Sunday

Sunday we started off the day by meeting a local restaurant owner, who told us the words for the ingredients for our cooking class.   He split us into three groups of about 4 and went to the local market, with only 20,000 dong allocated to each group (about $1).  Our group had to buy tofu, pork, and shrimp, and we had to bargain with the vendors in Vietnamese to get everything we needed, because they spoke almost no English.  Bargaining is a big part of Vietnamese trading, and we learned that a vendor starts with a price that is too high, and it is the customer’s job to bargain down the price.  The market was such a good experience, because it had every type of meat, fish, and produce imaginable.  There were so many different/odd smells that I have never smelled before.  At the restaurant we cooked spring rolls, fried rice, catfish, shrimp/banana rolls, and soup.  The food was all very interesting, and most of it tasted really good.

Then we headed to this water park in the city for the most rewarding part of the trip, which is hard to believe because we were at a water park.  However, the business that Hui works for talked with an N.G.O. (non-government organization).  This N.G.O. had about 25 Vietnamese orphans between the ages of 6 and 16 come and hang out with us at the water park for the day.  We broke off into smaller groups, and we each took some kids to the waterslides.  The water park was actually one of the best water parks, because it had a zip line over a pool that launched you in the pool, one of those toilet bowl/water slides (which aren’t even legal in the US), and a bunch of tube and body slides.  The kids were sooo happy and excited to go down the slides with us.  They were really hyper and enthusiastic, so it made for a great time.  Eventually I found these four boys that were probably about 12 or 13, who followed me around to the various water slides.  They were awesome to hang out with, because it brought back memories, and I felt like a 12 year old again.  It was pretty sad having to say goodbye though, because a lot of them had nothing at all and spent nights on the street.  For dinner we went to this Café which took forever, but whatever I guess.  We then got ice cream and went back to the hotel.  This weekend was freakin awesome though, for it was my 19^th birthday, we went to the Mekong Delta, a dance club, and a water park with a bunch of kids, and for what I’m about to tell you: When I got back to the hotel I crashed a Vietnamese Wedding on the floor above me.  No lie.  I heard loud music, so I just loitered right outside the ballroom, and some dude just calls me in and gives me another dinner.  After that table left, I was called to another table and then another two tables.  Then I got a picture with the bride and groom! Hehar!  Then I went down to our usual hangout, Steve and Anthony’s room.