February 2011
10 posts
This past week, I went to the Vancouver Aquarium. I never know how to feel when I go to a zoo or aquarium. Although I always have fun when I’m there, I can’t help question the ethics behind them.
I’m sitting at the airport waiting to board a flight to Vancouver. As I’m sitting the gate, watching all the girls in leggings and sandals, and boys in shorts, ready to head off to tropical destinations - such as Cancun or Orlando, I’m distracted by a group of students about to go on a mission trip.
They’re all excited to head off, I mean, who wouldn’t be ecstatic to go help save the world, and I see this girl with a money belt on the outside of her shirt. I repeat, outside.
Please feel to correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that seem to defeat the purpose of having a money belt in general? It’s coming down to brain capacity at this point. And right now, I’m going to be honest when saying this makes my brain hurt.
Nonetheless, I am about to be off to the beautiful Van-City until Tuesday! Now, it might not look like the picture I have, but I’ll take what I can get at this point.
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“Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge.”
—Unknown
HIV/AIDS rates in Vietnam
Today I was reading a link off of the VWU website which was talking about the HIV/AIDS rates in Vietnam. According to them, 35 people on average, per day, are diagnosed with HIV. In addition to that, one third of deaths among youths is due to AIDS.
There are so many things that could be done to stop the increasing spread of HIV/AIDS within southeast Asia but the stigma of AIDS continues to get in the way.
When it comes down to it - what should be more important, pride or reducing the spread of AIDS in the region?
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST HUMAN MEMORY?
I have to be honest, my earliest memory has nothing to do with living in Vietnam, attending the University of Waterloo, or have the Vietnam Women’s Union as my future employer. In fact, my earliest memory was a nightmare I had when I was three in which I woke up and saw a hippo and a rhino outside of my window and ready to eat me. It was absolutely terrifying.
Maybe that’s why I am headed to Vietnam rather than one of the four countries in Africa. Who knows!
