Friday

I slept so well, thank you sleeping pills and Advil PM!  I was so tired, and don’t remember waking up until around 4am.  From then until 7ish I woke up a bit, but it was still nice to sleep!  Our bodies get so messed up with the time difference (12 hours) so I always give myself credit when I can sleep and stay awake when I am supposed to.

This is the first year we have breakfast included with our room!  There is a Japanese restaurant on the first floor of the hotel (not really part of the hotel, but next door) so we made our way down there for breakfast.  It wasn’t anything fancy, but you get a drink, an “entree” and there is a small buffet.  It actually is perfect, as Erin got pancakes and I ended up with a ham and cheese panini, and then they had some fruit and hard boiled eggs! 

We came back to the room to get ready for the day and then we were off wedding dress shopping!  There is a street that our bus takes back from the orphanage that we call wedding dress row, and there are a TON of wedding dress shops.  After getting engaged this summer I thought about getting my dress made here as it would mean so much to me.  

I did a fair amount of wedding dress shopping in the states (thanks Mom, AK and Deb!) so had an idea of what I want.  I had done some research and found Nicole’s Bridal (on wedding dress row, so it has to be legit).  After some Facebook messaging back and forth, their English seemed good enough that I thought I could end up with something that somewhat resembles what it is I am looking for!  It also meant a lot to have Erin with me, as I had not done any wedding dress shopping with her!  Ni was working at the shop so I started to explain what I am looking for and showed some pictures.  Even though I had an idea of what I want, there were still a ton of decisions to be made (that I had no idea) so I was so thankful for Erin and Mom and their opinions (if the dress is beautiful, I’ll say I designed it and if it sucks, it was Erin and Mom!!)  Erin did draw a beautiful sketch of what I want, so fingers crossed we are all on the same page!  

Wednesday morning I will head back to (hopefully) try on a shell of the dress.  Then, they will close for Tet, and then spend a few weeks making the dress which will then be mailed to me!  There were probably 50 dresses in the store (I asked if any of them would fit me, she said no, too small, ha!) but they were all beautiful so I have no doubt that whatever they end up making for me will be perfect!  And, it will mean the world to me that Mom and Erin were with me, and that my “kids” will be with me on my wedding day.  Also, it was when I was in Vietnam in 2015 that Dan really wooed me.  We had gone on one date before I peaced out for a few weeks, and he religiously read my blog, making thoughtful comments and I just felt like he “got” what I was trying to do here.  So, it really seems full circle to have my dress made here! 

Wedding dress row is out near the orphanage, so we decided to stay out there and went to a hotel (near the airport where Mom and I had stayed before) to cool down and have some lunch!  The AC felt nice, as did cold drinks!  After some nourishment, we decide to treat ourselves to a quick head and shoulder massage before heading to the orphanage!  Apparently, we flagged down a party cab, as our cab driver played “Like a Surgeon” (video below).  You can sing along 



"Like a surgeon, hey
Cuttin' for the very first time
Like a surgeon
Here's a waiver for you to sign"

Kap was STILL very excited to see us, so we grabbed our crew and headed outside, this time with our electronics!  We try to find games that stimulate their mind (since the kids we bring out can understand a lot of the games).  We really like “cut the rope” as it helps with their motor skills, and they need to think about how to get the ball in the frog’s mouth.  It’s especially fun to watch Dorothy as she can do the more difficult levels.  They are also a HUGE fan of the song Gangnam Style, which they ask to play on repeat.  We got kicked out of our spot early as some man was sweeping and just yelled “go!!” at us, so we headed back inside.

Like I had said earlier the whole vibe is different.  We only know 1 or 2 workers and less than half the kids, as it appears the older kids have all gone somewhere else and there are a lot of newer younger kids.  The set-up of the room is also a little different.

We helped get the kids ready to eat, and we kind of roam around until a worker hands us a bowl of food and points to a kid who we attempt to feed (usually to no avail).  I have to say, and it’s not just because she will be reading this, but Erin was AMAZING with the kids!  

It can be super overwhelming (and incredibly sad) to see their situation, both in their physical and mental disabilities, but also where and how they live, and she just jumped in completely giving them all of her love!  I feel so blessed and honored that she is my sista!! And so happy she wanted to have this experience! 

We decided to splurge for a cab home, as none of us wanted to feel as crappy as we did yesterday.  However, I am not sure it was much better, as the cab didn’t seem to have AC and traffic was just as bad!  After taking a well needed shower, we decided to try an Italian place I had seen online that was right next to KFC, as the last thing we wanted was to hop in another cab!  It was delicious!!  We went for a quick walk after (although there isn’t a ton around our hotel) and then came back to call it a night!