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Mouse over the images on the right side panel for telling text pop ups. Also scroll down the entire right side panel to vicariously experience my adventures via the drop down menus of my photo galleries, short films, mp3s, and blog archives.
Welcome to my exploits across the globe from the perspective of a Vietnamese Minnesota American. I will try to capture the lowlights and highlights of my daily life, clinical work, and vacations. This blog will be a play-by-play epiphany. You will get to read my blunders, frustrations, and loneliness cluttered with my silliness, enthusiasm, and growth. I can't promise you insight into humanity, but I do promise some quality reality television material. Fortunately, on my show, you can't vote me off the island.
We are global citizens, blurring the lines of national and cultural boundaries. Sai Gon VN Online and Nongoma SA Online attempt to reveal the plight, charity, thrill, and splendor of our fellow humans sitting miles around the globe. However, after hours of mindless typing and insidious carpal tunnel syndrome, I wonder is anybody listening to my blathering filled with grammatical errors?
So on Nov 29th, 2005, I created this GuestBook to see the real time impact of my little work and to see if someone other than my mom is listening. You are invited to utter anything about my work, your beautiful self, or the weather in your country. Or you can be succinct and shout out Joe Miller was Here, Booyah!
Welcome to my exploits across the globe from the perspective of a Vietnamese Minnesota American. I will try to capture the lowlights and highlights of my clinical work, research, and vacation for one year of my life away from the states. This blog will be a play-by-play epiphany. You will get to read my blunders, frustrations, and loneliness cluttered with my silliness, enthusiasm, and growth. I can't promise you insight into humanity, but I do promise some quality reality television material. Fortunately, on my show, you can't vote me off the island.
For ~three months in rural South Africa, I will embark into the world of free ARV treatment in Zululand at the Saint Benedictine Hospital. The hospital sits in the KwaZulu-Natal province with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence (~37% as of 2003) for all of South Africa. As an outsider, I will imperfectly guide you through the cultural attitudes, thick stats, mind-numbing studies and limitless images about HIV/AIDS in Nongoma.
For part deux of my international escapades, I will relive my country of birth for ~6 months. At the age of 26, Viet Nam remains the cornerstone of my heart and mind, driving me towards the practice of medicine and challenging my concept of racial identity. My work begins with clinical research (dengue fever, avian flu, and HIV/AIDS) at the Pasteur's Institute in Sai Gon and then follow-up with HIV/AIDS treatment at a local orphanage. As I stumble through the Vietnamese cultural landscape with my poor Viet-lish, I hope to reveal to you the hardened perseverance, gentle beauty, and welcoming kindness of the Vietnamese people. Plus I get to enjoy a bowl of pho for 50 cents.
Links to the world to keep you updated.
Pizza Hut "Book It" program could get you to read, then I hope I can too!
Sit back and grab a 2 liter of Cherry Coke and family size pack of nachos with jalapeno whiz and entertain yourself with video clips of my work. Save the steak and fries for later, because this is just a snack. These videos are at a low resolution and shot by a digital camera while edited in Windows Movie Maker. The videos are formatted as Window Media Video files and slightly compressed as Zip files to facilitate downloading.Click on the above Drop Down Menu for immediate downloading pleasure.
Clap your hands and dance.
This South African journey is brought to you by the UN Association of the USA HERO program and the local partner organization, Media in Education Trust. I particularly would like to thank Susan Fox, Anil Mangla, and Jabu Gcabashe for their support and behind the scenes work. Thanks to Dr. Budhoo and Dr. Bhagat for sharing their ARV knowledge and curry. Thanks to Dr. Chetty and Dr. Ash for being my tour guides and teachers. Also the biggest and warmest thanks must go to Dr. Hla Tun for treating me like a son and letting me into his home.
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