About Elizabeth Hutter

THANK YOU to all those who donated items and made monetary gifts to the children in Vietnam. Jay and Jessica, Kidro, Jay, Taylor, Kate, Patty Larson, Betsey, Ellis, Molly, Erik and Robyn, Ashley, Mom and Dad, and Doug – thank you for all your donations! The baby clothes, underwear, books, bottles, babywipes, topical meds, toys, and multivitamins were all used during my visit. The money was put toward purchasing new supplies for the children, fruit and milk, doctor visits, pillows, medications, etc. THANK YOU ALL so much for your generous contributions!
It has been a big adjustment back into American life…I miss Vietnam very [...]

Today was a perfect day to end my perfect stay in Vietnam. I spent the morning walking around Hoi An with a few new volunteers, and then went to An Bang beach near Hoi An with my new BF Jen! What a BEACH! It was like the most perfect paradise I have ever visited – it even beats My Khe beach near My Lai! Beautiful white sand, dark blue water, a row of cafes serving food and beverage, lounge chairs under thatch huts…it was ideal. The sun was shining and the temperature was hot (as always) – it [...]

In an effort to take advantage of every last moment in Vietnam, I took off with a handful of new volunteers, and Jen to Hoi An on Saturday afternoon. I got the V.I.P. ride on the back of Jen’s motorbike, which turned out to be extra adventurous when it began to downpour 20 minutes outside of DaNang. We were soaked within minutes, there was a swift breeze when on the motorbike, and for the FIRST TIME in Vietnam I was actually chilled! My body had forgotten what it was like to NOT be HOT! I gotta say, I wasn’t too thrilled about being [...]

The new volunteers have arrived, and the old ones are slowly trickling back to their homes. I’m glad to be here through the weekend, to help with orientation, see the babes at AOV2 one last time, and hang out with Jen and friends on Saturday night.
Last night the group of us had one LAST ‘hoorah’ at the local cafe/bar, where we drank cheap beer and ate Pho. Then, we retired to the rooftop for a little impromptu dance party until 1am. It was such a memorable night!
Today, however, was a little rough saying “goodbye” to the children at Social Support. [...]

I am nearing the end of my journey in Vietnam, and am having trouble saying goodbye. This month has been unforgettable and life-defining. (Note: I have had the most trouble trying to put my feelings into words. I have written and re-written this post several times, trying to express my incredible gratitude toward GVN and those that contributed to this trip’s great success. Please excuse its disorganization.)
“Resolve to take Fate by the throat and shake a living out of her.” -Louisa May Alcott in 1889. In other words, take a chance: take a leap of faith; put yourself out there [...]

Well, my time in Vietnam is beginning to wind down now, and my fellow volunteers are beginning to disperse from GVN house and return to their home countries. Alison left this morning to do some travelling on her own, before returning to Canada. Nadia returns to New Zealand tomorrow. Most others leave at the end of the week. New volunteers will be arriving on Friday and Saturday for August orientation, and I am glad to be sticking around to help the newcomers get acquainted. I am grateful that I still have 5+ days to spend with the children!
I was interviewed [...]

What a week it has been! Sick children, late nights, and of course my short getaway to Hue to see the Purfume River, Citadel and beautiful pagodas.
Little baby Dung is back at the orphanage this evening; I reluctantly had to leave the dear one with his caretakers at AOV2 orphanage. I understood the enormous importance of having good translators today when trying to communicate with the caretakers about Dung’s healthcare needs and feeding/burping/etc. At first my instructions were not well-received and I was worried that I was returning Dung to the orphange too soon after his illness. But I feel [...]

An eventful week! Sorry about the delay in posting…
Baby Dung was much more ill last Wednesday, and I was very concerned about him. I spoke about my concern to the mothers and out translator, and then recruited Jen to get involved. Dung needed to see a doctor immediately and I wasn’t willing to wait. Fortunately, Dr. Ross is an Australian family practice physician who has a practice established here in DaNang. Many of his clients are western and he has provided frequent services for many of the GVN babies. Of course, being a Western physician his prices are NOT cheap [...]

We’ve been back at work with the children since Monday morning, focusing on activities and exercises for the children with cerebral palsy, and keeping the babies free of illness. Had a couple scares on Monday afternoon at AOV2 with some pretty sick babies. Treated them as I am able with my limited pharmacy, and hope to avoid any trips to the hospital this week. I suspect virus/flu, no bacterial pneumonia as far as I can tell. If a Vietnamese person gets sick there is no option but to go to the hospital. There are no clinics, no urgent care, no doctors’ offices. There are [...]

On Saturday morning I got up early to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi for some exercise. Being that it was before 6am, I thought I would be one of few walkers. But to my pleasant surprise, hundreds have gathered! Exercisers! Walkers! Most of them over 40, many above 60 y.o. The way they exercise is hilarious – rubbing their bellies in circular motions, swinging their arms wildly for some apparent reason. They cough and spit chunks of phlegm onto the sidewalk, as part of their “cleansing” process. The motions they make with their bodies is quite unique, but it [...]

Back in Hanoi on Friday evening:
As a group, the 3 of us checked into our quaint little hotel, and at about 4pm, in rolled the rain. Just prior to the downpour, I had made the decision to take a walk around the lake, while my travel friends relaxed in the hotel room. The clouds had cleared out so I left my emergency poncho in the room – big mistake. I got about 3 blocks and the rain started, but lightly at first. Within 60 seconds I was at the lake, walking on the path at the waters edge. It started [...]

I took a break from work and spent the last several days traveling in Hanoi, Halong Bay, and the North Vietnamese countryside. Fortunately, I made notes of my trip along the way so I am able to recall the important details of my most recent adventure.
 Hanoi: “delicate, highly cultured city of ancient temples, bustling markets, lakeside parks, and French colonial architecture.” –Daniel Robinson.
 There is no better description of what we experienced in the wonderful city of Hanoi. Ali, Nadia and I made the flight north to Hanoi early Friday morning and met our Vietnamese tour guide (he spoke decent [...]

Oh Magical Fruit Smoothie-how you delight my every tasteful scent. Mango, banana, dragon fruit, and avacado, cut up into pieces, mixed with sweetened condensed milk and ICE (real ice!). A tastebud explosion that I can’t get enough of. I’m slurping on my very own fruit smoothie as I write this…our wonderful cook, Co Quyen, made one for each of us.
Due to the lack (and expense) of reliable refrigeration here in Vietnam, milk and cheese are impossible to come by. So canned sweetened condensed milk is the only form of dairy I can obtain (and an occasional carton of yogurt.) And [...]

Well, sorry for the delay in posting. The weekend was busy, then the power went out, then we had a HUGE lightning storm in which our kitchen started sparking, and now our internet still isn’t working. So I’m seeking out internet cafes throughout the city. Anyhoo…
Visited the Vietnam Cham Museum in DaNang on Sunday, and then power-walked with Shirley around the downtown area and covered about 10km! Saw the usual: roosters in random places, children playing in the gutters, dinner being made and served on a crowded sidewalk outside the home. Since the power was out, no one could stand [...]

I just returned this afternoon from a day trip to Quang Ngai (3 hour care ride one-way), the city where the My Lai Massacre took place on March 16, 1968. Remember hearing about those war crimes? 500+ Vietnamese civilians murdered by US GIs – it is quite a museum/memorial. My fascination with the American/Vietnam War has only grown since my arrival in Vietnam. In Quang Ngai, beautiful scenery: Brilliant green rice paddies that stretch for miles…coconut trees and casuarina-lined beaches…bright sun, rolling hills in the distant west…hibiscus flower plants that bloom all year…green, lush vegetable gardens…it is breath-taking. I stopped for a [...]

What is now called My Khe Beach, was “China Beach” for the US Soldiers during the American-Vietnam War. Claiming to be the nicest and cleanest beach in all of Vietnam, My Khe Beach is enormously popular with the locals and tourists, and is on the east side of DaNang. Anytime before 3pm the beach is nearly deserted, as all the locals are at work or staying indoors to avoid the hot sun. But after 4pm, the beach fills up with a few thousand people, swimming and lounging on the soft sand, overlooking dozens of shrimp and fishing boats in the bay. [...]

I almost forgot to tell you about my least favorite experience I have had so far in Vietnam…
So, it appears that FAMILY is very important to the Vietnamese. Everyone is included in every activity. I doubt there is such a thing as babysitters or “date nights” for Mom and Dad. EVERYONE does EVERYTHING together. I think this is a great component of Vietnamese culture, except when grocery shopping.
For instance, Sara and I went to “Big C” (the big huge supermarket downtown) on Sunday night to get some fruit and snacks. We gathered our things in about 10 minutes, and went to stand [...]

It is so amazing to me how fast time goes…
I returned from Hoi An on Sunday evening with a few new sundresses and some shorts – I LOVE my clothes (and so cheap!)
Monday morning it was back to work at the Social Support Center (disabled orphans), Agent Orange Victims Baby Orphanage (AOV2), and Malnourished baby orphanage. SO MUCH work to do. I’ve spent much of my evenings re-organizing the toys to be used at specific sites, as to prevent cross-contamination and decrease risk of spreading illness. Bacterial and fungal skin infections can run rampant here without adequate cleaning of supplies/toys. The medicine [...]

So much has happened in the last few days!
Thursday afternoon I went with Jen (operations coordinator) to visit a couple of babies being hospitalized – one for cleft palate surgery and the other for fevers/diarrhea. Oh what an experience it is to visit the Public Hospital… There are often 6-8 beds per hospital room, every bed is full, and has at least one family member there at the bedside. The hospital rooms are like a long cooridor, but no room dividers for privacy. Very unsterile conditions, no sinks or soap to wash your hands, open windows, no A/C…not sure what the care [...]

I forgot one footnote: about the motorbikes. While DaNang doesn’t have quite the traffic of Saigon, the traffic laws and driving standards are just as absurd. Basically, there are NO rules. None. Zero. I don’t even know WHY they have lanes. I have yet to see a cop. Stop lights are a suggestion, not a requirement. There is no speed limit, nor is their a maximum number of passengers to fit on a motorbike. But yet, with all the crazy motorbike drivers on the road, there are less accidents and deaths on the road here, than in the US every year.
So, [...]

Xin chao!
Amazing, busy, unforgettable day! I love it here. Started at 0730 with orientation and breakfast; met ALL the staff and Wonderful Mr. Viet (the brains and heart behind this entire project here in Vietnam). Had a language lesson on basic survival Vietnamese, and now I have some serious studying to do. Vietnamese is all about the inflection of the voice and emphasis on vowel sounds. For instance, if I pronounce the word “ma” wrong it could mean “mother,” “tomb,” “rice seedling,” “ghost,” or “cheek.” Yeah, five totally different meanings for the exact same word. How convenient… 
At midday ate some quick lunch, and a [...]

Today was a reminder that first impressions are not always the best way to judge a new place, person, or experience. At first when a person appears foreign, or a place seems uncomfortable, give it a couple hours and its amazing how the comfort can set in. Some of the new volunteers here in DaNang are going to be great to live and work with. There are five other women from all over the globe that I will be living/working with over the next month. After hearing their travel stories, sounds like I took the high road getting over here- I’m [...]

I am so tired, I’m beyond sleepy. After 16 hours on the train and another taxi to GVN headquarters, I found they don’t have room for me today (one volunteer has to go home tomorrow so I will have her room for the next month). So I went on a hunt to find a cheap hotel – fortunately, just around the block is a hostel where I will be staying for at least one night, maybe 2 or 3. No worries – my own bathroom!
The train: For the first leg of the ride I shared a compartment with a young [...]

First impressions of Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon:
Facemasks: everyone in the airport, train station, walking along the street, wears a facemask. pollution? paranoid? not sure, but many folks wear them. Some of the facemasks are FANCY – like the wealthier women have “bedazzled” facemasks with rhinestones and feathers. Hilarious!
HUGE! 6-7 million people in Saigon alone (MN has 15 million total). The city is bustling. I arrived here at 11:30pm and took a taxi to my hotel. A 20 min cab ride was $8 – I guess they ripped me off a bit, cuz i’m clearly not a local. The cab driver [...]

Only 2 days left until my departure… 12 hours to Tokyo, 6.5 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh; a quick nap, followed by a 16 hour train ride to travel 600 miles north to DaNang. For some reason, the days of travel are creating the most anxiety…
Thanks to many generous donations from friends and family, my suitcases are VERY heavy and FULL of supplies for the children. It was a task, but everything has fit so far: baby wipes, bottles, clothing, toys, FLOAM, crayons, teaching supplies (thanks Kate!), books, STICKERS, toothpaste, vitamins, desitin, hand sanitizer, etc etc etc. The list goes on and [...]