I learned a lot today, not just about the center, but of the history of the NGO that started all of this. Having slept well the night before, I was more than prepared to take on another busy day at the center. Here how this day went.
I woke to the sounds of my brothers working on the garden on the other side of my room, shouting orders and talking amongst each other. It was seven at the time and I slept for about seven or so hours. Stretching my tired limbs from swimming the other day, I walked into the dining room greeting my host mother and my brothers who walked into the house. After having a pleasant breakfast of noodle soup and bread rolls, I went off to my room to prepare for my class, reading a little bit more into my introductory Vietnamese books. Today, I had to teach a class for the high school age students and the primary school students. After preparing all my items, I rushed off to the library and went to work.
Both my classes that day were great learning experiences for me and, I hope, also for the students. They are progressing well in their grammar and vocabulary, to the point where they are no longer shy to ask me how to say a certain phrase in Vietnamese. Every now and then I have to ask or look a word up, but I must continually say that I am getting much MUCH better at Vietnamese. Its refreshing to be able to teach in a language, especially the one of my roots, other than English, as this challenge for me is both difficult yet rewarding. For my later class, I taught English learning songs like the ABCs and such. It was cute to see Ni, a 2nd grade student sing the ABCs, as me and her fellow classmates had to help her along with her pronunciation. All of the students loved to play during class, to the point where I decided to introduce a break at the first hour of class for the students to unwind. The time inbetween my classes, I prepared, slept, and worked on my blog (catching up once again!). Now time for the interesting part of the day.
Today I decided to get to know more of the people who work on the site, feeling the urge to know more and figure out more opportunities to help. Intermitently playing with Min while walking from house to house, I spent a lot of time thinking about the ways I could help. My first thought was to ask the baking school coordinator on site, as I have not had the chance to speak with her very often. Her name was Leticia, and she had been working on the site for more than a year, sending messages between the President of the NGO and the people on the site. I also met one of the language teachers for the baking students who had worked here for more than 13 years, since the start of this physical site. Leticia, I found out, was busy having a disciplinary talk with the baking students, there being eight at this current period of time, and was unable to have a chance to talk to me. I instead talked with the language instructor. Wow, this man had dedication. He had taught in many places before, receiving what I believe is a doctorate in languages. He taught at medical schools, universities, and many other places. He explained to me how the baking program worked (finally someone told me).
It starts with advertising out to outlying area of Hue, looking for the poorest of the poor (as he said) to come and study at the school. After studying for a year, the student is able to go an get an internship at a five star hotel (all organized by the center) or a restaurant. After about three months or so, the student is to return back to the center and teach the incoming apprentices. After the two year mark completes, the center organizes for them their resumes and applies for jobs for them. What a process! The trouble with this process, what the language instructor told me at least (shame on me for forgetting his name), is that the center has had much trouble recruiting new apprenctices due to the fact that many of the poorer parents want their children to be out and working and attaining income fast, while undergoing this program takes two years out of the child's life, thus limiting the income of the family. It is quite a situation indeed. He did say that they are finding away around it, which is great, and I am hoping to stay in contact with him in the future to see what I can do for the apprentices.
We had an unexpected guest arrive today for dinner with my house. His name was Michael, one of the employees of the NGO Aide a L'enfance du Vietnam (AEVN), who was on a trip back to Vietnam to visit the villages that the AEVN created in all the past years. He was a cheery man, middle aged, and well learned. I invited him into the house with all my brothers and we all sat down to have a nice meal. Elizebet, the french employee of this particular center, joined us as well. I learned a lot about the AEVN. It was created in 1970 and has created a great number of villages throughout Vietnam and is continually building more and more. Michael talk much about his travels, his past work, and his feelings on Vietnam, having not returned for more than seventeen years. He loved the dinner, eating every single dish we put out for him and smiling happily at us. It was a while since I have spoken that much English to anyone on the site and speaking to Michael really intrigued me to read more on the AEVN. Michael's seen and done a lot and I hope to talk to him more as he stays on our particular center before he moves off to the next village. He plans to let us know tomorrow morning if he can eat with us once again.
Now here I am, in my room, finishing this piece up, and getting ready to shower. I am planning to go the nearby cafe with a friend on the site and then relax a little bit more 'till I get tired and decide to rest. Until tomorrow!
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