First week of volunteering
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Rosa
20 November 2016 | Vietnam, Ho Chi Minhstad
Hello hello hello!
Already two weeks have passed! This week I started volunteering, I switched programms so now I'm working in an orphanage. We go to two different orphanages, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The one in the morning is smaller, I think there are maybe 10 kids. So we switch who goes which motning, so this week I went on wednesday and friday. But everyone goes to the orphanage in the afternoon. That one is bigger. You have 3 groups there, babies from 1-3 years old, girls from 4-6 and boys from 4-6. The orphanage is run by munks, so all the kids have the same haircut, you really can't see if it's a girl or a boy. But after a rime you just know because we help the woman who leads the group with feeding, drying off and putting clotches on. The orphanage in the afternoon is bigger, so more kids. But there are a lot of visitors there. Local people who come in for an hour, take some cute pictures and then leave. It is really annoying for us because the kids get really needy. They want to be picked up all the time and otherwise they'll cry. So the visitors pick them up all the time, so when we don't they cry and cry for a long time. So I don't think it is very good for the kids.
In the afternoon orphanage we also teach the olders girls and boys English. So we have to prepare 10 words every week, because every week they learn 10 new words and a English song.
In the morning orphanage are more ages. There are also small babies who are maybe 8 months old. And you have kids who are 4. And outside of the room where we play with them, there are also a lot of children who are maybe 10 or older. I don't think they go to school because I think there is no money for it.
The way of parenting is really different here, is super tough. When the kids do something wrong they'll get slapped. In the morning orphanage they get slapped by a sort of bamboo stick, it is not nice to see but we can't do anything about it. In the afternoon orphanage they'll slap the kid and then the kid has to sit against the wall. It isn't nice, but the women don't have time to explain what the kid did wrong, so this is their solution I think.
So my week was a lot of working. And on monday we went out for some western food and on wednesday we went out for mexican. We eat asian all day everyday so if we take every change to go out. There are aslo a lot off girls night here. So on tuesday there is girls night in Lush, where you get everything for free. On wednesday there is girls night in an acoustic bar where the girls then get free mix drinks. And on thursday there is girlsnight in rhe skybar. That is my favorite because you're on the top floor so you get such a beautiful view of Ho Chi Minh. But at the place we stay there is a curfew, so the gate closes at 23:30 and it opens at 5:00.
This weekend I went woth 6 other girls to Vung Tau. It is by itselff not very special but it was really nice to just relax the whole weekend. We ate a lot and went to the beach and slept in. It was fantastic. This week I have to work again and in the weekend I think I'm going to Mekong Delta. It is really easy to book a weeken because where we stay is a travel agency and if you want you can ask for the afternoon off or the day off. It is really flexibel.
I hope you liked my blogpost, kisses Rosa
Already two weeks have passed! This week I started volunteering, I switched programms so now I'm working in an orphanage. We go to two different orphanages, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The one in the morning is smaller, I think there are maybe 10 kids. So we switch who goes which motning, so this week I went on wednesday and friday. But everyone goes to the orphanage in the afternoon. That one is bigger. You have 3 groups there, babies from 1-3 years old, girls from 4-6 and boys from 4-6. The orphanage is run by munks, so all the kids have the same haircut, you really can't see if it's a girl or a boy. But after a rime you just know because we help the woman who leads the group with feeding, drying off and putting clotches on. The orphanage in the afternoon is bigger, so more kids. But there are a lot of visitors there. Local people who come in for an hour, take some cute pictures and then leave. It is really annoying for us because the kids get really needy. They want to be picked up all the time and otherwise they'll cry. So the visitors pick them up all the time, so when we don't they cry and cry for a long time. So I don't think it is very good for the kids.
In the afternoon orphanage we also teach the olders girls and boys English. So we have to prepare 10 words every week, because every week they learn 10 new words and a English song.
In the morning orphanage are more ages. There are also small babies who are maybe 8 months old. And you have kids who are 4. And outside of the room where we play with them, there are also a lot of children who are maybe 10 or older. I don't think they go to school because I think there is no money for it.
The way of parenting is really different here, is super tough. When the kids do something wrong they'll get slapped. In the morning orphanage they get slapped by a sort of bamboo stick, it is not nice to see but we can't do anything about it. In the afternoon orphanage they'll slap the kid and then the kid has to sit against the wall. It isn't nice, but the women don't have time to explain what the kid did wrong, so this is their solution I think.
So my week was a lot of working. And on monday we went out for some western food and on wednesday we went out for mexican. We eat asian all day everyday so if we take every change to go out. There are aslo a lot off girls night here. So on tuesday there is girls night in Lush, where you get everything for free. On wednesday there is girls night in an acoustic bar where the girls then get free mix drinks. And on thursday there is girlsnight in rhe skybar. That is my favorite because you're on the top floor so you get such a beautiful view of Ho Chi Minh. But at the place we stay there is a curfew, so the gate closes at 23:30 and it opens at 5:00.
This weekend I went woth 6 other girls to Vung Tau. It is by itselff not very special but it was really nice to just relax the whole weekend. We ate a lot and went to the beach and slept in. It was fantastic. This week I have to work again and in the weekend I think I'm going to Mekong Delta. It is really easy to book a weeken because where we stay is a travel agency and if you want you can ask for the afternoon off or the day off. It is really flexibel.
I hope you liked my blogpost, kisses Rosa
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