Archive for November, 2008
Sunday, November 30th, 2008
(This is the 7th of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
I am in the Internet cafe (the better one of the two in that it doesn't have lizards scurrying around the floor or sticky keyboard that are precursors to carpel tunnel syndrome...), sitting here with ...
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Friday, November 28th, 2008
(This is the 6th of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
Today was a big day. This morning, the school's driver took me to the Teachers University in Bien Hoa, about an hour's drive from the Thuan An school. It is here that a pilot program ...
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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
(This is the 5th of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
One of my favorite things to do on my travels is to go for early morning runs. Rambling off the beaten path or highway is a great way to explore an area and get the ...
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Friday, November 21st, 2008
(This is the 4h of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
Today was my first experience teaching English to the 7th grade class! I was taken to an upstairs classroom where five students sat waiting for me on plastic chairs without any backs behind wooden desks. I was introduced ...
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Thursday, November 20th, 2008
(This is the 3rd of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
Today was Teacher Appreciation Day, an event celebrated throughout Vietnam where families provide fruit baskets to the schools, students make gifts for the teachers, the schools honor teachers in ceremonies, and the teachers are given the afternoon ...
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Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
(This is the 2nd of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
I spent the morning of my first full day at the Thuan An Center meeting with Executive Director Thuy for three hours to learn more about the school, its philosophy, and services, and to discuss the Vietnamese ...
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Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
(This is the 1st of seven subsequent posts about my volunteer experience at the Thuan An Center)
I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city this morning, met my guide, and made the 30 km drive to Lai Thieu to begin my volunteer assignment at the Thuan An Center for the Hearing Impaired. The boarding school ...
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Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
The first two questions asked of me by just about every local person I’ve met during this trip in Vietnam have been: “How old are you?” and “Are you married?". These questions come before more expected ones such as “what is your name?”, “where are you from?”, or even “what do you ...
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Monday, November 10th, 2008
I awoke in my berth after a sound sleep and when I headed to the upper deck of this junk boat, I was greeted by one of those special moments that I know will stay with me for a long time. It was sunrise in Halong Bay. Small limestone rock ...
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Saturday, November 8th, 2008
I arrived in Hanoi at midnight last night, bleary-eyed after nearly 24 hours of travel and thankful that I won't have to go through that again for another six weeks! My flight between Seoul and Hanoi was interesting in that I sat next to an older Vietnamese man who was ...
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