GK Mustikasari Build

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to add a little of my own blood, sweat and tears to the building of a new community in Jakarta. GK is currently working on moving 30+ families from a community heavily effected by flooding.  This is one of the communities I had the chance to visit following the devastating floods in January.  (Read more about that visit here) 

Members of this community come to the new site to help with the build on a rotating basis.  There are  community members on site everyday of the week and it shows...the progress is astounding.  Below is a picture of the community pavilion that has been donated by Emilie's school, JIS. 

Many of the materials and supplies have been generously donated, but GK has been feverishly fundraising to help make up the difference.  GK also covers the cost to rent the land, but the families must work together to pay for other costs, such as electricity and upkeep.  

There will be housing units for approximately 40 families.  Below is a picture of the "living room" in one of the units.  Each unit has three rooms of this size (a living room, a bedroom, and a kitchen).  There is no air conditioning (Keep in mind, the weather year round is approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit with, no less than, 60% humidity).  The are 4-5 units per building and the corner units are the coveted ones since they have more windows and ventilation. 

Below are photos of the various stages the build was in on the day we were there...

And check out the view!!!

The parent volunteers with JIS Peduli took turns moving bricks, mixing cement, carrying buckets of cement, and plastering walls. As I was mixing cement, the sweat was literally rolling off my nose and into the cement mixture - a little part of me will always be a part of these homes!

It was a great day for us as volunteers. It felt great pitching in and getting our hands dirty, not to mention knowing that we were helping to get more than 30 families out of flood waters.  Below is a link to a great video documenting the build!

GK Mustikasari Build Video

Sunrise over Saigon

Sunrise over the Saigon River

I have a list of new places I want to visit.  As I cross them off the list, I find myself adding a little asterisk to each place, followed by a list of all the things I want to see when I go back. Vietnam is no exception. I have friends who have spent weeks exploring Vietnam; And now I know why.  I can't wait to go back and explore more of this amazing country.

It's hard to believe that 9 months ago, this guy had never flown on an airplane.  Now, he has more stamps in his passport than candles on his birthday cake!

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) was vastly different from any of the other cities we have visited.  It's not a city I am able to easily describe.  The traffic is heavy, but very orderly.  There are a lot more motorbikes than Indonesia, but a lot fewer cars.  Everyone seemed to be wearing a helmet (unlike both Indonesia and Thailand), but they seemed to be more for fashion (or simply to skirt around the helmet laws) then for actual protection.

The city parks are packed with people in the evenings, but no one ever walks on the grass.  We were told by our guide that most young people live at home, with a couple of generations, and will escape the scrutiny of family members by having dates at the park.  It is cheap and they don't run the risk of Mom, Dad, or Grandma eavesdropping on their courtship.

We tried to jam in as much as possible during our short visit.  We visited a factory where citizens, harmed by Agent Orange, were trained to make art using egg shells and mother of pearl.  We took a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels.  We had a ride along the Mekong Delta where we got to make a few stops, including a visit to a coconut candy factory.  We touched bees and stuck our hands right into the hive to taste fresh honey.  We wrestled pythons and experienced a traditional folk music show.  We took a canoe ride in a canopy of coconut palms.  We walked through the city enjoying the sites as well as a little shopping.  We saw a water puppet show and took a dinner cruise along the Saigon river.  All in the course of two days...

Did you know...Rubber is made from rubber trees?  Both Vietnam and Thailand had acres and acres of Rubber Tree Plantations.  The sap from the trees is collected on a daily basis and sent to rubber making plants in Singapore.

Hammocks were hanging everywhere we looked.  My theory (not substantiated by anyone or anything) is that it is so hot, most people enjoy a little siesta after lunch before heading back to work...

At the Cu Chi Tunnels, it was interesting to learn a little more about what the American Troops were up against during the Vietnam War (known as the American War in Vietnam). But it was a bit of a drive outside of Ho Chi Minh City and very touristy (we were also warned ahead of time that it was slanted to boast the efforts of the Vietcong).  I am glad we did it. I think we all (Emilie especially) learned a little more about the war, but given our limited amount of time in Ho Chi Minh City, I think we would have been better off spending more time in the city.

Dustin was not very fond of hanging out in the tunnels

The tunnels were made to look like giant termite mounds - making them nearly impossible to see.   

It is very common to see gravesites built close to homes.  The belief is that the spirits of the dead join the family for dinner.  This means a place is left for them at the table.  This also means that children tend to be better behaved at dinner for fear of what the spirits might do if they misbehave.  

We enjoyed a couple of amazing meals with a set menu.  This gave us the opportunity to try some new things like this delicious Elephant Ear Fish!

Cruising along the Mekong Delta

Making coconut candy

Tea with fresh honey!

I wonder how well this guy would get along with Sophie and Sadie?

Traditional Vietnamese Folk Music is...indescribable!

The canoe ride among the coconut palms was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Ahhhh...this is the life!

Just before the sun was setting, there were dozens of people flying kites in all of the fields. It went along the entire countryside and was quite the site. 

The water puppet show was fun.  We didn't understand a word of what was said, but it was action packed; We saw some really cool instruments, and we got to hear more of the Traditional Vietnamese Folk Music - which is...indescribable.

We took a night cruise along the Saigon River.  This included another amazing dinner as we cruised along the river looking at the lights of the Ho Chi Minh city skyline.  Emile even learned how to play the teacups...another important life lesson!

...And before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Vietnam.