When we first arrived to Tinh Hoa, members of the local Youth Union presented us with official YU shirts at a welcome party in honor of our service. At this point in our stay, we were still adjusting to life in the village. Some of us were getting comfortable on our bikes, others were coping with the scorching heat, and all of us (except for Eileen) were still trying to learn basic Vietnamese phrases. It was a nice gesture, but it is hard to say if the shirts had any true meaning to us. To be honest, they were not made for the heat and they looked a little odd! They are made from a thick cerulean blue cotton and boast a striking red and yellow Youth Union logo over the left breast pocket. If our students had popped the collar and donned the right pair of sunglasses and they would fit right into a 1980's cop drama!
After the party, we put the shirts in our bags and, with the exception of one or two students, that is where they stayed for the next two and a half weeks. Our time was focused on building homes, forming friendships, learning, teaching, and growing as individuals. Blue shirts were not on the agenda.
On our last full day in Tinh Hoa, however, we decided to wear our Youth Union shirts… and this time they had significant meaning. We were a part of something bigger than ourselves. And yes, our Vietnamese friends in the Youth Union wore matching shirts as well.
At the beginning of our final day, we took the time to enjoy some things in Tinh Hoa that we will miss the most in the coming months and years. Several students sipped a glass of rich Vietnamese iced coffee from a shop nearby. Even more of us spent some time at the beach – our beach – where we caught some of the best waves we have seen since coming to Vietnam. We all enjoyed the relaxing pace of the morning, knowing that our work was done.
In the afternoon, the formalities began. We attended a ceremony at the city hall which was very similar to the one held on our first day in the village. During these proceedings a news crew from a regional television station filmed and even interviewed a few of us. Considering that we already have celebrity status in Tinh Hoa (with everyone saying hello and asking us for autographs), we were old pros in front of a camera!
Then we biked as a group to each of the houses that we built and formally handed them over to the families – our families – who would care for these beautiful homes. This is when the tears started flowing. Knowing that we would not come back to these sites and see our new friends everyday was heart breaking. But there was also a genuine sense of accomplishment in this sad time. We had given these families, who we had grown to love, something amazing and life changing. We could see the gratitude, respect, and (dare we say it again) love that they had for us. The hugs lasted for a few hours, but the memories will last a lifetime.
As we biked back to our farewell party, we (Eileen and Ted) managed to stay in the back of the pack. By pure coincidence, we witnessed one of the most bizarre yet touching scenes. As we passed the rice paddies, we marveled at the thin blue streak, created by our students’ shirts, in a sea of brilliant green. In an already colorful region full of vibrant flowers, trees, and fields, we were able to make a small but incredible visual impact.
In many ways that image is representative of our work here in Vietnam. On paper, our contribution was small. We spent three weeks building three houses in a country with a population of 86 million people. But, if years from now, you ask anyone in Tinh Hoa about the students of the 2009 Putney Community Service in Vietnam program, they will fondly remember our hard work and our small but tangible impact in the community.
We spent the rest of our evening saying more goodbyes and even sang and danced a bit. At the farewell party, our students made us proud by singing an entire verse of Lý Ngựa Ô. The crowd went wild and made us give an encore performance!
The next morning, we had some group bonding time at 5:00 in the morning. We all trekked to the beach to watch the sunrise. We were tired, but the scenery was incredible. When the sun started to heat up the sky (which happens around 5:45 AM) we went back to the guest house in hopes of napping. But in no time we had several visitors and well-wishers showing up to see us off. Luckily, we managed to squeeze some time to pack up our belongings – blue shirts and all.
And then we left.
It is so hard to believe how strong our attachment has become to this little village in the middle of nowhere. Many members of our group are already planning to return years from now to see how the houses look. Many of us would like to visit our friends and see how the babies and little children that we played with have grown up. We (Eileen and Ted) hope that some of our students do return to Tinh Hoa… and that when they do, they’ll wear their deep blue, Youth Union shirts.
Singing off,
Ted and Eileen
