mah friend.

By Dan Dao

Yesterday was our first day away from the school site and the kids I’ve come to know so well in just a short time. We stayed occupied with sightseeing in Phu Yen: visiting an orphanage, a 2nd century Cham temple and rock crystal formations at Genh Da Dia. As our bus moved from site to site, I found enough time to relax and reflect on my thoughts and emotions about my fourth work camp with Sunflower Mission.

As I grow older, each work camp becomes progressively more engaging, and this one continues to raise the standard. More than ever before, I have connected with the local kids beyond the superficial level. Since they’re only in elementary school, it’s hard to believe that we can relate to them or really understand them. But they're not just cute little kids, or sad stories; they're hardworking students and loyal friends. 

Returning to the medical team for a 2nd year, I had the opportunity to learn more about medicine under Dr. Joe while brushing up on my translation skills. On the first day of work, I smiled when I saw the kids peeking at us from the windows around the back of the school. During my break, I ran out to meet them, struggling to force out my rarely used Vietnamese words. By this time, many of our new volunteers had been able to meet the kids and discover how fun and entertaining they were. As we all awkwardly exchanged names and ages, I could tell that I was going to enjoy getting to know them.

Meeting my friend Duong reinforced my belief that real friendship doesn’t know limitations of nationality, social and economic status, or even age. At just 11 years old, he still carries a persistently innocent smile, but his questions and comments prove maturity beyond his years. Over the 5 days we worked at the site, Duong became my hangout buddy and partner in crime. Each day, while I helped Dr. Joe alongside Nanhi and Vy doing preliminary checkups on patients, he sat by the door waiting or came by the window to visit us. At every break I had, I would go outside and I would ask, “What are we doing today?” like I would to any of my friends back home. From soccer to Frisbee with the other kids to Vy teaching him slide slide slippery slide to just sitting in the sand and talking, we found our common interests like making fun of our little brothers, laughing until we can’t breathe, and bossing other kids around. On the 4th day, we were all shoveling sand and filling wheelbarrows in order to level out the schoolyard. During our lunch break, Duong led the other kids in filling up wheelbarrows and pushing them to the correct place, laughing at the fact that he was pushing more than his own weight in sand. His laugh always makes you smile, and it's not too hard to make him laugh. 

Usual mischief aside, Duong is smart and eager to learn. Every day, he would ask about things like America, airplanes, girls, universities, and my life at home. He listened well as I did my best to explain SAT’s, the feeling of ears popping, and the appeal of high maintenance girls. His curiosity about my life and his articulation of his own led to a mutual understanding of culture. He never gave up when I couldn’t understand his Vietnamese and didn’t mind repeating and spelling the same word ten times. 

On the day of the completion ceremony, Vy and I watched sadly as he placed each individual pen and pencil from the gift pack into his new pen bag, wearing a brand new SM backpack that was twice his size. We never got to say goodbye properly but I hope I see him again, the 11 year old that I look up to.