Hai Phong and Do Son Beach

Wow… I have been without internet access for several days! It feels like I am cut off from the rest of the world!

The internet in the hotel I’m staying at is dodgey at best but I have finally found an internet café . Hooray, two days before I leave Hai Phong! Ha ha

My first days here were spent designing a new logo for the local Primary school along with a banner for their web site. Designing a logo via an interpreter in a country who’s culture you don’t quite understand is a bit of a challenge. Somehow I have come up with something they are happy with. Whew!

I have also had a tour and meeting with the local Hai Phong Community College. The principal and staff there were just wonderful and would love to have a relationship with a Canadian College.

Linda (another Uniterra volunteer) came to visit me for the weekend. We visited Do Son Beach with our translators and went to a traditional Vietnamese play Saturday night! All fun and exciting adventures! Do remind me to tell you all about Linda’s adventure trying to find a bathroom!

My workshops start early in the morning but break for 2 -2.5 hours during lunch. Most teachers have to go home to feed their families and people here don’t mind a little cat nap at lunch. I usually have enough time to eat at a café and cool off in the air conditioned hotel room. There is not a deodorant that has been invented that can withstand the Hai Phong challenge! Yesterday it was sunny and 38. Toasty!

My students ask great questions. They are engaged but feel apprehensive about letting me know if they don’t understand something. Fortunately I have the best translator in Vietnam. Hung is awesome! Each evening I teach him the Flash lesson plan and the next day he translates with a full understanding of how the software works. I really lucked out when I got this kid. He is only 22 but amazing! If any of you ever need a Vietnamese translator I have his deets!

Hai Phong is a great city. I feel pretty safe walking around. I’m careful the streets are well lit as it gets dark about 6 – 6:30pm here each night. The streets are super busy and full of interesting people. Shopkeepers, vendors, locals, vagrants, children, teenagers – It’s awesome! I usually eat at the same café each night, the staff is getting to know me. Last night they brought my mango juice before I even ordered it. I can say hello, thank you and your welcome and I’m sorry in Vietnamese. But I can order about a dozen different dishes in Vietnamese. Guess that tells you where my priorities are!

I have two days of workshops left.

Not sure when I will be able to post again but hopefully soon!

Linda and I have planned trips to Cat Ba, Halong Bay and Sappa.