Randy, Mike and I spent our last day on our northern tour in Hanoi. We found our coffee shop, The Highlands (we think the coffee which is made locally is better than Starbucks), visited the tomb of Ho Chi Minh and spent time walking around Hanoi's, 36 ancient streets; a series of markets and restaurants. Our tour guide took us to a great little pub called Le Pub to sample a local Hanoi beer and have lunch. Our lunch included spaghetti and pizza, which was surprisingly delicious. We all enjoyed buying souvenirs and mingling with the local people. After dinner we headed to the airport to catch our flight back to Saigon and our hotel in Bien Hoa.
We got back to our hotel about 11:00 pm. Business is run much differently here and if you arrive at this hotel after hours, all the lights in the reception area are turned off. When the door opens, a man pops up from behind the desk where he has been sleeping in his t-shirt?! It's a bit startling and quite funny.
All of us slept in late and finally made our way into Saigon to visit the War Remnants or War Crimes Museum. This museum presents a Vietnamese perspective of the American, Chinese, and French wars. It is filled with very graphic and disturbing pictures and there are American fighter jets, helicopters and weapons in the courtyard.
We are off the celebrate the New Year at the beach and will check in later.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Water Puppet Theater
This endemic Vietnam experience in found in Hanoi and is pictured in one of our photos below. Water puppetry is said to date back 1000 years in Vietnam and they used rivers, lakes, or rice fields to perform the shows in the past. Now the shows are held in theaters in large water filled tanks. There is an elaborately decorated stage and behind it the puppeteers hide and stand in the water; maneuvering the puppets which are attached to very long sticks. The puppets are carved from water-resistant wood and are brightly painted. They depict peasant villagers and domestic animals, dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, war heroes and villains. Each short act tells a different story and the entire show is accompanied by live singers and a traditional Vietnamese orchestra.
We all agreed that this was a very unique experience and we were glad to have the opportunity to see it.
We all agreed that this was a very unique experience and we were glad to have the opportunity to see it.
Hoa Yen Pagoda
On our way from the airport to Halong City, we visited the Hoa Yen Pagoda on Yen Tu Mountain. The Emperor Tran Nhan retired there to become a monk in the 13th century and some of the original religious structures remain. We had lunch at the base of the mountain and then took a cable car up to the midpoint of the mountain. From here we climbed up toward the summit. We had overcast skies and clouds and I can only imagine how stunning the valley below would have been with clear, blue skies. Occasionally as we progressed up the mountain, we would run into a small mountain villages that were scattered among the trees. There is no access to any of them by road and the hike in with supplies must mean that these villagers are in excellent shape. Our tour guide did tell us there was electricity but no plumbing. It must be very peaceful for the residents of the villages.
Randy, Mike and Jolene's Travel Adventures- Halong Bay
We arrived in Hanoi as scheduled on December 27th. The flight was ~1 hour and 45 minutes. Flights over here serve hot meals and our breakfast choice was pork and noodles or fish. We all agreed that the pork and noodles was pretty tasty.
Our travel guide, Sihng (Sing), met us at the airport with our driver, Hai. We jumped into our Toyota with all of our luggage and immediately headed for Halong City. The vehicle was much smaller than we have been used to and the three of us were nice and cozy in the back seat. Up until then we have been getting around in a Mercedes van that can hold ~10 people. BTW no one here wears seat belts and we didn't either especially since Hai said ours didn't work?! This makes me a bit nervous considering what the traffic is like here (more on that later as it is a whole topic in and of itself!).
The trip to Halong City took about 3 hours. Along the way we were able to take in some sites. We all agreed that the northern towns we passed through were not as busy, loud and crowded at Saigon. We were able to see more of the Vietnamese countryside and watched farmers plow with horses and oxen and workers in the rice fields tending their crop. Corn was another common crop that we observed.
Our hotel accommodations were nice and our travel package had us all sleeping in one room. There are 3 twin and/or full beds set up in the rooms. This has been... interesting and needless to say, we are all getting to know each other quite a bit, LOL! We are all terrific travel mates though and do very well maneuvering around some very small quarters.
After a very large dinner consisting of about 8-10 courses (the standard on our trip) we walked around the town briefly and finally went to bed exhausted.
The weather in the north this time of year is definitely much cooler, about 65-75 degrees. Unfortunately we hit a rainy spell and it was a bit on the chilly side. We weren't as well prepared for such a drastic change in the weather so Mike bought a rain poncho, Jolene bought a down-filled winter coat and we all bought umbrellas. I think the total cost for all of these items was approximately $30 US dollars.
The next part of our travel package included a trip and room accommodations on a private boat in Halong Bay. In total the bay spreads across 580 miles and has more than 2000 pinnacle-shaped limestone and dolomite outcrops (islands) scattered across it. It is a bit reminiscent of the San Juan Islands but on a much grander scale.
We weren't sure quite what to expect of our boat but were pleasantly surprised! The vessels are traditionally made sailing junk boats and although they may look a little questionable on the outside, the inside was very nice and quaintly decorated. The main cabin is set up with tables and can seat about 24 people. There are also individual private cabins for overnight passengers. Since we reserved the boat for just the three of us, they gave us 2 separate rooms. Each room had a double and twin bed and private shower. The staff couldn't have been better. We were fortunate to have VIP treatment all the way. The food was delicious and very meticulously prepared.
We sailed around part of the bay which included the limestone islands and brightly painted floating villages. The villages include houseboats, floating fuel stations, herb gardens, kennels, and even pigpens according to our guidebook.
Along the way our boat stopped at Hang Sung Sot or the Cave of Awe. This cave consists of beautiful karst outcrops that are made from sediment that settled on the seafloor during prehistoric times. Through geological upheaval and acidic erosion the alkaline limestone formations become worn and form into peculiar shapes. It truly is a stunning site.
The rest of this particular part of our trip was very relaxing. Slowly moving through the islands and anchoring for the night with other boats in the bay. At night you can see all the lights from the other boats and it looks as if candles are lit up all around the bay. This site along with the gentle whirring of the boat's engine made for a great night's sleep.
To be continued...
Our travel guide, Sihng (Sing), met us at the airport with our driver, Hai. We jumped into our Toyota with all of our luggage and immediately headed for Halong City. The vehicle was much smaller than we have been used to and the three of us were nice and cozy in the back seat. Up until then we have been getting around in a Mercedes van that can hold ~10 people. BTW no one here wears seat belts and we didn't either especially since Hai said ours didn't work?! This makes me a bit nervous considering what the traffic is like here (more on that later as it is a whole topic in and of itself!).
The trip to Halong City took about 3 hours. Along the way we were able to take in some sites. We all agreed that the northern towns we passed through were not as busy, loud and crowded at Saigon. We were able to see more of the Vietnamese countryside and watched farmers plow with horses and oxen and workers in the rice fields tending their crop. Corn was another common crop that we observed.
Our hotel accommodations were nice and our travel package had us all sleeping in one room. There are 3 twin and/or full beds set up in the rooms. This has been... interesting and needless to say, we are all getting to know each other quite a bit, LOL! We are all terrific travel mates though and do very well maneuvering around some very small quarters.
After a very large dinner consisting of about 8-10 courses (the standard on our trip) we walked around the town briefly and finally went to bed exhausted.
The weather in the north this time of year is definitely much cooler, about 65-75 degrees. Unfortunately we hit a rainy spell and it was a bit on the chilly side. We weren't as well prepared for such a drastic change in the weather so Mike bought a rain poncho, Jolene bought a down-filled winter coat and we all bought umbrellas. I think the total cost for all of these items was approximately $30 US dollars.
The next part of our travel package included a trip and room accommodations on a private boat in Halong Bay. In total the bay spreads across 580 miles and has more than 2000 pinnacle-shaped limestone and dolomite outcrops (islands) scattered across it. It is a bit reminiscent of the San Juan Islands but on a much grander scale.
We weren't sure quite what to expect of our boat but were pleasantly surprised! The vessels are traditionally made sailing junk boats and although they may look a little questionable on the outside, the inside was very nice and quaintly decorated. The main cabin is set up with tables and can seat about 24 people. There are also individual private cabins for overnight passengers. Since we reserved the boat for just the three of us, they gave us 2 separate rooms. Each room had a double and twin bed and private shower. The staff couldn't have been better. We were fortunate to have VIP treatment all the way. The food was delicious and very meticulously prepared.
We sailed around part of the bay which included the limestone islands and brightly painted floating villages. The villages include houseboats, floating fuel stations, herb gardens, kennels, and even pigpens according to our guidebook.
Along the way our boat stopped at Hang Sung Sot or the Cave of Awe. This cave consists of beautiful karst outcrops that are made from sediment that settled on the seafloor during prehistoric times. Through geological upheaval and acidic erosion the alkaline limestone formations become worn and form into peculiar shapes. It truly is a stunning site.
The rest of this particular part of our trip was very relaxing. Slowly moving through the islands and anchoring for the night with other boats in the bay. At night you can see all the lights from the other boats and it looks as if candles are lit up all around the bay. This site along with the gentle whirring of the boat's engine made for a great night's sleep.
To be continued...
Sunday, December 28, 2008
WE'RE BACK!
Hello everyone,
Every since our last post we have been unable to enter our blog account for some reason. We don't know why but as we are sitting in a local coffee shop in Hanoi, they have Internet access and we are back on. The coffee shop we are in looks very similar between SBC and Starbucks. It even served muffins/pastries and had great coffee. We also were able to order an omelet and hash browns with "real" catchup (Heinz). While this may sound unremarkable to you, it was such a treat having something that we were familiar with and not noodles or fish for breakfast.
I can barely remember what has happened in the past 3 days as it has been another whirlwind of travel. Remember that Randy, Mike and I went to northern Vietnam and My and Jimmy stayed south. Our first day started at 5:00 am with a ride from our travel agents to the domestic airport. Our flight was at 6:30 and we wondered why we didn't leave earlier. Long story short, we had to cut in line at the airport and security and run to the plane. We got on at 6:25! Thankfully this country is not very time conscious and so we were not the last people on the plane.
We will write more later as we only have a day here left in Hanoi to explore. Our plane leaves at about 8:00pm. We will be visiting some local tourist sites and going to some shopping districts.
Take care
Every since our last post we have been unable to enter our blog account for some reason. We don't know why but as we are sitting in a local coffee shop in Hanoi, they have Internet access and we are back on. The coffee shop we are in looks very similar between SBC and Starbucks. It even served muffins/pastries and had great coffee. We also were able to order an omelet and hash browns with "real" catchup (Heinz). While this may sound unremarkable to you, it was such a treat having something that we were familiar with and not noodles or fish for breakfast.
I can barely remember what has happened in the past 3 days as it has been another whirlwind of travel. Remember that Randy, Mike and I went to northern Vietnam and My and Jimmy stayed south. Our first day started at 5:00 am with a ride from our travel agents to the domestic airport. Our flight was at 6:30 and we wondered why we didn't leave earlier. Long story short, we had to cut in line at the airport and security and run to the plane. We got on at 6:25! Thankfully this country is not very time conscious and so we were not the last people on the plane.
We will write more later as we only have a day here left in Hanoi to explore. Our plane leaves at about 8:00pm. We will be visiting some local tourist sites and going to some shopping districts.
Take care
Thursday, December 25, 2008
PICTURES!!
Okay, we finally have put some pictures up. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on newer and older posts and you should see them. More will follow; we are up at 4:00 am to catch our plane to Hanoi.
Enjoyz It!!
At the dental school in Saigon.
Randy and Jimmy are dressed up for their presentation. My was their interpreter.
Jolene buying a souvenier from a street peddler.
These are pillows were hand woven out of reeds. Each cost ~ $1.00 US dollars.
My and her brother, Kahn
Kahn and his wife Jung and their son, Quan, have been gracious hosts and tour guides for us. We are grateful for Jung's amazing culinary talents!
Christmas Day
Hello and Merry Christmas to all of our friends and families. We are thinking about you and hope you had a nice holiday.
Today we went back to the same school we were at yesterday. Jolene used up the rest of our fluoride varnish and treated about 25 more children. Mike, My, Randy and Jimmy began the day setting up for the ART. This technique is intended for use in developing nations where citizens have no access to dentistry. Because the materials can be mixed by hand, no electricity is required to fill the teeth. Thankfully we had the luxury of electricity and a trituator that was donated to our mission. The procedure involves removing the existing soft decay by hand with an enamel hatchet, prepping the tooth with an acid etch and then placing glass ionomer into the cavity preparation. The glass ionomer material is then pushed down into the prep and subsequently smeared toward the interproximal and facial and lingual surfaces with the operator's index finger. The material sets up in ~ 2 minutes, the occlusion is checked and a final layer of petroleum jelly is placed over the top of the filling. The material hardens very quickly and once the trituration is complete, you have about 30 seconds to get it into the cavity prep before it hardens and cannot be used. My, Randy and Jimmy did a fantastic job as operators and Mike and Jolene played the assistant (gopher) role. Together we filled 20 teeth; all posterior occlusals and/or buccal surfaces. There were so many teeth to fill but we just couldn't get to all of them in the time we had. We did feel like we accomplished a great deal and hope that, in a small way, we were able to help.
I can't finish this entry without talking about the children. They were so polite, helpful and enthusiastic. Today we really wanted to get a chance to communicate with them. We did our best with sign language back and forth and wrote down many questions for them to answer. They asked us many questions too. A popular one being, "How old are you?" (every school we have been to we have been asked the same thing). They also ask us if we are married, have children, where we are from, and what we like to eat. They cannot get enough pictures of us with them; it seems as if each one of them individually has to be in a picture with one or all of us (this has also happened at every school on our trip). We have smiled so much for cameras on this trip that our facial muscles ache. If you are doing something with one student, within minutes there will be a crowd around you. Most all of them want to shake our hands or hug us and many compete for our attention. Today they were particularly fond of Mike and his arm muscles and wished that Mike and I were married. They also asked if Jimmy was My's son :). Truthfully it was a bit overwhelming but the children are so sweet that you cannot help but try and accommodate them all. I know that my heart was truly touched by them; Randy complained that he had never been touched(literally) so much in his whole life, not even in a relationship!
With our generous pre-trip donations we were able to purchase two water filtration and purification systems and 7 thermoses for the campus. The filtration systems provide clean drinking water and both hot and cold running water. It was nice to see them up and running before we left today.
At the end of the day all of the students assembled out in the courtyard to thank us for visiting and taking care of them. We all formed a large circle and the students and faculty sang a Vietnamese song of friendship for us. It is something we will never forget.
Randy, Mike and I are off for a much needed vacation from our vacation tomorrow morning. We fly out at 5:00 am to Northern Vietnam; specifically Hanoi and Halong Bay. We will stay 3 nights and return to Bien Hoa on the 29th. We were able to set up a tour and look forward to seeing many interesting sights. My and Jimmy will spend the time with My's family and friends. They are also going to try and visit another school to provide oral hygiene instructions and distribute the remaining toothbrushes, etc.
It's an early day tomorrow so we will check in with you all later. Bye for now.
Today we went back to the same school we were at yesterday. Jolene used up the rest of our fluoride varnish and treated about 25 more children. Mike, My, Randy and Jimmy began the day setting up for the ART. This technique is intended for use in developing nations where citizens have no access to dentistry. Because the materials can be mixed by hand, no electricity is required to fill the teeth. Thankfully we had the luxury of electricity and a trituator that was donated to our mission. The procedure involves removing the existing soft decay by hand with an enamel hatchet, prepping the tooth with an acid etch and then placing glass ionomer into the cavity preparation. The glass ionomer material is then pushed down into the prep and subsequently smeared toward the interproximal and facial and lingual surfaces with the operator's index finger. The material sets up in ~ 2 minutes, the occlusion is checked and a final layer of petroleum jelly is placed over the top of the filling. The material hardens very quickly and once the trituration is complete, you have about 30 seconds to get it into the cavity prep before it hardens and cannot be used. My, Randy and Jimmy did a fantastic job as operators and Mike and Jolene played the assistant (gopher) role. Together we filled 20 teeth; all posterior occlusals and/or buccal surfaces. There were so many teeth to fill but we just couldn't get to all of them in the time we had. We did feel like we accomplished a great deal and hope that, in a small way, we were able to help.
I can't finish this entry without talking about the children. They were so polite, helpful and enthusiastic. Today we really wanted to get a chance to communicate with them. We did our best with sign language back and forth and wrote down many questions for them to answer. They asked us many questions too. A popular one being, "How old are you?" (every school we have been to we have been asked the same thing). They also ask us if we are married, have children, where we are from, and what we like to eat. They cannot get enough pictures of us with them; it seems as if each one of them individually has to be in a picture with one or all of us (this has also happened at every school on our trip). We have smiled so much for cameras on this trip that our facial muscles ache. If you are doing something with one student, within minutes there will be a crowd around you. Most all of them want to shake our hands or hug us and many compete for our attention. Today they were particularly fond of Mike and his arm muscles and wished that Mike and I were married. They also asked if Jimmy was My's son :). Truthfully it was a bit overwhelming but the children are so sweet that you cannot help but try and accommodate them all. I know that my heart was truly touched by them; Randy complained that he had never been touched(literally) so much in his whole life, not even in a relationship!
With our generous pre-trip donations we were able to purchase two water filtration and purification systems and 7 thermoses for the campus. The filtration systems provide clean drinking water and both hot and cold running water. It was nice to see them up and running before we left today.
At the end of the day all of the students assembled out in the courtyard to thank us for visiting and taking care of them. We all formed a large circle and the students and faculty sang a Vietnamese song of friendship for us. It is something we will never forget.
Randy, Mike and I are off for a much needed vacation from our vacation tomorrow morning. We fly out at 5:00 am to Northern Vietnam; specifically Hanoi and Halong Bay. We will stay 3 nights and return to Bien Hoa on the 29th. We were able to set up a tour and look forward to seeing many interesting sights. My and Jimmy will spend the time with My's family and friends. They are also going to try and visit another school to provide oral hygiene instructions and distribute the remaining toothbrushes, etc.
It's an early day tomorrow so we will check in with you all later. Bye for now.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Kentucky Fried Chicken
OMG we found a KFC!! Even though we have appreciated all of the wonderful and interesting food in Vietnam, you can't imagine how great greasy, fried chicken and mashed potatoes tasted.
Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
Today was an amazing day! We were not scheduled at an orphanage as expected but instead a school of children ranging in ages of 6-21. All of the children are special needs; most being deaf or blind and many with extensive dental needs. We were once again very warmly welcomed and treated like royalty by all of the students and staff. Several groups of deaf children performed dances for us. It was very interesting to see all of them keep time to the music that was playing without being able to hear. Two blind children sang beautiful songs for us and it was very touching. How incredibly lucky we were to receive such expressions of gratitude.
After the greeting, our group worked together to come up with a plan for the day. We decided to push tables together to act as treatment operatories. One table was used by Randy and Jimmy for screening and recording existing decay, two others were set up for fluoride varnish application. An area in one corner of the room was set up for toothbrushing instructions and another area was set up for sterilization (pots of boiling water). Jolene applied the fluoride varnish and Mike moved back and forth from oral hygiene education to applying the varnish as well. For the "non dental" person in the group, he is a quick learner and jumps in wherever needed. My spent most of her time with oral hygiene instructions so she could translate for us. We were treated to a wonderful lunch prepared at the school and then continued our work in the afternoon. We were surprised and happy to see that a few of the children did not have any specific dental needs but unfortunately the majority did had some type of decay ranging from small carious lesions to full pulp exposures and abscesses. There was a significant amount of gingivitis and many of the children needed full quadrant scaling and root planing. I wished so much that I had my instruments with me but even then, local anesthetic would have been needed to clean them properly. As dental professionals, it was very difficult for us to be so limited in our ability to provide complete treatment. All in all though we considered it a successful day. We screened, applied fluoride varnish and educated 94 children!
Tomorrow we will go back to the same school to do ART (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment). We found about 20 occlusal and buccal surfaces that would qualify for the procedure.
It is close to 7:00 pm in Vietnam on Christmas Eve which means it's about 5:00 am for you in the US. After quick showers (it was particularly hot and muggy today and the building we were working in did not have air conditioning) we will head downstairs to a Christmas buffet that is put on by the hotel. It does feel a bit strange that we are not with our families and friends this holiday but we are thinking about all of you.
Take care and have a Merry Christmas!
After the greeting, our group worked together to come up with a plan for the day. We decided to push tables together to act as treatment operatories. One table was used by Randy and Jimmy for screening and recording existing decay, two others were set up for fluoride varnish application. An area in one corner of the room was set up for toothbrushing instructions and another area was set up for sterilization (pots of boiling water). Jolene applied the fluoride varnish and Mike moved back and forth from oral hygiene education to applying the varnish as well. For the "non dental" person in the group, he is a quick learner and jumps in wherever needed. My spent most of her time with oral hygiene instructions so she could translate for us. We were treated to a wonderful lunch prepared at the school and then continued our work in the afternoon. We were surprised and happy to see that a few of the children did not have any specific dental needs but unfortunately the majority did had some type of decay ranging from small carious lesions to full pulp exposures and abscesses. There was a significant amount of gingivitis and many of the children needed full quadrant scaling and root planing. I wished so much that I had my instruments with me but even then, local anesthetic would have been needed to clean them properly. As dental professionals, it was very difficult for us to be so limited in our ability to provide complete treatment. All in all though we considered it a successful day. We screened, applied fluoride varnish and educated 94 children!
Tomorrow we will go back to the same school to do ART (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment). We found about 20 occlusal and buccal surfaces that would qualify for the procedure.
It is close to 7:00 pm in Vietnam on Christmas Eve which means it's about 5:00 am for you in the US. After quick showers (it was particularly hot and muggy today and the building we were working in did not have air conditioning) we will head downstairs to a Christmas buffet that is put on by the hotel. It does feel a bit strange that we are not with our families and friends this holiday but we are thinking about all of you.
Take care and have a Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Community College Presentation
Today we got to sleep in!! Although with the time change, we usually wake up around 5:00-6:00 am. My, Randy, Jimmy and Mike went to the market to buy gifts to take the the today's presentation. Jolene stayed behind and worked on her PowerPoint presentation.
We left for the community college around 1:30 pm. The college was located in Bien Hoa about 20 minutes away from our hotel. This college was built about 4 years ago and the students are trained in areas such as graphic design, leather, textile, and footwear fabrication. They also take Business English. The campus was really nice. The students also live in dormitories and there is also faculty housing.
The students spoke English very well but still wanted My to translate. Jolene discussed various dental topics (caries, tooth anatomy, the job description of a dental hygienist, healthy vs. diseased gum tissues, gingivitis, periodontal disease and its risk factors, and proper brushing and flossing techniques). Again we all sang a round of Jingle Bells together and a couple of students volunteered to sing for us too. One of girls had a beautiful voice and sang a traditional, sentimental Vietnamese song that was amazing.
We have a very busy day planned tomorrow as we will be going to a local orphanage. We are not quite sure what to expect but are looking forward to it.
More to follow...
p.s. We keep checking the Seattle weather reports and are updated frequently via emails from friends. Take care and be safe during the winter storm.
We left for the community college around 1:30 pm. The college was located in Bien Hoa about 20 minutes away from our hotel. This college was built about 4 years ago and the students are trained in areas such as graphic design, leather, textile, and footwear fabrication. They also take Business English. The campus was really nice. The students also live in dormitories and there is also faculty housing.
The students spoke English very well but still wanted My to translate. Jolene discussed various dental topics (caries, tooth anatomy, the job description of a dental hygienist, healthy vs. diseased gum tissues, gingivitis, periodontal disease and its risk factors, and proper brushing and flossing techniques). Again we all sang a round of Jingle Bells together and a couple of students volunteered to sing for us too. One of girls had a beautiful voice and sang a traditional, sentimental Vietnamese song that was amazing.
We have a very busy day planned tomorrow as we will be going to a local orphanage. We are not quite sure what to expect but are looking forward to it.
More to follow...
p.s. We keep checking the Seattle weather reports and are updated frequently via emails from friends. Take care and be safe during the winter storm.
Yesterday Continued...
After visiting the dental school, My arranged for us to visit a local community college in Ho Chi Minh City. The college is private and was opened about 1 1/2 years ago by a friend of My's and her husband. This college is more like a technical college or trade school; all community colleges are like this over here and the students earn certificates rather than a degree. The areas of study at this school are: accounting, banking, travel and computers. Most of the college's 800 students live on campus in dormitories because they come from villages in the country to attend school. The faculty consists of mostly part-time teachers and their salary is ~$5.00 an hour and they teach for about 4 hours at a time which equals one session.
At the last minute it was decided that we would do an impromptu presentation on oral health to one of the classes of students. There were about 30-35 students who were very excited to have us visit. When we walked in, the classroom erupted with loud cheers and clapping. We were seated up in the front in a panel style format and My introduced each one of us. The students spoke a small amount of English so as each of us spoke, My translated. Jolene condensed the lecture she prepared for another college presentation and addressed topics such as cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease and demonstrated how to brush and floss properly. The students were attentive and asked great questions. Toward the end of our presentation, we encouraged the students to ask us any questions. They were a bit shy so we began to ask some questions which helped them open up a bit. We found out that they love to listen to music, can get a driver's license to ride a motor scooter at 19, most only visit the dentist when they have a specific problem, they give presents to each other on Christmas Day too and they like hot dogs.
The students also enjoy singing very much and asked if we would sing for them??!! This was something that none of us was quite comfortable doing but as the saying goes, "When in Rome...". We compromised and asked if they would sing with us too and we all sang a round of Jingle Bells together. I have to say that it was fun and made all of us laugh together.
My's friend arranged for us to give small gifts (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap) at the end of the presentation. We held a drawing and drew many giggles and laughs attempting to pronounce the names of the students. After all was finished the students literally ran up and engulfed us and asked to be photographed with them. The highlight being Jimmy! He is VERY popular with the young girls and they all want to pose with him. Those of you who know Jimmy know that this is something that he doesn't feel completely comfortable with but he is being very gracious and is making a lot of young ladies very happy! Mike is also appreciated by many women here. They are fascinated by how tall he is and with his blue eyes and blond hair. He is quite the charmer with his sense of humor and I'm certain that he could go home with a wife if he wanted!!
We all agreed that this type of impromptu and interactive exchange between our two cultures is the most fun. The smiling, happy and appreciative faces energize us and really make us feel good about being here.
At the last minute it was decided that we would do an impromptu presentation on oral health to one of the classes of students. There were about 30-35 students who were very excited to have us visit. When we walked in, the classroom erupted with loud cheers and clapping. We were seated up in the front in a panel style format and My introduced each one of us. The students spoke a small amount of English so as each of us spoke, My translated. Jolene condensed the lecture she prepared for another college presentation and addressed topics such as cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease and demonstrated how to brush and floss properly. The students were attentive and asked great questions. Toward the end of our presentation, we encouraged the students to ask us any questions. They were a bit shy so we began to ask some questions which helped them open up a bit. We found out that they love to listen to music, can get a driver's license to ride a motor scooter at 19, most only visit the dentist when they have a specific problem, they give presents to each other on Christmas Day too and they like hot dogs.
The students also enjoy singing very much and asked if we would sing for them??!! This was something that none of us was quite comfortable doing but as the saying goes, "When in Rome...". We compromised and asked if they would sing with us too and we all sang a round of Jingle Bells together. I have to say that it was fun and made all of us laugh together.
My's friend arranged for us to give small gifts (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap) at the end of the presentation. We held a drawing and drew many giggles and laughs attempting to pronounce the names of the students. After all was finished the students literally ran up and engulfed us and asked to be photographed with them. The highlight being Jimmy! He is VERY popular with the young girls and they all want to pose with him. Those of you who know Jimmy know that this is something that he doesn't feel completely comfortable with but he is being very gracious and is making a lot of young ladies very happy! Mike is also appreciated by many women here. They are fascinated by how tall he is and with his blue eyes and blond hair. He is quite the charmer with his sense of humor and I'm certain that he could go home with a wife if he wanted!!
We all agreed that this type of impromptu and interactive exchange between our two cultures is the most fun. The smiling, happy and appreciative faces energize us and really make us feel good about being here.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Dental School Presentation
Yesterday was a very busy and great day for all of us. Our day started at 6:00 am with a ride into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to The University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. The university specializes in various disciplines including fundamental sciences, medicine, odonto-stomotlogy, traditional medicine, pharmacy, nursing and medical techniques, and public health. The univerity also provides training for health professionals at the college level after completion of the 10th grade program in career options such as dental hygiene, physical therapy, nurse (general), medical and pharmaceutical assistant, midwife, and dental lab and radiology technician, to name a few. The School of Medicine and Pharmacy was started in 1947 and the dental school was opened in 1964.
We were graciously greeted by the Assistant Dean of the dental school who took us on a tour of the dental school. Aside from looking very worn, the training facilities looked very much like what you would see in the US. We were able to see the adminstrative office, reception areas, several clinics, a simulation lab, the sterilization area, and students pouring up and finishing models. There is a separate pedo clinic where children under the age of 6 can receive free dental work. An Oral B representative was present in the pedo clinic as the company was sponsoring the dental health day for the school. If I was understanding correctly the dental school, much like ours, provides low cost dental work and is open to all of the public but it can take a long time to get into and, of course, the appointments are longer. The one thing we did notice is that there is not as much emphasis put on infection control as in the US. They do not use barriers on their chairs or handpieces but they do wear masks, gloves and glasses. Patients do not wear glasses.
There is a dental hygiene program that is also part of the university but it is located off campus. I spoke with a woman who was a dental hygienist, a dental therapist, and a DH educator. The dental hygiene program is 2 years. In Vietnam, dental hygienists are able to clean and polish teeth and provide oral hygiene instructions. The dental therapist can do fillings. Neither can give local anesthesia. They also do not offer Bachelor's degrees in DH.
Randy and Jimmy's presentation began at around 9:00 am. Randy lectured on bonding systems, glass ionomers, atraumatic restorative technique (ART) and Bi-tine rings. Jimmy's topic discussed the typical patient in the dental office. Both were complete with PowerPoint presentations customized with photos taken by both Jimmy and Randy. Both presentations were excellent and looked as if they were put together by professionals. This was Jimmy's very first presentation he had ever given to a larger audience. He said he was nervous but you would have never known it. He has the natural talent to be a future lecturer for sure. Randy's presentation grabbed the attention of the crowd and he was invited back to speak at the dental school anytime he would like. This was an enormous compliment to his preparation and teaching talents. Our resident interpretor, My, is doing an absolute fantastic job and was even given compliments by the Assistant Dean on her excellent translation abilities.
Everyone was so kind to us and after the presentation, several medical doctors came up to us to ask questions. One of them also expressed her interest in helping us with our mission while we are here. All in all, a very successful and enjoyable experience.
p.s. We will send pictures soon. We just need to find some time to upload them into our blog. Our days are so full that in the evenings when we return to the hotel, it's straight to bed. Everyone is still healthy and doing well. On a personal note, I have am now moving onto Immodium--oh happy days :).
We were graciously greeted by the Assistant Dean of the dental school who took us on a tour of the dental school. Aside from looking very worn, the training facilities looked very much like what you would see in the US. We were able to see the adminstrative office, reception areas, several clinics, a simulation lab, the sterilization area, and students pouring up and finishing models. There is a separate pedo clinic where children under the age of 6 can receive free dental work. An Oral B representative was present in the pedo clinic as the company was sponsoring the dental health day for the school. If I was understanding correctly the dental school, much like ours, provides low cost dental work and is open to all of the public but it can take a long time to get into and, of course, the appointments are longer. The one thing we did notice is that there is not as much emphasis put on infection control as in the US. They do not use barriers on their chairs or handpieces but they do wear masks, gloves and glasses. Patients do not wear glasses.
There is a dental hygiene program that is also part of the university but it is located off campus. I spoke with a woman who was a dental hygienist, a dental therapist, and a DH educator. The dental hygiene program is 2 years. In Vietnam, dental hygienists are able to clean and polish teeth and provide oral hygiene instructions. The dental therapist can do fillings. Neither can give local anesthesia. They also do not offer Bachelor's degrees in DH.
Randy and Jimmy's presentation began at around 9:00 am. Randy lectured on bonding systems, glass ionomers, atraumatic restorative technique (ART) and Bi-tine rings. Jimmy's topic discussed the typical patient in the dental office. Both were complete with PowerPoint presentations customized with photos taken by both Jimmy and Randy. Both presentations were excellent and looked as if they were put together by professionals. This was Jimmy's very first presentation he had ever given to a larger audience. He said he was nervous but you would have never known it. He has the natural talent to be a future lecturer for sure. Randy's presentation grabbed the attention of the crowd and he was invited back to speak at the dental school anytime he would like. This was an enormous compliment to his preparation and teaching talents. Our resident interpretor, My, is doing an absolute fantastic job and was even given compliments by the Assistant Dean on her excellent translation abilities.
Everyone was so kind to us and after the presentation, several medical doctors came up to us to ask questions. One of them also expressed her interest in helping us with our mission while we are here. All in all, a very successful and enjoyable experience.
p.s. We will send pictures soon. We just need to find some time to upload them into our blog. Our days are so full that in the evenings when we return to the hotel, it's straight to bed. Everyone is still healthy and doing well. On a personal note, I have am now moving onto Immodium--oh happy days :).
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Hello Friends and Family
In a word... WOW! Vietnam is definitely a feast for all 5 senses! We are starting our third day here (I've lost all track of time and days). It's 10:45 in the morning (about 7:50 pm US time) and I am in my hotel room working on my PowerPoint presentation for Tuesday. Randy and Jimmy are working on theirs for tomorrow at the dental school.
My hotel room in Bien Hoa (~40 minutes outside Saigon) is nice. It is clean and has a TV and internet access. Rooms are sparsely furnished but I have all the basic necessities. The mattress on the bed is foam and is pretty hard and there are no boxsprings. I have a view directly down onto the car port and lobby and it can be a bit noisy. November and December are popular wedding months in Vietnam and in 2 days we have seen 3 wedding receptions going at our hotel. Besides the restaurant area, the reception spills out over into the car port. All have been decorated with lots of pink bows and balloons. There are also live bands of various vocal talents, which is quite entertaining. Yesterday, after a trip to the market, we all came back to my room and sampled local fruit including: passion fruit which I loved, baked plantains, dragon fruit, cherimoya, some type of "milky fruit" (no one could remember the name), and durian. Those of you who may not be familiar with durian, it is a foul smelling fruit (think garbage) and I'm told it tastes like blue-cheese?? Are you kidding me, of course I DID NOT try it; especially after Randy threw up after trying it first. Poor Randy, we laughed so hard, not nice but so funny.
Yesterday I also sampled coconut milk. Cococnuts are peeled with a knife and the top is cut off. A straw is put inside and you dring the milk straight from it. You can find these in all of the street markets and some restaurants. The milk is more watery in consistency than I thought it would be and it is just slightly sweet. I really liked it. The food has been interesting- I have no idea what most of it is. Jimmy, Mike and My are much more adventurous than Randy and me. Most everthing looks really appetizing, but we know we shouldn't eat it for fear of...well, you know. I am eating a lot of rice and basically anything fried or cooked really well. We are all drinking bottled water and Mike, Randy and I are drinking beer and Coke. Unfortunately we can't have ice in our drinks and refrigeration here is not quite as good as home. So far, none of us has been sick though. Thank you Pepto-Bismol!!
In a few minutes we will be taking a taxi to My's brothers home. He has a projector and we will rehearse our PowerPoint presentations with our interpreter, My. Her sister-in-law will be preparing lunch for us (beef curry with baguettes). She is an amazing cook; the food at their house is much better than anything else I've eaten so far. She had such a feast prepared for us when we arrived. We are very spoiled.
As I write this to you I am sitting at the desk in my room listening to Christmas music from the hotel. American Christmas songs played by a saxaphone (Jingle Bells, Let It Snow, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Silent Night,etc) are playing. They must have all of them on one track because I have heard each of them at least 3 times :). I don't think the Christian religion is very prominent here but every city is decorated for Christmas anyway (lights, trees, Santa Clauses, etc). It is very funny to see a statue of Mary next to Buddha everywhere.
The weather is perfect! 85 degress and sunny. There is a fair amount of humidity in the air but I'm glad to be wearing shorts and tank tops everyday.
As "interesting" as it sounds so far, I am having an amazing time. I cannot believe that we are here and I'm taking it all in with sincere awe and appreciation.
I will write more later. Take care everyone.
My hotel room in Bien Hoa (~40 minutes outside Saigon) is nice. It is clean and has a TV and internet access. Rooms are sparsely furnished but I have all the basic necessities. The mattress on the bed is foam and is pretty hard and there are no boxsprings. I have a view directly down onto the car port and lobby and it can be a bit noisy. November and December are popular wedding months in Vietnam and in 2 days we have seen 3 wedding receptions going at our hotel. Besides the restaurant area, the reception spills out over into the car port. All have been decorated with lots of pink bows and balloons. There are also live bands of various vocal talents, which is quite entertaining. Yesterday, after a trip to the market, we all came back to my room and sampled local fruit including: passion fruit which I loved, baked plantains, dragon fruit, cherimoya, some type of "milky fruit" (no one could remember the name), and durian. Those of you who may not be familiar with durian, it is a foul smelling fruit (think garbage) and I'm told it tastes like blue-cheese?? Are you kidding me, of course I DID NOT try it; especially after Randy threw up after trying it first. Poor Randy, we laughed so hard, not nice but so funny.
Yesterday I also sampled coconut milk. Cococnuts are peeled with a knife and the top is cut off. A straw is put inside and you dring the milk straight from it. You can find these in all of the street markets and some restaurants. The milk is more watery in consistency than I thought it would be and it is just slightly sweet. I really liked it. The food has been interesting- I have no idea what most of it is. Jimmy, Mike and My are much more adventurous than Randy and me. Most everthing looks really appetizing, but we know we shouldn't eat it for fear of...well, you know. I am eating a lot of rice and basically anything fried or cooked really well. We are all drinking bottled water and Mike, Randy and I are drinking beer and Coke. Unfortunately we can't have ice in our drinks and refrigeration here is not quite as good as home. So far, none of us has been sick though. Thank you Pepto-Bismol!!
In a few minutes we will be taking a taxi to My's brothers home. He has a projector and we will rehearse our PowerPoint presentations with our interpreter, My. Her sister-in-law will be preparing lunch for us (beef curry with baguettes). She is an amazing cook; the food at their house is much better than anything else I've eaten so far. She had such a feast prepared for us when we arrived. We are very spoiled.
As I write this to you I am sitting at the desk in my room listening to Christmas music from the hotel. American Christmas songs played by a saxaphone (Jingle Bells, Let It Snow, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Silent Night,etc) are playing. They must have all of them on one track because I have heard each of them at least 3 times :). I don't think the Christian religion is very prominent here but every city is decorated for Christmas anyway (lights, trees, Santa Clauses, etc). It is very funny to see a statue of Mary next to Buddha everywhere.
The weather is perfect! 85 degress and sunny. There is a fair amount of humidity in the air but I'm glad to be wearing shorts and tank tops everyday.
As "interesting" as it sounds so far, I am having an amazing time. I cannot believe that we are here and I'm taking it all in with sincere awe and appreciation.
I will write more later. Take care everyone.
Vietnam Day 1 Summary
Well, we had a very long but nice flight from Seattle to Taipei, Taiwan to Saigon, Vietnam. Everyone slept pretty well and had a pretty nice time on the EVA airline. We landed, got our baggage without problems (the customs people were not very nice), and met up with My's brother, Kahn. He was such a nice gentleman waiting for us at the airport, arranged a very nice shuttle bus to pick us up, and helped us with our luggage. Our driver was Sun, who was actually Kahn's cousin.
They took us on a little sightseeing tour of Saigon, where we saw so many motorbikes on the road (the motorbikes outnumber the cars 100 to 1) carrying 1-3 passengers, boxes of supplies, glass sheets, trees, and so many things! The city consisted of a variety of people(poor to rich), automobiles(motorbikes to buses), buildings(old looking shacks to new towers, and shops(Vietnamese to American). We made our way to Bienhoa, My's hometown, toured around a little bit, and then finally arrived at Kahn's home. We were able to meet Kahn's lovely wife and his nice son. They own a nice house out in the countryside of Bienhoa. Kahn's wife prepared for us a very wonderful first meal in Vietnam and we all enjoyed it very much. Afterward, My brought us on a little 3 mile walk around the countryside where we were able to see and talk with the local residents who all seemed very interested in seeing us Americans, especially Mike and Jolene who are white skinned. We saw a couple schools close by, went to the local market and bought some fruits (dragonfruit and some weird one that My says is a type of plum), and went back to Kahn's house.
After getting showered, we got ready to go to downtown Bienhoa to drop off our luggage at a nice hotel and went to have dinner. We ate a nice fried tofu appetizer, drank a eggflower with corn type soup, and had this tasty chicken dish. After dinner, everyone was tired from the day's travel so Dr. Maebo, Mike, Jolene, and I returned to the hotel and My went to stay at her brother's house.
That's the brief summary of day 1 in Vietnam which I thought everyone enjoyed for the most part. I think most of us were expecting Vietnam to be worse than what it really is so that is good. In our contest of who would be the highest maintenance, My is in the lead with 3 points followed by Jolene, who has 1 point. Dr. Maebo, Mike, and I are dead last with 0! Does this shock anyone? Yay, way to go Dr. Maebo, Mike, and myself!
Sincere thank you to our very own Nancyjo
We must give a huge and sincere thank you to Nancyjo Collinsworth, the front desk manager at Dr. Maebo's office. She has gone far beyond her duties to help us on this trip. In addition to working on her tasks for Dr. Maebo's office, she has donated a lot of time trying to help us get the instruments and equipment we need, helping us organize our agenda before leaving, and she even paid for a shuttle service for My Nguyen our hygienist and me to take the luggage to the airport. She has done too much but we appreciate all that she has done. A sincere thank you from all of us Nancyjo!
More amazing contributions Part 2
My's brother had informed us that an orphanage does not have clean water to drink because their water filtering system just broke. He had asked My to see if she could try to get some donations (about $800-$1000) to help fix their filtering system so that the orphans may have safe drinking water again. Well thanks to some very generous people, My has been able to raise about $1300 in just one day. We send our sincere appreciation out to Dr. Ed Bruce, Dr. Connie Manuel, Masako Matsunaga, and My's sisters. Dr. Bruce was one of My's former employers and is a practicing dentist in Burien, Washington. He promised a very generous donation without hesitation when My gave him a call. Dr. Manuel was also My's former employer and is a practicing dentist in the Greenlake area in Seattle, Washington. She has promised a donation to My when My gave her a call. Masako is a long time friend of My's who graduated in her same class from the Lake Washington Technical College Dental Hygiene Program. My's sisters (she has about 6) have been in full support of this trip from the beginning and have made their generous donations to My. Thank you so much everyone.
More amazing contributions Part 1
We would like to say thank you to more wonderful people whoa re making sincere donations to us for this trip. Judy Andrews, Cathy Campbell, and Renton Technical College were too kind in their contributions. Judy Andrews is a personal friend and has given us a wonderful monetary donation to use toward the orphanages that we will visit. Cathy Campbell is one of our own dental assistants that has requested and received a donation of instruments (disposable mouth mirrors and articulating paper) from the Renton Technical College. Thank you sooooo much gals and the Renton Technical College.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
It's Finally Here!
We are on our way tonight-provided the Seattle snow doesn't hinder any of us getting to the airport. Last night we were at Randy's office organizing all of our supplies. Randy also taught us how to do ART (Atraumatic Restorative Technique). Very exciting.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is running some last minute errands :). We are due at the airport on about 3 hours and our flight leaves at 1:00 am.
I can't wait to go from 30 degrees to about 80 degrees tomorrow!!
We will be in touch with you all as soon as we can. Take care.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is running some last minute errands :). We are due at the airport on about 3 hours and our flight leaves at 1:00 am.
I can't wait to go from 30 degrees to about 80 degrees tomorrow!!
We will be in touch with you all as soon as we can. Take care.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thanks to everyone for their amazing contributions!!!
The Tooth Brigade wants to take this time to thank and recognize the amazing people in Washington that have donated generously in time, effort, and/or products to our cause for this trip to Vietnam. Thank you so very much to Sandy Phillips, Frank Nowtash, Judy Kester, Debbie Gallinaetti, Kristy Graham, Brian McIntyre, Tom Meintz, and Donna Enneking. Sandy Phillips is the Director of Clinical Operations at the University of Washington School of Dentistry and has made wonderful donations for our Tooth Brigade to use over in Vietnam. Frank, Judy, and Debbie are from Arnold Dental Supply (Frank is the owner) and have spent time and effort to make wonderful contributions of instruments (dental carvers, enamel hatchets, cotton pliers, etc.) which will be very crucial to accomplishing one of our goals over in Vietnam. Kristy from Burkhart Dental Supply has been wonderful putting forth a great effort getting us additional instruments in an amazingly timely manner. Brian is the sales representative from 3M and has been phenomenal in helping us procure some wonderful products to use for the Vietnamese people. Tom is the district manager of GC America and we thank him for his time, effort, and very kind donation of products to use for the Vietnamese people. Donna is a sales representative for Pearson Dental Supply and was instrumental in getting dental fluoride varnishes for us. We could not thank these people and companies enough. Without them, there would be a huge void in our mission. Thank you thank you to these amazing contributors.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Updates...
The dental hygiene program at Seattle Central Community College provided us with 300 sample tubes of toothpaste to take with us today. A big THANK YOU for your contribution to our mission.
All is secure with the fluoride varnish and other supplies. Randy is having some challenges getting the glass ionomer preparation as this specific one is not used in the U.S. Only the World Health Organization (WHO) uses it. We will know next Tuesday if we are able to secure it.
We are ready for the orphanages and now have Santa hats to wear to keep the children (and us) entertained at Christmas.
The dental school in Saigon is going to provide Randy an interpreter for his lecture. Since My will be Jolene's interpreter for her presentation to college students, they will be getting together to do a dry-run (maybe on the plane on the way over).
It' s beginning to feel very real now with only 5 days left until we leave. Everyone is so excited!
All is secure with the fluoride varnish and other supplies. Randy is having some challenges getting the glass ionomer preparation as this specific one is not used in the U.S. Only the World Health Organization (WHO) uses it. We will know next Tuesday if we are able to secure it.
We are ready for the orphanages and now have Santa hats to wear to keep the children (and us) entertained at Christmas.
The dental school in Saigon is going to provide Randy an interpreter for his lecture. Since My will be Jolene's interpreter for her presentation to college students, they will be getting together to do a dry-run (maybe on the plane on the way over).
It' s beginning to feel very real now with only 5 days left until we leave. Everyone is so excited!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Who has the fluoride varnish?
Randy thought I ordered it, I thought he ordered it??! No worries though, we have about 4 whole working days still left to get it together. I'm proud of us for not waiting until the last minute- we are soooo on top it it ;). LOL. Looks like I will be able to secure the fluoride varnish from the dental hygiene program (thanks Ona and Ruth!) and Randy will supply gloves and masks from his office. I just received my shipment of 500 youth sized toothbrushes that I found for a great price on-line along with a stuffed animal teaching aid (Magi Z Dragon from StarSmilez.com). Magi Z is adorable and I can't wait for the kids to see it!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
1 more week!
Wow, I can't believe we only have one more week left before we step onto the airplane that takes us to the other hemisphere of the planet. Hope we are all prepared by the time next Wednesday rolls around.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Beginnings...
Two years ago at the Kirkland Art Walk, we (Randy, Mike and My) ran into a lady who was organizing a medical/dental trip to Vietnam. She explained that the organization she was a part of was very structured and regimented. We fell in love with the idea of a humanitarian dental mission to Vietnam however, we didn't want to participate in something so structured. Fortunately My Nguyen (who, by the way, coined the phrase, "Enjoyz It") happens to be from Vietnam and she enthusiastically expressed that we could do it ourselves! Thus, the idea was born.
Fast forward to summer 2008. My has tirelessly arranged for the following:
- Visits to several orphanages where we will be providing fluoride varnishes, performing ART (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment), giving oral hygiene instructions, and dispensing toothbrushes and toothpaste.
- A lecture at the dental school in Ho Chi Minh City.
- A lecture and cultural exchange at a local community college where My's brother teaches English.
Okay, so we have to fit in a little R&R too. We are also planning to visit Hanoi, Halong Bay, and to spend New Year's Eve in Ho Chi Minh City.
We invite you to experience Vietnam with us through our eyes, prose, and Randy's Flashdrive High Definition Camcorder.
Enjoyz It!
First Post
Who will be the highest maintenance? Randy or Jolene.... Or will someone else surpass them both???
Find out by reading the blogs over the coming weeks...
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