I MADE IT! To get to Danang, one must take three flights--the first a painful fifteen hours to Hong Kong followed by two shorter jaunts from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City and then on to Danang. I must admit, although I love to travel, in recent years I have become averse to flying; something about recycled air, cramped leg space, and sudden bouts of turbulence disrupts the illusion of understanding and control that keeps me buoyed on terra firma. However, a handful of Ativan and Valerian Root capsules later, I can proudly say that I not only made it through all three flights, but also ENJOYED them! I knew immediately that my pre-trip anxieties and the long journey were worth the trouble when we were greeted at the airport by the program staff with big smiles and the gift of a single rose. (Note: I realize that I have yet to specify the "we" I am talking about. There are three students on the program, myself included. Brendan and Rob both go to school at Brockport and have been really great travel companions thus far!)


A Picture of Hong Kong from the Plane


While in Danang, we live in the lovely program house, fully equipped with all modern luxuries with the added bonuses of wonderful Vietnamese cooking and the persistent humming and honks of motorbikes, the main mode of transportation in Vietnam. The location of our house is ideal, as it is situated on a quiet street right off of a main artery of the city. My room faces the front of the house and there is even a little balcony where I can sit and watch people doing their morning exercises around the small lake across the street. The Vietnamese wake up very early, around 5 am, and tend to go to sleep early as well. As far as this cultural tendency relates to my people watching habit, it makes my room's location enjoyable but also bearable as the noise of friends talking and laughing at the cafe outside my window seems to die down around midnight, allowing me to drift off into much needed sleep.


The View from my Window

Although I have only been here a short time, it feels much longer because every day has been filled with new and exciting experiences. On the first day after we arrived, we took a tour of the city and visited a pagoda with a towering statue of the Buddha. I really hope that I can learn more about Buddhism while I am here, as it is the predominant religion of the country and an integral part of the Vietnamese way of life. After changing some money at a jewelry store (a mere fifty dollars has made me a rich woman in Vietnamese Dong!), we went to a local market to buy some fruit. I have discovered a newfound love for all of the strange fruits here, especially dragon fruit, but decided to play it safe by purchasing some familiar looking apples. In the afternoon, we went to the beach, which is about a ten-minute ride from the house, and swam in water so warm it felt like an infinitely reaching hot tub. Forbes Magazine has rated the beach in Danang as one of the top beaches in the world and with its breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, I can clearly see why. The beachfront is practically untouched by hi-rise resort hotels and I really hope it remains this way in the future. At night, we went with a group of Vietnamese friends to a place called the Bamboo Bar, a well-worn hangout popular with foreigners.


The Beach!

All who know me well will not be surprised that on my second day in Vietnam, I visited a used clothing store where I picked up some new clothes with the help of my friends, Thao and Map. Meeting people here is effortless because almost everyone I have encountered in Danang thus far is eager to ensure that you are enjoying their country. In the past few days, I have met some of the most caring and generous people in the world, people who are willing to share not only their time but also their personal belongings, their knowledge of the city, and a good laugh. I find that their openness and desire to include foreigners in their daily lives with no hesitation or reservations has inspired me to accept every new (and sometimes scary!) opportunity that comes my way, like bike riding in treacherous traffic, eating seafood (my dad always told me that if I started eating shrimp, I would have to pay him a dollar for each shrimp I ate. Dad, I think I will have to pay you in Vietnamese Dong not Dollars!), or visiting an ornate pagoda overlooking the sea. This list is only just a brief summary of all of the adventures I am having, but I hope it gives at least a little taste of what life is like over here. Class starts tomorrow, so for now, I am relishing my last day of summer!


Lady Buddha Statue at the Pagoda


Thao and Map

Hello Family, Friends, Professors, and all others who have found themselves tangled in my newly claimed corner of the world wide web!

As many of you know, I will be studying abroad through SUNY Brockport in Danang, Vietnam from late August through early December of this year.While in Vietnam, I will be taking classes in Vietnamese language,culture, politics, and history, as well as a course in community service. In addition to the work that will be done in the classroom, the other students and I will be spending our afternoons and evenings volunteering at the Loving House, a center for the homeless elderly, and at a group home for victims of Agent Orange. We will also be teaching English to Vietnamese students, a part of the program I am really looking forward to because it will give me the opportunity to make some Vietnamese friends around my age!

Over the past few weeks, I have come to realize that gearing up to study abroad in Vietnam is a process very unlike preparing to spend a semester in Europe. I cannot fully express how much it has come in handy to have a mother who is well versed in rugged travel and tropical diseases; I do not know many other people who, when faced with a doctor who keeps forgetting to call in a prescription, can count on a parent to produce a suitable supply of anti-malarial tablets from under his or her bed! On a more serious note, I am acutely aware that to members of my parents’ generation, “going to Vietnam” means something very different than what it signifies to me, a young girl eager to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. This is a fact that I am consistently reminded of when I express to adults my plans to study abroad in a country whose complicated, tragic, and violent past is inextricably linked to the great loss of life and suffering of members of our own nation.

My desire to go to Vietnam is not without impetus. I believe that forging relationships with individuals who were previously seen as “the enemy” is the first step in fostering empathy between two countries that have shared pain and misfortune. In many of my classes this year, I have been learning about the concept of interdependence, which posits that we are all responsible to each other to uphold common goals. By creating an environment in which neither party holds the other exclusively responsible for hardship, a unique mutual understanding emerges, one that I believe is instrumental in soothing seething emotional wounds incurred on both sides. In order to achieve the worldwide solidarity that I envision for the future, I want to travel to Vietnam, to meet the people, to understand the long lasting consequences of war, and to completely immerse myself in the rich culture. While I know it has not been easy for some of my friends and family to accept my motivation for embarking on this experience, I am very grateful for the unwavering support and love they have given me.

The weeks leading up to departure have been hectic to say the least, replete with endless hours of packing, errand running, and a (too short) sojourn to say one last goodbye to my amazing friends in New Paltz. Now, with one day left, I hardly have time to realize that I am actually leaving. If you wish to stay in touch, you can reach me by email at kjordan41@newpaltz.edu or try to catch me on skype (my username is katejordan6, but do not forget that there is a 12 hour time difference!). See you in December!