Jude

It's amazing how I can run away to the other side of the world only to find out that my life changes very little no matter where I go. All I can say is that my experiences here are getting more and more intense as I only have two weeks left in Vietnam. Honestly, I can't wait to get home, curl up in bed with a burrito and take a nice, long nap. The stress is starting to get to me a little bit and I wish the BSP family was here with me. In some ways, it is - I've noticed a common thread among community leaders here, one that emphasizes health and happiness over financial progress. There is so much to talk about, so much planning to do for the future and build upon my dreams. Before I left for Vietnam, Linda DiMello, director of the ALS Association, was kind enough to send me a quick note wishing me well on my trip. She gave me the simplest, but most useful piece of advice I received before my departure, "Be bold".

I have been very bold with some of the decisions I've made, but I really wish I had a bit more time to reflect on what's been going on. As amazing as my internship is, I've been having some difficulty lately as my supervisor has fallen ill. We went to go visit him in the hospital the other day and I realized that he has a combination of tuberculosis, HIV, and liver cancer. His illness has been hidden from the public eye. As far as everyone who is not staff is concerned, he's at home resting. There's been a lot of talk lately and I have the feeling that they are organizing a change of hands within the group and requesting more foreign aid from their benefactors in France. It's saddening watching a hero grow weaker, but if there's anything that life has taught me, it's that death is not to be feared and there is much we can learn from the passing of others, even if it is deeply disturbing in some regard. We can approach death with boldness, stare it straight in the eyes, and understand what is going on instead of turning a blind eye. Life, in all it's glory, can reveal itself most candidly in these moments.

It is quite obvious that he's not well. Maybe it was the hospital environment, the fact that he was laying in a hospital bed in the middle of the hallway of Cho Ray hospital, a place where the open air reeks of the mixture of bodily fluids, death, and rain water. I don't know why any sick person would go there, but I'm hoping he gets better soon.

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"Do you ever go numb to it?" she asked.
"No, never."

I hope I can keep my resolve.