I am sitting here on my cluttered bed in Saigon as I take a short break from the seemingly impossible task of fitting 3 suitcases worth of luggage into 2. Throw in a few delicate gifts from my students and you've got a very fragile game of Tetris. All I can do is wish for my mom's help as I sit here pondering whether my clothes have indeed multiplied or my suitcase has amazingly shrunk.
As you can probably gather from my cheesy title, this is my last day in Vietnam. Two months ago I greeted Vietnam with a smile and eyes wide with eagerness, but tonight, at 11:50pm, I will bid this nation adieu. Two months ago I was eating Pho for the first time around a crowded table as we all awkwardly tried to get to know each other, but tonight I will go to the airport surrounded by the very good friends I have made in Vietnam. Two months ago, I was just beginning my summer and could hardly even imagine getting to the end, but tonight I will reach the conclusion of my adventure.
We left Quang Tri in a flood of tears. After the Culture Show on Sunday night, the waterworks had started. Kids clung to us like barnacles, refusing to ever let go. After spending about an hour telling our students how proud we are of them, especially Sang who overcome her shyness to perform a beautiful solo at the show, and our students reiterating how they will never forget us, it was time for us to say goodbye for the night. The adorableness of these kids hit us all hard and I think I speak for most of us when I say we were struggling to hold back tears as well.
On Monday, we had a lot of prepping to do before we left Quang Tri, so we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but amid the commotion the students overran our guesthouse trying to say their last goodbyes. I will always remember Nhuyuen's face as she asked me in the cutest broken English if I would be her brother, or Hien's rubbed-red eyes as she made me pinky swear to come back to Vietnam and see her. Crying children is definitely one of the most heartbreaking things in the world. As our bus pulled away, the best any of us could do was to not look, in fear of being pushed over the edge.
And saying goodbye by to our roommates was another event filled with lasting hugs and crying people. The scene could have come straight from a movie as we stood on a train platform, saying goodbye as we waited for a night train to Saigon. Many roommates gave us departing gifts. Phuc gave me an awesome tie, Cash McCracken style, Khanh armed Bryn with engraved nunchucks, Hung surprised Justin with a 16ft fishing pole (collapsible of course), and Vui satisfied Corinne's love of peanut butter with home roasted peanuts. For many of us "See you again" or "I will return to Vietnam" will be empty promises, but I think many of us will do the best we can to come back here now that we have made great, life long friendships.
So after 8 weeks of teaching English, building a fence, two playgrounds, and renovating three schools, all that is left to do is survive one last flight, finally taking me home.
So thats all I got. As much as I would like to write more, my life in America is far less interesting than the past two months I have had here. So thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with my blog this summer, and those who haven't, you are dead to me... For anyone who is thinking about travelling to Vietnam in the future, I am now an expert on the country so please please please email me at ngbalk@gmail.com. I have now traveled to most places in this country that tourists would go, and I have friends in most major cities who are extremely hospitable and, more importantly, good at English.
See you State-side,
Nick
No comments:
Post a Comment