the free ride makes its stop here and the transition back to America starts here…im sitting here writing this blog when I should be writing my paper for your class thầy Gerard (THANK YOU for the extension—id probably be crying my eyes out right now without it) its been a crazy four months and even crazier week with final, papers, projects. I cant believe that its all coming to an end.
this has been a wonderful and breathtaking experience. ive driven a motorbike (homegirls—still haven’t found my other half that has a motorcycle who will not drive a motorcycle anymore when hes dating me cuz its dangerous but is still HOTTTTT ;) LOL), ive gone skinny-dipping in the late night in quy ngon, ive eaten chuột đông, snake and many other unmentionable things <-- please don’t make this controversial, ive seen bác hồ, ive crawled through the tunnels at cu chi, ive never had to swat so many times in the bushes in my life, ive never gotten diarrhea so much in my life in such a short period, ive had a lot of firsts in Vietnam and the one thing that I never thought that id have the opportunity to do was to live abroad
theres a famous quote that id like to share, it goes “life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” These past four months of my life has been the best for a long time. Before all this was all possible, I went through an emotional rollercoaster and ive never felt so broken before. But lucky for me I always my brother, who always tries to be strong for me when im weak. He could be hard-headed sometimes but I know deep inside, theres a soft spot <3 I know that I don’t get to tell you this often but I love you, and I would give up anything for me because you push me so much cuz you believe that I have the potential even when I don’t believe in myself, you do. Youre my inspiration and if I can be just like you even in the smallest ways, id be okay
through all the ups and down, you’ve always been by my side. And if you didn’t push me to apply for eap more than I was going to already, I wouldn’t have had this amazing experience with such amazing people. Man, do I hate goodbyes. I am fortunate that I have met so many of you, you made such a difference in my life and I do not know how we are going to part ways. youve made me a better person, and now that its time to go home, you will meet new and more people and you will transform their lives as you have mine, so thank you.
you guys will always hold a special place in my heart, i hope that one day we will cross paths again.until then, thank you & God bless everyone <3
MUCH love,
i love you guys
see you guys at home soon.
(sorry if this is all cheesy, but its straight from the heart)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Nghệ An
Beside the long bus ride, nghe an was freaken awesome. The city had a meeting with us to thank us and we came to thank them for giving us permission to visit the schools. And when the “wreckless” bus driver was speeding and we got pulled over, co giang called the mayor and the mayor told the police to let us go. THAT ITS SELF WAS PRETTY SICK! The power of networking :D
Although the city was pretty small, we got to visit some really cool places. The beach was awesome. At first I thought that all this white spots on the beach were Styrofoam and I was so disappointed but I took a closer look and it turned out to be shell :) hehe the boys played catch with an orange and all the girls just took pictures hehehe.
But the next day, we got to visit the schools and the kids are to die for. We went into groups of 3-4 to each classroom and played with the kids while others were counting how many jackets each classroom needed and passing them out. And in the classroom the kids sang for us and the teachers let them play this game called something dragon where the kids stand in a line and hold each others shirt and theres one kid who has to get through the first kids and tag everyone else. It was soooo funnnnnnny!!!
And finally the jackets came and the kids were so excited. We gave it to them, they tried them on and the took them off again cuz it was too hot during that day. Then we went in groups to visit 32 of the poorest families in the village and the pretty emotional hearing their hardships. And you will learn that the village is mostly populated by women because men have to go to the coal mines to make money. I am so glad that I was able to visit the families :)
Through all of our hard work and dedication, kids from nghe an are a little warmer than they were yesterday. The only thing that I wish was better was the quality of the jackets. “made in china…” no wonder. Some of the sleeves were sewn together so you cant even pull your arms to the sleeve, some of the zippers broke while we tried to zip the kids up, and some of the jackets were too big on the kids…but in an asian family, that’s good because itll last longer because you can ALWAYS grow into them. Hehehe
Although the city was pretty small, we got to visit some really cool places. The beach was awesome. At first I thought that all this white spots on the beach were Styrofoam and I was so disappointed but I took a closer look and it turned out to be shell :) hehe the boys played catch with an orange and all the girls just took pictures hehehe.
But the next day, we got to visit the schools and the kids are to die for. We went into groups of 3-4 to each classroom and played with the kids while others were counting how many jackets each classroom needed and passing them out. And in the classroom the kids sang for us and the teachers let them play this game called something dragon where the kids stand in a line and hold each others shirt and theres one kid who has to get through the first kids and tag everyone else. It was soooo funnnnnnny!!!
And finally the jackets came and the kids were so excited. We gave it to them, they tried them on and the took them off again cuz it was too hot during that day. Then we went in groups to visit 32 of the poorest families in the village and the pretty emotional hearing their hardships. And you will learn that the village is mostly populated by women because men have to go to the coal mines to make money. I am so glad that I was able to visit the families :)
Through all of our hard work and dedication, kids from nghe an are a little warmer than they were yesterday. The only thing that I wish was better was the quality of the jackets. “made in china…” no wonder. Some of the sleeves were sewn together so you cant even pull your arms to the sleeve, some of the zippers broke while we tried to zip the kids up, and some of the jackets were too big on the kids…but in an asian family, that’s good because itll last longer because you can ALWAYS grow into them. Hehehe
I left my heart back in Sài Gòn :(
I’d have to say that I after the trip to South Vietnam, I can definitely say that I feel a lot safer in Hanoi than I did in Saigon. On two separate occasions, Irene and Mindy almost got their purse stolen. According to John who got his information from a taxi driver, the reason why Saigon we saw more thefts in Saigon than Hanoi was because all the bandits from Hanoi relocated to Saigon. The reason for this being was because Saigon is located next to Cambodia and there are many casinos there so…it just made sense that there would be of them in Saigon.
BUT aside from all that, I’d have to say that I love Saigon.
For once in a long time, I felt as if I was home and EVERYONE could understand what I was trying to say. It got to a point where people didn’t believe that I was a foreigner. LOL, the ironic thing is that when people think I’m a foreigner, I always wished that they thought I was a local and when people think that I’m a local, I always wished that they thought I was a foreigner. Call me bi-polar but yeah…
Anyways, one of the best parts of the southern trip was the fact that I was finally able to see my cousin, Chế Ngọc after thirteen long-ass years. She came to the Đoàn 30, the famous military hotel, to pick me up.
I heard a knock and my hotel room and it was Chế Ngọc. I tried to give her a hug because I missed her but it was note reciprocated. Apparently, Vietnamese people do not hug, I think they closest thing to a hug in Vietnam is a handshake and that is on rare occasions—usually you just make eye-contact or bow their heads. It was really nice seeing some familiar faces after three months in Hanoi <3
One major aspect of the south that I noticed the most was the fact that there were more beggars there than in my entire stay in Hanoi. And generally speaking, there were more youthful, elderly, and handicapped beggars.
Kids as young as five or six were roaming the streets of Lông Xuyên selling lottery tickets instead of being at home watching tv or playing like I was when I was that young. They were trying to sell us lottery tickets for a good half an hour. When we were at the café shop, they stuck around to the point where Anh Khoi asked the store owners to tell the kids to leave us alone because we do not play lottery here. SO instead of buying the lottery tickets from them, some of us bought them toy cars and dolls. For a brief time, they were just able to be kids again. I felt like they were stripped of their childhood, but I do understand that family constraints restrict what you can do and what is needed of you to survive.
I forgot what it felt like to be a kid myself :D just seeing the kids’ faces glow was priceless.
BUT aside from all that, I’d have to say that I love Saigon.
For once in a long time, I felt as if I was home and EVERYONE could understand what I was trying to say. It got to a point where people didn’t believe that I was a foreigner. LOL, the ironic thing is that when people think I’m a foreigner, I always wished that they thought I was a local and when people think that I’m a local, I always wished that they thought I was a foreigner. Call me bi-polar but yeah…
Anyways, one of the best parts of the southern trip was the fact that I was finally able to see my cousin, Chế Ngọc after thirteen long-ass years. She came to the Đoàn 30, the famous military hotel, to pick me up.
I heard a knock and my hotel room and it was Chế Ngọc. I tried to give her a hug because I missed her but it was note reciprocated. Apparently, Vietnamese people do not hug, I think they closest thing to a hug in Vietnam is a handshake and that is on rare occasions—usually you just make eye-contact or bow their heads. It was really nice seeing some familiar faces after three months in Hanoi <3
One major aspect of the south that I noticed the most was the fact that there were more beggars there than in my entire stay in Hanoi. And generally speaking, there were more youthful, elderly, and handicapped beggars.
Kids as young as five or six were roaming the streets of Lông Xuyên selling lottery tickets instead of being at home watching tv or playing like I was when I was that young. They were trying to sell us lottery tickets for a good half an hour. When we were at the café shop, they stuck around to the point where Anh Khoi asked the store owners to tell the kids to leave us alone because we do not play lottery here. SO instead of buying the lottery tickets from them, some of us bought them toy cars and dolls. For a brief time, they were just able to be kids again. I felt like they were stripped of their childhood, but I do understand that family constraints restrict what you can do and what is needed of you to survive.
I forgot what it felt like to be a kid myself :D just seeing the kids’ faces glow was priceless.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Một Trái Tim Nước Việt Nam
One Heartland Viet Nam has opened UC’ers to the Hanu community like never before. We had the opportunity to work side-by-side with each other. And through the hard times is when you really get to know someone. It was just nice being outside of my room and haning out with everyone. We played badminton right outside of the C building, I learned how to play poker (kinda—still suck though), made tra chanh and coffee, and learned the recipe for xoai dam :) I got to work with a lot of the hanu that I didn’t get to before, especially Phuong, shes pretty awesome. youre so funny and I don’t know if I would be able to make all the food like she did and her sushi was delicious
Im speechless about poker/casio night. We missed class because there was no way that we could’ve finish setting up and the lighting was a MAJOR problem but thanks to anh thang and the an ninh we had light…pretty much cant do anything without light up on the roof.
we got paper money that we use to burn để cúng as decorations so how the “baller-ness” of highrollers. Awesome idea-thanks to me hehe jk. It wouldn’t have been a success without everyone’s help especially John, Miki, Khuong, and Peter. (Peter, you cant subtract any point from me because those posters were freehand ;) I can draw if I tried. LOL)
Partayyyyy and drink for the kids in nghe an. Lol. There was great music, awesome bia hoi, crazy dancing and all with the people you love to share it with.
And after everyone left, son, vi, peter, lena, mary, carol, mindy, miki and I sat on a chieu and ate xoi ngo, muc, and tangerines and it was pretty awesome. We were just talking about everything and singing songs. It was so simple, but so memorable.
Im speechless about poker/casio night. We missed class because there was no way that we could’ve finish setting up and the lighting was a MAJOR problem but thanks to anh thang and the an ninh we had light…pretty much cant do anything without light up on the roof.
we got paper money that we use to burn để cúng as decorations so how the “baller-ness” of highrollers. Awesome idea-thanks to me hehe jk. It wouldn’t have been a success without everyone’s help especially John, Miki, Khuong, and Peter. (Peter, you cant subtract any point from me because those posters were freehand ;) I can draw if I tried. LOL)
Partayyyyy and drink for the kids in nghe an. Lol. There was great music, awesome bia hoi, crazy dancing and all with the people you love to share it with.
And after everyone left, son, vi, peter, lena, mary, carol, mindy, miki and I sat on a chieu and ate xoi ngo, muc, and tangerines and it was pretty awesome. We were just talking about everything and singing songs. It was so simple, but so memorable.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
iNDiViDUAL - THANK YOU!!!
At the end of the day through all the headaches and conflicts at Sao Mai, I am pleased to say that I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time at Sao Mai. Despite the things that I felt were wrong or can be improved, I’m happy that I was able to be so involved with the organization. It was a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the Sao Mai and work with the most adorable two and three year-olds ever!
I remember walking up the stairs to the classrooms and I was praying to God that Nancy or Lan would be assigned the first room, but lucky for me, Chi Phuong that I would be working with cô Vinh and cát chị. I was petrified by the facts that I got babies because I was always scared of them crying and me not knowing what to do with them besides picking them up which would be a bad habit because that would only reward their bad behavior and whining.
The other day, I was walking with someone (sorry forgot who you were <3 Mai?) and I told them that kids don’t like me and they only like me when I 1) inflict pain on myself or someone 2) get them toys and 3) give them candy. But here it was a totally different environment, the kids are so loving and they always cling on to me (one little boy in particular clung onto me because I had access to leave the room and so he wanted to follow me -_-) LOL just kidding but yeah. I know them all by name and each child has such a unique personality.
I think that I’ve grown a lot through this process of working with kids. To some these could have special needs and are not capable of many things, but to me, they’re just kids. They play, they run, they eat just like we do.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Trung Tam Sao Mai, Chi Phuong, the teachers, and for trusting Lan, Nancy and I with painting the playground for the kids and Paulina and Nina for helping us out. You guys are so awesome and you guys have such big hearts. I was very afraid at first that we were not going to finish out project or that it would look “crappy” but it turned out beautiful when we all pulled our efforts together.
Regretfully though, we did not have the chance to the kids out to play on the newly painted walls. But you know, there’s always next year. And Anh Thai make sure we continue to work with Sao Mai because it is soooooo far from Hanu and the syringes on the sidewalks on the way to Sao Mai gives you such an adrenaline rush :/
Anyways, thank you Anh Thai, Thay Gerard and most of all Nancy and Lan for making this a wonderful experience for me <3 ily
I remember walking up the stairs to the classrooms and I was praying to God that Nancy or Lan would be assigned the first room, but lucky for me, Chi Phuong that I would be working with cô Vinh and cát chị. I was petrified by the facts that I got babies because I was always scared of them crying and me not knowing what to do with them besides picking them up which would be a bad habit because that would only reward their bad behavior and whining.
The other day, I was walking with someone (sorry forgot who you were <3 Mai?) and I told them that kids don’t like me and they only like me when I 1) inflict pain on myself or someone 2) get them toys and 3) give them candy. But here it was a totally different environment, the kids are so loving and they always cling on to me (one little boy in particular clung onto me because I had access to leave the room and so he wanted to follow me -_-) LOL just kidding but yeah. I know them all by name and each child has such a unique personality.
I think that I’ve grown a lot through this process of working with kids. To some these could have special needs and are not capable of many things, but to me, they’re just kids. They play, they run, they eat just like we do.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Trung Tam Sao Mai, Chi Phuong, the teachers, and for trusting Lan, Nancy and I with painting the playground for the kids and Paulina and Nina for helping us out. You guys are so awesome and you guys have such big hearts. I was very afraid at first that we were not going to finish out project or that it would look “crappy” but it turned out beautiful when we all pulled our efforts together.
Regretfully though, we did not have the chance to the kids out to play on the newly painted walls. But you know, there’s always next year. And Anh Thai make sure we continue to work with Sao Mai because it is soooooo far from Hanu and the syringes on the sidewalks on the way to Sao Mai gives you such an adrenaline rush :/
Anyways, thank you Anh Thai, Thay Gerard and most of all Nancy and Lan for making this a wonderful experience for me <3 ily
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Don't Dis My Abilities
No matter where we go, no matter what we do, no matter who we are, people are always judging us except for The Big Guy upstairs.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
thoughts? and?? feelings???
This is one of my last weeks at Sao Mai and its BITTERSWEET! When we first started out painting, we thought, well I though at least, that we would be ablet o faw pictures of kids jump-roping, running and playing. BOY, WAS I WRONG! I WAS TOOOOOOOOOO OPTIMISTIC. Lol. After long weeks of knowing what the hell we were going to paint, things took a turn for the better. We decided to do something simple that was easier to do and mass produce. So we took those portfolio envelopes and cut out a stencil of a cloud, a heart and a start to represent Sao Mai because Sao Mai translates to “morning star” in Vietnamese.
We were all getting stressful going to Sao Mai and not exactly sure what we were doing. Everything seemed like it couldn’t get any worse but it only did. First the blue paint was not “poppin” and we have 5 liters of cream paint that we do not know what the heck to do with. And by accident we bought paint for metal surfaces and it hella stained our clothes and body and dirtied the bathroom sink. In the end, the oil-based paint worked really well because it was thicker and was more visible on the walls/pillars.
Nothing matters now because the playground is BEAUTIFULLLLLL and I had my doubts at the beginning. I wouldn’t change anything about it now.
In the process, we had the opportunity to meet and work with so many people. It was pretty awesome. Despite what Sao Mai thinks of our efforts (I do hope they like it), I like it :D and that’s what matter because we tried out best <3
although we were able to please the teachers and chi phuong, i think that chi uyen (the one who found our bus route from DH Hanoi to Sao Mao) doesnt like us anymore because we never help out basic chores that shes supposed to do like washing dishes or sweeping the storefront at the cafe anymore. its pretty obvious that she doesnt like it anymore, but good luck to the people who end up at Sao Mai next year, and be sure to get to know co hieu <--such a nice, strong, and courageous lady, very admirable...plus shes from saigon so she can cook pretty freaken well <3
We were all getting stressful going to Sao Mai and not exactly sure what we were doing. Everything seemed like it couldn’t get any worse but it only did. First the blue paint was not “poppin” and we have 5 liters of cream paint that we do not know what the heck to do with. And by accident we bought paint for metal surfaces and it hella stained our clothes and body and dirtied the bathroom sink. In the end, the oil-based paint worked really well because it was thicker and was more visible on the walls/pillars.
Nothing matters now because the playground is BEAUTIFULLLLLL and I had my doubts at the beginning. I wouldn’t change anything about it now.
In the process, we had the opportunity to meet and work with so many people. It was pretty awesome. Despite what Sao Mai thinks of our efforts (I do hope they like it), I like it :D and that’s what matter because we tried out best <3
although we were able to please the teachers and chi phuong, i think that chi uyen (the one who found our bus route from DH Hanoi to Sao Mao) doesnt like us anymore because we never help out basic chores that shes supposed to do like washing dishes or sweeping the storefront at the cafe anymore. its pretty obvious that she doesnt like it anymore, but good luck to the people who end up at Sao Mai next year, and be sure to get to know co hieu <--such a nice, strong, and courageous lady, very admirable...plus shes from saigon so she can cook pretty freaken well <3
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
self and identity
I think the most rewarding part of this volunteer class (cong tac xa hoi) is that fact that you can change little lives “a little at a time.”
I think that I’ve become more responsible and dependable. Before this experience, I was pretty afraid of hurting the kids or doing things wrong. As a result of service-learning, I am proud to say that I KNOW HOW TO PUT ON A DIAPER FOR KIDS AND HOLD A BUCKET FOR THEM TO PEE IN :D YAY!!! What an accomplishment! Never in my life would I ever come close to anyone’s pee before. If I didn’t sign up for volunteering, I would never ever been expose to such task until when I become a mom and have to deal with all of this.
I learned about myself and my self-value. Everything was usually handed to me and I had a lot of people watch after me especially because I was the youngest and the only girl in the family. But through all of this experience, I learned that I was capable of many things including the fact that there was still a language barrier between me and the teachers, I learned to work my way around it to help them wherever and whenever I can and get my hands dirty.
From being around all the teachers and kids, I think that it has pushed me into perhaps a career path where I go into teaching (definitely not high schoolers, and probably not elementary school) college students are a little more motivated because they first of all got in to college :) ahhhhh and maybe those plans are inclusive to my plans to get my MD or PHD some how...BUT wherever I go, despite which paths I take in my life, I will always have this experience with me and the knowledge that I obtain in the process.
--peace and love
I think that I’ve become more responsible and dependable. Before this experience, I was pretty afraid of hurting the kids or doing things wrong. As a result of service-learning, I am proud to say that I KNOW HOW TO PUT ON A DIAPER FOR KIDS AND HOLD A BUCKET FOR THEM TO PEE IN :D YAY!!! What an accomplishment! Never in my life would I ever come close to anyone’s pee before. If I didn’t sign up for volunteering, I would never ever been expose to such task until when I become a mom and have to deal with all of this.
I learned about myself and my self-value. Everything was usually handed to me and I had a lot of people watch after me especially because I was the youngest and the only girl in the family. But through all of this experience, I learned that I was capable of many things including the fact that there was still a language barrier between me and the teachers, I learned to work my way around it to help them wherever and whenever I can and get my hands dirty.
From being around all the teachers and kids, I think that it has pushed me into perhaps a career path where I go into teaching (definitely not high schoolers, and probably not elementary school) college students are a little more motivated because they first of all got in to college :) ahhhhh and maybe those plans are inclusive to my plans to get my MD or PHD some how...BUT wherever I go, despite which paths I take in my life, I will always have this experience with me and the knowledge that I obtain in the process.
--peace and love
Sunday, November 14, 2010
iNTEREST
What drew me most to Sao Mai was the fact that the organization mainly took care of kids who were affected by Agent Orange directly or indirectly. I didn’t know what to expect in the next few months of volunteering and what challenges I might have to face. It was kind of scary because I didn’t know how the kids would act.
Before this, I remember that some kids might have attachment problems. For example, this one girl at Thanh Xuan Peace Village grabbed a hold of Phuong and wouldn’t let her go unless she promised to go to her hometown with her and her dad. And she couldn’t leave because she lived at the organization.
I know that there are many challenges that one must overcome, as this is all a learning experience.
Back in spring 2009, I took a course called Making of the Modern World. In the course, we were supposed to do a research paper about a country during a certain time period and develop an argument. I choose Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 and my debate was that Agent Orange was the #1 cause of birth deformities in Vietnam. I specifically chose Vietnam just so I can learn more about my heritage and Vietnamese history along the way.
Although, Agent Orange is “not a cause of autism and birth deformities” according to some of my sources, I do believe that there are still people who are affected by Agent Orange and pass on the toxins that are embedded in their blood to their children.
If I remember correctly, Anh Thai said that Vietnamese still like to blame the war for all the deformities. BUT one must remember that there are always other factors like malnutrition, water sanitation, etc. that may inhibit and cause deformities often seen in victims of Agent Orange.
Before this, I remember that some kids might have attachment problems. For example, this one girl at Thanh Xuan Peace Village grabbed a hold of Phuong and wouldn’t let her go unless she promised to go to her hometown with her and her dad. And she couldn’t leave because she lived at the organization.
I know that there are many challenges that one must overcome, as this is all a learning experience.
Back in spring 2009, I took a course called Making of the Modern World. In the course, we were supposed to do a research paper about a country during a certain time period and develop an argument. I choose Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 and my debate was that Agent Orange was the #1 cause of birth deformities in Vietnam. I specifically chose Vietnam just so I can learn more about my heritage and Vietnamese history along the way.
Although, Agent Orange is “not a cause of autism and birth deformities” according to some of my sources, I do believe that there are still people who are affected by Agent Orange and pass on the toxins that are embedded in their blood to their children.
If I remember correctly, Anh Thai said that Vietnamese still like to blame the war for all the deformities. BUT one must remember that there are always other factors like malnutrition, water sanitation, etc. that may inhibit and cause deformities often seen in victims of Agent Orange.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Familiar Food and Familiar Faces - Miền Nam
No doubt...Sài Gòn is the place to be. You can go shopping, eat, bar hopping, get mugged by people on motorbikes in the middle of the night, pretty much everything you can do back at home in the states but 10x better. Because underage drinking makes everything even better. LOL.
I also met chị Hoang-An--my now adoptive chế. hehehe. We were pretty much spoiled. We got a nice ass hotel, free breakfasts, bomb-ass food, some True-Religions---you name it but the three missing parts of this experience was Chị Mốc, Lena and Thầy Gerard.
After thirteen years, I finally got to see my cousin, chế Ngọc, again. I remember when I was seven, my family and I were staying at my aunt's house for a few days while we were in Cần Thơ. When the electricity in the neighborhood went out, my brother was playing games on the computer. He got so scared that he leaped from the desk to the bed but he fell short and his head hit the bedframe and split his eyebrow (a little above the forehead). We called for a taxi and drive him to the hospital because he was bleeding pretty heavily and needed stitches.
Besides her giving me these puppy figurines from her room. I remember growing up, every one called her lazy. ). I wanted to ask her about our family history but she didn't know much. The sad thing was that what she knows about our family history was what she heard from the children of our family friends that she hung out with. She told me that the only time she saw or talked to grandma was when she would come over to bring her food that my aunt had just prepared.I didn't really know her much, but as I learned this time around, she started her own business selling bedding and mattresses in Sóc Trang (my mom's hometown). After a long conversation with her, I think that she's grown to appreciate more of what she has and longingly regrets the fact that she was not so close with the family.
I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact that she was heavier than most girls in Vietnam and she also grew up without parents as my aunt passed away of cancer and my uncle died of depression not long after my aunt's death, leaving my cousin with one older sister in Vietnam and another in California.
A lot has changed since I was last in Cần Thơ. Apparently the house that my aunt own is located on property that the Vietnamese government plans on taking to widen the roads, thus many resident in that area now lease their home and are afraid to do any renovations to the house as it might be teared down. A lot has changed, the circumstances has change, but all in all Cần Thơ is still my home and I love it, despite the night life and places to go and things to do. I enjoyed being in the little comfort of home.
I also met chị Hoang-An--my now adoptive chế. hehehe. We were pretty much spoiled. We got a nice ass hotel, free breakfasts, bomb-ass food, some True-Religions---you name it but the three missing parts of this experience was Chị Mốc, Lena and Thầy Gerard.
After thirteen years, I finally got to see my cousin, chế Ngọc, again. I remember when I was seven, my family and I were staying at my aunt's house for a few days while we were in Cần Thơ. When the electricity in the neighborhood went out, my brother was playing games on the computer. He got so scared that he leaped from the desk to the bed but he fell short and his head hit the bedframe and split his eyebrow (a little above the forehead). We called for a taxi and drive him to the hospital because he was bleeding pretty heavily and needed stitches.
Besides her giving me these puppy figurines from her room. I remember growing up, every one called her lazy. ). I wanted to ask her about our family history but she didn't know much. The sad thing was that what she knows about our family history was what she heard from the children of our family friends that she hung out with. She told me that the only time she saw or talked to grandma was when she would come over to bring her food that my aunt had just prepared.I didn't really know her much, but as I learned this time around, she started her own business selling bedding and mattresses in Sóc Trang (my mom's hometown). After a long conversation with her, I think that she's grown to appreciate more of what she has and longingly regrets the fact that she was not so close with the family.
I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact that she was heavier than most girls in Vietnam and she also grew up without parents as my aunt passed away of cancer and my uncle died of depression not long after my aunt's death, leaving my cousin with one older sister in Vietnam and another in California.
A lot has changed since I was last in Cần Thơ. Apparently the house that my aunt own is located on property that the Vietnamese government plans on taking to widen the roads, thus many resident in that area now lease their home and are afraid to do any renovations to the house as it might be teared down. A lot has changed, the circumstances has change, but all in all Cần Thơ is still my home and I love it, despite the night life and places to go and things to do. I enjoyed being in the little comfort of home.
can you sayyyyy sooooociety?
Volunteering at Sao Mai opened my eyes to the community. Never before have I had the opportunity to work with such an organization or kids. And it’s great seeing how much some of the teachers just love and adore these kids while some teachers just teach them tough love.
When Lan, Nancy and I were painting and there was a group of about 20-25 college girls from one a educational university right across the street from Hanoi University. Although they came from many different backgrounds and experiences, they were all at Sao Mai for one reason and that was to check out the vicinity, one in which they might work at in the near future.
All the girls there were really friendly and caught us off guard when we were painting and they were so kindly enough (and excited) to help us transform the playground for the children. It’s inspiring such young people so motivated as I “used” to be dunno what happened to me :( LOL. I sound like I’m older them…we were born in the same year -_- Moving on…I talked to a few of them while they helped us paint and apparently there are quite a few organizations like Sao Mai out there besides Thanh Xuan Peace Village.
I guess in the states I was very oblivious to everything that was going on out there. It’s opened my eyes and it’s like a whole new world out there. It’s a shame that took me this long to realize that there are people out there suffering every day.
My dad told me to remember to appreciate everything that I have any disabilities like blindness, and that I have people to take care of me. And lucky for the kids at Sao Mai for having such lovely parents…I see it in the kids eyes when their parents or grandparents comes to pick them up. And to have an organization to care and educate their children.
When Lan, Nancy and I were painting and there was a group of about 20-25 college girls from one a educational university right across the street from Hanoi University. Although they came from many different backgrounds and experiences, they were all at Sao Mai for one reason and that was to check out the vicinity, one in which they might work at in the near future.
All the girls there were really friendly and caught us off guard when we were painting and they were so kindly enough (and excited) to help us transform the playground for the children. It’s inspiring such young people so motivated as I “used” to be dunno what happened to me :( LOL. I sound like I’m older them…we were born in the same year -_- Moving on…I talked to a few of them while they helped us paint and apparently there are quite a few organizations like Sao Mai out there besides Thanh Xuan Peace Village.
I guess in the states I was very oblivious to everything that was going on out there. It’s opened my eyes and it’s like a whole new world out there. It’s a shame that took me this long to realize that there are people out there suffering every day.
My dad told me to remember to appreciate everything that I have any disabilities like blindness, and that I have people to take care of me. And lucky for the kids at Sao Mai for having such lovely parents…I see it in the kids eyes when their parents or grandparents comes to pick them up. And to have an organization to care and educate their children.
Friday, November 5, 2010
relAtionshipppppppppps
i think one of the hardest things when an outsider comes into an organization is developing a solid relationship. and i think that it was more difficult just because we are foreigners so at times it is harder to build trust between the two sides.
luckily, students who volunteer at Sao Mai next year with have a pre-developed relationship with the organization. starting out, i was pretty nervous and anxious every day that i went volunteering. in the beginning, the teachers did not really give me any task. and i was kind of glad of that fact because i didnt really know how to handle the kids, but as time went on, i was better able to understand how the classroom is ran.
I didn’t really develop or try even to develop a relationship with the teachers until the next few days I was at Sao Mai. But the teachers quickly became open and they started asking questions and wanting to know more about me (its not that I like to brag about myself) but the classroom felt more open. They asked me if I had a boyfriend and my family and the typical questions like why I was in Vietnam.
Later, as the months went by, they always shared food that they brought with me and they were just really happy to see me (WHICH IS AWESOME!) and the sad thing is that once I started painting the playground, they didn’t have the extra help that they had with me around. So like all relationships, things take time to build. And the one thing that I regret the most is the fact that I didn’t get to know the teachers as well as they got to know me. Besides the fact that I met co vinhs daughter and found out that chi thuy has two sons I do not know much about their lives because I was too afraid to ask. So in the next weeks I hope to get to the point where im close enough that the would invite me to their family’s wedding like nancy did. Heheh ;)
luckily, students who volunteer at Sao Mai next year with have a pre-developed relationship with the organization. starting out, i was pretty nervous and anxious every day that i went volunteering. in the beginning, the teachers did not really give me any task. and i was kind of glad of that fact because i didnt really know how to handle the kids, but as time went on, i was better able to understand how the classroom is ran.
I didn’t really develop or try even to develop a relationship with the teachers until the next few days I was at Sao Mai. But the teachers quickly became open and they started asking questions and wanting to know more about me (its not that I like to brag about myself) but the classroom felt more open. They asked me if I had a boyfriend and my family and the typical questions like why I was in Vietnam.
Later, as the months went by, they always shared food that they brought with me and they were just really happy to see me (WHICH IS AWESOME!) and the sad thing is that once I started painting the playground, they didn’t have the extra help that they had with me around. So like all relationships, things take time to build. And the one thing that I regret the most is the fact that I didn’t get to know the teachers as well as they got to know me. Besides the fact that I met co vinhs daughter and found out that chi thuy has two sons I do not know much about their lives because I was too afraid to ask. So in the next weeks I hope to get to the point where im close enough that the would invite me to their family’s wedding like nancy did. Heheh ;)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Women' Day
Fortunately for me, I got to celebrate Women' Day with my ladies, the boys, and Thay. It was definitely worthwild...a day waking up to flowers, watching Nancy, Irene, and Kristine swallow a snake heart, chewing on snake and trying real hard to imagine that it was chicken, drinking snake blood and bile, and singing to Cau Vong Khuyet. I think it was the closest ever was to being a vampire; it couldn't have been a better day (minus the blisters I got from my damn heels from Hoi An).
In addition, my Services Marketing professor bought food and drinks for the women in class on behalf of the handful of joys in the class. The boys even brought in their friend to play the acoustic guitar while they seranaded us. My professor began busting out his rhymes...and mocking his marriage (all for the fun of it--I'm pretty sure he loves his wife). LOL.
I was afraid that Women' Day was another day that some genius made up to make money like Valentine's Day. BOY was I wrong! It's actually celebrated to honor all the historic women and heroines in Vietnamese history.
In addition, my Services Marketing professor bought food and drinks for the women in class on behalf of the handful of joys in the class. The boys even brought in their friend to play the acoustic guitar while they seranaded us. My professor began busting out his rhymes...and mocking his marriage (all for the fun of it--I'm pretty sure he loves his wife). LOL.
I was afraid that Women' Day was another day that some genius made up to make money like Valentine's Day. BOY was I wrong! It's actually celebrated to honor all the historic women and heroines in Vietnamese history.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Don't Dis My Abilities
No matter where we go, no matter what we do, no matter who we are, people are always judging us except for The Big Guy upstairs.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Inclusion and Exclusion
Children with disabilities need special attention, but there are other arguments that support why they should be in the same classroom as other students as well. Students with disabilities need to be included in the classroom with other kids under certain circumstances in order to get a balance of normality while receiving the special help with their problems. I guess this come down to the question whether the class is sustainable enough for the student and teachers themselves.
An important factor to consider is whether the teacher are well-trained for the students with special needs and whether this could and will inhibit the learning process for other children. I remember talking to one of the teachers and she told me that these kids will never leave Sao Mai and because of their autism, they cannot enter society. The closest to society and outside interaction is at the coffee shop at Sao Mai where they wipe down tables, sweep the floor, etc. Chi Uyen who manages the coffee shop said that all they can really do is say their name, age and asks customers how they were.
It's not that these children do not know anything, it is that their mind develop at a slower pace than others. Hien, a child at the organization, is able to talk and sing but it may be that he is a little older than the other kids. I feel like sometimes the people and teachers there have less hope and optimism for the kids than how I see it. Although these kids have special needs, at Sao Mai they can get the interaction they need growing up even though they are still excluded.
I am not saying that full inclusion is the answer but it is helpful in some aspects. I think that exclusion would inhibit the children' abilities to walk, talk, run and play more. My cousin grew up being home-school, although he is literally a genius, he missed out on a lot of daily interaction/social with other kids. So, I feel like in an organization like Sao Mai or anything or anywhere you go, you will experience some sense of inclusion or exclusion whether you like it or not.
An important factor to consider is whether the teacher are well-trained for the students with special needs and whether this could and will inhibit the learning process for other children. I remember talking to one of the teachers and she told me that these kids will never leave Sao Mai and because of their autism, they cannot enter society. The closest to society and outside interaction is at the coffee shop at Sao Mai where they wipe down tables, sweep the floor, etc. Chi Uyen who manages the coffee shop said that all they can really do is say their name, age and asks customers how they were.
It's not that these children do not know anything, it is that their mind develop at a slower pace than others. Hien, a child at the organization, is able to talk and sing but it may be that he is a little older than the other kids. I feel like sometimes the people and teachers there have less hope and optimism for the kids than how I see it. Although these kids have special needs, at Sao Mai they can get the interaction they need growing up even though they are still excluded.
I am not saying that full inclusion is the answer but it is helpful in some aspects. I think that exclusion would inhibit the children' abilities to walk, talk, run and play more. My cousin grew up being home-school, although he is literally a genius, he missed out on a lot of daily interaction/social with other kids. So, I feel like in an organization like Sao Mai or anything or anywhere you go, you will experience some sense of inclusion or exclusion whether you like it or not.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sao Mai Structure
Growing up, my grandma always told me that an organized room is an organized mind. For the longest time it went into one ear and out the other because I thought she was wanted to make sure that my room was clean just in case anyone ever came over that they do not think that I live in a pig sty, that I was lazy or that my family didn't raise me right (BTW: I love mi familia--I'd do anything for them as long as I don't lose sight of who I am...it's unlikely that it'll ever come down to that). Lol.
Anyways, this week at Sao Mai, Anh Thai, Nancy, Lan, and myself were finally able to meet to talk about our final project. YAY!!! After working at the organization for about a month and a half we've gained a lot of insights about the organization and we think that there are some possible changes that we'd like to see happen. As I might have mentioned before Sao Mai is a well organized and ran organization dedicated to help and teach children with mostly psychological disabilities. During the morning the parents feed their children and drop them off at school. The day starts out with a few children sing-alongs. Next, they dedicate 30 minutes to an activity where the child has to pick out the picture of themselves from a pile of pictures and then they would trotroduce themselves to the class (the tracheebuaually take the child's hand and speak as if they were the child so that they can be conditioned to understand what it meant). Then came play/exercise time and the day continued with every 30 minutes being a different activity. Everything that happens in Sao Mai is structured and they have a pretty strict time schedule. It so happens that on Friday though, one of the senior teachers decided to skip learning/classroom time because it was Friday Nd she wanted to go home.
Structure is important because without it, some teachers or not know what to do or does not want to do anything that might make them tired. Also, these 30 minute intervals are also helpful in the sense that the child doesn't get bored becuase of their short attention span. When I first came to Sao Mai, I was closed minded. I thought that the organization was unorganized, ineffective and inefficient. Although I still do not believe in hitting children, I understand why the teachers do what they do and what goes through their mind when they do that, I believe that the classroom is well organized and there was a lit of though and planning put into the program and this is due to the effort of the higher people of the organization.
I learned during pledging that "poor planning promotes poor performance" and I think that that phrase does not apply to this organization.
Tre em la van hoa,
Tre em la hanh cong,
Tre em la tuong lai,
Sao Mai Ton Tai Vi Tre Em...Sao Mai Muon Doi!
<3
Anyways, this week at Sao Mai, Anh Thai, Nancy, Lan, and myself were finally able to meet to talk about our final project. YAY!!! After working at the organization for about a month and a half we've gained a lot of insights about the organization and we think that there are some possible changes that we'd like to see happen. As I might have mentioned before Sao Mai is a well organized and ran organization dedicated to help and teach children with mostly psychological disabilities. During the morning the parents feed their children and drop them off at school. The day starts out with a few children sing-alongs. Next, they dedicate 30 minutes to an activity where the child has to pick out the picture of themselves from a pile of pictures and then they would trotroduce themselves to the class (the tracheebuaually take the child's hand and speak as if they were the child so that they can be conditioned to understand what it meant). Then came play/exercise time and the day continued with every 30 minutes being a different activity. Everything that happens in Sao Mai is structured and they have a pretty strict time schedule. It so happens that on Friday though, one of the senior teachers decided to skip learning/classroom time because it was Friday Nd she wanted to go home.
Structure is important because without it, some teachers or not know what to do or does not want to do anything that might make them tired. Also, these 30 minute intervals are also helpful in the sense that the child doesn't get bored becuase of their short attention span. When I first came to Sao Mai, I was closed minded. I thought that the organization was unorganized, ineffective and inefficient. Although I still do not believe in hitting children, I understand why the teachers do what they do and what goes through their mind when they do that, I believe that the classroom is well organized and there was a lit of though and planning put into the program and this is due to the effort of the higher people of the organization.
I learned during pledging that "poor planning promotes poor performance" and I think that that phrase does not apply to this organization.
Tre em la van hoa,
Tre em la hanh cong,
Tre em la tuong lai,
Sao Mai Ton Tai Vi Tre Em...Sao Mai Muon Doi!
<3
Monday, October 4, 2010
Private versus Public
Woke up at 5:45am, had mud all the way up to my knees, saw another side of the :moon”; it has been one incredibly long day. Fortunately for me, it wasn't hot and I learned a great deal...never leave a single stalk of rice behind just like never leave a brother behind :) love you pbros lol
Last Friday at my service learning organization, Sao Mai, my daily tasks were a little bit different than usual. I actually felt more useful for once. I took it upon myslef to teach one of the children something while the teacher was teaching one other child. Although, I have no experience or qualifications to teach, I thought that I was able to get through the child. Eventually, one the child, Ky Anh, pointed to a word I could keep on repeating the word until he pointed to the next word. I thought that was pretty effective in the sense that he could associate the word with the way that it sounded even though, he, himself, was not able to speak. And I guess one of the other bigger task and responsibility I had on Friday was feeding one of the seventeen kids that were in the classroom. Luckily, the child, Duc was easy to feed; for a little guy, he can really eat. Lol. This kind of relates to the topic of public versus prvate space. The organization itself is sponsored by a foreigner. It is considered a private space because the organization and its services is not open to the public, it is not open to everyone. There are standards and qualifications in order for children to be admitted to the program. Another important idea to consider is the fact that not only do this children have to be accepted by the organization but also the family has to have the financial stability in order to pay for the schooling. Although it is fortunate that there are programs that provide special children with special needs but it is sad in the sense that not all families and children can get the same kind of schooling that these kids get.
I believe that there should be more government developmental program along with government assistance for families of low income. I know that that means a major chuck of the Vietnamese community, but it is just hard to see people go without getting the help that they need. We need more public organizations that strive to help more people.
Last Friday at my service learning organization, Sao Mai, my daily tasks were a little bit different than usual. I actually felt more useful for once. I took it upon myslef to teach one of the children something while the teacher was teaching one other child. Although, I have no experience or qualifications to teach, I thought that I was able to get through the child. Eventually, one the child, Ky Anh, pointed to a word I could keep on repeating the word until he pointed to the next word. I thought that was pretty effective in the sense that he could associate the word with the way that it sounded even though, he, himself, was not able to speak. And I guess one of the other bigger task and responsibility I had on Friday was feeding one of the seventeen kids that were in the classroom. Luckily, the child, Duc was easy to feed; for a little guy, he can really eat. Lol. This kind of relates to the topic of public versus prvate space. The organization itself is sponsored by a foreigner. It is considered a private space because the organization and its services is not open to the public, it is not open to everyone. There are standards and qualifications in order for children to be admitted to the program. Another important idea to consider is the fact that not only do this children have to be accepted by the organization but also the family has to have the financial stability in order to pay for the schooling. Although it is fortunate that there are programs that provide special children with special needs but it is sad in the sense that not all families and children can get the same kind of schooling that these kids get.
I believe that there should be more government developmental program along with government assistance for families of low income. I know that that means a major chuck of the Vietnamese community, but it is just hard to see people go without getting the help that they need. We need more public organizations that strive to help more people.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
central vietnam :)
Going to Central Vietnam just confirmed that I made the right in choosing EAP VIETNAM!!! Best school year ever…tedious hours of traveling, train rides with new cockroach friends, excursions to tombs of dead emperors, snorkeling in salty-ass water and getting three shades darker, nothing can top this :)
If you read this Gerard, I think you should move the program to Da Nang because it is just that amazing although Hanoi is awesome <3 Darn Anh Cui for upgrading our hotel rooms from deluxe to luxury. But no seriously thank you for all your guidance. Mien Trung is awesome. Thank you Gerard, Anh Thai, Chi Moc, Anh Cui and Chi Mi Sao for making all this possible <3
I felt more at peace at Quy Ngon and Hue because there was less traffic, less noise and people spoke with a southern dialect which was easier to understand and people were just generally nicer.
One of the best parts of this trip was my experience at the nunnery. When we first arrived at the nunnery, I thought it was pretty cool. But after we went inside the house where we met some of the nuns and I felt weird and like I was out of place (I even told Mindy). I’m not too sure what made me feel that way but I know that it had nothing to do with my religious beliefs.
After we had lunch, some of the girls went to help do the dishes while the rest of us met with the head nun. She was so open to us about her life and answered everything that we asked. She grew up in a broken family where her parents were always fighting so she came to the temple to escape all of it. There, she found shelter and peace. She was only thirteen at the time. She wanted to live at the temple but they refused to take her in because she was too young. Ever since that day until she turned eighteen, she went to temple every day. During her stay at the temple, she learned that she needed to be the mediator between her mom and dad to stop them from arguing and help her family find peace while helping others as well. Her story was so inspirational and she is such a selfless person. I wish that I have the courage and stamina to do what she does in my daily life. After hearing all this, I no longer felt like I did not belong. Sitting there, watching and listening her speak reminded me of my Ba Noi.
When Gerard donated money to the temple, she did not want to take it and was like save it for the kids to buy snacks and candy. (At this I was tearing up and trying so hard not to cry). She is such a beautiful person with a beautiful heart that you just cant help to love by just being in her presence. To me it does not matter what god or who you believe in, and I truly admire everything that she has done for herself, the other nuns, the temples and every one she has reached out to.
Even though I bet I missed some cool stuff at the De-militarized Zone (DMZ), I’m glad that I decided to go to the nunnery.
If you read this Gerard, I think you should move the program to Da Nang because it is just that amazing although Hanoi is awesome <3 Darn Anh Cui for upgrading our hotel rooms from deluxe to luxury. But no seriously thank you for all your guidance. Mien Trung is awesome. Thank you Gerard, Anh Thai, Chi Moc, Anh Cui and Chi Mi Sao for making all this possible <3
I felt more at peace at Quy Ngon and Hue because there was less traffic, less noise and people spoke with a southern dialect which was easier to understand and people were just generally nicer.
One of the best parts of this trip was my experience at the nunnery. When we first arrived at the nunnery, I thought it was pretty cool. But after we went inside the house where we met some of the nuns and I felt weird and like I was out of place (I even told Mindy). I’m not too sure what made me feel that way but I know that it had nothing to do with my religious beliefs.
After we had lunch, some of the girls went to help do the dishes while the rest of us met with the head nun. She was so open to us about her life and answered everything that we asked. She grew up in a broken family where her parents were always fighting so she came to the temple to escape all of it. There, she found shelter and peace. She was only thirteen at the time. She wanted to live at the temple but they refused to take her in because she was too young. Ever since that day until she turned eighteen, she went to temple every day. During her stay at the temple, she learned that she needed to be the mediator between her mom and dad to stop them from arguing and help her family find peace while helping others as well. Her story was so inspirational and she is such a selfless person. I wish that I have the courage and stamina to do what she does in my daily life. After hearing all this, I no longer felt like I did not belong. Sitting there, watching and listening her speak reminded me of my Ba Noi.
When Gerard donated money to the temple, she did not want to take it and was like save it for the kids to buy snacks and candy. (At this I was tearing up and trying so hard not to cry). She is such a beautiful person with a beautiful heart that you just cant help to love by just being in her presence. To me it does not matter what god or who you believe in, and I truly admire everything that she has done for herself, the other nuns, the temples and every one she has reached out to.
Even though I bet I missed some cool stuff at the De-militarized Zone (DMZ), I’m glad that I decided to go to the nunnery.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Ethics
It's been over a week since I last volunteered at Sao Mai, I can only hope I don't forget everything that I wanted to say. There is often a misconception between ethics and feelings. They are two different things and it is often said that feelings often deviate from ethics. Furthermore, religion is does not share the same ideas as ethics although religion can set higher standards of ethics and values. Ethics and morals are crucial because I believe that they truly define a person. If a person doesn't have any ethics, then I'd rather not waste my time or his associating.
I understand that in a room with about fifteen toddlers, it's hard to give all the attention that they need. But a problem that I see is favoritism in the classroom. I've been in the classroom when one of the teacher's twelve-years- old daughter visited the class. I do not think that that teacher would appreciate someone who was caring for her daughter to favor another child over her. They have a tendency to do this when the child is a faster learner because this makes it easier on the teachers. In this case, I've seen that the teacher kind of give up hope on some particular child and would try and spend more time on one child for a longer period. In another case, I've also seen her feed one child more when the child is happy and can scoop his own food out of the bowl. Also, last week we got a new student in our class. I noticed that he is always crying and I think that being away from his parents and loud noises causes him frustration. Today, I saw him crying with his hands over his ears and before that he was sneakily trying to get his bag and kind of escape the room because he was observant and watching the teacher and only moving when she was not looking. The point of this is to bring up the fact that I do not know for sure if it is that the teachers purposefully ignore some of the needs of the children or innocently unaware of the kids behavior and their reaction toward them. Overall, I just believe that attention should be fair and addressed accordingly.
I believe that cultural differences also play a significant role in ethics. Like I have said before, I don't believe that creating fear in a child is the best way to teach them. In my family, neither my brother nor I have ever been hit. The other day one of the younger teacher was about to discipline a child by slapping the child’s hand but I looked at her and smiled at her and she didn’t hit the child. I think that there is another way to teach and discipline a child. I do think that it is ethically wrong to hit a child but I do understand that culture and society is different in Vietnam and that I am no longer in the United States. Thus each culture has a different way of teaching and raising children because this is not only reflective in the classroom but also in the home. I do condemn hitting a child, but I also have an open mind to understand why teachers resort to hitting. Part of service learning is to understand how they organization works. There’s a reason behind everything, especially an organization like Sao Mai which is so structured. An important part of this is to remember that we are there to learn, and part of that is understanding the operations of the organization and the ethics of both the teachers and organizations while also keeping in mind of what is right and what is wrong.
I understand that in a room with about fifteen toddlers, it's hard to give all the attention that they need. But a problem that I see is favoritism in the classroom. I've been in the classroom when one of the teacher's twelve-years- old daughter visited the class. I do not think that that teacher would appreciate someone who was caring for her daughter to favor another child over her. They have a tendency to do this when the child is a faster learner because this makes it easier on the teachers. In this case, I've seen that the teacher kind of give up hope on some particular child and would try and spend more time on one child for a longer period. In another case, I've also seen her feed one child more when the child is happy and can scoop his own food out of the bowl. Also, last week we got a new student in our class. I noticed that he is always crying and I think that being away from his parents and loud noises causes him frustration. Today, I saw him crying with his hands over his ears and before that he was sneakily trying to get his bag and kind of escape the room because he was observant and watching the teacher and only moving when she was not looking. The point of this is to bring up the fact that I do not know for sure if it is that the teachers purposefully ignore some of the needs of the children or innocently unaware of the kids behavior and their reaction toward them. Overall, I just believe that attention should be fair and addressed accordingly.
I believe that cultural differences also play a significant role in ethics. Like I have said before, I don't believe that creating fear in a child is the best way to teach them. In my family, neither my brother nor I have ever been hit. The other day one of the younger teacher was about to discipline a child by slapping the child’s hand but I looked at her and smiled at her and she didn’t hit the child. I think that there is another way to teach and discipline a child. I do think that it is ethically wrong to hit a child but I do understand that culture and society is different in Vietnam and that I am no longer in the United States. Thus each culture has a different way of teaching and raising children because this is not only reflective in the classroom but also in the home. I do condemn hitting a child, but I also have an open mind to understand why teachers resort to hitting. Part of service learning is to understand how they organization works. There’s a reason behind everything, especially an organization like Sao Mai which is so structured. An important part of this is to remember that we are there to learn, and part of that is understanding the operations of the organization and the ethics of both the teachers and organizations while also keeping in mind of what is right and what is wrong.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
If I Can Be Half the Person My Mom Is
Saturday was my mom’s 30th year anniversary since she stepped foot onto American soil. My mom has encountered many hardships that I, myself, cannot imagine enduring and overcoming those obstacles. Born into a world without a father, my mom had to look elsewhere for a father-figure (my grandpa was captured during the war, to this day the whereabouts of his remain is unknown). At the age of sixteen, my mom began going to school for sewing. As the war continued, more and more people and neighbors attempted to escape and seek refuge outside of Vietnam. By seventeen, she decided that she wanted to leave to. Although my grandma was afraid for my mom’s safety, she let her go because one of the family-friend that my grandma knew was also leaving. So that night, my mom secretly hopped on a small boat and slipped away into the dark ocean. In the midst of fleeing Vietnam, her boat was raid by local pirates. (I cannot remember much about this encounter.) After a few weeks at sea, the boat drifted to an island, and she stayed there until my uncle was able to sponsor her to the States.
When my mom arrived to the United States, she enrolled in Bolsa Grande High School (the school that I was supposed to go to). Not too long after that she became friends with my uncle’s wife’s little sister. My mom decided to move out with the friend and live on the little government support she received since she didn’t get along with my uncle and his wife too well. At the time my uncle, his wife, my aunt’s little sister, three other uncles and my grandparents lived in the same household. My dad’s mom seeing that my mom needed a place to stay took my mom in. But not too long after that they moved to Texas and my mom went too. My dad had just got a divorce and it was in Texas that they met. (My mom told me that my dad would turn on the record and dance by himself while she hid and watched him. Lol.)
She came to the United States without any money, yet she made something out of her life. She got a job, met my dad, got married, had my BROTHER and I :) I truly admire my mom and if i can become half the person my mom is when I am a mom, I’ll be okay <3
If you ever read this mom, I LOVE YOU!!!
There a lot more of detail that I am ashamed to say that I have not uncovered but tune in next time and maybe you can hear my dad’s side of the story. hehehe
When my mom arrived to the United States, she enrolled in Bolsa Grande High School (the school that I was supposed to go to). Not too long after that she became friends with my uncle’s wife’s little sister. My mom decided to move out with the friend and live on the little government support she received since she didn’t get along with my uncle and his wife too well. At the time my uncle, his wife, my aunt’s little sister, three other uncles and my grandparents lived in the same household. My dad’s mom seeing that my mom needed a place to stay took my mom in. But not too long after that they moved to Texas and my mom went too. My dad had just got a divorce and it was in Texas that they met. (My mom told me that my dad would turn on the record and dance by himself while she hid and watched him. Lol.)
She came to the United States without any money, yet she made something out of her life. She got a job, met my dad, got married, had my BROTHER and I :) I truly admire my mom and if i can become half the person my mom is when I am a mom, I’ll be okay <3
If you ever read this mom, I LOVE YOU!!!
There a lot more of detail that I am ashamed to say that I have not uncovered but tune in next time and maybe you can hear my dad’s side of the story. hehehe
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