Its just another manic Monday!

I hate jetlag.

Note: if you don’t want to read about jetlag, please continue to paragraph two.

I think jetlag is THE worst thing about traveling.  Here is something new I learned.  The most jetlagged you can be (does that even make sense?) is 12 hours.  So, if you go from Boston to Australia (15 hour time difference) its actually BETTER than going from Boston to Saigon (12 hour) because even though it’s a 15 hour time difference, its really only 9 (its like you go around the clock and came back).  Weird right?  Anyway, my point being, the time difference here is 12 hours.  Basically, feel bad for us!  Ha.  Its rough – night is day and day is night.  I also read that most of the time it takes one full day to adjust to every hour of time difference.  Some people can adjust up to two hours of time difference in a day.  So that means, even at the VERY best, it would take us 6 days to adjust, but probably more like 9-10 and maybe even 12 days.  Hmmm…

Ok well if you skipped the jetlag paragraph, you STILL get more jetlag stories because I blame jetlag for the way my tummy feels!  Yuck.  Last night for dinner (I didn’t even go out, mom went “shopping”) and we had bread and saltines!  Yum!  I blame jetlag, food, heat…hmm..I guess that’s it for now!

So anyway after we got back yesterday we layed down for a nap.  Nothing good can ever come from a nap at 615pm.  I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open – I had to sleep!  I think I woke up around 730pm (when mom decided to head out) and seriously debated whether or not to just sleep through the night.  However, that’s a bit silly and I wanted to organize some stuff for today, so I did get up and get my act together.  She came back with saltines and I was passed out again at 930pm.

Wide awake at 6am (seriously, can this continue when I get back to the States?) and we were down to breakfast and a quick stop at the Store 24 to get some water for the day!

Long arrived at our hotel at 8:14am sharp and with bags in hand we were on our way to the orphanage. 

We decided to take a taxi, as it was much easier to do so with all of our goodies.

We handed out dish racks (they ask for this every year so they don’t have to dry clean dishes on the floor) and towels to each of the individual rooms.  We can never find dish racks over here – so I bought out Target before I left!

We then made our way to the big room (open today!) and got a big hello from the head lady!  This lady has been there since my first time (so 5 years) and last year was the first year she learned some English…so she came right over today and said, “Hello! How are you?”  I gave her a big hug (not normal in this culture) but I was so happy she remembered us.  I also got a huge hug from Thoung and Hai as well!

We handed out our goodies – Thoung was SO excited for his new shoes and for his Rubik cube!!!

The workers were definitely happy with the towels and the kids LOVED the toys! 

The blocks were great…especially for the kids to work on their fine motor skills.  I also think its good because it really makes them think and what they want to build, how they are going to build it, etc.

So we played for a while (blocks, taking pictures, listening to music, etc).

Hai is also one of my favorites.  The first year I was volunteering he had to be spoon-fed pureed food, couldn’t move on his own, etc. and now he has gotten so big!  He can walk (with the help of a leg brace) and today I learned he can eat on his own (he doesn’t need a high chair anymore) – it’s awesome!  While he doesn’t speak - he sure knows how to communicate.  He will point and make noises and tell you to sit down and play with him or whatever else he wants.  He loved listening to music (on my phone) and would point to his ear when he wanted me to put it back on.

Anyway after we all played for a bit it was time to eat!  I had to feed one of the girls who needs to eat pureed food because she has a hard time swallowing.  Surprisingly, it didn’t go so bad (I’ve had kids that it can take hours and eventually the workers have to come do it).  We sorta made a deal that after two bites she could play with my phone (I know, I know, but hey if it gets her to eat!).  So that seemed to work until the end when she took off her bib (my signal that she was DONE!)

I was getting the kids cleaned up and ready for nap time and walking across the laminate floor when I TOTALLY wiped out.  Ugh, embarrassing even thinking about it!!!  If there is one thing this orphanage rocks at it’s cleanliness!  They sweep and mop and mop and sweep!  I honestly didn’t even see her mopping, but it was so slippery I literally was down in 2 seconds.  I can’t believe I didn’t even make any of the kids laugh!!!  Anyway, it could have been a LOT worse (although last night I did tell mom where the nearest English speaking 24 hour emergency room is – and I re-quizzed her after this happened and she would have gotten me to it!!!)  So, all I have are bruises/bumps on the heels on my hands and a bruised ego.  The worker who was cleaning the floor was so cute and came over and patted my butt to make sure I was ok!

Once the kids were laying down (they put mats out after their meal) the worker told Long the kids needed to sleep (aka we needed to leave) so we gave out hugs and waved goodbye!

We took the bus back and Long was on his way to give an afternoon tour.  Mom and I needed 3 things: a shower, a nap and food!  We decided we should do food first, because once we were back in the room it would be pretty difficult to get us to leave.  We went back to the Paris place for spaghetti!  YUM!  I know carbs are really empty/short energy, but MAN did that taste yummy! 

We made our way back to the room to shower up and rest.  Again, I felt like I could have slept thru the night.  It’s so difficult only being here 6 days – there really isn’t any point to try to adjust to the time difference for 6 days, although we do need to stay on some type of schedule as it doesn’t do us any good if we’re wide awake from 1am-6am and then asleep from 9am-3pm.