Ramblings from Japan...

So after no sleep on last night's flight...I've been wandering around Narita all day... I think the delirium is starting to set in...

I had about 9 hours to kill before my flight to Toronto...and since it's about 12 degrees celcius and I'm wearing flipflops, I ended up going to a mall. As I was walking down some stairs, this very old man starts walking with me. He's talking a mile a minute and I can't understand a word. So I take a guess and answer him with "Canada"...Well doesn't he start chanting "Canada" and then starts kissing my hand over and over...just weird...

Then I go into the washrooms here at the airport. We've been used to the porcelain bowls in the ground in Vietnam but I was still a bit surprised to see it here in Tokyo. So I decide to check out door number two to see if it's any better. Well isn't there a nice toilet in there with all kinds of buttons...So down I sit, and find that it's a heated seat?? So I start checking out the other buttons...there's one for a bidet (didn't try that one) and one that says strong deodorizer. (didn't need that one) Then there's one that says music and the music is of a flushing toilet...I don't get it?? It's a toilet...why play music when you could just flush it if you want that sound??

So how's your day going?
Michelle

Cu Chi Tunnels...

Yesterday we toured the Cu Chi Tunnels...the tunnel system used by the Viet Cong...

This was a trap floor with bamboo spikes below...

Steve showing how the Viet Cong disappeared down the tunnel doors...

Hips don't lie...Michelle wouldn't have made a very good tunnel rat!

This is one type of deadly trap that would be hidden under the forest..

I lasted about 3 minutes in the tunnel...Not sure how people lived down there for years?

Team Poem...

Our tour of duty,
In Vietnam is almost done.
Compared to the last time the US was here,
This one was much more fun!

Enzo our fearless leader...
Had his hands full every day.
Just making sure...
That Toshi didn’t wander away!

Then there was Sheldon with his passport,
Anxiously waiting for the call…
Do you think someone was blocking it?
Someone perhaps like CIA Paul?

What about our hardworking Michelle P?
Is that what the pictures infer?
Cause I heard that they are naming...
A Vietnamese hammock after her!

The team trying to get Kaye to eat,
Was always a bit of a fight?
Then there’s our Stephen…
A Michelle Sandwich fills his appetite!

And don’t go to nurse Kelly with your aches and pains...
Cause she only wants you if you have good looking veins!
And then there’s Michelle B..with a rumor she talks…
But I’m still not sure why they call her Ms Chatterbox?

If you missed Dancing Paul’s latest show,
Don’t worry, cause Utube has it on video…
And Kelly just needs to give her the sign...
So Katrina knows, she’s cut her off of wine!

My roomie Margot who likes to bargain and deal...
She’ll get you items for a steal…
And the sellers don’t jump for joy?
When she yells out Choi Oy, Choi Oy!!

So Enzo and Michelle,
To you none do compare...
Being organized, easy going, and fun,
You’re both a Habitat Team Leader Extrordinaire!

Days Six, Seven, Eight and Nine...

Week Two had one team staying to finish off the Lagoon house....and Team Two splitting up to dig out two septic systems...Need I say more...

Katrina testing it out...

Ballooning around...

This is us with the family we were building the WC for....

The homeowner had us in tears when she said..." I don't have to eat because I am so full with gratitude for you being here..."

R & R

Mui Ne was the site of our R & R this past weekend....It's about a four hour drive from Bien Hoa and is on the South China Sea...The Blue Ocean Resort was absolutely beautiful...

Here's some pics...

Temple for Uncle Ho...

Guarding Uncle Ho...

Blue Ocean Resort pool...



Oceanside Tent for massages and pedicures...



Two Michelles in a Teacup boat...Not sure how they don't sink? (the boat that is, not the Michelles)



Sheldon...Man do starfish smell!




Mui Ne fishing village...


The Dunes...

The Vietnamese Bobsledding Team...oh, I think we need a hill....

Day Five...

Day Five was a half day at work and then a Celebratory Lunch as Site two finished off...(not finished off the house but finished working at that site...the group is now moving onto some highly crucial work...building septic tanks!)

Here's Day five pictures...

Some pre-day warm up with the Construction Supervisor...





Paul losing Pokeman cards to Michelle B...




Paul...that might be too many bricks? Oh no...I'm falling through the floor....ugh....good thing my arms caught....


Unfortunately, no one caught the fall on camera....but here is the view through the hole in the floor that Michelle P went through and almost fell through...15 feet...



Here's the Site One team....What a good looking crew!



Sheldon and Stephen playing Vietnamese frisbee....




These beautiful Vietnamese ladies came by our site to check things out......
(Is there any wonder why size XXL is too small for me here??)





Site Two Team....(Even better looking than site one!)





Michelle B and the Site Two Homeowners....




Celebration Lunch....

Did someone say Dog Soup?




Our Fearless Leaders showing us the way by trying the Rice Wine...





Related?

Good news....Bad news....

Good news.....

Although I had the best time in the Princesses Room in Madagascar.....(therma-rest & sleeping bag on cement...under mosquito nets...with an outhouse next door...) I took this picture to show you what Habitat life in a hotel is like....

And the bad news is.... This is what Michelle P and Kelly found on their pillow....