Convoy For Babies (CFB) HCMC -> Dong Nai 9/29/2013

Last activity 06 November 2013 by Tran Hung Dao

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Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 08:55:09

1523

Brief Mode (for those who are short on time):

Who: Expats and Expat-friends (locals) who want to make a difference.

As of 9/28/2013 - 20:49, the list includes:
Tran Hung Dao, 1, motorbike
Friend of THD, 1, motorbike
Citsym, 1, car
Anniest, 2, need a ride x2
mark stutley, 1, need a ride
Miss Kellie, 1, motorbike
Rosyvn, 1, motorbike
cang_nduc,1, need a ride

What: Charity convoy to bring food (formula) to babies at an orphanage.
When: 7 O'clock Sunday morning, September 29, 2013 until you get sick of playing with babies.
Where: From HCMC to an orphange in Đồng Nai province
Why: To feed and play with abandoned babies, get expats out of the city, make a difference.

How: Convoy via motorbike and car, each participant will bring a can of formula to be given to the orphanage. While at orphanage, we will play with babies. You are free to play with the older kids, handicapped adults, or just roam around smelling the fresh air, but the focus is on babies (since we can't solve all the world's problems, just one bit at a time). You're free to leave anytime.

REGISTER WITH ME SO I CAN GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY ARE GOING. Here's the form (to be filled out in triplicate, stamped by local police ward, authenticated by embassy, delivered to immigration office )

Form CFB09292013 wrote:
Expat-Blog Nick:
Number in my group (including me):
Mode of Transportation: [ ] motorbike [ ] car [ ] need a ride

Verbose Mode (for those who have time and want to get into details):

Initially inspired by Expat-blog member Anniest in her post about needing inspiration after returning to the Big City from a visit to Thailand (Click Here to Read That Thread), I came up with a challenge for her: Go Visit An Orphanage

Tran Hung Dao wrote:
It looks like you'll try anything so how about this? Do the opposite!

From your story, the trip to Thailand was a "level up" from Vietnam...you had your highs when you went there but now you came "back down" to Vietnam and feel uninspired. So how about you go visit someplace "lower"?

I have a place you might be interested in:

There's an orphanage in Đồng Nai province that I know of. It's run by a few Buddhist monks for well over 30 years. I would be willing to personally escort you via motorbike from the Saigon Bridge to this orphanage. All you need is to bring with you a can of powdered milk/formula (or bring 300,000 vnd and we can stop at Big C at the Vung Tau crossing to buy a can) to give to the babies there.

After I posted that response, there was a good number of people interested in doing this. So this new post is to invite other Expats and Expat Friends who may be interested in doing some charity work this upcoming Sunday.

We will meet this upcoming Sunday Morning, September 29th at 07:00 AM at the far side of the new Sài Gòn Bridge.

This past Sunday I did a recon of the area looking for a place for people to meet and this is a good place: large space, not crowded, in public view, easy landmark to get to. The bridge is on a major highway, the Hà Nội Highway, and one of the few access routes into the Big City. The bridge is under construction so this expansion part is not available to thru traffic until November. We can use the "blindspot" that cars/motorbikes currently don't use as a gathering/meeting/rallying/staging point.

So it is a major landmark so everybody knows this...even your taxi drivers will know where to take you.

Copy this on a piece of napkin to give to your taxi driver:

Cầu Sài Gòn

It's the name of the bridge in Vietnamese. You can tell your driver to go over the bridge and stop immediately on the right side as soon as you get off the bridge. You can look for my yellow motorbike - yellow motorbikes are very rare so you shouldn't have a problem finding me.

For motorbike riders, you should fill up your gas tank since I don't want any motorbikes breaking off from the convoy to get fuel. We are "all for one and one for all" so we stick together even if your motorbike breaks down or gets a flat tire, the entire convoy will stop and help...but running out of gas is a lack-of-planning correctable fault (you will get the Doophus award if you do this).

About one kilometer before the bridge, on the eastbound direction - the direction you'd be going if you're coming out of the city to the rally/stage/meeting point - there are two gas stations (Total and Petrolimex) you can gas up. They are located right next to each other. If you went under the pedestrian bridge, then you've passed the gas stations by about 300 feet.

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).

We'll convoy there along the Hà Nội Highway until we get to the Vũng Tàu crossing/roundabout/rotary/traffic circle; this is where the highway meets up with QL51, the Vũng Tàu Highway. We will rest here in the BIG C parking lot. For those that didn't buy baby formulas, we can go into BIG C located at this intersection. However, they won't open until 8:30 AM. So we will use this time to chat, drink coffee, whatever. For a special treat, we will send some people inside to buy some BIG C bread...this is NOT your typical bread. It's BIG C and since they're a French company, their bread/Baguette are like ...to die for. There's always a crowd at the bakery section of BIG C. As you know, a crowd means that alot of people know the food is good.

After our break at BIG C, we'll head down the Vũng Tàu Highway (QL51) to our turnoff. The authorities just recently blocked off the T-intersection of our turnoff with concrete barriers so we'll have to travel a kilometer or two down the road to turn around. I will stop the convoy at this blocked off location to remind drivers the plan to go forward and do a U-Turn.

Once we make it to the orphanage/temple, we'll meet with the monk that runs it. I'll explain to her about our plan to visit the babies section of the orphanage and present her with our gifts of formula. She is from Huế City so I usually have no idea what she is saying. I'm still learning the central accent.

At this point, we're free to ask her questions, look at the wall of picture of past orphans growing up, etc. She usually invites guests to eat lunch that consists of an omelette-like dish. I forgot what it's called in Vietnamese but it looks like an Omelette. Instead of using eggs, they use rice powder. Anyhow, if she invites, we'll stay for lunch.

After the initial greeting of the guests, she'll lead us to the babies section where there's about a dozen cribs that we can go around and play with babies! You're free to pick them up but make sure you know how to handle babies. They're fragile and might break.

Once we're done playing with babies and or eating lunch, we'll head back to the highway. At the Vũng Tàu Highway, we will officially end the convoy since people know how to go home from there. Mission Accomplished!

ancientpathosSerial expat23 September 2013 10:32:56

729

The right thing to do. Wish I was in HCMC. I would attend.

khanh44ViP23 September 2013 10:51:28

1191

yeah wished I was back in Vietnam sooner. That orphanage is less than 10 minutes from my house. Very worthy cause.

CitsymContributor23 September 2013 11:15:24

143

Put me down, plse.

Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 15:34:08

1523

Citsym wrote:
Put me down, plse.

You got it Mate. Are you familiar with the meeting location? You'll probably need to give yourself an hour and a half to come up from Vũng Tàu.

Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 15:38:32

1523

khanh44 wrote:
yeah wished I was back in Vietnam sooner. That orphanage is less than 10 minutes from my house. Very worthy cause.

The orphanage will still be here when you come and the babies will still be hungry then too. Chances are I'll probably be here too so I can organize a trip when you come as well. Just need two people to do this so it's not that big of a deal organizing it.

Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 15:41:19

1523

ancientpathos wrote:
The right thing to do. Wish I was in HCMC. I would attend.

Thanks for your support Ron. This project isn't specific to HCMC. You can do it in Quảng Ngãi too. That is one poor province. So I'm sure there are alot of malnourished babies there as well.

Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 16:03:21

1523

A thought just occurred to me and I owe our Expat-Friends (Vietnamese locals who hang around this forum) an explanation and clarification.

To an expat, $15 is about an hourly wage, and we wouldn't mind sacrificing an hour's wage to buy a large can of formula to feed a baby. It is a sacrifice but it's worth it.

However, I just realized 300,000 VND (about $15) is a freeken significant sacrifice for a local. It can be up to 10% of your monthly salary (assuming a 3,000,000 VND worker's salary); and to a student, 300,000 VND is gargantuan amount (since you guys aren't working and your parents probably would get mad).

So I don't want you to feel shy or afraid you can't help babies because you don't have money. Your love and participation is really what's important.

To "save face" and not allow you to feel embarrassed, I will pay up to 90% of the baby formula for you. Meaning, when we go to BIG C, you just quietly hand me 30,000 VND and I'll buy the large can to give to you. Nobody will know it was subsidized.

Actually, just PM me and tell me you want to come so I can buy a can of formula for you; then I'll hand it to you at the staging point. You can give me the 30,000 VND (or whatever amount) then.

Why am I only stopping at 90%? Because when you do a charity event, you need to feel some sort of sacrifice and I think 30,000 is a good amount; it takes about 2 hours of working at a factory to make 30,000 VND. You worked hard for it and you'll feel that it's going to a good cause in feeding babies.

So again, don't get discouraged because of the high cost of baby formula.

jimbreamSerial expat23 September 2013 16:14:51

693

AnniestActive member23 September 2013 16:26:37

#10

Me me me !!!

I suggest we all gather up in front of Metro

Tran Hung DaoViP23 September 2013 16:42:38

#11

1523

jimbream wrote:
THD,
Is Mum looking just for infant formula?And what age group formula? How about nappies or bedding or even a toy or two?
I ask because I am interested in being a part of this. I just want to being the right things.

Welcome aboard jimbream. There is no Mum (that's the British English word for mother right?) since these babies are abandoned. They don't get breastmilk and must rely on formula. They range from newborns to 1 years old. Usually after 1 years old, they move out of the nursery/baby area.

If you look at the large cans of formula, it'll have rankings on them ..like Step 1 -> newborn, Step 2 -> 6 months, Step 3 -> Under 1 years. Something like that. I think the formula is manufactured depending on how the baby's stomach digests it. Probably infant formula is easily digestible while 6 months to a year is harder to digest. So I think the Step 1 would work. If you can swing it, just buy 1 can of each.

The orphanage already has nappies/beddings/toys and other non-consumables because other volunteers visit the center as well. I just know that consumables, such as baby formulas, are in high demand since they're always...consumed.

Do you have a motorbike jimbream? And will you be coming just by yourself?

CitsymContributor24 September 2013 00:17:28

#12

143

Tran Hung Dao
Are you familiar with the meeting location?

I'll get myself familiar with the pick up point during the week.

Tran Hung Dao
Your love and participation is really what's important.

It sure is...

Miss KellieNew member24 September 2013 03:06:40

#13

I'll be there. I have my own m'bike.

Tran Hung DaoViP25 September 2013 16:31:31

#14

1523

Miss Kellie wrote:
I'll be there. I have my own m'bike.

Great! Are you able to give a ride to a passenger? There are other expats coming that don't have rides. I'm trying to find rides for those that don't have motorbikes.

AnniestActive member25 September 2013 16:47:00

#15

THD, are you goin to give me a ride?

Tran Hung DaoViP25 September 2013 16:47:12

#16

1523

This is the list so far: ((Edited - I moved this list to the top and embedded it in the first post to keep it up to date.))

Expat-Blog Nick: Tran Hung Dao
Number in my group (including me): 1
Mode of Transportation: [X] motorbike [ ] car [ ] I need a ride

Citsym, 1, I need a ride
Anniest, 1, I need a ride
mark stutley, 1, I need a ride
jimbream, 1?, ??
Miss Kellie, 1?, motorbike
Friend of THD, 1, motorbike

So as of today, the convoy has 3 motorbikes. We have 7 people...shouldn't be a problem.

Tran Hung DaoViP25 September 2013 16:58:15

#17

1523

Anniest wrote:
THD, are you goin to give me a ride?

You'll have to find a way to our staging point/meeting point (the bridge) by 7 AM. Then we'll see who has extra seats on their motorbikes.

Miss KellieNew member26 September 2013 02:52:25

#18

I can take someone on the back of my m'bike but prefer a light person...fair enough?

If you need a ride, PM me and we can work something out. I'm on the boarder of District 1 & District 3 near Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

Cheers

C.Kellie

Tran Hung DaoViP26 September 2013 07:59:02

#19

1523

Miss Kellie wrote:
I can take someone on the back of my m'bike but prefer a light person...fair enough?

If you need a ride, PM me and we can work something out. I'm on the boarder of District 1 & District 3 near Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

Cheers

C.Kellie

Thanks. Let me know if anyone PMs you. Otherwise, at the meeting/stage site, I'll ask who has open seats and who needs a ride to pair up people. People should be able to find a ride to and from the staging site...it's not a hard place to get to via taxi.

khanh44ViP26 September 2013 08:31:04

#20

1191

The Saigon bridge is cau den (black bridge) right? I think some locals will know if you say cau den if they don't know Saigon bridge.

Tran Hung DaoViP26 September 2013 19:04:37

#21

1523

khanh44 wrote:
The Saigon bridge is cau den (black bridge) right? I think some locals will know if you say cau den if they don't know Saigon bridge.

Not sure about that. It's the bridge that crosses the Sài Gòn river. It doesn't look black but concrete white....maybe the top part is black from the asphalt.

khanh44ViP27 September 2013 08:14:30

#22

1191

lol I didn't mean the colour of the bridge. I meant the old name of the bridge or that area that used to house the old 'cau den' bridge that is now I presume the new Saigon bridge.

I used to tell the xe om guy to drive me to cau den which just crosses into district 2. Very wide street and if I can recall in the middle of the road is a bus strip for people waiting for buses.

Was just curious if that Saigon bridge was the remodeled of cau den bridge that's all.

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 06:12:35

#23

1523

Ok, here's the weather report for tomorrow.

100% chance of rain. We are far enough from the storm to not experience the heavy winds the article was talking about.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/13594/sto … s-tomorrow

So bring your wet weather gear (you're probably already accustomed to it being this is the wet/rainy season in Việt Nam.

Don't forget to fill up your gas tank before you get to the rally point.

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 06:30:24

#24

1523

Ah, I had a question about what brand of formula to buy:

Here are two good ones that are popular and can be found on almost any store shelf. I am quoting prices from CoopMart. You may find them cheaper outside the supermarkets.

VinaMilk Dielac Alpha Step 1 (for up to 6 months), Step 2 (6 months-1 year old), 900g large can, 221,000 VND

Dutch Lady Step 1, 900g large can, 219,000 VND

So a 900g can is around $10. You can get either Step 1 or Step 2 since there are newborns as well as older babies in the nursery. The formula also are sold in boxes that are cheaper in price but buy the tin cans (so when they get emptied, the orphanage can give the cans to the larger kids to make toys out of them).

cang_nducContributor28 September 2013 10:18:36

#25

183

if any one can give me a ride, i'd love to join for tomorrow

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 13:09:00

#26

1523

cang_nduc wrote:
if any one can give me a ride, i'd love to join for tomorrow

There's people available to give you a ride but you need to arrange your own way to get to and from the rallying point (Sài Gòn Bridge).

Instead of spending that money on buying a drink tonight, you can hire a taxi to get you to the Sài Gòn Bridge.

cang_nduc wrote:
any one out for a drink tonight?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 61#1513891

AnniestActive member28 September 2013 13:37:16

#27

My mom also want to join... We both need a ride then Is it possible ?

By the way, should we bring our own helmets?

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 13:48:08

#28

1523

Anniest wrote:
My mom also want to join... We both need a ride then Is it possible ?

By the way, should we bring our own helmets?

There's people available to give you a ride but you need to arrange your own way to get to and from the rallying point (Sài Gòn Bridge).

If you don't bring your own helmet, then you can borrow mine. I'm bringing about 10 or so old use dirty helmets that I found along the side of the road after some xe om driver tossed them as being full of lice since he used them for the 10,000,000 guests that he drove for......(my imagination is running out here)

AnniestActive member28 September 2013 14:01:07

#29

I have the feeling that you really enjoy being mean to me (10,000,000,000 lices whatsoever) Anyway, bcoz mom got so thrilled after being told about the trip, she decides to join us tomorrow, and it's the right thing to inform you about both of us gonna need a ride.
Of course, we will find our way there. And I guess it's best to bring our own helmets....

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 14:08:21

#30

1523

Anniest wrote:
I have the feeling that you really enjoy being mean to me (10,000,000,000 lices whatsoever) Anyway, bcoz mom got so thrilled after being told about the trip, she decides to join us tomorrow, and it's the right thing to inform you about both of us gonna need a ride.
Of course, we will find our way there. And I guess it's best to bring our own helmets....

The reason I keep updating the list of participants inside the TOP MOST post, is to keep in mind how many people are going, how many people have rides and how many people need rides. I got you covered Anniest.

So far, there are 4 motorbikes going, 1 car and probably 4 people needing rides so I'll probably put you and your mom in the car. But bring your helmets in case something happens to the car (like it doesn't show up, has a flat tire, run out of gas..whatever).

AnniestActive member28 September 2013 14:17:59

#31

Now I need someone to tell me bedtime story or I would turn into zombie tomorrow morning. 7AM OMG !!!

Tran Hung DaoViP28 September 2013 14:40:22

#32

1523

Anniest wrote:
Now I need someone to tell me bedtime story or I would turn into zombie tomorrow morning. 7AM OMG !!!

Are you 28 or are you 8?

Ah...that reminds me, I should go to sleep early. I gotta be on the road by 4 AM to get up there on time. Quit your whining...7AM...

RosyvnActive member28 September 2013 15:04:12

#33

THD,

Can i have your own contact number in case needed.

Thanks

Tran Hung DaoViP29 September 2013 14:35:14

#34

1523

Rosyvn wrote:
THD,

Can i have your own contact number in case needed.

Thanks

No, because I'm sleeping already. Have to wake up at 4 AM. This is me in the future writing to answer you in the past.

hELLnoiViP29 September 2013 14:47:51

#35

1274

Tran Hung Dao wrote:
Rosyvn wrote:
THD,

Can i have your own contact number in case needed.

Thanks

No, because I'm sleeping already. Have to wake up at 4 AM. This is me in the future writing to answer you in the past.

WOW
you tranformed into a Vietnamese HERO
came back from the past to be here today
to save babies
and reply to messages from the future...
isnt technology great

Tran Hung DaoViP29 September 2013 15:28:57

#36

1523

Wow what a fantastic day! Congratulations to all 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, Supreme Commander of Convoy (inference to historical figure's title)
Maria, friend of THD, Director of a Future Orphanage somewhere
Citsym, Transportation Chief of Super Shuttle and Lover of Tollgates, Champion of Dryness (Rain's got nothing on him)
Anniest, Annoyer of Mark, Loved by All, Suppressor of Tears (yah I saw em - didn't fool me you soft heart!)
Anniest's mother, Million Đồng Parasites (a.k.a. traffic fine) Destroyer
mark stutley, King of Cows (how did you manage to get all those formula?!)
Miss Kellie, Natural Mother in the Making (or baby kidnapper in the making )
Hồng - Rosyvn's Representative, Super Sneak (just stood in the group for 30 minutes convincing everyone that she's NOT part of the group but just "waiting for a friend". "Are you Rosyvn?" NO! "Are you Rose?" NO! - I still have no idea who she is in relation to Rosyvn... friend? niece?) and Chair (no, not like a seat of office, authority, or dignity, but a SEAT for a particular person from Perth to sit on...and maybe squash.)

Seriously that was one fun convoy. Thank you thank you and the babies thank you!

I only took a few pictures from my camera so send me pictures that you took with you cameras/smartphones so I can share it with the rest of the participants. PM me for an email address.

Participants faces are blurred because I do not have their permission to post their picture on a public forum. But the good looking one is me (maybe...maybe not...).

Miss KellieNew member30 September 2013 00:30:47

#37

Thanks heaps!

I'm ok for you to unblur my face tho lol...I asked my husband about adopting a baby last night and he's told me to wait a few years.

CitsymContributor30 September 2013 00:35:16

#38

143

It was a great day... not only did we help the orphanage, but we meet and made some great friends. Look forward to catching up with you all again.

CitsymContributor30 September 2013 01:07:01

#39

143

MarkinNamSerial expat30 September 2013 02:45:41

#40

967

Annie have to say, I was trying NOT to upset you but it was tough real tough i think you love it

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