Norwich Group Arrives at Clear Path Office in Dong Ha

Well, we finally made it to Quang Tri.... After a series of mishaps in the morning including a missing yellow paper and then a missing person, we were able to hit the road. And now here we are, a calmer and quieter place than the Hung Vuong Inn, our nice little hotel in Dong Ha may be just what we need.... But we can't completely relax just yet, as there is still much work to be done! Today we visited the blind association in Dong Ha and saw first hand some of the products that they produce in order to contribute to their family income despite their handicaps... Among these products were brooms, toothpicks, and incense, reminiscient of the products that the blind association in Hue produced (we all made sure to stock up on incense, don't worry)... Then we got to see the acclaimed CPI office! Ahhh air conditioning! It was really amazing to hear some of the success stories that CPI has produced. I think the visit has renewed all of our spirits and our devotion to the trip i n total... A day well spent!

Kathleen Boylan: A Jungle Misadventure

We have now been in Hue for a little over two weeks, and the time keeps slipping through my fingers faster and faster. The past few days have been very exciting and eye-opening. On Sunday we had a free day so the group decided to split in half and do separate tours. One group went on a dragon boat tour of the Perfume River, visiting temples and pagodas along the way. Another group, which included myself, decided to travel 50 kilometers to Bach Ma National Park and enjoy a nice hike and swim through some waterfalls. We soon realized that nothing is this simple in Vietnam.

It started off innocently enough. We hopped on a bus Sunday morning with other tourists and got on our way. About an hour down the road the bus stopped and told the five of us to get off. We were a little confused at first and tried to ask the bus driver what was going on, where is Bach Ma? Why isn't anyone else getting off the bus? The driver just kept pointing off the bus saying 'Bach Ma, Bach Ma'. So we got off, the bus's doors closed, and away it went, leaving us in the middle of nowhere. There happened to be some Vietnamese motorbike drivers nearby who offered to take us to Bach Ma, whether this was planned or not we are still unsure. So we hopped on the bikes and sped off towards Bach Ma.

Ten minutes down the road we arrived at the entrance to the park and told the motorbike drivers to be back at 3 so we could catch the bus. We bought our tickets and asked the clerk if it was possible to hike to the first waterfall. He told us it was no problem, only a little ways up. We started hiking up the mountain and soon realized that this was not the pleasant hike through the jungle that we were anticipating. It was hot, and when I say hot I mean it was like doing stairmaster in a sauna. Just as we were thinking the worst a van pulled up and offered us a ride to the summit. We bargained a price and then hopped in the van. The ride up to the top was amazing. The road curved up the side of the mountain through the jungle, on one side was a vertical drop-off with a beautiful view of the countryside. As we got further up the temperature started to drop, by the time we reached the top it was almost bearable to be outside.

The driver dropped us at the head of a trail and we hiked through green bamboo forests and thick jungle to arrive at a breath-taking view from the top of a 300 meter waterfall. We were the only ones there so we sat and relaxed for almost an hour. We headed back towards the road thinking that getting a ride back down the 8 mile road wouldn't be a problem. After sitting for 30 minutes with no cars in sight we decided to start walking down. After a few kilometers we were getting a little desperate for a ride, and the giant spiders we saw didn't help much. Finally a car stopped, but there was not enough room for us, so they said they would send someone back up. After hiking for another hour we realized no one was coming and flagged down another van. The Vietnamese tourists happily let us squish into their van and we finally headed down. When we got to the bottom we saw the driver of the car sitting and relaxing on the side of the road...so much for sending someone back up.

After waiting until 3:20 for our motorbikes to come back we decided they weren't coming and managed to get some locals to drive us to the main road to wait for the bus. We arrived right on time for the bus, but once again we were left to wait. Buses and buses passed us by, none of which appeared to be our bus. Finally, after waiting over an hour, our bus pulled up and saved the day. We would not be left in a village in the middle of Vietnam with no food and water after all.

I learned some valuable lessons that day, and despite the mishaps we had I think it was one of my favorite experiences so far. It was an adventure I'm sure I will never forget. And to all the worried parents out there, don't worry! It's not as dangerous as it sounds! I'm sure the giant spiders were really very friendly!

I'm off now to prepare for a farewell party tonight with our Vietnamese translators and friends. Tomorrow we leave for Quang Tri province where we will be working with CPI. Thanks for reading!

~Kathleen Boylan

More Photos from the Norwich Vietnam trip!!

Bill Scullin Comes Face to Face with History

Hi, my name is Bill Scullin and I'm a sophomore in the Corps of Cadets.



When I woke up today I knew that I would come face to face with
history. In high school I studied the Vietnam war in depth and again in
Professor Brucken's class. The thoughts and images one produces in
their own mind from text book accounts and stories came to be real when
this morning when we met and spoke with a former Vietcong General. It
was truly an amazing experience. The General spoke with a strong willed
and authoritative voice that made me feel as if I was in the presence
of greatness. As I sat there I could not help think that just 35 years
ago this man was commanding Vietcong soldiers during the Tet Offensive
killing U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers. I wondered if U.S. veterans
from the war would show the same compassion and forgiveness the General
was showing us today. Whatever that answer may be, this trip has taught
me one thing. No matter what your race or background may be we are all
human. The same things make us laugh and the same things make us cry.



----------------------------------------



Cadet Scullin


Norwich University, Military College of Vermont

Rowland Establishes Routine, Negotiates Culture In Vietnam

It's been almost two weeks since we departed from Northfield for the long flights to Vietnam, and it seems to me like the trip has broken down into two phases, each lasting a week. The first week consisted of asking all kinds of questions in order to become adjusted to radically new surroundings. Some questions were pretty straightforward, such as the locations of the ATM machine, cafes, and work sites. More complicated queries involved navigating cultural divides, such as what kind of interactions would we have with the diverse array of Vietnamese partners and how we would bond internally as a team.

This second week has been one of establishing routines. For me, it involves rising at 5:30am, going for a 5-mile run by the Perfume River, reading while having breakfast, and then leaving for our morning service project. After lunch at noon and a team meeting immediately following, we visit an afternoon work site and usually have an hour or 90 minutes to relax before dinner. After dinner is free time to walk around the city, go swimming at several hotel pools, or reading.

Two events stand out for me on this trip in terms of particularly meaningful interactions with the Vietnamese people. The planting of trees at the home of Pham Boi Choi, a Vietnamese revolutionary nationalist in the early 20th century, signified to me our recognition of the proud, long, and continuous desire that Vietnamese had for the same value that gave birth to our own nation: self-determination and independence from foreign rule. The second event was an impromptu soccer game with a team of street children who were prepared, with uniforms and a referee, from an earlier match. We played seven on seven on a small field for about 30 minutes. They rose to the challenge and beat us 3 to 1, our only goal coming on a breakaway with Matt Corson essentially scaring the 12-year-old goalie who thought Matt was about to barrel over him!

We're off to the Hope Shop for the afternoon and all day tomorrow, our last full day in Hue. Happy end of spring at home...it's hard to think of such things when it's been 95 to 100 degrees, sunny, and humid every day here!

Rowly Brucken Associate Professor of History Norwich University

Vietnam! Stacy Pichardo of Norwich Blogs from Hue

I LOVE VIETNAM!!

I cant believe its been 9 days since our departure, it feels like we just left yesterday. We have done alot in such a short amount of time; On our first day we visited a museum in Saigon on the Vietnam War. It was interesting to see how the war affected vietnamese citizens something I never really thought of.

After being in Saigon for a few hours we caught a plane to Hue, where we have been ever since. Now in Hue, we have done many activities, with Nhi and Martha.

We visited the house for the street kids, we helped the kids in the hope shop, we visited the College of Medicine, we helped the Youth Union with a survey which we will conduct in a polluted village about environmental issues, we planted trees in the cementary of a well known revolutionary of Vietnam and the activity i enjoyed the most was the time we spent this morning with the kids at the Orphanage.

I know that after a few years there will be a few things i will forget about this trip but three that i know for certain i will always remember are the kids in the orphanage, the crazy bike rides and the horrible stomach problems i had immediately arriving in Vietnam.

Words could not explain how amazing it is to be part of this trip, all the relationships we have created and the help we have been to many places is what i love about this trip. Thanx to Nicole, Nhi (sorry if i mispelled the name) and Martha for making it all possible.

Matthew Corson With Norwich Blogs from Hue

My name is Matthew Corson and I am a member or the NU Visions Abroad team in Hue, Viet Nam. The last week has been amazing. This trip has given me a new perspective on cultural exchange and helping others.

The people in Viet Nam are very interested in what we have to share.

Their curiosity does not allow for a dull moment. The Vietnamese college students have been shadowing us, interpreting and helping us through our daily activities. I feel that my time here with the Norwich group has already made a difference and changed everyone of us in a different way. I look forward to tomorrow and another once in a
lifetime journey

Norwich Photos: June 13

Norwich Vietnam Photos Posted

Photos from the Norwich trip will be posted here and to the Clear Path Flickr site.
As they are sent in, the page below will further populate with pictures, so please visit it often:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpi/tags/norwich/
The pictures can also be viewed as a slideshow here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpi/tags/norwich/show/

Norwich: Nicole Blogs From Hue

Dear Friends,
Well, six days into our trip (including travel time) and our group is unanimous - we're having such an amazing time! It's interesting to see how this trip is affecting everyone on our team a little differently. The range of opportunities and experiences we've shared so far is vast, so it's a little difficult to express everything we're feeling, I think.

To give you an example, we've entered the Forbidden City (the historical capitol where the emperor lived) to join the thousands of residnets and visitors to Hue celebrate the 700th birthday of the city - a HUGE celebration a couple evenings ago with dancing, fireworks, reenactments, and kites flying overhead! We've visited and played games with "street children" who spend their days working on the streets earning money for a living and to help pay for their school
fees.

And just this morning, we visited Phan Boi Chau's residence and met his granddaughter. Phan Boi Chau was and remains a Vietnamese hero and visionary for the people here...he believed in attaining the freedom and independence of the Vietnamese through critical thinking and education and even began the first study abroad opportunities for Vietnamese students to Japan in the early 20th century. We spent the morning at his residence planting trees at his grave and those of his fellow patriots as a symbolic act of reconciliation between Americans
and the Vietnamese...to say that it was a moving experience for each one of us would be an understatement, for sure.

We've taken some great pictures that we hope to be able to post prior to our return, so keep checking in to our blog!

Yours in Service,
Nicole

Norwich University Blogs From Vietnam

Hello Norwich administration, alumni, friends and family.

This is Evan George, a sophomore in the Corps of Cadets at Norwich University. I am writing to you from the beautiful city of Hue, Viet Nam. I can not even think of the words that can describe my experience so far.

It has only been 3 days since I arrived and I am already in love with the culture, people, and environment. The climate however is a different story. The people of Viet Nam are the friendliest and kindest people I have ever met or read about. Their hospitality is breath taking. People will stop you on the street just for a chance to chat about America. Everyone is willing to lend a helpful hand and children smile and wave at us when we pass by.

I could write for hours about my journey so far but I wish to keep you in suspense for our next blog. So goodbye for now and check back here soon.

Preparing for Our Vietnam Trip- Community Service for CPI

My name is Maureen Hawe and I am traveling with 9 other students and 2 faculty members from Norwich University to Vietnam on a service-learning trip. The group is called NU Visions Abroad and is a community service organization at Norwich that travels to other countries to help out and learn. In the past they have travelled to other places such as Cook Islands off of New Zealand and Tanzania in Africa. Community service activities include teaching English to students and helping out in orphanages.

This year, the NU Visions Abroad program has scheduled a trip to Vietnam with Clear Path International, where we'll learn about the dangers of unexploded landmines and the effects they have on Vietnamese, along with participate in various community service activities. In preparation for our trip to Vietnam with CPI, we're required to do some community service for CPI. So, here we are in Dorset, VT staying at the Hathaway's for the weekend helping out with the organization.

So far all it has consisted of is folding some news letters and putting some inserts into them and seemingly endless data entry, and it seems like we're not really helping out all that much. However, after talking to Martha a little about about what we've done so far, I realize that it's small contributions like this that really do make the difference. For example, just the group of us folding the news letters have saved CPI a couple of hundreds of dollars, and, by simply putting the inserts in the new letters, we've saved Martha roughly 50 hours of her time.

Small acts of volunteering really make a difference. If everyone could contribute a bit of their time to a small organization once a week or even once a month, it helps. I strongly encourage all who are able to dedicate some time to vonlunteer work, whenever they can. One person really can make a significant difference!

The Norwich Group with CPI Executive Director, Martha Hathaway in CPI's backyard in Southern Vermont.