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.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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.
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