Journey to Peace Village

Today is the anniversary of a horrible event in our recent history--the 9/11 attack which killed over three thousand people in New York City. This year I decided to remember the attack in a more active way--by visiting the children at Peace Village.

There's a big holiday coming up, Mid Autumn festival--which is a time to give children presents. It so happened that at Peace Village they were having a party for the children on 9/11. So I bought some gifts, both educational and fun and brought them out to the children.

I really felt this was the best way to honor my country and those lost--buy serving others. I'm glad to hear that both candidates on the presidential campaign have emphasized the need for service to others as a way to improve as individuals and as a country.

On this day, we can't help but feel sorrow and pain. But it's very satisfying to be able to give others joy. One small step toward peace.

Labels: Viet Nam and the West

It's been awfully hot this summer so I decided to escape the heat of Hanoi, if only for a day. I organized a short trip to Tam Dao Hill Station, an old French resort about 30 miles out of the city. It was adventure getting out there. The guidebook said the bus left from a station not far from my house. It was wrong and my friends had to pile on a packed bus to head out to the other bus station near my house. At first we couldn't find the bus, but finally we headed out.

Shortly out of town we had to transfer buses. Then it was on to a small town and a cab to get to the actually mountain town of Tam Dao.

It was worth the trouble. The waterfall was refreshing and the mountain afforded beautiful views. The fresh air was rejuvenating. We strolled through the town and visited an old church--partially destroyed in the war years and slowly decaying. It's being restored, a project that only started 20 days ago.

I hated to go home and the journey back was even more of an adventure. The bus broke down and we had to wait. I had a beer and by the time we were done, the buses were less crowded and we ended up making it to Me Linh "hypermarket" a sparsely packed mega mart near the Hanoi airport. A nice meal among the stores hawking Korean lounge chairs and then home....