Convoy For Babies (CFB) HCMC --> Đồng Nai 11/17/2013

sugar daddy can`t come:sosad:

mark stutley wrote:

sugar daddy can`t come:sosad:

I'm sure the girls will definitely miss you...the baby girls that is.   

(put a space between your text and the emote icon so the program knows to load an image - otherwise the computer will be confused and will write the code like a word i.e. "come:sosad:").

I should be around in 2014 to do many more of these runs....of course you can always go there on your own too.

THD, I will be in Quang Ngai City on that date but you inspire me. I will go to the orphange there, find out what they need and go shopping.  I used to go to the NICU in 97 and hold babies. My own son was there for 3 months, it gave me something good to do with my time.

ancientpathos wrote:

THD, I will be in Quang Ngai City on that date but you inspire me. I will go to the orphange there, find out what they need and go shopping.  I used to go to the NICU in 97 and hold babies. My own son was there for 3 months, it gave me something good to do with my time.

Great!  You should focus on an age group.  I found that trying to do everything for everybody is like a drop in the ocean; your limited resource of time and material gets too diluted...i.e. you didn't make hill of beans of a difference. 

Focus on one group and do all you can for that group....like Babies (they just need formula). 

Or..high schoolers...since you teach English now, you could start a weekly English class to help them get ahead of their class at school (I'm starting this one next week at a different temple).

Or..5 year-olds by buying them educational toys.

Let me know how it goes.

Well, it's Thursday night and no one has signed up.  I've had people posting that it's a good idea and they want to join the next one so that's why I started this "next one".

JP_YK wrote:

Convoy for babies run...
Great idea ! I'm in for the upcoming one, if there is any.

//

I am looking to buy a motorbike, I will try to get one this coming weekend.

Anniest wrote:

Yeah THD, arrange another trip !

TC0088 via PM wrote:

Hi TranHungDao,

I just saw your charity event for the orphans in September 2013. My name is #########. I will be in the city for the next few months. I am very interested in these events: a chance to help and hang out with a bunch of great folks....

This is not a Vietnamese planning event; This is an American planning event and I do stuff like a precision guided smart bomb.  Three more days to go.  I need confirmations so I can work out the logistics.  My motorbike can carry one more person.

Hi,

Me and the girlfriend might be interested. Could you please give a little more information as to the address of the orphanage? Also is the orphanage in a temple?

How many hour are we expected to be on the road, to and fro?

How much time are we expected to be spending there?

What activities can we do or can't we do?

Thanks.

Regards
Mike

Hi Mike.  Be glad to....

Me and the girlfriend might be interested. Could you please give a little more information as to the address of the orphanage?
The orphanage we will be going to is called Chùa Diệu Pháp located at Tân Cang hamlet, Phước Tân commune, Long Thành district, Đồng Nai province (ấp Tân Cang, xã Phước Tân, huyện Long Thành, tỉnh Đồng Nai).  It is about 10 minutes from the Mango Garden Resort (Du Lịch Sinh Thái Vườn Xoài).

Also is the orphanage in a temple?
It's a compound with a worship area in the front and the back area is where the kids live.  About 5-8 Buddhist nuns run the place with a few hired helpers.

How many hour are we expected to be on the road, to and fro?
The last convoy there took about 2-1/2 hours total, with 1.5 hours driving.  From HCMC to Big C at the Hà Nội Highway and Vũng Tàu Highway crossing in Biên Hòa City, it took an hour and the driving from Big C to the orphanage was about 30 minutes.  We rested, ate fresh bread, and bought formula at Big C for about an hour.  Coming back is on your own so you can "pedal to the metal" if you like or mosey at a leisure pace taking in the sights.

How much time are we expected to be spending there?
You're free to leave on your own after you play with the babies.  But generally on Sunday's the temple will invite any guests that come to hang around and eat their Bánh xèo (kind of like a Vietnamese Omelette made from batter instead of eggs).

Usually 1/2 a day or you can block out your calendar from 7 AM to 2 PM to include the driving to and fro.

What activities can we do or can't we do?
You can play with babies, pick em up, sniff em (I'm a baby crack-addict) because studies have shown that touching is how babies feel loved.  You can take pictures.  After you're done, you can wander around the orphanage and check out the bigger kids and adults.  It can get overwhelming with all the sadness so I just focus on the babies. 

That's pretty much it.  The main focus is to bring formulas to feed the babies because they don't have natural milk from their mothers.

I finally got my motorbike. I am in HCMC and I can take a passenger if anyone needs a ride.

TC0088 wrote:

I finally got my motorbike. I am in HCMC and I can take a passenger if anyone needs a ride.

Great!  You're coming along.  Bring a spare helmet if you would (so the CSGT won't fine you if you take a passenger).

OK.

I think in the future maybe give more advance notice than less than a week. Not everyone reads the Expat.com forum everyday and they need time to plan out their day.

With less than a week notice they might have something already planned for the week.

THD, I can come along, meet you in Long Khanh somehere or give the address and I will find my way there

I just mentioned it to my brother and he said he will also come along, so count us in as long as its not raining.

colinoscapee wrote:

THD, I can come along, meet you in Long Khanh somehere or give the address and I will find my way there

Long Khánh is the wrong way and is much further away from the Orphanage than if you went to Biên Hòa.  If you want to catch the convoy midway, we will stop at the Big C near the QL51+QL1A intersection.  You can meet us there at 8:30 AM when Big C opens and the bread is fresh out of their ovens.

Generally on Sundays there are many other groups arriving so it's best if we arrive as one convoy.  Here, however, is the address:

The orphanage we will be going to is called Chùa Diệu Pháp located at Tân Cang hamlet, Phước Tân commune, Long Thành district, Đồng Nai province (ấp Tân Cang, xã Phước Tân, huyện Long Thành, tỉnh Đồng Nai).  It is about 10 minutes from the Mango Garden Resort (Du Lịch Sinh Thái Vườn Xoài).

colinoscapee wrote:

I just mentioned it to my brother and he said he will also come along, so count us in as long as its not raining.

Great...but I didn't know Aussies were weenies when it comes to rain. 

khanh44 wrote:

I think in the future maybe give more advance notice than less than a week. Not everyone reads the Expat.com forum everyday and they need time to plan out their day.

With less than a week notice they might have something already planned for the week.

Next weekend may be better but then I have an Expat who is only in town for a few weeks who wanted to do this so it was for his benefit.  I figured just throw it out there for anyone who wants to tag along.  Like a train, if anyone misses this one, they can catch the next one.

I thought it was Long Khanh, much better ride for me, maybe I will pass as I dont really like driving up that main road.

colinoscapee wrote:

I thought it was Long Khanh, much better ride for me, maybe I will pass as I dont really like driving up that main road.

You must be confusing Long Khánh Town with Long Thành District (where temple is).  Both are in Đồng Nai Province. 

I used to get them confused too.  Until I repeated their names in my head like 100 times.

No not confused, I know where both are as I have  been through  both areas many times, just read it too quick and didnt pay attention.

thd watch the lane police

mark stutley wrote:

thd watch the lane police

Yah, what we would call the road shoulder, is considered a lane for motorbikes here, even if it gets as narrow as 1 meter, you're still suppose to ride in it. 





Motorbikes driving in the "auto/car" lane are easy to fine since the CSGT can see you and jump right in front of you with their plastic batons to pull over.  I've been caught many times but in the end, it was worth it since I avoided:

debris/trash/dirt/construction material
parked motorbikes/cars/trucks
buses and shuttle vans picking up and dropping off passengers
dogs/cows (these suckers actually take over the whole road)
motorbikes stopping suddenly to buy water/food
motorbikes stopping suddenly to make a left turn
entering right turning people who don't look left before they merge
people going the wrong direction
...much more I can't think of right now

that occurs all too frequently in the "motorbike lane". 

Here it's my own safety versus following the letter of the law.

is that your bike? You got 2 mirrors

khanh44 wrote:

is that your bike? You got 2 mirrors

My bike does have 2 mirrors...which is in the minority.  That picture is just a google photo I found.  My motorbike is yellow (I chose that color for visibility and safety - but apparently yellow isn't a chick magnet color).

Well, today was another fun run.  Congratulations and thank you to my new friends who participated. 

You have earned the following titles (If I had gold medals made of real gold, I'd give it to ya...but since this is just a Internet Forum, I give you...titles... like Serial Expat, Contributor, VIP..etc) 

Tran Hung Dao, Mr. Chauffeur - Home-->VT-->HCMC-->ĐN-->VT-->Home for 260 km (162 miles).  My butt is sore.  Can anyone send me a hemorrhoids pillow? 
TC0088, Mr. Mule & Mr. Fundraiser.  Good job carrying the formula on your motorbike and thank you to your friends and family that donated the money to make such a large quantity purchase possible.
Naniwag, Miss Brave.  I was totally impressed that you'd let a stranger give you a ride at 4 o'clock in the morning to a far far away place.  Thank you for the trust and thank you for letting your love to feed babies overcome your fear of strangers giving you a ride in the dark of night .  I purposely drove "under the speed limit" for you.   

The babies thank you too with 20 more large formula cans to stock the nursery, they are able to eat/drink another a few more months.  20 cans x 900g a can = 18 kilograms of powder/formula.  Most importantly, you held/hug the babies and shared your love with them.  Feed the body + Feed the heart. 

I would join if I was in HCMC

funnybear92 wrote:

I would join if I was in HCMC

Thank you.  And I would lead a Convoy For Babies (CFB) HN--???
if I was in Hà Nội for you to join

ThanksTC0088, for taking some pictures.  I've uploaded them to share with the Forum.


Picture of some of the babies during feeding time.



Newborn with swollen head abandoned by parents. 



Here's the other baby that also has the swollen head (2 in the nursery). 

I don't know what this condition is called but putting on my Dr. Google hat, I found that it's called hydrocephalus.  Here's the info on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocephalus

I found an article written about a toddler in Indonesia here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/h … -1.1120901

So it is treatable...just need the big bucks for the surgeons. 

It's sad....so here's a final photo to cheer you up.



This boy is cute.  He's in his crib like a caged elephant.  Likes to be hugged/carry around but throws a fit when you put him back in his crib.  Future linebacker for the NFL here.

Hi THD
I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go there with you yesterday. It could be one of the highlights of my year 2013. Hope to be able to make a difference in their lives with more people in a near future.

T.

Dear every one,
How many kid there? When do you go again? Please let me know I still have many teddies left from our Small Teddy Bear Wish event (Vietnamese Orphan's Wish) we had just last weekend. So please let me know or if you could email me the inform. Thanks and hope to join everyone next time soon
Phương

I did some search on this 'enlarged' head symptom called hydrocephalus to find out how much the surgery would cost. It's very expensive surgery in the Western world easily in the 6 digits but I found this article and the surgery was only $2300.

I'll do some more digging when I arrive in Vietnam next month. First of need to find a neurosurgeon that is qualified to perform the shunting operation.

Cost for hydrocephalus shunt surgery

Hi Phuong
I was with THD last trip visiting the babies. I am informed there will be another one this 22nd Dec. I dont know if THD contacted you for this? If not, would you like to come? Let me know.

T.