Farewell, Da Nang - Hello Hanoi!

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Greetings fom Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam 😊
Margot finished up our last week at the hospital. I taught the ACL protocol I was working on and 2 back evaluation/treatment presentations. Margot taught her TKA protocol.
People are getting revved up for the huge Tet holiday that is coming up. We noticed this as patients started to one by one stop coming to PT as they were heading home. Monday, we had a lunar lunch with the director of the hospital and the staff of the massage clinic - we took over a long table at a nearby restaurant and had loads of food and many "mot hai ba, yo!" cheers with heinkekin (they love it here and it's the beer of choice). Needless to say, the afternoon after that was not too productive. Tuesday night, we headed back to Hoi An to meet up with the other girls for dinner - this time we found the city bus on our own and managed to run and jump on it like the locals do so that it doesn't have to come to a stop to let us on. Dinner was at a super nice touristy restaurant on the river.
Wednesday was a little rough for me as I began coming down with a cold. But had to rally for a huge lunar dinner after work (at work) with the PT department and doctors and surgeons. Again, lots more tasty food, heinkekins and this time karaoke.
By Thursday, I was feeling pretty aweful and slept thru lunch and the afternoon. Margot came and got me at 4 because one of my patients, a dancer, was not going to be back the next day (as it turns out all but 2 of the patients would be gone, but we still didn't know couldn't figure out thru language barriers). So, she wanted to say her good bye (which was so nice, i missed many good byes this week!).
Friday was our last day and totally anti-climatic as there were only a couple patients there (who gets worked on primarily by their families). But, one of the rehab physicians did come down in the afternoon to practice skills from the back eval lecture which was great to still be able to teach rightup to the end.
We also got to hit up our favorite spots for the last time before leaving Da Nang: Kathleen's bread of life, Le Bambino, Papa Roti, My Quang 1a, the hospital Cantina. Our last dinner friday night was a Le Bambino's the french expat resto which was nice to finish the week with. Saturdaymorning we finished packing up and luckily ran into Ba Mien (the owner of the cantina downstairs who we call "Ma Viet" our vietnamese mother) and the ortho surgeon to say our final "bye" before leaving. Caught a cab and headed to Sandy Beach Resort on China Beach next to Hoa's place for one last night of luxuriousness before flying out sunday night to meet our friends in Hanoi. Holy cow, i don't think I've enjoyed comforts so much: a hot shower that lasted 10 minutes, dry sheets (that was not damp from constant moisture), a beautifully clean resort room. Margot and I just had a lovely afternoon in the room doing our own things, reading, getting ready, tending to things and our own little workout session (yeah! space and a clean floor for stretches and exercises). I've learned a few things about myself regarding sacrificing personal comforts. I consider myself to be someone who can "rough it" and pride myself in keeping my physical needs minimal. But, I can not express how much I l.o.v.e.d. being warm, clean, dry. I used to be prejudiced against those who need certain level of physical comfort, passing them off as being "high maintenance" or "materialistic". But, I won't anymore because there is nothing wrong with really enjoying some of these pleasures when they are available to you. I also surprised myself bcz I thought after a month or so doing away with some of these comforts would make me adjust in a way to not feel like I need them or would desire them or even notice. And Margot and i did adjust pretty darnwell, I have to say. but, I think when having returned to some modern comforts and conveniences, i found more pleasure in them than I expect I would. Anyway, we eventually went for a walk around the grounds and along the beach to find ourselves back to Hoa's place for a last family dinner. There was quite a showing there of travellers (English - east londoners, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, etc) , some who were motorbiking their way thru vietnam. And we had so much fun - great laughs, stories, poker (I shockingly schooled the boys, I think they were also surprised and impressed by my poker skills, who knew? ps i learned a few weekends before from some german guys), also peformed an impromptu knee eval on an irish guy who torqued it.
The next day, i was moving a little slow. but, eventually got myself going for the driver we hired to take us for a tour of My Son (Vietnam's self-professed version of Angkor Waht), it was rainy and misty, but a lovely walk thru some nature and ruins that kinda reminded me of a rainy, misty weekend on south manitou island (minus the ruins).
By theway Margot has taken such good care of me during my moments of not feeling well, being sick. It has been a real comfort. And now that we seem to be in the groove of being here, we are really having a great time. Being silly, laughing, joking, using what little vietnamese we know (which impresses them). We had a moment (well several thru out the last month) to reflect on the month and review what we had done - and we really did a lot at the hospital. We taught a lot: 4 presentations each, plus designed and taught the protocols. I am happy we could be there together and for a wholemonth bcz I think we accomplished a whole lot more in that time and with each other being there (it's like 2 heads, equal 4) problem-solving, consulting, using each other's expertise and strengths. It's really been such an honor to have gone thru the experience and with her of all people. And we were also mentioning how we can't recall if we've ever spent that much time in that much time with a single other person because we've been together 24-7, practically every minute minus a few instances.
Alright, folks, gotta wrap up. I have a new city to explore in Hanoi. But, I will upload photos later.
Peace!
lv
suz

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Photos

Teaching Tuc & Hop soft tissue release
It hurst so good!

single squat competition between PT and patient
pay no mind to the form ;) ps, the patient won :)

last week at hospital & Hanoi 002
The Tet tree in hospital lobby

Lunar lunch with PT department
Mot Hai Ba, Yo!

hello!
ps, Liem, one of the head PT's to Margot's left was born in the tunnels north of the DMZ. His family were able to come out when he was only 2 weeks old

last week at hospital
Farewell to Janessa, our dancer-patient

last week at hospital
A very appreciative Janessa

Last day in Da Nang
our two favorites: My Quang in the back and Papa Roti in the forground . . . mmhmmh.good.

Farewell to guest room
please do not take this the wrong way, but I will not miss, thee, 'ole room.

farewell to bathroom
and you too, bathroom - I will not miss cold (or at best, room temp), handheld showers with no shower curtain.

farewell to patient rooms - view from balcony
But, I will miss all of you, patients, who have already deserted their patient ward-rooms to go home for the Tet holiday

drying rack
But, alas, not you, "drying rack", who "dries" clothes to a modest dampness

farewell to Hoa's place
to the many goodtimes at Hoa's place, whose days are numbered due to the government taking his land in favor of development of bigger and snazzier resorts.

is that a sun ray I see in the mist of My Son
Margot sees the light

Comments

[Brooke]

hey!
hey suzanne! i just got got caught up reading your blog and it seems like you are having an amazing time, and doing some amazing things! go you :) anyways, just saying hi from new york! xo, broke