International

Two weeks ago, in the midst of a rainstorm all the World University Service Canada (WUSC) volunteers arrived. After an extensive day of traveling, I had to carry my luggage up four flights of stairs to my accommodations for the WUSC orientation week, before departing to my host family and placement tomorrow.

Since then, WUSC arranged some wonderful excursions for the volunteers. I have been sightseeing and getting well acquainted with the city. We visited many museums, markets, temples, and pagodas. The culture shock hasn’t been too drastic because WUSC has done such a great job of integrating us into Vietnamese culture.

The only difficulty has been getting accustomed to the traffic, which has been described by other volunteers as “organized chaos”. Here to cross the road, you have to step out into heavy traffic, and hope that the motorized vehicles either stop or swerve out of the way. I am surprised that none wears a helmet to get across the street. The only advice given to us, was walk with conviction, and do not hesitate.

One thing that required no adjustment was to the delicious food and coffee! I have been eating noodles and pho non stop since I arrived! I love the food so much that I took a cooking class at a culinary school where I learned how to make northern style spring rolls (Viet – Nem Ha noi).

We also received Vietnamese lessons, and every chance I get – I practice with the locals. Unfortunately, they have difficulty understanding me since my pronunciation is incorrect. Hopefully by the end of my internship I will be able to act as if Vietnamese is my native tongue.

The shopping here is phenomenal. No matter what your style is – you will be able to find what you want at affordable prices. Unfortunately, if you are not viet sized you may have a bit of a blow to your self-esteem. I wouldn’t consider my size morbidly obese – compared to the average Viet – I am huge. Sometimes I don’t even fit into the XXL size, and am forced to seek comfort in a bowl of noodles- thus feeding the cycle of insecurity.

At first when I was a little bit home sick, I Invited a fellow volunteer for some Vietnamese shopping. For me shopping is the ultimate pick me up. To me, being surrounded by so many beautiful clothes is such a comfort. To go to all the stores and see such an extensive collection of fashionable items at really affordable prices – all my worries and concerns vanish into the 94% humidity. So I suggest for any volunteer to figure out the one thing that warms their heart, to find it in their city, and go do it whenever they feel home sick.

It has already been almost a month since I took the long trip home from the other side of the world.  Aside from the initial jet leg and the lack of fruit, I am glad to be back home, and to see my friends and family.  Since I Had classes as soon as I arrived back to Canada, I had no choice but to adapt quickly back to Canadian life, however, I am often still reminded that I am not in Vietnam any more (mostly when I cross the street).

I would have to say that the two main lessons that I learned from my internship are to be patient and to ask as many questions as possible.  From experience and from what I have heard is common for other interns too is that plans change, don’t happen at all, or there just simply are no plans at all.  With discovering this early on in my internship, I realized that there was only so much that I could do in such situations, and rather than stressing about, I just had to be patient and go with the flow.  Also, with going abroad, I was obviously exposed to many new things which left me wanting to know more.  So as advice to other interns, ask as many questions as possible, and take every opportunity that comes your way because before you know it you’ll be back in Canada.

In terms of ending my mandate, I found it very difficult to leave Vietnam since I had developed so many close friendships over the three months.  Reflecting back on the past three months it all seems so surreal and difficult to put into words, but nonetheless this internship is surely something that I will remember forever.

The Vietnamese often use the expression, “same same, but different.” The irony inherent to this iconic phrase is not lost on the Vietnamese. They know that it’s nonsensical, yet, it is often perfectly descriptive. If I were to sum up the differences between living and working in Vietnam and Canada, I would have to say that it is ‘same same, but different.”

The Vietnamese have the same aspirations, interests and obligations as anybody, anywhere in the world. They would like to have a decent life, provide for their families, and achieve happiness through whatever means they have. The main difference between the Vietnamese and Canadians is their capacity to achieve these goals.

Compared to the majority of the industrialized world, the Vietnamese do not take education for granted. Going to a university requires tiring amounts of work, difficult entrance exams, and financial obligations that make our student loan system seem astoundingly generous and innocuous. For the majority of students that I have met, their families have made tremendous sacrifices for them to attend university, often barely subsisting in order to send their children away from the countryside and into the cities, where the best universities are located.

Despite these limitations, I have experienced an unprecedented amount of warmth, generosity, and optimism from the people I have met. It is surprising and counter-intuitive to think that those who are the least materially advantaged are the most likely to share with other people.

I hope that through this internship, I have also been able to share some things of value with the Vietnamese people. I hope that my work here has helped contribute to the growth of the faculty of tourism and that my discussions about Canada and the United States have demonstrated that our common experiences and shared humanity can bridge economic and cultural rifts. I only have one week left of my internship, and it is difficult to assess whether or not I have done enough for the university or whether such a measure is even relevant or existent.

I have fulfilled my mandate to the best of my ability, and have tried to reach out and help students as much as I can, offering them my time, what knowledge I have, and my most important attribute: proficiency in English. It is apparent from what I have seen that the ability to speak English is indispensable to the future of Vietnam. In spite of this necessity, the ability to go abroad is almost unfathomable and certainly unobtainable for the majority of the Vietnamese people. Lessons within Vietnam are often expensive, and are usually taught by individuals whose main qualification is the ability to speak English fairly well. If NGOs want to work on capacity building in Vietnam, aid in the English language is an excellent point from which to start.

Vietnam is emerging rapidly from relative obscurity in the world market and is reinventing its self as a potential economic powerhouse. Like anywhere in the world, education is the key to this move forward. I am convinced that the people of Vietnam have the potential to achieve anything they want, and I hope that countries like Canada continue to remain relevant to this process through the support of internship programs and investments in Vietnam’s educational system. I am proud to say that I am a representative of Canada’s efforts to aid Vietnam and other developing countries. Such acts of kindness from one nation to another foment lasting bonds between our countries, and I hope helps build bridges in a country where so many have been marred by history.

There are so many great aspects of living in Vietnam: the food is amazing, the landscape is beautiful, and the people are so generous.  I am finding myself very comfortable living in Vietnam.  I really enjoy going to the market everyday, hearing the motors from the boats passing by, and taking bike rides along the river.

In terms of work, I have gained a huge amount of respect for teachers.  While at VLCC I am teaching two classes by myself and I am a teachers assistant for another two classes.  Coming up with interesting class plans, thinking of different ways to explain the same thing, and of course the language barrier all prove to be constant challenges that I face. Nonetheless, it has been very rewarding to see the progress that the students have made since I first arrived.  Another part of my mandate is to work within the school’s Department of International Cooperation.  For this responsibility, I have been conducting research about international partnerships, funding opportunities, editing proposals, and helping teachers with dissertations.  This has given me insight into the Vietnamese educational system as well as current challenges that the community is facing in terms of development.

I take advantage of my weekends and use them to travel and explore as much of Vietnam as possible.  I have met with two other WUSC volunteers and traveled to the beach town of Mui Ne, the UNESCO Heritage site of Hoi An, as well as Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. I have also gone with colleagues on several day trips to the countryside, which I find absolutely beautiful.  I have found it very interesting to learn about the different traditions and lifestyles between rural and urban areas.

Overall, I have learned so much from this internship– not only about myself, but also the realities of working in a developing country.  And while there are so many things that I absolutely love about Vietnam, there are also a few things that I will never fully understand, such as the driving, the language, and all of the different types of fruit.

With only 2 weeks left before I travel back to Canada I am trying to soak up as much of Vinh Long as possible and take advantage of every opportunity, because before I know it I’ll be back in Ottawa.

Astoundingly, my internship in Hanoi is more than half over. So far, living and working in Vietnam has been an incredible experience. As a native Californian who now lives in Canada I am used to living in a multicultural environment. Living in Vietnam, has given me a broader perspective on what multiculturalism means. I am humbled and ingratiated to see the places where many Canadians and Americans once called home. The experience has left me with the impression that differences between peoples, cultures, and countries are more or less superficial and often occur with their own internal logic. This has made proud to live in a country where differences are not only encouraged, but are a fundamental aspect of our national character.

The experience has also broadened my perspective on what it means for a country to be developing and why it is important for other countries to facilitate the process. Working as a Dean’s assistant at Vietnam National University has given me insight into what the education system is like in Vietnam. Overall, the universities seem rather rudimentary by North American standards. Large academic libraries, media centers, and sports complexes are non-existent. Students make do with minimal resources, guidance, and opportunities. The jobs that students aspire to seem low-skilled compared to the opportunities in Canada. The reason for this is that the industries and professions that most educated Canadians aspire to work for are non-existent or almost impossible to obtain a position in, in a developing economy.

Despite this, the economy seems to be taking off. The amount of construction is astounding and the level of optimism seems to be very high. Students however, lack the resources to learn English at a level adequate for their future professions in the tourism industry. The staff members who do teach English often speak rather poorly. As a result, it is important to have volunteers who can correct correspondences, dissertations, etc., and provide individualized help for students and faculty who need English for their professional lives. I think this is perhaps the nature of “capacity building.” Helping the university in a way that allows it to flourish in a world dominated by the Anglo-sphere is helping Vietnam develop and integrate into the world economy. At the same time, my work here is helping to build a sustained relationship between Vietnam and Canada. In this vein, I see my work here is part of a larger project. Beyond my immediate work at the university, I hope that my help reaches a broader periphery.

-Paul

It has already been six weeks since I first stepped off the plane in Vietnam– I can’t believe it, time is flying by way too fast.  Over the past month I have experienced more than I could have ever imagined, and with another month and a half left I can’t wait to see what I will learn, see and do.

Over the past month I have been living in Vinh Long, a small and somewhat remote city in the south of Vietnam and in the heart of the Mekong Delta.  Through WUSC I have been working at Vinh Long Community College where I work with the Department of International Cooperation as well as teach English to local teachers and government officers.  Overall I am really enjoying work, learning about international development from another perceptive and getting to understand the educational sector in Vietnam.

Outside of work, I have been very lucky to meet a lot of locals who treat me as if I were their own daughter.  The culture here is very social which is a nice change from the individual culture in Canada.  I have also been trying to fit into the community as much as possible by going to the market everyday, riding motorbikes, taking the local bus, learning Vietnamese, and sometimes even wearing the tradition clothing to class.

Over the past month, something that caught my attention was the amount of pollution on land and in the water.  In the large city centers, there is little garbage and overall it is very clean.  However I have noticed that where I am living, and in other smaller cities there is a lot of pollution especially garbage in the water.  This is especially worrisome because a large percentage of the Vietnamese population rely on the environment for their livelihood.

I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to travel around the country, and from what I have seen so far, Vietnam is a very diverse and beautiful country.  Even though the country is unified, I have been made aware of existing differences between the north and south including food, language, attitudes and traditions.  I have found it very interesting to learn about Vietnamese traditions and I can’t wait to continue learning more about such a promising country in terms of development.  As a side note, it is interesting to note that Vietnam has already met the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and to improve maternal health.

Anyway, that is all for now…

Jocelyn

These past 3 weeks have been a very exciting time in Viet Nam. The hustle and bustle in the city was steadily increasing as people prepared for the Tet Holiday, the Lunar New Year. This year New Year fell on February 2. There was heightened excitement right up to that date, after which the entire country shut down for about 5 days. There were a number of different cultural happenings that I got to take a part of, and I would like to share some of my observations with you. Key elements including long lines at superstores, the purchasing of trees, the appearance of massive amounts of food, and very tired moms made it all too easy for me to compare the festivities a teensy bit to Christmas. Of course Tet is completely different from Christmas, it was just interesting to see the similarities! For the purposes of clarity in describing this time, I will subdivide this email into three parts: Lead Up, New Year, and Shut Down.

Lead Up:

My entire time in Viet Nam so far has been a part of the lead up to Tet. The stores were packed with people buying cookies, candies, and decorations. The streets were all lit up with special Tet lights and there was general excitement everywhere. There was one thing though that really confused me- everywhere I looked there were men driving motorbikes with trees strapped on the back of them. They looked like tiny orange trees. I chalked this up to just some random thing that I didn’t know about, until my friend Ngoc solved the mystery. She took me down by the river, where there were fields and fields of these trees. Apparently, every Vietnamese household aims to purchase one and have it in their home for Tet. There are all different shapes and sizes, some more traditional and some more unique. There were families all over the place picking out their trees. There were also cherry trees that people could take home if they could afford it. Ngoc explained that different regions of Viet Nam use different trees, and that these trees were Tet trees in the North. Once you take it home, most people placed it in the entry and took good care of it. Some even decorated it with the trademark red and gold colours for extra festivity.

Other preparations for Tet included cleaning and ridding your home of old, unnecessary things. My host mom Ha kept making jokes about how it was a holiday for me, but not a holiday for her because she had to get up early every morning to clean her home. This was a common problem, as most of my coworkers were complaining about how hard Tet is because of all the extra work they have to do. I think some of them were even glad when it was over, as they were looking forward to less pressure filled days.

Work also had a different atmosphere leading up to Tet. We had a mid afternoon break almost every day for cake, or fruit, or rice wine, or all three as everyone was bringing in huge amounts of food. The only explanation I would get was that it was Tet so we should celebrate! I definitely did not complain, as most of the food was delicious.

New Year

The actual night of New Year’s was the 2^nd of February. I was lucky enough to be in downtown Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to see fireworks at midnight. It was a really fun evening, and I think that anyone who was left in town came to see them. The whole street was completely packed with people. I am a bad guesstimator, but I think it was safe to say that the numbers had to be in the several hundred thousands at the lowest. My friends and I were sitting at a café by the riverside starting at about 10pm, and there was a constant stream of people passing us until the fireworks began. By midnight you absolutely could not move as there were so many people in the streets.

There are many other things that people do specifically for the New Year. One of them is to give money. This is primarily for any kids that you know. One of my coworkers Hanh said that she walks around at Tet time with at least 50 envelopes with small change on the inside in case she runs into any children that she might know. The Tet envelopes are narrow and long and are all a bright red colour.

The main activity for Tet is visiting family and friends, or having them visit you. The most important visitor is the first visitor to enter your home in the New Year. The best candidates for the first visitor are people who have lived happy lives, had many children, made a lot of money, or encountered a lot of success in their lives. My family actually pre-decided who would be their first visitor, as they wanted to ensure quality. The first visitor is an indicator of what your year to come will be like. My office also preplanned who would be the first to enter the office in the New Year, which was interesting to see. This tradition has a flip side as well. You are considered to be very unlucky if you have experienced a death in your family in the past year. My family had and as a result, they could not go visit anyone on the first day. Instead, people had to come to them.

Shut Down

After the 2^nd of February, all the major urban centers were almost completely shut down. Universities and schools were closed, government employees didn’t have to work, most everyone else didn’t have to work, most shops had closed their doors, and people left the urban areas en masse, all headed to the villages where their families came from. It was a huge difference from regular city life. Whereas normally crossing the street can be hazardous to your existence, I saw people playing badminton on major thoroughfares. Whereas normally you can’t seem to walk 10 feet without seeing a street vendor, it was difficult to find food. Whereas normally there are shops after shops after shops on every single street, there was nothing but closed iron doors along the sidewalks. It was very bizarre. Everyone was too busy visiting their friends and family to spend time the way they normally do. I really admired this because although that is what our cities seem like on Christmas Day (although I wouldn’t really know because I don’t leave my house on Christmas) on Boxing Day we just open everything back up again. Not for Tet. Everything was abandoned until at least the 7^th, and even by the 9^th  most stores in Hanoi had not reopened.

Anyways, that is my very long description of what I saw at Tet. There were many other things to see and do and experience, but that would take a lot more space that what I used in this post.

I wish you all the best of luck in the New Year! Perhaps now is a good time to make a resolution….or recommit to a resolution.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

(Happy New Year)

Some of you may be familiar with the past-time of karaoke. While it is not something I engage in regularly back home, I have a feeling that during my time in Viet Nam, my participation in this group activity will not only be regular, but also frequent. Case in point: last week I went to karaoke twice. Now there are a lot of differences between karaoke at home, and karaoke here.

First of all, it’s not pronounced karaoke. It is pronounced car-ah-oh-kay. I have been corrected on this many times thus far and still I manage to forget.

Second, the format is very different. Instead of having a karaoke night at a restaurant or a bar where people brave the stage and sing in front of the crowd, you go to a specific establishment that only does karaoke. These places are everywhere (there are some at home too, perhaps you have been). The number of karaoke places relative to the population is probably similar to the number of Tim Hortons/Starbucks/Second Cups at home. Except I think there might be more karaoke places. I am not joking when I say I am almost never out of sight of a karaoke place. Anyways, you go to karaoke with a group of friends and together you rent a private room. Inside the room there are places to sit, coffee tables, a large screen television, huge speakers, two microphones, and in my experiences thus far, very wild décor. Sidenote: the first karaoke place I went to was themed according to the movie Avatar. There were blue walls covered in white vines, the tables glowed and were green, and there were red and purple flowers everywhere. Not to mention various figurines of the Navi people hiding in corners, on the ceilings or on the walls throughout the building. Needless to say, I jumped more than once after turning a corner and coming face to face with a giant blue warrior.

The third thing that is different about karaoke here is that it isn’t a novelty. It is just something that people do together as a group, in the same way that I play a board game or watch a movie or go see a game with my friends. People are not timid at all. They just continuously pick songs to put on the playlist, and then when a new one comes on the mikes just get passed around. Everyone has to sing, no one has to be encouraged to sing, and people just have fun. It does not seem to matter if you are good or not, it is just considered to be something you do with your friends, family, or anyone. That being said, everyone is pretty good at it. But I guess practice makes perfect. It really is a very common social activity. I mean, one of the times I went last week was with my coworkers. The attitude around the office was like: Want to get together after work? Sure- what time should I meet you at Karaoke? Seemed like it was obvious to everyone except me that that is what we would do.

The fourth difference is in the background visuals for the songs. I will give you one example. When my friend and I were singing Livin La Vida Loca (Ricky Martin) the other night, the background video consisted of pan shots of tulip fields and an unnamed European city. The video for Sixteen Going on Seventeen (Sound of Music) was of an old man riding his bike around town and waving at passersby. It is always a surprise. That is not to say that they don’t use the actual music video sometimes. However, the one time that they did, it was just as weird. Those of you that are familiar with the Viva Forever (Spice Girls) music video will know what I am talking about.

Finally, I guess I would just have to say that karaoke is a really good time. It is a great way to spend a few hours, its fun to hear and dance to the music, and these places all give you free fruit platters. It is a win-win-win

 It has been a week and half since I arrived in Hanoi, and let me tell you it has gone by quickly. There has been a lot to get used to, and a lot to learn. For my first dispatch, I thought I would do a little FAQ section, that way some of the more basic questions can be answered. Feel free to read as much or as little as you like, I tend to get a little carried away when typing. The following are the questions I have gotten the most over the past few days:

1. What are you doing there?

Excellent question friends. I am working for a Canadian NGO (non governmental organization) called World University Service of Canada. Hereafter I will refer to this place as WUSC, because the actual name is just too much to handle. They are focused on improving education at the post secondary level. My title here is as a program assistant. I started on Monday (the 17^th) and I will work here until April 1^st. It is a 9-5 sort of deal. I am here to help them with all of their projects, and some of my more frequent duties include helping to write and edit funding proposals from local Vietnamese partners, making sure that the other Students Without Borders interns here in Viet Nam are doing well, and other office type things.

1. Where are you staying?

I am staying with a Vietnamese family. I just moved in on Sunday afternoon. I have my own room and bathroom, which is sweet. There are 6 other people living in the house (Ba- the grandma, Hung- the son, Ha- the daughter in law, Lom- the grandson, Hue- the other grandson, and Thuy- the live in help). So far we are getting along well. It is fun to live in a house with younger kids and I am anticipating lots of time spent playing in the next few months. The house is about a 10 minute bus ride from my work, which is extremely convenient. Interesting side note: the bus costs 15 cents for a ride. 15 cents. Once again, that is 15 cents to take a bus.

1. What is the most delicious thing you have eaten so far?

There have really been too many delicious things to count. My favourite thus far has been pho xau. It is basically noodles with vegetable and beef as a topping. I haven’t had the chance to learn about the cooking process yet, so I don’t know what differentiates this from the other noodle+meat+veggie dishes, but I am determined to bring pho xau home as a meal I have regularly. I am looking forward to trying many different kinds of food, the next on my hit list is snake soup. My coworkers tell me it is a must try.

1. What is the most out of the ordinary thing you have observed so far?

There have been plenty of odd things observed in the past ten days as I get used to Hanoi. I guess the most memorable so far has been my visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Some of you know that is on my bucket list to go seen Lenin as he has been preserved in Moscow. When I saw Uncle Ho, I felt one step closer to that goal. As a quick background, Ho Chi Minh was the leader of Viet Nam for about 30 years between the 40s and 60s. He passed away in 1969 as a full blown hero, and he is credited with having built the country himself. His image is literally everywhere (on every single bill, on posters, on clocks, on flags etc.). At any rate, when he passed, the Vietnamese government decided to preserve his body for future generations to visit. You can do so at the Mausoleum. As you walk in, army officials instruct you to stand up straight, take your hands out of your pockets, and remain silent. Inside, there is a dimly lit square room with a glass enclosure in the middle. Uncle Ho is in an open casket type structure in the middle of the glass enclosure. He looks very peaceful and very waxy. Everyone walks through the room in single file until you reach the other side. It was a very somber experience. There is some controversy as to whether the body there is actually Uncle Ho or not. Apparently he is occasionally sent to Moscow for touch ups at which times they put a replacement on display. There is also a rumour that the body isn’t even him to start with but I guess I’ll never know! There are other buildings to visit there too, such as a museum and one of the houses that he used to live in. All in all, it was a very interesting experience, and I plan on going back before I leave. It is so interesting to observe a culture that is focused so strongly on one individual as the most important person for a country. We don’t really have that in Canada.

1. Is the jet lag bad?

The jet lag is weird. I just get really tired and sleepy at around 3pm, and it is difficult for me to stay up past 930pm. However, I have been sleeping right through the nights and have gotten plenty of rest as a result of that. What is harder to get used to is the fact that I am 12 hours ahead of home. It is really bizarre to be living life that far ahead of everyone else.

1. Have you learned any Vietnamese?

Not really. I know how to greet people, say thank you, say goodbye, and count to ten. I hope I will learn more while I am here (I am thinking of getting a tutor) but it is really difficult. The grammar itself seems pretty simple, but the pronounciation is what really gets you. There are over 10 different vowel sounds and what seems like millions of different combinations for those sounds. Plus there are 6 tones, so you have to get it right in order to be understood. So far this experience has been really different than other language learning experiences I have had, precisely because of the pronounciation. If I don’t get the tone right, Vietnamese people tend to just think I am saying an English word that they don’t know, rather than trying to say a word in Vietnamese. So I am working on that!

1. Is it really warm?

Absolutely not! It isn’t really cold either (it is usually about 12 degrees outside), so it is not bad at all. It is just that they don’t really have insulation or heating in their buildings so you are never warmer than 12 degrees except when you are under your blankets at night. Everyone wears their winter coats all day at work, and so do I! I wear layers when I am at home. I don’t wear as many layers as they do (some of them wear parkas they are so cold) and this has become a great cause of concern for Ba (the grandma at my house). She came to my room yesterday to give me a hat to wear inside. I didn’t quite feel that the situation called for that, but I wore it anyways, and she was happy.

So that is pretty much it for today folks. For anyone who actually read all of the above, congratulations!

Tam Biet!

(Bye!)

Hello from Hanoi,

I decided to wait until I started the internship before making my first entry.  I have been in Hanoi about one week and a half.  The city is very beautiful but astoundingly chaotic.  It makes New York City seem like Ottawa in comparison.  The people here are incredibly friendly and generous as well.  When you eat on the street, old men will inevitable come up to you and start asking questions.  Usually, they will follow their examination by buying you beers and food no matter how much you insist that you can’t stay.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to reciprocate this generosity as is it customary for older individuals to treat the youth to food and drinks.  The questions they ask are always the same and usually follow a standard order.  What is your name, how old are you (learn your age according to the lunar calendar), where do you come from, are you married?  It is better to answer yes to the last question or you may risk getting set up with someone’s daughter.

Regarding work, I’m considering making a WWRD (What would Rex do) bracelet in order to figure out what I should be doing.  The faculty is extremely busy and does not always need my help.  So, recalling Rex’s advice, I create my own work.  For example, my mandate is to support the SIFE and English Club, as well as to assist the dean.  The representative from the SIFE club has never shown up to the meetings that I’ve tried to schedule, so I’ve decided to spend time with the English club.  This would be fine if the English Club existed.   Since it does not, I have created one and students were more than happy to join.  I also sent out a bulk email informing students that I am always available to help them with presentations or to practice English as well, which they all appreciate as they lack the resources to learn English  (too few classes, not enough fluent instructors, not enough material resources.)  Currently, I am helping students with their dissertations and presentations.

Since I work at the faculty of tourism, I get the students in the English Club to give me mock tours of the campus and surrounding areas.  I play the role of a tourist (easy enough to feign) and have them give me tours while I ask them questions.  The students find this to be very helpful as their English classes do not give them enough practical preparation to work in the tourism industry. It is also quite fun for me as I get some insight into Hanoi.

Well that’s all for now.  I will add to the blog when something of note occurs.

-Paul.