#10august2015

Part 2:

Now I finally have some time to crank out some thoughts that have been brewing for a while. Sitting in a plane, on my way back to the great ol’ US of A, I can’t help but feel like I’ve left a part of my heart back in Asia. The hospitality that I’ve been shown has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and there’s really two groups I’d like to highlight.

             Thang and his family:

From the get go, when I met this guy last year he seemed like a shy quiet dude and I honestly probably would’ve passed him over if it weren’t for the fact that he second member of #TeamCripple last year. It’s so strange, how all three of us who injured our legs that first week have become my closest friends. A misfit band of individuals from drastically different walks of life coming together with a similar mindset and passion that really bonded us.

             Anyway, I went back with Thang to Vietnam a week before the program to kind of just be tourists and take the time to see the city before the hustle and bustle of being a teacher took priority. Part of which involved hanging out with his family. At first, I was like “Alright, cool I’ll tag along no problem!” but upon meeting them I found them to be some of the most caring and generous people I’ve ever met. Just by being introduced to them as a friend one of their own, they in turn treated me as such. Not only that, but they really took the extra mile to make sure I was comfortable and fed. And they didn’t even speak English. But they kept my bowl of Bun Bo Hue full of meat, and constantly kept bombarding me with delicious home cooked food and treats. On multiple occasions during my stay in Vietnam, I was invited out to have dinner with them and of course everytime I went there was more food than anyone could even hope to finish.

Thang has really been a lifeline, and I am happy to say that I have shared the past two summers with him. He’s your go-to man whenever you need anything from food, to supplies, to clothes, to cell phone minutes, to literally ANYTHING you could need in the city of Hue. If he doesn’t know, he’s damn sure got a cousin or auntie who does. He’s always the one to volunteer to run the extra little errands just to make sure that we’re all as comfortable as can be. The only problem is, being his roommate this year, is that he has trouble saying no and taking time for himself. You can tell he personally feels responsible for your opinion on the city, and I can say with great confidence that from first impression to lasting friendship, he’s done an amazing job in representing the city.

 Following my adventure in Vietnam, I visited Taiwan and a certain very special person. Now, while I expressed that I was down for anything, including hanging out with family, I didn’t know what to really expect coming from them. But damn, did they exceed my expectations. On two separate occasions we were treated out by family and they made sure that I was not just full, but STUFFED. They treated us out to some of the most famous restaurants in the cities, and gahd they just kept putting food in front of me! Like I don’t want to be ruuuuuude so I just kept eating! One family in particular treated us out to lunch, a second lunch food adventure down the market, snacks, and dinner. ALL IN ONE DAY. I can only imagine how much it would have cost, and yet they were so quick to buy everything that I could set a quick stare on.

It was almost overwhelming how much kindness I was being shown and how much food I was being given. Just by knowing someone within their family, I really could feel a sense of personal responsibility that I was shown a good time and had a good opinion of the people. And all I did was smile, nod, look pretty, and eat a lot! Have some simple conversations if provoked, but for the most part let the host talk it out with whoever I was with. For being a guest in a foreign country, I was treated as family and I cannot truly express the gratitude I feel towards them.

To Thang, and all of his family, thank you so much for the hospitality and food while in Vietnam. For treating me as one of your own and sometimes even better.