Out and About in Saigon

Today we got up and went down for breakfast in our hotel. The food is very good here and breakfast is included in the price of the room. The foods are a bit non-traditional but there are some similar things. I eat either beef pho(noodle soup pictured below) or beef steak and french fries every morning. You have to get down early to eat the pho as it is very popular.

After breakfast we went out walking and ended up at Independence Palace or Reunification Palace. This palace was the presidential office of the South Vietnamese government until it dissolved on April 30, 1975. By this time the American forces had been withdrawn from South Vietnam and only essential military personnel and embassy staff remained in a show of support for the South Vietnamese Democratic government.

Symbolically the capture of this palace by North Vietnamese tanks on April 30, 1975 signaled the reunification of the entire country under communist control. This day is a public holiday in Vietnam known as Reunification Day. These gates pictured are the very same gates shown during the North Vietnamese invasion.

Before this event took place all Americans had been evacuated from Vietnam along with thousands of Vietnamese refugees fleeing the communists. Those who did not escape were re-educated by the North Vietnamese in concentration camps.

The palace is very nice and has a beautiful view. It is about 5 stories, and includes a theatre, a gambling room, rooftop helicopter landing pad, various meeting rooms, and an underground bunker.

From there it was on to the War Remnants Museum. This is a museum constructed to show pictures and effects of the Vietnam War. In Vietnam the war is referred to as the American War. The walls are covered with photographs of bombings of churches, villages, children, and other areas. It even has jars with preserved fetuses that were supposedly aborted or damaged by Agent Orange. It is very gruesome, but a site that is worth seeing. I try to remember that there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

The grounds around these areas are well cared for and very beautiful. The city really has some very nice areas.

After the museum it was back to the hotel. Jett went to sleep very quickly so we decided to order room service. Everything on this tray was $5 and it was brought to our room. I just had to show you the squid that was in one of the dishes. It is very good. I tried to get DeanAnne to eat a piece and let the tentacle hang out of her mouth, but she was to embarrassed.

Another note for those who are yet to travel; The streets of Saigon are filled with beggars. Many of them walk on their hands with flip flops for gloves. Some of them are missing limbs or have severe deformities. Some of them are very old ladies. They will pursue you relentlessly for donations or to sell you something. If you are seen giving to one, many more will follow you. Many of them claim their deformity is a result of the war. You have to prepare yourself mentally to turn these people away. If you even stop to talk to them or look at what they have to offer, you will be in a situation. Sometimes it is very hard not to help these people, but many of them are nothing more than con artists waiting to prey on sympathetic travelers. Just a word to the wise so you can be prepared. Most of them are not intimidating or scary, just extremely persistent.

J.R. and James: It was good to talk to you on the video phone. We were so proud to see you both and Julian too. We love you and miss you. Love momma and daddy.

Here are a few more pictures of Jett. He really likes it when Daddy feeds him supper. Oreo cookies! I'll make up for it at breakfast so he can get some dairy products, ice cream!

He has really improved in many areas. He is pulling up and standing on the edge of the bed and chairs. He has also learned to patty-cake. I say patty-cake, patty-cake and clap my hands and he will stop what he's doing and mimic me. It's pretty amazing after only 4 days.


He's been running a fever the last two days. Even while sick he still smiles and laughs alot. We can't wait to get him home for everyone to see!

Feels Like It's Raining All Over the World

Just got back from supper on Wednesday night here and it has rained all day long. Our friend Joe has been in the SOS International Clinic for two days now with kidney stones. Please remember him and his wife Katie in your prayers as they are here in Vietnam with their first child and all these technical difficulties. We hope he will be able to get out tomorrow. Katie has stayed with us pretty much all day and we've let the boys spend some time together.

Tonight we went out to eat at the Texas Bar BQ restaurant and man is it good.

The tables are outdoor and covered by a large canopy. Country music blasts over the speakers while you eat. It really feels alot like being back home. I enjoy eating at this place and this makes twice that we've gone. Check out the tops on the Coke cans, bet you haven't seen one like that in a while!

Last night we ate here and when we left I caught the worst taxi you have ever seen. The driver was young and he kept choking the taxi down. I gave him a card from the hotel which is a bout a $1 ride from the restaurant. Thirty minutes later we are nowhere near the hotel. DeanAnne says, "Don't you think we need to get out?" I said sure, and we'll just wait until daylight and walk towards the Saigon skyline. He finally stopped and asked some people how to go. Once we got in the area, he still wasn't sure where we were so I just told him to stop and we'd get out. We walked the next few blocks and as we were going up the stairs into the hotel I saw him come putting along by. I guess he just wanted to make sure where it was for the next time. I cannot stress enough to those who are coming what a barrier, language will be. Vietnamese is a tonal language and cannot be spoken mono tonally as we speak english. For example, I can speak Vietnamese words and 9 times out of 10 the person I am talking to will not even realize I am speaking Vietnamese. They sure don't understand the slow drag southern drawl Vietnamese that I speak. Thien Xuan, our hotel comes out like "tin swan" with about 7 syllables. They just smile and act like I have said hello. Well that's about all for today. Jett is running a fever and he's in a foul mood when he gets ready to go to sleep. I'm hoping for better weather tomorrow and a better feeling little boy. Until next time, adios or rather tam biet as the locals say!

Tuesday's Gone with the Wind

Last night we went out to eat at an Italian restaurant called Pomodoro. It was very authentic, and very good. We came back and went to bed. Jett woke up a couple of times in the night, but he slept until 9:00. Once we got up and checked the e-mail, bad news had befallen us. Seems our Giving and Receiving which was scheduled for Wednesday, was cancelled and rescheduled for Monday. This really floored me as it will significantly postpone our return, possibly by as much as 5 days. It just doesn’t seem fair, but I have learned one thing through this entire adoption process; when things don’t go the way I planned that just means they went according to the plans of the One who knows much better than me. Please continue to lift us in prayer and our family daily. DeanAnne really got emotional this morning when J.R. said, “Momma, I’m ready for you to come home.”


We went for lunch later in the morning and you’ll never guess where; Pizza Hut. We were supposed to meet our friends Joe and Katie there, But guess what. There are twoo Pizza Huts in Saigon and we both went to different ones. The Pizza Hut was very nice and similar to the ones at home except that it was four stories tall. The menu was pretty much the same. We had a “Country Delight” which has sausage, ham, mushrooms, and pineapple. You couldn’t tell a bit of difference between it and one in Georgia, very good. The service was very good as well. After the waitress took our order, she said that it would be out in 17 minutes. I thought that was a pretty specific time, but she was right on the money. The cost for a large pizza and 3 drinks(no free refills here)= $10. The oddest thing about the place was that the bathroom was on the top floor. Air conditioning ends on the 2nd floor, so those last two flights of stairs were hot! I told DeanAnne I needed to go, but by the time I reached the top I had sweated it all out. I just turned around and headed back down. All that effort for nothing!


Better news came a little later when our facilitator stopped by the hotel and told us he had already arranged for our medical exams to be performed this afternoon. That will help us to move things along a little faster after our Giving and Receiving. Every person, babies included, who wish to travel from Vietnam to the U.S. must first have a medical examination before an entry visa will be granted. This examination must be performed by an embassy approved doctor at an approved facility.

We went to the Cho Ray hospital for our appointment. There were many people there waiting for appointments for a visa examination. Most of them were adults, but there were also a few other adopted babies there for examination. The examination went very well and Jett did not even cry during the exam.

He made up for it in the taxi on the way back. He was very tired and he missed his usual afternoon nap. He is asleep now after much struggling. It has always been amazing to me how the sleepier a child is the harder it is for them to go to sleep. He fought the good fight, but eventually sleep won.


We have the rest of the week free now. I don’t know what we will do but our next appointment is for our Giving and Receiving on Monday. I think we will see a few attractions and just rest. Thanks for visiting our site and please keep the comments coming. They are a great source of comfort for us. For those of you who doubt that I am in Vietnam because you never see pictures of me, DeanAnne snapped this photo at the hospital. My feet were very tired so I had Jett to carry me. Isn't he a big boy.

J.R. and James: Momma and Daddy miss you alot and we hope to be home with baby Jett very soon. Remember to pray for baby Jett to come home when you say your prayers tonight. We love you both! Here's a smile and a wave from baby Jett just for both of you!

Cyclo Tour of the City

Last night we went out to eat with the director of our agency, Sue Hedberg. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Lemongrass. The food was good and DeanAnne and I both had pho. Pho (pron. fer) is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup and it is served in stalls, cafes and by street vendors all over Saigon. It is full of noodles, meat, and vegetables. You don't usually eat the broth, just the ingredients. After we left the restaurant we walked back to the hotel and I took this picture of the Ho Chi Minh City Hall.

Last night brought back old memories. Jett is 1 year old, but he still takes a bottle about every 3 hours. He has not had anything food wise but cereal mixed with water. His caregivers held him alot and he has not developed muscularly in his lower body because of it. He can stand and cruise down the edge of the bed. He moves around really good and I think by the time we come home you'll probably see alot of difference in his lower body. He is a very happy baby and only cries when he wants a bottle. He is very interested when we are out walking and really pays attention to the things going on around him. He also smiles and laughs alot.

We went to the grocery store this morning to try and find some baby food for him. We think that if he gets some real food in him he will be able to go longer between meals. After we left the grocery store we started walking back. Some cyclo drivers begin following us and hassling us. I finally gave in and we let them take us for a ride.

A cyclo is a bicycle with two wheels on the front and a seat for a passenger. The driver sits on the rear and pedals the contraption. They are a common sight in Saigon and many of them are very old and dilapidated. The drivers will follow you around and aggravate the stuffings out of you to give you a ride. They are notorious for sticking tourists as well. Settle on a price before you get on the thing. Every one that comes by me pats his calves and says"Very strong, I give you ride!" So today I decided I would test one out. It is a really good way to see the city. We rode by a lot of places today.

We saw the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The streets are very busy and It gets kinda scary sometimes as the trucks and motorcycles zip past you. I am still amazed at what people haul on their motorcycles and bicycles. They carry things you can't even imagine. Here is a picture of a bicycle so you can get an idea.

We saw several booths while on the ride selling dog meat and kangaroo meat. We also passed several Budhist pagodas where people go to pray and offer incense. These incense altars are burning all over the city. Many shop keepers burn them right in the doorways of their shop. At the temples, some of the incense sticks are 4-5 foot long and as big around as a broomstick. They also burn huge incense coils in the pagodas that are suspended from the ceiling.

After a couple of hours of riding around, it began to rain. This is the monsoon season in Vietnam and rain comes almost every day. The cyclo drivers pulled over and let us stand under a shop's awning while they put the covers up on their cyclos. Here is a picture of DeanAnne's driver assembling her cab. The rain was short and we headed back on our way. It was really hot and Jett was getting restless so we headed back to the hotel. The weather here is very similar to Georgia, hot and humid. The humidity doesn't go away here though since it rains much more frequently than back home.

Thanks for checking up on us. No adoption work today or tomorrow. Wednesday we will go to the Binh Duong People's Committee offices for our Giving and Receiving. It's really nice here, but I'm ready to move through this process and stand on familiar ground again. It can be very unnerving at times when you think about how far away from home you are and how little is under your control. We have to put everything in God's hands. The language is a very significant barrier. I recommend to anyone coming to get a phrase book and practice a little before you come. If you have any Vietnamese friends, get their help. Most of the Vietnamese people speak enough English that you can understand them. The problem comes when they try to understand you. I know this thick southern accent I got probably don't help any either. At times it can be a real problem. You ask a question and the person just smiles at you. So you say what you think is a similar word in Vietnamese and they don't even recognize what your saying as Vietnamese. Both of you smile at each other and say thank you while walking away. The people are very nice though. I doubt there's anywhere else in the world you can make such a fool out of yourself and not feel really embarrassed by it.

Drumroll Please!

May we introduce the newest member of the Fordham family, Jett Reuben Fordham. We will call him Bao (Bow) as that is his Vietnamese name and he seems to respond to it. The very first meeting was very emotional and he was scared. he quickly warmed up to DeanAnne , but would cry sometimes when he saw his 20 year old caregiver. He is very small but he can pull up and sit unassisted. he was very scared of me at the first meeting, but now since we are in the hotel room he doesn't seem nearly as frightened. This post won't be long as I have not got much to say. Everything is so overwhelming. 18 months of prayers and dreams came together today in one moment and it was extremely humbling. We are so thankful to each person who has lifted us up in prayer. Now we ask for special prayer as we go for our Giving and Receiving ceremony on Wednesday. This is an official ceremony in the province where he lives. After this ceremony we will be recognized by Vietnam as his legal parents. The next steps will be a series of interviews with U.S. immigration officials. Please pray specifically for his INS interviews and that all requirements for his visa will be met and approved as quickly as possible so that we can travel back to be with J.R. and James soon. Sometimes these steps can really prolong travel.

To my Sunday School Class and Church family: We miss each of you and hope that we will be back ASAP. Please pray for us this morning when you all meet and we hope to re-join you all soon.

To J.R. and James: Say hello to your new baby brother. Ask Me-Ma to help you say his name so you can talk to him when we come home. We love you both and miss you so much.

To all my close "guy" friends: Jett's caregiver asked me had I tried "meat dog". Apparently dog meat is considered exotic here and can be bought from the vendors on the street. I heard today that the lighter colored the hair, the more tasty the meat. I haven't tried any yet, but I might if I get the chance. I'll let you know what I think.

Jimmy: I haven't seen any live chickens, but plenty of chicken meat. The chickens are dressed whole with the entire length of their neck minus the head. The head is sold separately. Just knew you'd be interested in that.

Saturday Trip To the Market

Today was a busy day. We got up this morning and met with our agency representative, Mr. Hiep. He will pick us up at 9am on Sunday and take us to meet Jett for the first time. We are very excited. I don't think I can describe how we feel right now. I'm sure that first meeting will be very emotional. We have invested a tremendous amount of emotion into this over the last year, and it will all climax tommorrow. We can't wait.

After we met Mr. Hiep, our friends Joe and Katie came over to the hotel and took us down to the Binh Than market to look around. (I'm the dainty looking bodyguard on the right for the three celebrities on the left.)This was an amazing experience. The market is one of the most interesting places I have ever been. We entered the market right down the street from our hotel. The side we are on houses the meat and vegetables. You can find almost anything you can imagine here. The aisles are filled with live fish, shrimp, crabs, beef, pork, and things I have never seen before much less know what they are. The smell is putrid, but it is so interesting to walk through. We bought a few things today, but not a lot.

The market has every thing you can imagine. Clothes, jewelry, purses, collectibles, medicine, herbs, coffee, you name it. The price is negotiable on everything. The clothing sales people are very pushy. Some young girls grabbed me today and pulled me into their booth. They keep saying, "We have your size!" She tried to unbutton my shirt so I could try one on. Some of them would make excellent car salesmen. I also don't believe that many people have my size. I am something of a rarity here. I don't speak Vietnamese well but I can pick up on remarks that people make as I am passing about my heighth. We have not met any rude or mean people here. The people are very gracious and polite.

There are a lot of places to buy things in this area. People are set up to sell all up and down the street. There are also a lot of older women cooking, selling fruit, or taking things to the market to sell.

Many of the items are very cheap. We bought DeanAnne a backpack to replace her torn one. It was a North Face and it only cost $10. Many people are walking around begging for money. If you give any to them others will follow you around and beg. Many of these people are handicapped and you feel very sorry for them. There are also alot of very young children roaming around by theirself begging.

Well it's almost dark and I think DeanAnne and I are going to go get something to eat. Next time we should be able to post pictures and tell you about baby Jett. Until then, thanks for checking on us.