5/23 - Teaching the Alphabet

As usual, breakfast itself was an event with delicious pastries, fresh fruit,warm bread, and even eggs. Following breakfast, we headed to one of the rooms and discussed the importance of the reflection process during this trip. Our first topic was humility as central to any learning experience, especially one that requires a partnership created in equality. Next, we discussed the benefits of reflecting: awareness of feelings & discusion/consideration of our actions--the combination of which basically keeps us in the moment and so,engaged in the experience. We couldn't have broached this topic without including the active citizen continuum. The consensus was that reflection is how our experiences and feelings will translate into action, here and at home. Our reflections will last a minimum of 1/2 hr, and maximum of 1 hr, and are alternated daily with group building to maintain our cohesive team--and to have fun. We then discussed the day's activities: meeting w/officials of the FriendshipUnion, and teaching English to "street" children (those who cannot afford standard schools and are most often orphans).

Then, more eating! Our elaborate lunch spread: a suqid dish w/pineapples, carrots,and potatos; shrimp soup w/tofu, baby corn, tomtato, and chives, and ourFaVorite--morning glory greens sauteed in garlic. To top this meal off we we were each given mixed fruit shakes and shared a lot of laughter. I have never eaten so well.

After lunch we did some lesson planning for the afternoon and designatedstudent interpreters to each of our sub-groups and prepared our materials--flash cards, crayons, (and Caroline's hit) connect-the-dot ABC practice sheets. Then we raced off into senseless traffic on our bicycles and headed for the Friendship Union. At the Friendship Union we met with delegates of CPI (Duc &Toan) with whom we will work in an outpatient hospital and the home of a CPI beneficiary. Inside the building we sat in two rows of beautifully carved chairs facing one another. We were meeting with Binh Nguyen (the secretarygeneral of the Friendship Union) and Le Van Anh (the president). We introduced ourselves and explained our interest and enthusiasm for working with the Friendship Union and CPI. We also expressed our excitement at being in Viet Nam and getting to know the Vietnamese people. Binh Nguyen and Le Van Anh explained the purpose of the Friendship Union: To build international relationships based in peace and undersatnding of one another's culture; and to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Viet Nam. Both officials spoke with us in English and shared jokes as well. It was and is an honor to work with the Friendship Union. There was even discussion of possibly building a sister-university relationship between JSC and Hue University. It was an honor to meet them and is an honor to work with the Friendship Union.

Following this meeting we rode our bikes to the school for "street"children. It is impossible to accurately describe the beauty of Hue (the intricate architecture, the exotic plants, and the candid people) but it was all there in the children's smiling faces. We all split into our respective groupsof JSC students and Hue University student interpreters and the children assembled and were split into groups according to age/grade level. We proceeded to hesitantly get to know one another playing various games, and then jumped into our first lesson--the alphabet. We were outside and gathered in circles around the school yard, some in front and some on the side. The children were curious and intelligent and we slowly built trust with one another, moving from slow enunciation with flash cards to clapping and singing a portion of the alphabet.

I was with the youngest group of children so we broke the song downslowly while I could hear the other groups trying their own angles on their ownage groups. When we realized that a few of the children were illiterate altogether we invited them to sit down and trace connect-the-dot letters, to then try writing and saying them. When we pulled out the papers and crayons all of the children headed toward them. The children enjoyed writing the letters and then showing us the finished product; we were also very enthused and challenged them to pronounce each one with us. They were so interested and attentive that they learned easily although they were very small. As we prepared to leave the children sang a farewell song thanking us for coming. The Vietnamese are always singing, warmly harmonized, and it was very moving.

We departed on bikes with our interpreters and headed for a park near the river. There we enjoyed freshly pressed sugarcane juice in the shade. We discussed the lessons--what worked well and what didn't. Then, we toasted in English (Cheers!) and Vietnamese (Zo!; pronounced 'yo'). When we returned to the hotel we did a reflection activity to process and discuss our busy day. And yet more eating! Supper at a nearby family restaurant was delicious: Country-style tofu, crispy noodles w/vegeatbles and tofu, spring rolls, and fried squid. Some of us headed for our rooms with full stomachs, finally fatigued by the day's excitement. Other's headed out w/Nhi into the bustling night-life to enjoy singing at a local coffee shop. There they enjoyed a band, various singers, strawberry tea, cold yogurt drinks, and iced fresh fruit juice. It was a very full, and very wonderful, day.