MEDRIX, April 2007

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto

We made it safe and sound.  Most of the April MEDRIX team arrived in Ho Chi Minh City Friday, with the folks from Texas arriving late that same night.  A taxi ride into the center of the city, still called Saigon by the locals, brought us to the Duxton Hotel, a very comfortable business hotel close to the tourist areas.  There was some time to visit the market and Reunification Palace (once the Presidential Palace of the old South Vietnam) before jet lag began to take its toll.

(Be sure to click on a photo to see a larger version.)

There was also one last time for the entire team to be together before splitting into two parts.   The  nurse educators would stay in Ho Chi Minh City to teach a course in psychiatric nursing to professionals from across the country, while the water projects team went on the Hue.  Breakfast, then the team meeting, then a little free time, before the Hue-bound folks left for the airport and the HCMC folks moved to the apartment they would use for the remainder of the stay.

There is a small but close knit English-speaking community in Hue, and they welcomed the arrivals from America with a nice dinner and dessert at one of their homes. 

But, the first full day in Hue was Easter.  At 7AM, the Hue team was at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church to celebrate the Resurrection.  True enough, we did not understand the language, but we knew exactly what was being celebrated.  The building was packed, and many of the worshippers were young people.  What better way to begin our work in Vietnam than among those who share our beliefs and our hope?

At appropriate times during the mass, we heard sounds strange to the ear of western Christians – a gong and a bass drum.  It served to remind all of us that we are indeed peoples of different cultures united by one belief.  This photo was taken immediately after the service and shows the main altar at the front of the sanctuary.

Hue’s hotel accommodations are a little bit more humble than the Duxton  in Saigon, but the Thai Binh is right downtown and handy to everything.

As is should be, Sunday is a day of rest.  We’ll keep you posted as we start our work.

Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

By the time you read this, the team will be over the Pacific.  We will be landing at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat airport.  Most of us will be flying EVA Air from Seattle to Taiwan, then into Vietnam after a change of planes.  Some team members will be flying in from other places, but we’ll all meet at our hotel.

Jet lag – it will have its affects the first few days, the most significant being that we will all wake up early the first few days and wanting to go to bed much earlier.

So thanx for the thoughts and prayers – we’ll be posting here to the blog as soon as we can.

(Photo courtesy of planespotting.com)

The Weather

When most people think of Vietnam, they think of hot, humid jungles.  And, they would be right most of the time – except that not everyplace in Vietnam is jungle.

The team will be in Vietnam during some hot weather.  In Hue, the average high temperature is 88 degrees, with a low of 73.  But, that doesn’t mean it won’t get into the 90s while we’re there.  It will – and the heat is exaggerated by the humidity, which is usually around 90% during daylight, and close to 98% at night.  Rain is not uncommon during April – expect about ½ inch or so for the month – but don’t expect all day drizzle.  Most rain comes in afternoon thunderstorms or showers, so an inexpensive poncho (available from any street vendor) comes in handy

In Ho Chi Minh City, the rainy season starts around April 1st, so team members can expect afternoon thundershowers most days.  Being further south than Hue, the temperatures are higher, with most days in the low 90s.  The humidity is always high, so expect to be sticky.

Vietnam is not far from the equator.  Daylight comes at about 6 AM, and sets at about 6 PM.  There isn’t much variation in when the suns rises and sets during the year, so there is no daylight savings time. 

The early setting of the sun makes it just that much nicer to go for a leisurely walk after the heat of the day is past.

Plans

Part of the MEDRIX  team will arrive in the city of Hue on April 7 – and team members will be busy for the following three weeks.  MEDRIX has been working on safe water projects in Central Viet Nam for over three years and has installed ultraviolet water treatment units at a number of places.  The team will visit nursery schools that have been using MEDRIX units for over two years.  MEDRIX people will also see rural health clinics that operate safe  water units with the hope of eventually installing units at over one hundred health clinics throughout Thua Thien Hue Province.

Working with provincial health officials and professors at the University of Hue’s Environmental Science Department of the College of Science. MEDRIX will teach a workshop in the use of global positioning satellite (GPS) system for data collection and research.

Other MEDRIX team members will be working on health education.  Because most medical research is done in English, the medical doctors of the Hue Central Hospital will benefit from a course in English medical terminology.

And there is less than a week to go before the team leaves home.

The Folks on the Home Front

Less than a week!

That's all there is until the team leaves for Vietnam.  And the team members want as many people to go along as possible.

(Be sure to click on the map to see a larger version.)

Everybody will fly into Ho Chi Minh City.  That's in the southern 1/4 of the country.  The nursing educators will remain there while the rest of the team will fly to Hue, located in the central part of the country.  The name is pronounced "whey", with a voice inflection that goes up as if you were asking a question.  While bustling Ho Chi Minh City is on the bleeding edge of economic and cultural change, Hue is more quiet and subdued.  It was the last imperial capital of the country, and many of the old buildings and royal tombs attract people from around the world.

We can't put you in a suitcase, but we can take you along through the medium of the web.  If you are serving as a sender for a team member, be sure to check here frequently for updates and news.  And - be sure to add your own thoughts by clicking on the "Comment" button below.  We'd like to know what questions and thoughts you have.
 

Less than a week.  Hmmm - wonder where I left those sandals I was going to wear.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

The April team will depart the SEA-TAC airport in the early morning hours of Friday, April 6 for that long trip across the Pacific to Ho Chi Minh City, with a layover in Taiwan.  After a bit of rest, most of the team will fly to the central Vietnam city of Hue.  The group of educators providing training to the Head Nurses of various psychiatric hospitals in Vietnam will stay in Ho Chi Minh City until April 22, while the rest of them team will return on April 29.

Ho Chi Minh City was once known as Saigon, and today, most Vietnamese still refer to it as Saigon.  It is a vibrant and growing city of seven million and is the economic hub of the country.  The team will have only a short time to see the sights, but one they might see is this statue of "Uncle Ho" with children.  In the background is the People's Committee Headquarters (City Hall) of HCMC, which was once a French hotel.

(Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger version.)

Welcome

Its coming - and coming soon.  Another MEDRIX team will head to Vietnam under the able leadership of LaRelle and Bob Catherman.  Once again, the focus will be on health education and safe water in Central Vietnam.  Another team of educators will stay in Ho Chi Minh City teaching advanced courses to the head nurses of many of the psychiatric hospitals throughout the country.  We'll chronicle the team during that month - and let you know of our ups and the downs.

Join us please.

(Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger version.)