It's Just A Comma,

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The past few weeks have been more than a daily art class. Because I believe and agree with Karen’s Lifestart philosophy, I have chosen to be involved as much as possible with as many projects I can learn about or help with.

Karen leaves Hoi An this morning and returns to Australia for 5 months so that she can continue to raise funds for the program. If I haven’t mentioned before, this is one of the reasons I have decided to stay in Hoi An, not only to volunteer as an Art teacher (and now English), but to help tie up any loose ends, facilitate any ongoing projects, and take care of Tam. So I have been paying close attention and taking hundreds of notes as we whiz around town on motorbikes helping and meeting with what seems like every and any poor/disadvantaged or exploited person in town.

Karen is armed each day with a cell phone, large blue file folder, and a little lined notepad with a million scribblings that only she could translate. Her office varies each minute from hotel lobby, to street corners, noodle shops, market stands, boats, motorbikes, and local coffee stands along the river. Despite the chaos of the surroundings she is incredibly organized, God love her.

In addition to all of the knowledge she shares about the program, Karen has taught me things you won't find in the Lonely Planet hand guide. The water is fine, and so is the ice. You can use tiger balm instead of DEET, which you can buy at the market for 50 cents. And I surprisingly agree, the best meal in town are the pork chops marinated in herbs and lemongrass on a small sidestreet off the tourist trail. It is a slice of heaven on a bed of rice, and I don't even like pork chops, but they alone are enough to keep one in Hoi An an extra month. She has also introduced me to the addicting iced coffees which are fueling a non-stop energy high and will be responsible for numerous journal entries. I have been provided my own cell phone (donated from Australia) now loaded with numbers including Tam’s Vietnamese brain surgeon, a French nurse named Dorothy, and Thanh who performs an Indian head massage for $5.

The work continues to be both rewarding and overwhelming. Karen has thanked me dozens of times and uses terms like Angel and Wonder Woman when introducing me (go on!) But it is me who should be thanking her, and I am honored to continue working for Lifestart for the next month. We both agree before her departure, that this is a just the beginning not an end to our relationship. Just a comma, not a period.

Please take a moment to visit the LIFESTART website:

http://lifestartfoundation.org.au/

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Photos

New Threads
Karen brings bags of donated clothes from Australia to give the kids a decent wardrobe, I got myself a few nice shirts as well(I swear none of the kids wanted them!)

How much can you fit on a motorbike?
Delivering a table, pillow, blankets, a rice cooker stand and a few other furnishings for another new Lifestart recipient.

Pork Chops!
Yes, they deserve their own photo. Actually, I already ate mine, but you can see some on Karen's plate.

This land is your land...
Hien and his wife are currently squatting in a shack by the river (shacks means some bamboo and aluminum sheets). Lifestart sponsors have helped to purchase them land and building supplies so they can build their own house.

Comments

[leslie jane]

lifestart
hey squirl first may i say how much i am enjoying your writing style...especially your HUMOR in describing some very serious situations...as far as I am concerned, that is a hallmark of a good writer!!! GOOD JOB! Next, I just looked at the Lifestart website. What a valuable program! And how something is centered in Ireland has found its way to Vietnam via Australia is very impressive.

[Dylan]

Lifestart website
I think the one you want is this one http://lifestartfoundation.org.au/ Great writing Squirrel. Please keep it up.