Claude's Cafe

It all started when we saw the handwritten sign reading “MOTORBIKE RENTALS” on Cham Island off the coast of Vietnam. Gesturing across the language barrier, we communicated that we wanted a tour around the island on motorbikes. There were six of us and only two people with bikes in sight. One of the guys pulled out his simple cell phone and made a few calls one after the next. One by one, people rolled up on their motorbikes and we hopped on. My driver wore clothing covering every speck of skin from the sun and bright red sandal-heels. Riding around, we couldn’t communicate via typical conversation. She held down the front of her wide-brimmed hat, right hand on the bike, and sang. Blue sky, warm sun, and cruising through the hills with friends, what else is there to do but sing?! At one point we fell behind the group because she stopped to buy gas. At first the shop attendant thought she wanted a bottle of water, and then came back with an extra tall plastic water

Well, it’s been just about two weeks and this evening we are taking a hop and a skip over to Vietnam! I am writing from the couch of a funky hostel we’ve been staying at here in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, CA. There’s a big world map on the wall just to my left serving as a sufficient distraction to writing this. A few people marked out their travels in chalk, but none to Vietnam, Morocco or Peru.  For the next three months I am traveling with 28 other college students on a study abroad program through the School of International Training. Our program’s topic is Climate Change: The Politics of Land, Water, and Energy Justice. Our group is 29 students, two traveling faculty, and in-country coordinators in each of the three countries we are going to over the next few months. Up first is Vietnam and we’re setting off for Hanoi tonight. Most days we spend at least part of the day in a classroom space at the Women’s building i