xin chao, hanoi!

Well, I made it!

Alicia and I just arrived in Hanoi after 30 hours of travelling, tired and with swollen ankles, but happy. It is kind of surreal to actually be here after having thought about this day for so long.

Our long flight (from LA to TaiPai) was on one of those double decker planes! (I was really excited about this).

Now we are at Derek (the MCC Viet Nam program director and our boss) and his wife, Ana's house in Hanoi. We will be living with them, touring Hanoi and doing another orientation for a couple weeks before we move in with our host families.

view of Hanoi from the plane window

our excited "we are in viet nam!" faces

well, i guess we'll find out soon!

It is so strange to see that the date is August 15. This date has been on my calendar (or would have been if i was organized enough to keep such a thing) for months. I have been anticipating it, have worried, have been excited, have been scared to death about it...now, it is here. But before I go crazy about today, I should probably say a few words about this past week's orientation.

It has been at the same time very informative and totally vague, incredibly long and terribly fast moving, overwhelming, and fun. Mostly, though, it makes me ready to just GO.

Some highlights:

-Staying at the MCC "Welcoming Center" in Akron, PA; more specifically in the simple but lovely "Asia House," with the SALTers heading to Asia and the IVEP (a different program, kind of the inverse of SALT) participants who are from Asia and coming to stay in the US or Canada.

-Getting to know the IVEPers from Cambodia and Laos, learning about SE Asian culture from them, and laughing hysterically with them.

-Anticipating my upcoming adventure with other people who are getting ready to do the same thing.

-Meeting and getting to know Alicia, the other SALTer to Viet Nam. She will probably pop up on this blog fairly often.

-Meeting the suprising number of Calvin people here, most of whom I didn't know previously.

-The session on peacemaking given by Titus Peachey, who did lots of work toward removing unexploded cluster bombs from Laos (that were dropped there during the Viet Nam War), as well as petitioning for the US to stop producing these weapons.

-Eating homemade wheat bread with applebutter.

-Learning more about the MCC and what it does. It was particularly interesting to visit the MRC (Mennonite Resource Center), which combines recycling with relief efforts in very creative ways. For example, volunteers weave beautiful rugs out of old ties and jeans, which are sold and the money put toward the MCC's relief work abroad. On this note, I also got to try my hand at some quilting in the MRC's "quilt room." I have no idea if the ladies who work on the quilt next will rip out my inadequate stitches; regardless, it was a fun exercize in recalling my roots.

-Meeting the former MCC Viet Nam representatives tonight for dessert and hearing their glowing account of Viet Nam.

Less than amazing aspects (not to be negative but to give a balanced view of the week):

-Saying goodbye to previously-mentioned new Asian friends. :(

-Weighing suitcases and shifting items from one to another before re-weighing.

-Anticipation of a full 24 hours of travelling. (ok, I will admit, this is slightly exciting).

After that, who knows? Will I, the giant American make a complete fool of myself in my new culture? Probably. At least that is one thing that won't be new. With this expectation in mind, Alica and I taught ourselves our first Vietnamese word-- xin loi. Sorry.

Other than that, we have finished nearly every conversation this week with the conclusion, "I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon!"

Please keep Alicia and me and our fellow orientees in your prayers over the next few days as we disperse for various locations around the world.

a few firsts

The last few weeks have been full of firsts. First thought: great practice for millions of imminent firsts in Viet Nam, right? Or not, considering that most of them were very American. Second thought: setting myself up for even more culture shock than I am already bound to experience? Conclusion: Oh well. Its been a blast.

So here they are:

-at Little Eden: Bringing my own friends to Little Eden family camp in Onekema, MI. Also, kayaking, canoeing across Portage Lake, through the channel to Lake Michigan, swimming across the channel. Watching my 8 year old cousin receive a double "snack shop special" (kisses on the cheeks from the snack shop workers).

-In Grand Rapids area: Watching the sunset on the Holland, MI beach. 6-, 7-, and 8-mile runs (ok, not really firsts, but firsts for this summer).

-In the Chicago area: Riding my first roller coaster at Great America with Emily Arkus (documented with an amazing and amazingly over-priced picture), eating a chocolate cake shake (how had I never heard of this before?!), taking a boat tour of Chicago, going to the lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock building at night.

on the boat tour

Chicago at night from the 96th floor! A little blurry, but still pretty (I think).

Emily and me imitating Bugs Bunny at Great America.

All in all it was a great trip, and I had the opportunity to stay with a number of amazingly hospitable people. It was enough to make me choke back my typical cynical remarks about America's failing levels of hospitality as I was made to feel completely welcome and comfortable, was allowed to lounge by the pool reading and catching up on the tan that I missed while I worked in the library all summer, was fed lots of amazing food, was lent a car, and was assisted in lugging my 50+ lb. suitcase in and out of cars and up and down staircases.

Funny thing I realized more fully though: It is kind of difficult to accept such generous hospitality. Sure, I unloaded a few dishwashers, but otherwise I was, as my friends back in Arizona would have put it "freeloading." And it made me feel guilty sometimes. But I also realized that hospitality has to go both ways. It is easy to talk about "loving our neighbors," and often in our affluent society, fairly easy to act on this ideal. But, at least for me, it is much harder to allow myself to be loved.

Similarly, for all that I am going to Viet Nam to "serve," I have a shrewd little feeling that I am going to take more away from this experience than I could ever hope to give. I will be the blundering, awkward rude American. I will have to ask for help, or more likely, ask for help to ask for help. And sometimes I will hate that. We just had a session at SALT orientation on Meyers-Briggs' personality types and the prayer of my "type" is as follows: "Lord, help me be less independent, but let me do it MY way."

Accepting hospitality can be humbling, I know that; that is not a first. But hopefully I can learn to accept it gracefully.

I wrote this post yesterday, and this morning in devotions we sang a familiar hymn--from a real hymnal, I might note--that expressed more succinctly (as other people's words often do) what I was trying to say earlier:

Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

Finally, a tribute to my father:

Actually this building didn't look that much like you, Poppy, except for the name. Very ritzy; I don't know if you would be allowed in with your ponytail. But I thought of you nonetheless.

skype...

...get it, please!

Given my absurd ineptitude regarding technology combined with my year-long concern that my laptop will die if I download anything else, I have been putting off downloading skype all summer. But tonight I succeeded in dragging myself through the process and in doing so discovered that...it's really not that difficult. In fact I would recommend that you all do it as well.

Of course, this recommendation is quite selfish on my part considering that this will be my only mode of speaking with any of you for the next year! Those of you who anticipate the luxury of cell phones throughout the coming year, downloading skype is probably not a pressing concern, but just think of it as your good deed for the..year.

So, once you have visited www.skype.com, please add me, calah.schlabach. Or let me know if you already have it. I would love to talk with you.

visa!

I finally got my Visa! It's all official--stuck in my passport and everything. My first thought after the initial feeling of immense relief as I attempted to read it was, kind of a lot of work for a little sticker, half of which I can't even read (yet!)? Ah, well, I'm very relieved to have it.


As I gazed at my visa, it really hit me; I'm leaving...SOON! I have one more week here in Texas before I leave for three weeks of visiting people I love in Michigan and Chicago, then I'm off to Akron, Pennsylvania for orientation.

When I tell people that I am going to Viet Nam, I usually get one of two responses:

1) "Oh, that's great! That will be such an amazing experience...I'm a bit jealous." etc.
or
2) "Viet Nam? Why would you want to go there?" accompanied by a shiver and look of mingled surprise and horror.

Today, however, I got a different question from the man who helped me at the post office. He asked, "Are you or your husband in the service, then?" For those of you who know me well, this question is funny for two reasons.

The other day, my supervisor at the library asked me how I wasn't more nervous about the prospect of Viet Nam. Then he answered his own question, "Well, I can tell you're just not the worrying type."

The funny thing is that that's really not true at all. I'm the queen of worrying. I worry that I will never get a job, that I will lose touch with all my friends, that I'll never get married, that I will get married, that I am out of shape, that I won't be able to walk in 20 years. After I order the chocolate peanut butter ice cream, I worry that I will wish I had gotten the raspberry sorbet. You name it, I've worried about it.

But somehow, I'm just not that worried about Viet Nam. I have had my moments of anxiety, for sure. I am quite nervous about learning the language. I'm afraid that everything I have bought in preparation will be wrong. I'm afraid all my friends will move on without me. But my general feeling about the trip is mounting excitement.

The other day I began to worry, wondering whether I should be more worried about my trip. I wondered if I have skated over the imminent hardships--loneliness, heat and dripping humidity, new job, strange food, unfamiliar everything--and have lulled myself into a false sense of security. I came to the conclusion, however, that I really don't need to find more things to worry about. I think there is a reason that I am not overly apprehensive about my upcoming adventure, that reason being that this is what I am supposed to do. Maybe not forever, but for now. I am sure that there will be times when it will be difficult. I will be lonely, confused, and overwhelmed.

However, regardless of all that, I think that my sense of peace about this venture comes from the fact that I am convinced, as was Julian of Norwich, that, All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

vietnamese church

Just catty corner to the Hills' house, where I am staying in this summer, is a Baptist church. Lo and behold, this church plays host to a small Vietnamese congregation of about 60 members. Random!...or not.

Mrs. Barbara Hills kindly did some research for me, and I figured that I really had no excuse not to go attend the service and see what I could glean from the experience. In response to the trepidation I felt as I surveyed the room of people of whose conversation I could not understand a word, and above whom I towered by at least half a foot in most cases (why did I wear heels?), I told myself, "Calah, if you think this is bad, what are you ever going to do in a month and a half?" So, I marched in, slouching.

The experience proved to be both encouraging and intimidating; the people were incredibly friendly, the language...terrifying. Fortunately, I met a girl and her boyfriend who were visiting their family here for the weekend. She is an interpreter, and sat next to me, whispering in my ear throughout the service. I was invited to the home of a congregation member for lunch where we had a very refreshing soup and the strangest desert I have ever had--sort of like slimy bits of jello in chilled milk--a bit like a frappuccino. I learned that the weather in Hanoi is similar to here in Texas, though probably more humid, with less air conditioning. I also received a few pieces of advice, as follows:

1) Never buy anything at the price that is offered--always bargain. Go with a Vietnamese to observe first.
2) Try the fruit--there are many varieties that we do not have or that are very expensive here in the States.
3) "Do you like rice? I hope so! If you don't like rice, you're going to the wrong place!" ...Well, I don't have anything against rice, per se, but I guess I will learn to love it!
4) Learn how to use chopsticks!
5) Watch out for pickpockets! They are very good.

My own personal advice to myself: watch your posture. Slouching around won't help you stand out less.

mcc salt

I realized from some responses to my blog that many of my potential readership did not know that I am going to Viet Nam, or why, or what the MCC is! So maybe a bit more info is in order? I will keep it relatively brief, so as to not bore anyone, and include some links for the extra-enthusiastic researcher.

The MCC is the missions/outreach organization of the Mennonite Church (for my Dutch friends--it's like the Mennonite version of the CRWRC). In line with the Mennonite tradition, the MCC has a particularly strong focus on social justice and peacemaking. The SALT (Serving and Learning Together) program is a branch of the MCC designed specifically for younger people (18-27 years old). It works with MCC branches in various countries to place participants into 11-month service assignments, often partnering with non-MCC organizations.

According to the website,

The program seeks to further:
-International goodwill and understanding through experiencing life outside of one’s cultural, economic and social milieu
-International reconciliation and peace-building by encouraging participants to act as bridge-builders between their home and host communities
-Personal commitment to the world-wide church via participation and sharing in the life of Christian communities around the world
-Participants’ spiritual, personal and professional growth

During my time in Hanoi, I will be working full time as a manuscript editor at the Gioi, Viet Nam's foreign language publishing house. I will live with a Vietnamese host family. I will make my best attempt to learn Vietnamese. I will try new food (I hear they eat dog). I will (hopefully) perfect my badminton skills (apparently tennis and badminton are very popular there). I will learn about Vietnamese history from the Vietnamese perspective. I will form new relationships. I will learn new ways to love and be loved.

I think Gerard Manly Hopkins describes my mission better than I will ever be able to:

I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

links for more info:
http://www.mcc.org/
http://mcc.org/salt/
http://thegioipublishers.com.vn/en/home/