Tran Hoang Lam...You Are Canadian!

Well, I'll start off with the most exciting stuff first.  Jon decided to go on a field trip with the other families to the Botanical Gardens.  This did not interest me or mom at all.  So he took Nathaniel with him while mom and I and Fredrick went shopping...big surprise!  Jon and the group were meeting some other couples at the Canadian embassy for a reason other than picking up passports.  But Jon was smart and brought along his passport and Fredrick's Vietnamese passport, "just in case" his Canadian passport was ready.  He went into the Embassy and just checked with them.  They obliged and printed off Fredrick's CANADIAN passport.  YIPPEE!  So now that we have that in hand, we can leave.  Jon has been bugging the Cathway Pacific desk every day and 3 SEATS have opened up.  And if your math is as bad as mine...4-3=1!  Yes we need 1 seat to open up and we will leave Vietnam in 2 sleeps instead of 5!  Again if your math skills are not up to par that is 3 sleeps earlier!  Please pray that 1 opens up.  (Jon is down at the office again, as I write, to check for that 1 open seat - we're hoping she'll get so fed up with him, she'll stick us in first class just to get him off her case LOL).  **HE DID IT!  We leave April 28 and arrive in Mtl Friday early morning!**

So now onto the less exciting stuff.  Yesterday (Monday) mom treated herself and I to get our hair coiffed.  For a wash, blowdry and a manicure it cost mom 15$ (+ mine).  Not too bad, eh? (ahhhh feels good to speak Canadian again).  Then we hung around the pool.  It is on the 4th floor outside. There is such a beautiful breeze and comfy chairs with umbrellas so mom just read.  She was so relaxed (I think she may be getting too use to this relaxing stuff - I'm actually surprised she's looking forward to getting back home and back to reality).  Then we headed out to a restaurant on the boardwalk.  It was nice.  It took us awhile to find a seat we were comfortable with.  Outside was crowded, inside the fans were blowing right on us, we went back outside found ok seats, then had a bunch of guys smoking beside us so we had to rearrange the tables again (I sure don't miss smoking in restaurants).  We finally settled and ordered and the waiter said it would take 25 minuts for my pizza and Jon's spaghetti *sigh*  Thankfully the food was good and the scenery was nice.  We then walked down the "boardwalk" to Fanny's ice cream again...yummmmm!  I never thought we'd walk the streets of Vietnam at night - we certainly didn't see the Philippines at night.  It was really neat to see the "night life", but we were happy to get home too!

This morning we ate breakfast on shifts.  Mom, Fredrick and I went down and met a really nice older couple.  He is Korean and she is British.  They have 5 biological children and 1 daughter adopted from Korea.  I would have loved to have sat down and heard their story.  I'm sure they met during the war.  When I told him we were from Montreal, he said, "Ahhhhh, yes McGill."  I think that's all we're known for in other parts of the world!  They have 2 grandchilden adopted from Vietnam.  The husband came over and took pictures of Fredrick and the wife kept coming over to kiss him and pinch his cheeks!  Once we left the resturant we headed to the Big C shopping centre.  This was a good idea since I wanted to stock up on diapers and formula.  Since we're leaving on Thursday we wouldn't have had much time to get all our last minute shopping done.  It was also the hottest day we have experienced in Hanoi.  It felt like 35oC so it was nice to be inside.  While we were there, these girls were giggling at Fredrick and took his picture - sheesh - I'm going to start charging people!

We went to the restaurant in the hotel for supper.  There has been a really sweet waitress we've talked to almost every day.  Her name is Tham. She absolutely adored Fredrick (& Nathaniel).  She was always taking Fredrick from us and playing with him and showing him off to the other staff.  We wanted a picture with her and she kindly obliged.  It was kind of emotional.  She was so thankful to us for taking him to Canada and asked us to bring him back some day.  We will all miss her and remember her fondly.  The people we met in the Philippines, Ernie & William and now Tham from Vietnam...we will never forget them and they will never know what an impact they have had in our lives...we remember them and speak of them so often.  People here are very rough and there is not much friendliness but Tham (and the other staff at this hotel) have been so kind, genuine and loving towards us.  It's just so touching.  It will very hard to say goodbye to her on Thursday morning.  I'm so thankful that we have her picture to remember her by and to tell Fredrick about when he is older.


This is Tham.





7 More Sleeps!

7 more sleeps until we begin the journey home. All day we've been saying, "This time next week we'll be...." I can honestly say I can't believe how quickly the time is going. We've already been in this hotel for 1 week + 1 day. Last Saturday, 2 weeks seemed like so long and here we are 1 week down, 1 week to go. We've been getting out every day which is helping pass the time. We're starting to know the area and we do feel "safe" walking around. I must say though I would never be a good celebrity! My goodness, the stares and finger pointing and giggles we get are quite something, and I don't particularly like it!

Friday night we went to a restaurant called the "Green Mango". It's in the basement of a hotel and it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! It is obviously managed/owned by an American or Canadian. It was beautifully decorated, the service was superb, the music was at a normal level and very relaxing and most importantly our drinks were COLD! You see we haven't had a really cold drink since we've been here. A) We can't have ice, B) We don't think they keep their fridges at a very low temperature. Mom and I squealed like little girls when we took our first sips! Mom looked so relaxed sitting there enjoying the ambiance and food!

Jon's "pretty" mango juice...one of the best he's had so far!

On Saturday, mom, Nathaniel and Jon went the zoo.  I was feeling very tired so I stayed back with Fredrick.  This getting up several times a night with Fredrick is catching up to me!  And who of you thought he'd already be sleeping through the night, hmmmmmm?!?!?  This is something we have to work on when we get home!!  They had a wonderful time at the zoo.  Mom even saw a rat running around and stood around long enough to record it!  Nathaniel went on many rides by himself...I wouldn't believe it if mom hadn't got it on video!  Entrance cost 2$ each for mom and Jon and 1$ for Nathaniel.  What's Granby zoo up to now?  $30?  And I believe it cost 0.25$-0.50$ per ride.  We're coming home broke at these prices!



Tiger peeing...you'll have to ask mom why she would take a picture of this!



Today (Sunday) we started off with Nathaniel's Easter egg hunt and of course a story about why we celebrate Easter.  It's funny when we left Montreal, Easter seemed so far away and here it's come and gone.  Time flies when you're having fun...or at least when you're trying to occupy every minute of every day!  Jon wanted to go check out some stores that he saw in our taxi drive to the Green Mango that sold soccer jerseys.  He finally wanted to venture out.  He carried Fredrick in the carrier and I pushed Nathaniel in the stroller.  GOOD GRIEF!  Talk about stressful.  It's difficult enough to cross the street without stroller/children.  Try getting passed all the people and mopeds up on the crumbling sidewalks.  I actually felt like I was in Montreal driving over all the potholes!  He finally found the shirt he wanted...but apparently an XL is only M in Asian sizes!  Oh well.  We decided to walk back to the hotel and walk along a "boardwalk".  Apparently it is a very romantic place to be (I wasn't feeling the romance with my mom and 2 kids around HA HA HA).  We stopped off at Fanny's - famous for it's ice cream.  Very good indeed.  Any flavour goes...avacado, ginger and there were some other weird ones but I don't remember!  I stuck with mint chocolate.  We found a nice restaurant on the way, so we are going to go there tomorrow night for supper and walk along the water again in the evening.  It should be really beautiful.

Nathaniel had chocolate!

Jon figures these are roots from the tree that have grown upwards.

Fredrick absolutely ADORES Nathaniel!

I've finally been able to post a video...just watch as people go in any direction they please!!  And imagine trying to cross that, because there ain't any stop lights!  The running joke is that I will only cross at crosswalks...HA HA HA!  Painting those on the street were a waste of someone's time because crosswalk or not, there ain't no one stopping for you!

Images...

This is something I had written after visiting the Red Cross Orphanage a week+ ago.  It was very emotional for me so it took me some time to finish it.  I'm not trying to be dramatic or make the orphanage out to be some horrendous place.  These descriptions are exactly what I witnessed the 3 days we visited.  I realize that life here in Vietnam can not be compared to the blessed life we live in Canada but this is the reality of it all and this is why my heart is so broken even as I am so overjoyed at having our beautiful baby boy with us...

It’s 4am...I am wide awake as thoughts of the orphanage setting rush through my mind. Images that will be with me the rest of my comfortable life. Images of babies waiting for their forever families, covered in scabies, dents in their little legs and arms from previous bouts of scabies, their bums wrapped in towels held together with a piece of material. These children are cooed at, touched, fed and changed. These are the “normal” children. In another room the “unlovable” are caged 24 hours a day. There are children whose bodies look contorted; there are children whose legs and arms are the size of a stick but whose tummies are inflated like a balloon. They are treated like animals...they are fed at meal time, and their bums are changed when they are wet but there is no physical contact, no words spoken (unless being yelled at in disgust because they aren’t swallowing their food fast enough), there is no love for these children. These children are fed so much because as long as their tummies are full they will stay quiet in their crib cage. The cages are metal bars with metal slats on the bottom with no mats. The “normal” babies get mats on the bottom of theirs. When it’s feeding time the children flip over onto their backs while the food is spilled into their mouths by the spoonful with no words spoken by the caregiver. In the 8 hours that we spent at the orphanage these children were not held, spoken to or taken out of their cages...Can you even imagine what that is like? To these children, this is normal, this is life.

Yesterday as we walked up to the orphanage, there was an American man swinging one of the babies. His name is Lou...Lou is a man I have the utmost love and respect for and I didn’t even speak many words to him. Let me tell you a little bit about Lou and I dare you not to fall in love with him! He is a Vietnam War Vet. He helped build up an orphanage during his time in Vietnam. He even adopted a boy from Vietnam who still lives here. He also has other grown up children whom live in New York and West Virginia. He also has 6 grandchildren and he drives between New York and West Virginia every 2 weeks to spend time with everyone. His heart was always with the orphanage that he helped build and then 6 years ago his daughter bought him his plane ticket to Vietnam and told him to stop talking about it and go visit the orphanage he longed to see. That orphanage has since been closed but then he found the Red Cross orphanage. For the past 6 years he comes to Vietnam for 3 months and volunteers at the orphanage every day. He said that these 3 months are his resting time...spending time with each child...yes even the “unlovable”! He takes each child out of their cage and holds them, rocks them, tells each one that he loves them and he calls himself “papa” to each one. I watched him change one diaper and he did it with such compassion and love it was absolutely beautiful. I said that in the 8 hours we were at the orphanage I didn’t see any love given to the “unlovable”...I lied. Dear Lou held them outside and just loved them. He would speak so gently to them. I came outside and he was swinging with a little boy and the little boy just lit up. Even though he didn’t understand a word Lou was saying, he smiled and laughed every time Lou spoke. Love speaks louder than words. This little boy’s legs were so small and bent. He never learned to walk, he’s never been able to stretch and strengthen his legs. Why? Because he is different? He is not worthy to strive? All that comes to my mind is that God thinks he’s worthy!

Papa had to go home but he promised he’d be back tomorrow, and I am confident he will be.

Before Lou left he went around and said his goodbyes to the 3 babies who now have a forever family. He came to Fredrick and kissed him goodbye and whispered to Fredrick that he was a lucky little boy who would now have a bath every day, cream rubbed on his body, baby powder on his bum, and people to love him...not like what goes on in the orphanage. My heart broke. Yes Fredrick is blessed and I’m so blessed to be bringing him home, but what about the other children? Who is going to love them?

Is there a reason the Lord called us to Vietnam? I don’t know. But I do know my heart is broken for these children. These are not just words I am writing. This is from my soul...my heart IS broken. I will never forget those children. I know they will just die. This is the reality. During my emotional breakdown, one of the adoptive grandfathers who was a part of our group reminded me that I didn’t have to look too far for cruelty like this...that it is everywhere in Montreal. Of course this is true, but we do have social programs set up in Canada. We do have certain codes/standards that need to be upheld. I am not naive, I know that terrible things continue even with such codes/standards, but at least they are in place. These children have no one protecting them...no one giving them the chance to live.

Lord, bless these children of the Red Cross orphanage. Lord, protect them because You are the great Protector. Lord no one here on earth cares about them, but You do Lord. You created them in Your image. Lord, if it is Your will, heal them from all mental and physical disabilities. Lord, may these “unlovable” children feel Your awesome love and know that they are indeed lovable. Amen.

Out and About...

Guess what mom and I did today?  You guessed it...shopped!  Jon said he's not interested in venturing out and he was happier staying back at the hotel with the boys so off mom and I went.  We decided to take a taxi to the street we had wanted to go to the other day (when we got lost).  There was definitely no way we would have found it and it was way too far.  There were all kinds of baby stores on this street so Fredrick now has more clothes to wear and I won't have to do his laundry every day!!!  The prices weren't all that cheap...especially the ones with tags from "the Gap" on them.  Mom did get a few outfits for a few dollars each.

We then turned down a street which we figure is there fresh market.  Fruits, vegetables, fish and oh yeah slabs of meat just sitting out in the heat (not even on ice)!  It's amazing how in Canada, if our meat isn't cooked well enough we get food poisoning and here the meat is sold on the corner streets in buckets!  It was quite something to see.  There was another section to the market, more indoors, but it was very dark and I didn't feel like walking through.  We were able to wave down a "known" taxi and we were on our way home.  It is so dirty outside when we get home the first thing we do is wash our hands and the clothes we bought.  I also bought a package of wipes that I will carry around with us from now on...I can't describe how dirty every thing feels.

We decided against the water puppet show.  Nathaniel says he doesn't want to go and I have a feeling he'll be scared so it's better we don't go.  Jon, Mom and Nathaniel will go to the zoo tomorrow.  I don't want to go because I know the conditions are not up to my standards and it will break my heart/make me sick to my stomach so I rather stay behind with Fredrick.

9 sleeps until we head home.  We have been travelling for 2 weeks + 1 day!

Meat anyone?!!?

Fish?!?!

Picture mom and I dressed in our Sunday best, riding to church on our moped!!!

Nathaniel said he loves his brother...I don't think this is an every day feeling, though!

 

We Did It, We Did It!!!

Mom and I ventured out again and we actually found our destination by foot and we actually found our way home by foot!  Jon didn't want to go souvenir shopping so he stayed behind again with the "boys" - has a nice ring to it don't you think?!?!  We found a lot of cute stuff and we found a restaurant we're going to try tomorrow night, "The Green Mango".  We're really getting daring now.

Florist!

Mom was eating some donuts that she bought from a vendor...
the lady was helping herself in mom's wallet and kept pulling out mom's US dollars!

The electrical cables just blow my mind!!

Sharon...this picture is for you! :-)

Jon checked with the airline and there are no available seats during next week, but she said to come again on Tuesday and check with them.  But he arranged for us to have at least 1 front row seat so we'll have leg room and a basinet for Fredrick.  3 of us will be in another row so we'll just take turns sitting with Fredrick.  I did a count and there are only TEN days left before we leave!  I'm not sure what's on schedule for tomorrow but Saturday we're planning on going to a water puppet show.  As long as we keep busy our days will go faster.

In almost 11 years of marriage and a couple of years dating, Jon and I have NEVER stepped foot into Pizza Hut in Montreal but we come to Vietnam and guess where we ate...

Mom said her chicken wings were "amazing"!  Go figure...  Oh and mom wanted me to mention that someone thought she was my sister!  They were shocked to find out she was my mother!

Here are some more pics.  I desperately want to upload a video of the traffic here, but it doesn't seem to want to load.  Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

Yes the bib says, "I love mommy"...I couldn't resist!

So do you think people will be confused when they see us as a family in Montreal?!?!
We sure get some strange looks and giggles here!



Walking The Streets of Hanoi!

Today was a mother / daughter adventure!  Since it's VERY diffcult to walk along the streets with a stroller and extremely dangerous crossing the streets, mom and I decided we'd venture out while Jon stayed here with the boys!  There was a street we wanted to check out because we've driven by it several times and there are many clothing stores for children.  I also wanted to get out and about to take pictures as I'm sure you've all had enough of just Fredrick pictures!!!  So off we went with map in hand.  Things started off pretty well.  Jon had marked our route for us and it was pretty easy to follow.  I was memorizing our route just so we'd be sure to get back to the hotel!  Then we had to turn on a street and it split...this was not clear on the map!  So mom and I "guessed" it was somewhere that way!  Well we walked and walked until finally I stopped to ask someone who of course didn't speak a word of english.  He pointed back to where we started and then pointed right.  So we headed back to the main street.  However, we did find 1 kids clothing store and mom picked up an outfit for Fredrick and Aveline.  We finally found a street name that seemed to be part of our original route.  We started walking down and then suddenly a guard was whistling at us to stop.  We failed to read the sign that clearly stated NO TRESPASSING!  We had to walk on the other side of the street.  On the no trespassing side was a beautiful palace heavily guarded with guards and machine guns...hmmmmm interesting!  Then we passed the army museum and I was taking pictures of the machines and the same guard whistled at me to stop taking pictues...geesh!  I was pretrified to do anything after that!  We finally stopped and saw a "white man" and asked him for help.  He was Australian.  He told us we were on the wrong street *sigh*, but he was thrilled that I was adopting and that he himself was adopted.  Nice man.  At this point mom and I gave up.  We knew we still had a long walk ahead of us back to the hotel.  We figured we still have many days left, we can take a taxi there another day.  So off we went.  I remembered very well our route home.  It's not just going for a walk, there is a lot of stress involved. Finding streets that you think you can cross safely and then trying to actually cross them!  I did enjoy getting out and I felt like I had accomplished something great!  Finding my way home and arriving back in 1 piece!!!

As for our appointment yesterday with the dr, it went very well.  She knew right away that the spots on Fredrick's face was caused by climate changes.  She gave him a few creams and we have already noticed a big difference with 2 applications.  As for myself, she asked me if I had been doing a lot of laundry...uhhhh ya, since Saturday!  Several loads a day!  She also gave me a prescription which hasn't heped much but she also gave me an antihistamine (sp???) which is helping with the itching.  She was very pleasant and asked us to bring Fredrick back to Vietnam when he is older.  We'll try!  Maybe we'll do a trip to Vietnam and to the Philippines all in 1 vacation!!

Tomorrow we're going to go out again, but this time we're going to be smart and take a taxi!!

For those of you who are having problems posting comments...sometimes you have to hit preview comment several times before it will actually post..try that and see what happens! :-)))



This is how they water all the flowers!  How primitive is this?!?!



Obviously no electrical safety codes!

Cucumber anyone?

Justchck out all the wires!!!

Mom's new haircut!  I really like it!

Someone LOVES the water!