Journey to Peace Village

Oftentimes, I'm really proud of my students. Last week I went to Ha Tay near Hanoi with my student Huy. Huy is handicapped, but he never lets that stop him from achieving his goals. He organized a trip to Ha Tay to cheer up his friend Linh.

Ha Tay is a beautiful rural area near Hanoi. I was stunned by the lush green fields and as always, the wonderful the hospitality of the people.

Labels: ecology, education, Vietnamese culture

I was very happy to attend my student Chien's graduation last week. Chien graduated from the Transportation and Communications University. Chien is an outstanding student; she's received top honors from the University and is fantastic in English. I work with her on a regular basis to help her achieve her dream of taking a master's program overseas.

The graduation is interesting because there wasn't a "cap and gown" ceremony. Basically I just attended her presentation of a thesis she did on traffic problems in Hanoi. Although I'm still not fluent in Vietnamese, her confidence and well put together power point spoke for themselves.

I had the pleasure of visiting her parents and hometown. Chien's family is not wealthy, they don't have running water and run a small farm growing tea. She is the most hardworking student I've ever met and I love teaching her!

Labels: education, Viet Nam