First Week of Classes at HUCFL: Lần Thứ Hai

Pre-post note: Thank you to all of you who sent me messages, e-mails, comments, texts, and called after reading my last entry. It means a lot to me, knowing that folks understand the struggle and/or generally care about my well-being. Ya'll definitely put the pep back in my step. =)

This week has been very challenging in the academic realm. I teach five classes this semester, which is less teaching hours than what I had last semester, but I teach four different subjects:

• Speaking 4 (second years)
• Writing 4 (second years, two classes)
• U.S. Government Administration (third years)
• American Regional Cultures (fourth years) (I've never heard of this type of course, even in America)

It was almost five subjects, but luckily, our veteran volunteer teacher here Amy saved me and insisted that she take one of my classes to reduce my workload. (Thanks, Amy!)

I'll sum up my reflections according to each class.

Speaking 4
First of all, it's a challenge knowing that once the students return from Tet vacation, they will have to start military training, which takes five weeks of the school year. Once they return, we'll have to do make-up courses throughout the week and on weekends to make sure I'll finish teaching the courses by the time my grant is over. (Same for Writing 4.) However, given that I had a syllabus to work from for Speaking 1 last year, I was able to plan this class more easily than the others. On the first day, we did "Find Someone Who... Bingo!" to get to know each other better. Thanks to Jenelle, I had better directions this time around. Students weren't sitting with confused looks on their faces; they immediately got up and introduced themselves to others. We then went over the syllabus bit by bit.

Something different that I'm doing for each class this semester is that 1) I'm having them work from journals designated for the class, 2) we signed class contracts to ensure a positive learning environment (all thanks to other Fulbrighter ETAs' ideas!)

Sidenote: I had to buy the journals for the week, and I had the ridiculous idea of deciding to buy them while I had my bicycle as my mode of transportation. Imagine me not only clearing all of Big C of its Campus notebooks (200 of them, worth a total of $100), but lugging them all back to my dorm with a bag on each handlebar as they rhythmically knocked against my knees with each pedal forward.

Back to the topic at hand, for the journal, I'm having them complete daily journal writing and reflections, allowing me to see their progress week by week, and allowing them to provide me with feedback on how I could teach them better. For each reflection, they provide answers for the following:

• What percent of the lesson did you understand?
• What are (at least) 3 things you learned?
• Questions about today's lesson:
• Comments / Feedback

This has been helping me a lot. By walking around and seeing how long it takes to write down the percent, I get an understanding of what they know, and how confident they feel about their skill. Concerning the feedback, I'm gaining knowledge on how to be a better educator, and how they feel about me or the class. Examples:

• You prepared everything sufficiently
• Sometimes I don't catch up with some words you talked
• I love class. My teacher is very funny
• Co Giang is very friendly, especially when you smile.

As for the class contracts, I think those always pick up a couple chuckles from the students. They're also able to contribute their own policies, to which they added one about being tardy, and I added one about having fun.

American Regional Cultures
This course has been the bane of my existence. For this course, I received a syllabus that was all in Vietnamese (actually, I also received the same for the other courses -- thank goodness my Vietnamese teacher Phuc had the patience to help me through that), and a "good luck" from the head of the department. No curriculum. No available texts. No clue beyond the resources that had been given to Amy last year, which was hard enough to work from.

So I started from the scratch I was given. I researched the given regions listed on the syllabus, looked up how to do project-based learning (which I'm grabbing resources for from Lesley -- thanks!), and scoured the Internet for ideas. In the end, I concluded that since they have no final and because it's such a small class (more like a seminar of 7 students), I would make it our class. The students and I will take turns presenting about each culture, and their presentation makes the bulk of the grade.

Now that I've established the syllabus, I'm really excited to facilitate this course. This is the first that I'm placing hella ownership on the students for their learning, and I can't wait to see where this goes.

Writing 4
This was also a difficult class to plan for. (Probably because planning for "Regional Cultures" drained me of all my planning energy.) But thank goodness Amy created a syllabus for the class and shared her resources with the rest of the volunteer teachers. However, what's most difficult about this class is that I don't know what the end result should be. What types of essays should they be able to produce for their final? Also, what skills are they starting with?

We completed the same activities as we did for my Speaking 4 class, except we added an informal diagnostic of their writing; I had them answer the question, "What has been your biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?" The first writing class had difficulty with the question because I didn't model how to answer it, and I wasn't specific enough, so after reading their feedback, I was able to implement the changes for the second writing class the next day. Sure enough, they were able to complete the question more easily given that they had more time and more explanations on how to complete the writing task.

U.S. Government Administration
This is my last class of the week, and something I can see myself enjoying given that I have some background information on it. Also, the students in this class seem to have a higher speaking level than in other classes, so they have been more comfortable with participation. Due to its seminar-like nature (only 13 students present today), I got to sit with them and get to know them while explaining the course expectations. After that, we played "How much do you know about American Government?" where I displayed pictures of different people in government and asked the students if they knew who they were. I was able to informally assess their general knowledge by doing so, and the quiz got them pumped about participating. (It was a Nguyen-Nguyen situation.)

The most challenging part about this class was assisting a student with a disability. As soon as I noticed her, I made conscious efforts to address her individually after addressing the whole class to make sure she was on the same page. I had been informed through the grapevine that she had gotten into a motorcycle accident that caused her to leave the university for a semester, and she had returned with general motor skill issues; she relies on a friend to walk her around. She also has difficulty keeping pace with the rest of the class. While the students were working on their reflection and journal entry, I made sure to check in on her to see how I could help her; I asked her questions in English, then Vietnamese, then realized she was better able to understand me when I wrote down my requests. I'll be sure to prepare and print the material for her before class, set aside time in class to check in on her, and see if she could have a consist friend to help her in class. (Working with students with disabilities prior to this has definitely given me a keener sense on how to handle this, but I still have a lot of improvements to make.)

Interestingly enough, my fellow Fulbrighter ETA / TFA / close friend Claire had posed this question to the rest of us: How does the university support students with disabilities? So far, I am unaware of how they are helping them. There was no special note on my enrollment list about her -- my students had to inform me that she was present since she couldn't hear me or see the board when I was taking attendance. I'll have to talk to my host to see how I could further support her.

In sum, I know I'll have a lot to think about and work on during and after Tet vacation. However, it feels so good being able to work from my knowledge of student lifestyle and course-load from last semester. I feel way more confident and ready to take on this semester, as I know what I'm capable of doing, and I also have a better sense of my locus of control. (Yeah, hella TFA of me to say.)

As of this Saturday, I'll be traveling with my mom around Mien Tay. I'm so excited to see her, then my sister and her partner the week after! <3

Viet-Kieu Blues

In Vietnam, the concept of "saving face" is extremely important. The simplest way I can explain it is that saving face mean to retain honor, prestige and status. For example, in complicated situations, you must save face by maintaining your cool, and restore status quo / come up with a solution without leaving a bad impression.

Recently, that has not been the case for me. I'm experiencing something that I'll call the "Viet-Kieu blues." Let me first explain how I got here:

As I noted before, it's not quite easy being a Viet-Kieu womyn. Yet, even with its challenges, I've been able to maintain a positive mindset and enjoy the fact that I indeed have the awesome opportunity to reconnect with my roots and learn about the culture and family that I've been missing the first quarter-century of my life.

However, this past weekend, my friend Jenelle got her purse stolen. In it were her wallet -- including important forms of identification, credit/debit cards, 500.000 dong, etc. -- her phone, her water bottle, and my camera. The incident was extremely disappointing, considering how we both have come to trust the areas we usually frequent in Hue, and that the event had caused us to reevaluate the trust that we seemed to have mistakenly granted to these places, as well as the general trust we have in people when traveling. Though most of these items can be replaced, it's still a pain to do so.

Toward the end of a wonderful weekend of traveling with my Fulbright homie Jefferson -- which consisted of visiting my relatives in Da Nang for my ba noi's death anniversary, watching "Les Miserables," and hanging out with Khoai -- I received a phone call from Jenelle's phone. I thought this was odd, given that her phone had been stolen, so I figured that the person was calling me to let me know that they found her purse, and me especially since I had texted the phone earlier in Vietnamese, saying that I think he mistakenly took my friend's purse, and that we would like it back. The person on the other end of the line was a Vietnamese man, who repeatedly claimed, "No English, no English." I assured him I understood Vietnamese, then he continued on in Vietnamese, using words I wasn't quite familiar with. The general concept I understood was that he found Jenelle's purse; he knew of its contents, and had taken Jenelle's SIM card to contact me so she could retrieve her items.

I breathed a sigh of relief and I anxiously asked him where I could retrieve the items. He said he left the items with his friend who lived in Hue; he was just a traveler. He gave me his friend's number, then I called the friend. The friend said he knew nothing about the purse and its contents. He just had a wallet with papers and cards in it. Frustratedly, I told him that his friend noted that he had everything, and we continued arguing back and forth until he agreed to meet with me at the location I was at. At this point in time, Jefferson and I were standing by my motorbike in a bookstore parking lot, intending to spend the next few hours traveling around Hue before Jefferson had to catch his flight.

Minutes later, he appeared with a friend on the back of his motorbike. They quickly noted that I was not the person on the ID in the wallet, so they asked if I knew the name of the owner. (A move I actually admire, now that I think about it.) I gave her full name, and they popped open the motorbike compartment to hand me a purple wallet with all its contents except for the 500.000 dong. (Of course.) "Where's everything else?" I asked in Vietnamese.

The man proceeded to tell me that he knew nothing about the other items, and he continually insisted that I call back his traveling friend to ask him. They argued, I scowled, Jefferson waited, and finally it came to the point that it was no use. These jerks and his friend were not going to give me a straight answer, and yet they insisted that I should be thankful that I got my friend's wallet back. I got on my bike, thanked him half-heartedly, and set off to show Jefferson the rest of Hue.

I had intended to take Jefferson to Dong Ba market, which is full of delicious Hue food and goodies he could bring back to Ben Tre. But once I arrived to the parking lot my Vietnamese friends usually use, I was waved off by a elderly Vietnamese man. I asked him why I couldn't park there and pointed out the other Vietnamese people who were driving in and parking there, and he didn't even have the decency to respond in Vietnamese, as though I were some random foreigner who didn't deserve the time of day. I looked around in a confused fashion, then looked down at my shirt, which read "SOUTHEAST ASIAN" in bold, yellow letters. Apparently, claiming it doesn't mean that I really am Southeast Asian.

At that point, I gave up. I told Jefferson that I'd rather go to Thien Mu pagoda, when the reality was that I just needed to go on a long drive. I felt myself holding back tears of anger about my inadequacies. I couldn't bargain with the thieves who stole our items because I didn't have the Vietnamese language skill set. I don't look Vietnamese enough to park in an unofficially Vietnamese-designated parking lot. Everywhere I go, I can't blend in. And yet, I'm not American-looking enough to receive the special treatment that foreigners get. I was half-everything, and fully nothing.

Since then, I've been having trouble being able to hold technical conversations in Vietnamese. From trying to purchase a phone with Jenelle to asking different departments in my school about the books I need to teach this week, I find myself losing face, which is evident in the way the people I talk to react to me during our conversation. I lose patience, they lose patience, I lose my honor, and I walk away.

The most feasible solution I have for myself at this point in time is to find a way to regain the confidence and energy to engage with other Vietnamese folks. I'll probably need a "Tay Day" to recover to get to that point. Until then, I'll drown myself in music, get a good amount of sleep, and worry more so about the new set of students I will begin teaching tomorrow.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

While looking for interesting ways to introduce the "Regional Cultures in the U.S." class to my new set of students, the show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" came to mind. I remember knowing absolutely nothing about how the show worked beyond the fact that toward the end of the episode, one contestant got to run around a large map, place poles on countries, and waited for an affirmative buzz before moving on. But after watching a bit of the final episode, I realized that there's a lot to learn about good pedagogy from the show.

Lessons to learn from "WWCS:"
1) Make learning interactive: From engaging the main players to audience members, everyone must play a part in the learning experience
2) Use themed-learning: Refer to the students as a specific name that goes along with the classroom theme (i.e. "gumshoes"), and relate everything to that theme to build on the students' knowledge and make learning fun
3) Embrace your showboating personality: Most Vietnamese students seem to love dramatic actions and unexpected humor. Don't be afraid to be silly.
4) Keep it movin': Keep a big smile on your face, and keep going with it, even if the students don't laugh on cue.
5) Bring music and movement in: Include random dance days and songs that get your head swaying to the beats and spinning from the fact-filled lyrics.

I've definitely pumped to use these learnings to contribute to a positive learning environment. The next challenge to tackle is building a curriculum on a course that you have minimal background information on.

Why It's So Cold in Central Viet Nam

As I sit here shivering in my normally comfortable room, I wonder to myself: Why the heck is it so cold in Viet Nam?! No one warned me about this! I was told that South Viet Nam has only two seasons: sunny and rainy. However, no one prepared me for Central Viet Nam's weather: hella sunny and hot; hella hot and rainy; hella cold and rainy; and hella cold.

This is where my mom would be reading my blog and thinking, "Omg, what do I need to bring her? I told her that it would be cold!" Yes, mẹ, you actually did warn me about this, and you were right. For the 22983743987th time. Con xin lỗi, nha?

But no worries, everyone! I've got it all figured out. I will list my solutions toward the end. Now you Bay Areans and East Coasters -- you might be thinking, "64 degrees F? That's NOTHING!" Oho, lemme tell you why it's like living in a refrigerator here:

Reasons Why It's So Cold in Central Viet Nam
1) You had no idea what clothes to bring. Every time I've been here, it's been hot. Little did I know that my summer and spring breaks don't give me any clue as to what the weather would be like in Central and North Viet Nam in the fall and winter. So I thought to myself, one pair of jeans should be alright. Even those were close to the suitcase cut-off to ensure that my dresses (that I rarely get to wear) made it to Viet Nam.

2) There's no insulation anywhere. Most buildings in Viet Nam allows the wind to flow through, which is appropriate 9-10 months out of the year. However, the cooled tile, drafty room, and chilly breeze can be a bit of a nuisance when you just got out of the shower (which ran out of hot water 2 minutes in) and you're down to your last pair of clean socks, sweater, and shorts (because your jeans are currently drying under the fan).

3) You gotta dry your clothes via room fan. When you hang dry your clothes in the summer, your clothes dry in 3 hours flat. When you dry your clothes in the winter, you gotta bring the clothes rack inside and put both fans (if you're lucky enough to have two--which I am currently not) on full blast, hoping that you can wear your only pair of long pants within the next 24 hours. Until then, I'm left here to blog in my shorts next to the only fan that works as it dries my only pair of long pants. (As you can tell, I'm resenting the fact that I only have one pair of long pants.)

4) You're outside (pretty much) all the time. Whether you're transporting from one place to another, sitting in a cafe or restaurant, or meeting up with a friend, the likelihood that you're outdoors or at least exposed to the open air throughout the day is over 90% (unless you've given up on life and have chosen defeat under your thick red flower-designed blanket. I ain't mad at cha). Thinking about my American lifestyle, I spent most of my time in a heated classroom, heated car, heated restaurant, or next to my portable heater at my desk or on my bed. If I wasn't in a heated room, I was getting my temperature up by speed-walking to my next warm destination or running around the neighborhood in warm, Dry-fit clothing.
Most Vietnamese people get around via bicycle or motorbike (so common that some even claim car sickness if they sit in a moving taxi for over five minutes), and their main shield from the rain and cold is a poncho. When you get seated in a cafe or restaurant, it's likely that you have at most three walls surrounding you, with one open wall to allow customers in. When you meet up with friends, you're most likely meeting outdoor before you bike off to the next place. Even for some people's workplaces, their windows and doors remain open at all times. When I teach, the wind and rain are usually louder than I am -- and if you know how loud I get, that's saying a lot.

5) You're too cheap to buy more clothes to bundle up. I mean, c'mon... I could tough it out for a month or so extra. There's no way I'm wasting my money on pants and sweaters that I have to lug back home to America and am likely not going to wear for another 7 months.

Okay, not necessarily the right mindset, but I'm working on getting it right with baby steps:

What You Need to Do to Conquer the Cold
1) Go to the Vietnamese marketplace with a fashion-savvy, best-bargaining friend to buy some winter clothes. Hien offered to take me to the market tomorrow. She was on point in helping me find sandals that fit my abnormally large feet, so I fully trust her with my upcoming winter wardrobe.

2) Eat hot food and drink hot drinks when you're outside. Cafe den doesn't always come hot, but if you have another hot option handy, order that and get that cup in between your quivering palms ASAP. Maybe buy some cute glove and mittens to solve that problem, too.

3) Dry your clothes when you're not in the room. Or wear the giant blanket while blogging. No point in shivering and complaining when the problem's fixable. (Be a solution-oriented thinker.)

4) Choose the appropriate times to do certain things. Showering early in the morning or late at night is not as refreshing as it was when the remnants of perspiration would keep you warm during and after the shower. Shower midday. Go for a run when it's cold and not raining. Take advantage of the slightly chilly weather and run errands, and do indoor things like blog, read, and calculate grades when you're absolutely stuck inside your dorm due to the winter cold and rain.

5) Go hang out with friends at a place where you can bundle up and laugh off the cold. No better way to conquer the cold than to spend it delightfully warm company. =)

Homies and Họ Hàng for the Holidays

This has been the most wonderful holiday season away from home one could ask for.
Since there's been a lot going on for the past couple weeks, I'll sum it all up in visits:

Vanlam and Amelia in Central Vietnam
Since we Fulbrighters were on our way to a conference to Da Lat, Vanlam, Amelia and I met up in Hue so we could explore Central Vietnam prior to meeting the others in Da Lat. We explored Hue and I introduced them to Hue goodies like Cafe Muoi, che sua, and wonderful veggie delights. We also got matching dresses made, which was a boss idea, given that it only cost $25 for a dress that we custom-designed according to the fabric and print I wanted. And nothing beats a dress with pockets.

Amelia, me, and Vanlam rocking our dresses at the Da Lat conference (Credit: Vanlam's awesome camera)

We also traveled through Hoi An and Da Nang, where we took it easy, got haircuts (goodbye, split-ends!), hung out with family and met up with Lesley, a former Fulbrighter and current English Language Fellow teaching at Da Nang University. My dad eventually joined in on the catch-up session at Highlands Coffee, which is basically the Starbucks of Viet Nam.

Like father, like daughter

Lesley and Amelia modeling coconuts along Bach Dang. My favorite thach dua place ever! Featuring coconuts from Ben Tre, which is supposedly coconut heaven

Later on in the evening, my father offered to take me and the ladies around his old 'hood. We stopped by one of my favorite beaches and rode around the city until we craved ice cream.

Love these ladies!

Dad wanted to join in on the picture fun.

My attempt to recreate the baby-freeze picture I took with Thao in Vietnam the year prior.

Vanlam, Amelia and I were leaving for the conference the next day, so that was the last time I got to hang out with my dad. Even though our time was limited, I'm glad I got to spend time with him around the holidays. It made me feel more at home than I had been in a long time.

Fulbrighters in Da Lat

I have never fallen in love as quickly with a city as I had with Da Lat. Every single day was filled with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, chilly yet bearable weather -- maybe because it reminded me so much of what I missed about the Bay Area. 

Vanlam, Amelia and I got into Da Lat a lot earlier than the other ETAers, so we decided to take advantage of our extra day by exploring the city. Just as we were renting motorbikes, Quan and Kate arrived and they quickly got ready to join our adventure.

Rollin' out with our motorbikes. Amelia and Kate always have time to look good. (Credit: Quan)

We motorbiked to the bottom of Lang Biang, which is one of the highest, hike-able mountain peaks in Da Lat. It took us about 5 hours to get to the top and back, and during the hike, we had heavy conversations about our fears, our selves, and of course, what we missed most about the holidays. One of the things I missed the most was hearing my dad's favorite album: Neil Diamond's Christmas - Volume 3. I think I've heard that album several times between Thanksgiving and New Year's each year for at least 10 years.

Kate, Quan, me, Amelia, and Vanlam taking a break to be silly. (Credit: Vanlam)

Lang Biang at sunset. I'm on top of the N (Credit: Vanlam)

After our hike, we met up with other Fulbrighters who were already in Da Lat for a conference and the ETAers who arrived after us at Cafe V. We indulged in nachos, hot chocolate, and each other's warmth, as the temperature had fallen below 60 degrees and we were not at all clothed for the temperature drop.

The rest of the week consisted of us giving presentations about our placement, emphasizing on how we've dealt with cultural adaptation, work with our host institution, work with Fulbright, etc. Everyone gave such inspirational presentations, and I was able to come away with new ideas I hope to implement for the coming semester with my students.

During my own presentation, I brought up the issue of cell phone use in the classroom. I showed a video that had been at least two months in the making, the brainchild of English Language Fellow Andrew and edited by my good friend back at home, Marc. Folks, I present to you: "The Mobile Motto"

Of course, it's not the biggest problem in the classroom, but Andrew and I thought it would be funny since we all have that issue in the classroom, and it was a nice way to bring Andrew to the conference even though he was busy getting married in El Salvador.

After the last day of presentations, we did a white elephant gift exchange and ended the night with an affirmation circle. It was a wonderful way to end our time together; I have come to appreciate every single person in our group since we all first met in August, and I couldn't be more fortunate to be part of such a dynamic group.

Fulbright ETAers wishing you a happy holiday season!

During our last weekend in Da Lat, we continued exploring Da Lat. Some notable activities were visiting Love Valley -- which was perfect for cheesy picture-taking and real conversations about love while swan-paddling -- catching the sunset at Tuyen Lam lake, catching the sunrise outside our hotel, going to Elephant Falls, exploring Cho Da Lat, which is one of the oldest night markets in Vietnam, and indulging in more hot chocolate. I ordered peppermint in my hot chocolate because I was feenin' for Christmas-in-a-cup.

Swanning it.

Our love swing

Sunset along Tuyen Lam lake, perhaps the most expansive lake I've seen in Viet Nam thus far.

Cho Da Lat at nighttime

Elephant Falls

Elephant Fall showers

Big happy Buddha

Sunrise outside Du Parc hotel

Peppermint hot chocolate with Kate and Quan

Christmas in Da Nang
Thereafter, Kate, Quan and I flew into Da Nang to celebrate Christmas with our families. I joined my uncle (by marriage)'s niece's Christmas dinner, and they took me in as their own. We had wonderful bbq'ed beef, boiled chicken, and chicken sticky rice, along with some rich, mocha cake for dessert.

Dinner with the fam!

For the evening, I met up with Kate and Quan to go to church, when we actually really just stood outside and admired the beauty of "Chicken Church," which you usually have to reserve tickets for to attend mass on Christmas Eve.

You don't have to be Christian to enjoy Christmas Eve mass.

We then walked around Bach Dang, had a classy drink at "Memory" bar, where we talked about our favorite Christmas memories, then called it a night.

Quan and I strolling along Bach Dang.

Memory Bar -- best view of the bridge

However, once I got home, my family called me back out to go to Highlands Coffee, which is right across from Memory Bar, so I took a cab back to enjoy banana cake, banh bao from the street, and the company.

The fam again!

Holidays and Homies in Hue
Much like my family does in the States, Vietnamese folks celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, so on Christmas Day, there are just remnants of Christmas decorations to remind you that the holiday is still in effect.

For dinner, I met with Steven, Eva, Jared, and his traveling friends at Duc Ha, our go-to spot. Thereafter, we stopped by Backpacker's Hostel (our other go-to spot) for drinks and a catch-up session since we hadn't seen each other in a while.

Duc Ha

Christmas-in-a-cup concoction: White Russian with peppermint schnapps. Don't mind the tourist in the conical hat in the background.

After Christmas, a lot of friends came through town -- so many events and friends that can only be further described through photos and captions.

Tika, my friend from college, was in Hue for less than 12 hours, as she was on a short Vietnamese excursion with her cousins from Thailand. Here we are gettin' down with banh Hue.

The next morning, I took her to Coffee Bee. Although it wasn't the authentic cafe coc (street coffee) experience, we ordered Hue coffee with the French press and impatiently waited for our coffee to finish dripping.

Thanks for visiting, Tika!

Quan, Amanda and Kate came into town. We went to the Citadel (not pictured), and after Quan left, we went on our own adventures with Hien, my travel agent/friend. Here we are, beginning our tour around the Hue pagodas in the rain.

Modeling in front of another temple/pagoda!

New Year's Eve, we started the night with dinner at a thit rung (forest meat) restaurant, due to Adrian's request, a former Fulbrighter from Saigon who was visiting for Hue for a day with his college friends. Later on, I gathered all my friends and we started off the night at Backpacker's. Best crew ever!

The next day, we groggily walked around the city, got banh Hue, and drank delicious drinks by the river as we talked about life lessons from the past year.

Jan. 2: Hien took me, Amanda, Kate, Steven, Jenelle, and her VIA friend Maria to Huyen Tran temple -- a beautiful temple which is located in a very peaceful part of the province. Here we are, taking a picture in front of the longest coupled dragons in Vietnam.

Hien and I!

Located at the same temple is the peace bell, which should be rung three times for specific purposes for good luck. We placed our lucky Vietnamese zodiac coins under the bell as we rang it, and we now hold onto it for good luck.

On the way to the bell is a huge, smiling Buddha.

After our adventure, we got Cafe Muoi, coffee with condensed milk, fresh milk, and salt. It's amazing!

I came into the new year with a renewed appreciation for my Fulbright scholarship and placement in Hue. Never in my life had I imagined that I would actually have the opportunity to teach in Vietnam and reconnect with my roots, and here I am, doing so with the support of wonderful friends from Hue and Fulbright; relatives and friends in Sai Gon and Da Nang; and family and friends from home. I am truly privileged to be here, and honored to have such an amazing support system.