Trip (portfolio)

This year was the first year that our plan worked. You see, my parents have lived in the United States for 30 years and in that 30 years they have never gone back to their home country. Every year that our whole family planned on taking a trip home, something always kept us from the trip: grandmother passed away, my dog was run over by a car, we had to sell our house due to a bad mortgage loan...

But finally, our plan came together this year. I'm excited because I did not know what to expected. I heard a lot of good things like cheap food, clothing, great service for tourist, but also bad things like people trying to steal your luggage as soon as you reach baggage claim. Storys through other people's experience was nothing like what I experiece. It was interesting! Now I understand the saying “people take for granted what they have until they go somewhere where people have it worse.”

We went there in April, everyday was 110 degree's. As soon as we got out of the airport it was muggy and we were sweating like a pig. We first had to pass through the Visa Stamp stand before we were officially in Vietnam. My dad was hinted by the officer who stamped us to slip $20 USD in the passports or they wont let us pass without holding us there for another 3 hours of waiting for our luggage to be search. We didn't want that, not because we were worried about our luggage, but more like we were just out of a 17 hour flight. Too tired for that bullshit. So far I felt that Vietnamese citizen were scandalist.

We hurried and huddle to get our luggage. There was hundreds of people surrounding the baggage claim area who weren't even traveling but pretend as if they were so they can grab the others luggaged and leave. What they do with it...that I dont know.As soon as we were out of the airport we saw my dad's side of the family. He has 14 brothers and sister and they all have 4+ kids so just that alone filled up half the airport parking lot. We were tired and trying to find a bed near by, but our family insist us grabbing lunch with them and site seeing because its only noon their time and 20 hours of no sleep our time.

On our way to dinner...I did not like the view. There was barely any car on the road, people who had a car would be considered a millionaire. Majority of people there were on scooters, motorcycles and bicycle. Life seems rough for Vietnam citizen. Road was nothing but dirt no cement. You can see dogs out on the street with ribs clawing out of their skin.

Arriving at the restaurant. It was dirty! The chairs were plastic little kids chair. The table was lob sided. Their napkins table set is our toilet paper. While we were eating fly's, cockroach, mice, and gecko were very noticeable. I couldn't help it, but sneaky me had to give the poor anorexic cat and dogs my food. People in the restaurants would mugged me for feeding them. They don't treat dogs with the same kind of luxury as majority of people here in the U.S. My grandparents said that people that own this restaurants or little business out on the streets are all run by family regardless of ages. Our server was only 11 who quit school to help her family business. Her parents did not allow her to go to school, not because they couldn't afford school but because they think school is hopeless and waist of time

Arriving at our hotel. 5 star Vietnam is our Motel 6 here in the United State except for culture used of utility difference. There was bugs crawling all over the wall while we were sleeping. Majority of the toilets in Vietnam would have a hose and a drain right next to them because they don't flush. You use the hose in replacement of toilet paper and that's considered luxurious. Whats worst to me is professional businesses area's toilets are crotch down in the ground and there is a bucket of water in replacement of a hose to wash yourself. I never got the hang of the bathrooms even after a month.

Half the reason for our trip is because of my cycloid that was growing on the tip of my earlobe. Doctor's warn me if my cycloid gets any bigger, it can be cancerous. We went to visit couples surgeons in the U.S. and all quoted me $17,000. Health is important to me, but because of no insurance I could not afford it and at my age it is very hard to get that amount of loan so Vietnam was my only hope.

After visiting a couple high end hospitals, we couldn’t decide which so we settled for most cleanness and expensive and thank god for this, but the most expensive surgeon cost me $7.oo USD. Huge price difference! Experience is nothing likethe hospitals in the U.S. Arriving at the hospital I had to pay before taking a number and wait for my number to be called. It’s first come, first serve. No money, no service. They open at 8am, we were there at 7:30am thinking we were early but we were number 56. We waited 5 hours before getting service.

I never new everything was a fee in Vietnam. They try and make money any way they can. Doctor told me he needs a urine sample from me so I went on the elevator to us the restroom. Using the elevator cost me $1 USD thank goodness it came with a ticket that’s no extra charge to come back down. When you step in the restroom, cost $1. I needed toilet paper and what a surprise it cost me anther $1. It didn’t matter if you’re missing a leg or arm you still need to pay to use the elevator and wait in line for your number to be called. It was very sad. People in the hospital knew we were tourist that meant we had money. We were helped first because we slip the nurse $10 so we would have to wait couple hours but I was sad for the guy next to me who recently had eye surgery is now back due to a nasty infection. Sad to say but you can pretty much pay anybody to get what you need there.

My dad wanted us to experience what he experience in Vietnam to look beyond images. He wanted us to see the hospital we were born in and the village where we grew up. I felt sorry for them but yet I notice people there work hard for their money and yet their still poor, but some how relax and happy. Families were very close to each other. No matter how busy their life style is they always seem to manage to have family gathering and dinner at home every night but aside from loving homes they don’t get educated. Life style does not get better other than the same thing every day. Because lack of education, technology was very slow in Vietnam. We complain how terrible our medical is here in the U.S. but Vietnam it is 10x’s worst. I realized how good we have it here in the U.S. I came home feeling very humble and valued my family even more