Day 3 - Monday, February 25, 2013 ARRIVING IN VIETNAM - TEAM MEMBERS MEET IN SAIGON

Good Morning Vietnam!

Saigon, the Pearl of the Orient, viewed from my hotel room.  Right below the balcony is the Hospital Grall. Built by the French in 1867, it was originally a Navy hospital, then it became an Army hospital.  Dr. Grall came on staff in 1905, 20 years later the hospital was named after him, hence Hospital Grall as my parents and my generations growing up in VN knew it.  In 1958 the hospital became a public hospital with 560 beds.  In 1978 it changed again to become Children Hospital 2 and remains until present.  This hospital has been in operation for over 140 years, it is now being renovated and upgraded with the funds from Oxford University and Wellcome-Trust foundation from England.  The trees lining the streets in Saigon are mostly over a hundred year old tamarind trees. The tart fruits are the main ingredients in many Asian dishes and drinks.  If you can see two church steeples in the upper middle of the photo, it's the famous Notre Dame Catholic church of Saigon.  The high rise buildings are popping up all over the business district of Saigon in the last 15 years as the world is rediscovering the Pearl of the Orient again.

Finally after months of emails and phone calls, we get to see each other in Saigon.  Dr. Shannon, Dr. Mickey & Padraic from New York, Dr. Paul & wife Robin from Maine, Lea from San Francisco, Trang & Phuong from Dallas, Van from Houston, Hung & his wife Nhu from Saigon, Dr. Hue from Long An.  12 of us, the team of VN 2013.

We purchased in advance thousands of toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste, notebooks, pens, bars of soap, bath towels along with large amount of dental supplies that have to be delivered by large box trucks from different companies.  When the trucks arrive tonight we form a human chain to unload the goods at Hung's house.