked out..as in arching the back, neck, and arms...we have 4 kids with Cerebral Palsy and have 2 children with Hyrocephalus, they all vary in ages from around 2-18 years....we have also been told there is a baby of 2 months old that had been dumped just recently who has a bad cleft pallet...the opening has removed one of the nostrals and the gap in the gum is quite large....the baby was literally dumped outside the SPC house and the ducks woke up the 'mothers' (ladies who work there with the kids) and the child was then taken in....
after we spend two hours with these kids we then come back for dinner at 5pm and then we go out and have our final class with the Home of Affection...working with street kids...teaching them english, crafts etc...again i need to come up with a class program for this....i've read the previous notes from volunteers who have left and will start to come up with some variations....very nervous about this class as the children don't have to be there and from the notes gone by they can be a bit of a handful!!!
maybe work on a reward system...i have been told they do understand the words...'No Hitting'....my concern is, is that what i yell when they start to beat up on me because they realize i'm not a teacher and have no idea what the hell i'm doing!!!!!
wish me luck....
lots to read up on especially the Special Needs kids as it's all in the way you hold them and move them....frig i'm nervous...but i guess i can only do my best in the end....
Love, love and more love....
remember to check out the fundraising slideshow on youtube...and send it around..for those interested in donating contact me by email so i can respond with my bank details....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPU_9suobKo