Friday, January 20

Friday, January 20

This morning I got to face time my sister! Yea!   (She and I had a real conversation … no eyeball close ups!) By the way Kathy, Long is still asking when you are coming over here! 

Today was our last day at the orphanage (short trip this year) and It is always an emotional day when you know it is the last day to spend with the kids.  We try not to dwell on it, but we know some of the kids are old enough and we have been here enough, that they will miss us (shoot, we miss them and consider all we have going on in our lives!).  Sadly we learned that Bob is especially sensitive to this and asked repeatedly about us after we were gone last year.  We were grateful Long was with us today to help the workers explain to Bob we wouldn’t be back for some time, hoping this would help him to adjust and not expect us to be walking in tomorrow or next week.

But before we walked out for the last time this year, there was much fun to be had.  It is a special treat when Long gets to join us.  

I think Long may be having too much fun!!

(Funny aside before I get to the fun.  Long met us at our hotel and helped us lug our ‘goodies’ to the orphanage.  While we were waiting for the cab I asked Long about his work (he is a tour guide – that is how he & Julie met).  I always like to ask him about his ‘horror tour clients’ -  you know the ones that no matter what you do for them they are never happy?  He begins to tell us about his extreme frustration with these tourists from Boston.  BOSTON I say???  I am thinking – really – Boston?  As Long continues to tell his story my mind is in overdrive thinking, how can I find out who these people are and what can I do about it?  I tune back in to Long and he is saying they were two ladies from the Boston area, well really not from Boston but specifically from New Hampshire.  He says ‘they are the worse I’ve ever had’.  Julie and I look at each other and then Long can’t keep his straight face any longer.  He really had us going.  It is so fun when you develop a relationship with someone from another culture and get to know them well enough that you can tease like this and have a good laugh over it.  You got us good Long, we are still giggling over it.)

Dorothy always loves my velcro watch!!

There was a lot going on at the orphanage today.  There has been a lot of construction and sprucing up going on this week (probably in advance of their New Year which starts January 28^th.)  We were able to get to play in ‘our’ spot today, but there was a lot of cleaning and cutting down trees so lots of activity for the kids to take in!

Puzzle Time

Julie and Bob intent on some game!

 Back in to eat!

This food REALLY was hot and Julie was told to blow on it to cool it off!

Smiley boy I mentioned in last blog post!  Always smiling, always wanting hugs!

Check out Long in action ... feeding a girl we have named Victoria!  :-)

Bob walked us out to the entrance of the orphanage and we all had a few more hugs and good-byes!

Love, love, love my boy Bob!

The bus was jam-packed on the way back today.  We had to stand for a good portion of the ride (always a good core-body workout) and could barely wave and say good-bye to Long when he got off at his stop!  No idea why today’s bus was so full.  Thanks again Long for sharing your time with us!!

Julie and I decided to take the bus right to dinner (we were afraid if we went back to the hotel first we’d be too tired to venture out again.)  Since this was our last night in Saigon (on to Phu Quoc tomorrow) we didn’t have food to cook so decided to eat “Italian” tonight at a restaurant Julie found last year – Ciao Bella. 

After dinner we stopped for ice cream in a downtown mall. 

This was a "Mickey Dessert". 

After this we headed back to pack for our short trip to Phu Quoc.