July 8: lazy day

Surprisingly, we did not go to the beach today. An and Elizabeth got a little burned from last time, so we're taking a break...until tomorrow!

It's about 5 p.m. as I am writing this, and we're all just laying about. E is reading, An is being her crazy self and, of course, I'm writing. Everyone caught the lazy bug.

We went to try on our first traditional dress, and I just love mine! They did it so fast too; how admirable the tailor's work is. That took a bit of time, but hey, I had nothing else to do.

I learned how to play Rummy 500, which is a really fun game. I'm shocked by how quick I picked it up, since card games are usually not my thing. My ability to play is limited to mostly solitaire, spit, blackjack and goldfish--but do they count as card games?

Later we got our nails done at a nearby shop. It seems like everything we need is a walk away. Of course, we got weird looks again (I should get used to it), but I just tried to ignore it. There was this incident when a guy who was driving a motorcycle honked at us and stopped at a spot ahead, as if expecting us to approach him. We walked towards him, since it was the direction we were supposed to go. Once we walked totally past him, he got the message. Honestly, did he think we wanted a ride? What a creep.

We got manis and pedis and a bit of eyebrow threading. All of it cost less than 2 dollars. Can you believe? The prices here are so low, and I now realize that America is ridiculously overpriced. The girls who did our nails are earning nothing compared to those who get 25-30 for every set! One particular girl who worked on me was 17-years-old. My cousin asked if she was still in school, but she said 'no.' Then, in a manner that I thought was horribly rude, asked, "Do you have a child?" The girl answered no in a polite way. If I were in her place, it'd probably lash out at my cousin.

It's sad to see a girl around my age working for such a measly pay. A lot of children in vietnam and other financially disavantaged countries are forced into slavery or have to work because their parents abandoned them. It's just not right.

I contacted Blue Dragon a month ago, because I wanted to tell them that I was going to be in Vietnam and wondered if they needed help. They never replied, so now, I don't know what to do. I know in the future, when I can, I will do more to help everyone. Right now, however, I'm afraid I can only give them money when they ask or buy them a small meal if they beg. Yeah, it sounds horrible.

I have a second cousin here--she's about 5. Her parents abandoned her and left her with her grandmother. My aunt, the mean one, knowing full well about her background, asked where her mother and father were. The little girl looked like she was about to cry! Honestly, I hate Vietnamese humor sometimes. They can be so blunt--and not in a good way!

We thought one of the dogs here was sick, so we bought a bottle to feed her two puppies. It was so adorable; the mother followed our every move to make sure her kids were alright. In the end, she fed her puppies herself. Honestly the cutest thing I've seen here!