scavenger hunt!

to get us acquainted with our new vietnamese language partners and with the city, our field director organized a scavenger hunt for 2:30 (!!) yesterday afternoon. this was a mere hour and a half after we'd finished the feast with our côs. we were all seriously dazed and wanted nothing more than a long afternoon siesta, but this is kind of like language camp, and yesterday's scavenger hunt was like archery - NOBODY at camp val verde liked archery except for my best pal keri, who was a natural at all things sports (and next to whom i was a very awkward priss), but the camp counselor insisted. so you HAD to go. and for yesterday's camp VASI scavenger hunt, we HAD to go.

we were given a list of things to buy and/or photograph: black sticky rice yogurt, mung bean cakes, a t-shirt with uncle hô's face on it... divided into groups of three, we hit the town running. and two hours later, we were still running! it was insane. unlike archery, which i still hate, the scavenger hunt brought out the competitive side of me (surprise surprise), and i got really into it. so into it that i hardly noticed how disgustingly filthy i'd become until i sank into my plastic chair at the bia hoi at the end of day - exhausted but victorious! that's right friends, we won. the prize was team vietnam jerseys, though i've been told not to wear mine in orange county. bad politics!



disclaimer: i hate my digital camera. i can't figure out how to control the focal points and apparently my hands shake so bad that i can't ever take a clear pic without the flash. so i apologize now for all the slightly blurry pics posted on this blog. one of two things is happening here: either i'm a complete idiot or it's time for a new digital camera.