Another Hot Summer

With temps in my bedroom often over 85 degrees, it's tough going in the summer but last month I broke down and bought an airconditioner. Running it about 3 hours a day Sun - Thur (when I'm home before bed), it's so far only cost about $10 to run. I had heard horror stories of $100 power bills from locals and wanted to avoid that since my darn rent is only $75 per month! Remember, I'm living on $300 a month here so a $100 power bill is not in the budget. ha ha ha Gone are the days of $210 Electric bills from SDG&E!

One of the highlights since I last wrote was the night I went to Social Support with Minh Chau. She had 'a suprise' for me and when I got there, I received 9 Mother's Day cards from 9 kids that I used to teach. It was wonderful! They all asked me to 'be their mom', told me they loved me and wished me a Happy Mother's Day. I keep one card hanging in front of my laptop, just to remind me why I'm here because - Some days I forget -

Most days, I'm lucky. Lucky to have volunteers with big hearts and some with equally big wallets. Volunteers who might be only 18 but committed to recruiting their friends and family to volunteer or committed to fund raising when they go home. I'm grateful for all the interns who look after the volunteers by taking them to the market, to the beach, to placements, to the bank, to the pharmacy - so I can keep managing projects and fund raising.

I'm happy to be planning a trip home for 2 months. Although it'll be a working holiday because I'll be fundraising and recruiting - it'll be worth it. I have been told by more than one adult volunteer that I could so much more for GVN if I can get abroad and get the message out. Actually 'speak' to people vs. email and tell them about the wonderful kids and opportunities here.

I miss some things from home. It goes without saying that I miss family in CT and friends in CA. But I also miss Mexican food, a gay community, the gym, my mom's cooking, home made wine and Grey's Anatomy. But, I'm not ready to trade in my $3 movie tickets, my 35 cent coffee, the neighbor kids who make a mad dash at full speed down the street to give me a hug, the kisses from the carers when I bring them shampoo or diapers, the spring rolls, the motorbike rides to HoiAn or the friendly "Hello" I get as I walk down literally, any street. Nope - not ready to trade that in just yet.

In the meantime, I'll go home, fund raise, eat, drink, travel, enjoy, relax, play and rest......