Starting to Wrap Up

I didn’t feel any tremors after the big earthquake in China but apparently some people in Hanoi did. It is strange to be in this part of the world that has had a major earthquake and typhoon in the last week. The photos are terrifying. Some people here may be going as relief groups to China. Of course the Myanmar junta will not let anyone in to help.

Hanoi is quite busy and I have seen Buddhist monks and nuns all over the city as the International Vesak Day is celebrated. I have hoped to visit some of the Pagoda’s but haven’t had time with a pretty busy work schedule. We are helping the fellows get their research and program development projects written. They each will get some financial support. I am very impressed by the quality of the projects and how much they have been helping each other with instructive reviews and discussions. This is part of the reason I haven’t been out since I have been working a little later with Eric to get all this done.

I am looking forward to getting home. Certainly, coming to Viet Nam has been an amazing experience but I do miss my family and friends. I hope Saturday is an Auspicious Day for the flight. Thuy, who is coming to the USA soon, had been looking at flights in early June. His Mom has discovered that a few days later would be a much more auspicious day to start his travel for his education in Palliative Care. I use to be quite the skeptic about things like this but as you get older you realize there are things that you cannot always explain. It certainly will be an auspicious day when Thuy gets to visit us in Birmingham on one of his trips to San Diego

Tomorrow, we will be having a Memorial Service and dinner marking the end of the official training. I know that I will be keeping in touch by email and I have high hopes a number of my Vietnamese colleagues will get the chance to visit Safe Harbor and UAB and meet all my friends and colleagues back home.