Fish Sauce

Sometimes i just don't get it...

These kids ARE mulnorished which means they ARN"T getting the Nutrients to sustain normal growth. Which means they get sick easy, have bad skin, boils, bad teeth (there teeth are black and broken and there breath is so bad, , etc

sooooo for childrens day they get the biggest bag of crappy (sorry i'm really angry about this) food.
which includes

prawn chips - ingredients artafical everything (including prawn) MSG, heaps of sugar and salt.
Lolipops - artifical colours and flavors -heaps of sugar
sweetened condensed milk in a box (thats fronterra for the great marketing of this product as being good for children- but it's pretty much icecream in a box)
biscuits - which are lemon flavor ard floresent yellow (scary)
a pack of noodles- ingredient of actually noodles not the flavor sashet (which they tend to eat as is too) -includes msg and a artifical colouring banned from NZ
and more lollies.

The thing i'm most angry about is that they get this kinda crap often maybe once or twice a week. Groups come into the orphanage and give them lollies....why not fruit!!???? it cuts me up i'm honestly in tears thinking of how tiny and sick some of these kids and people actually thinking lollies is good for them.

It seems to be the completely counteracting the efforts we have put in to get them extra nutritious dinners, fruit everyday.........

it seems crazy to feed kid (especally mulnorished ones food that has no nutrients and thats proberly doing them more harm )
it's now pretty much common knowledge (though Vietnam seems to have missed this knowledge) that......

*Sugar can suppress the immune system.
* Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance.
* Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
* Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
* Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
* Sugar can cause kidney damage.
* Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
* Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
* Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
* Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
* Sugar can promote tooth decay.
* Sugar can contribute to eczema in children
* Sugar causes food allergies.
* Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind’s ability to think clearly.

And to have a healthy diet with all the nutients for growth is to
Avoid refined, processed carbohydrates (especially sugar), including white flour and white rice. Seek opportunities to use whole, fresh foods.
Eat whole fruits
Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds (“wholesome herbs…, every fruit…, all grain… is ordained for the use of man”).

Today I was meant to be in Quy Nhon with Tien,

Today he was sceduled to have Surgery to correct his lip.
But it turns out he is in the process of being adopted......and his adopted parent want the operation done in America. Which is great!! aparts from the fact that heaps of the adoptions fall through and if that happens it's back to square one trying to get the surgery done (grrrr). I'm also a little bit Sad i didn't get to spend 4 Days in a Vietnamese hospital and 10 hrs on a bus with this gorgeous little boy.

on Sunday we went to Danang to do Easter on the beach with a bunch of christain pep's (yep! quite a commitment for a 45min service. Because Da Nang is a 2hreach way public bus ride, and you know how asia buses are!?, ....more about that later )

We had lunch with a HIV/Aids adviser of African/Kenyan decent.
He is such a sweet guy trying to make a difference, but struggling to handle the constant harrassment from the vietnamese, (Vietnam is obsessed with White skin. all the skin cremes contain whitener)
And he's under survalance by the government and such. so is looking to move out of Vietnam soon.

Anyway he gave us some insite into the HIV problem in Vietnam.
he estimates HIV rates to be as high as 15% and not helped by there being a complete lack of information,
In Danang city it was illegal to even buy or carry condoms in the city till 3 months ago. It also really common for husband to go outside of home for sex, as often wives will only have sex if they want to get pregnant (limited birth control/education avaliable) .
Other part of Vietnam are completely different with rules it seem to depend a lot on the local government.
It is often assumed that many of the orphans are HIV positive too, (i'm thinking of getting some gloves to wear when i treat their boils and skin infections and such) :-)

Now to the Bus ride back, travelling with a child works in your favour here sometimes, as i got offered a seat in the very back right next to the open window. (sweet)

Life's not so easy for the other volunteer who was harassed for more money, then told she was fat (she's a size 14 NZ) and told to pay for 2 people (which she didn't). then physically pushed and held back when a seat became available, so spent 2 hours standing.
Her Vietnamese was good enough to understand them telling her to get on a plane and out of their country , to which she swore back at then (hehe)

we are getting psych'ed for de-licing 30 children at one of the orphanages soon (hehe fun times .....not)
so stay tuned for the thrilling blog entry for that one.......