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| Lan Ahn's family |
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| Eric and Bao |
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| The food just kept coming! |
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| It's amazing what people transport on motorbikes |
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| On our way out of the city |
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| Watch for animals in the road! |
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| The river just to the north of Hanoi is a boat highway |
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| Rice drying season |
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Friday and Saturday
The activity continues to ramp up every day we are here. Friday was filled with meetings about future workshops that the faculty want me to conduct- it seems they want to pack in as much as possible while we are here in addition to the original schedule. Yikes! Friday afternoon Eric and I attended a meeting with the English Club (with about 10 students)-discussed many topics (good practice) and agendas for the following meetings which we have been invited to attend. In the evening, Eric and I were invited to Lan Thao's birthday party (daughter of our friend Lan Anh) with the rest of the family-picture following. Today we decided to motorbike outside the city to try and find our way to the chicken farm to visit our farmer friend, Phung and Minh- but we got lost and headed back to Hanoi before it got dark. We think we now know where we made the wrong turn and will try again another day! Enjoy the photos!
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Week Two
The week began with a lecture on 'Labor Relations in the US' to 40 undergraduate students in the Business Administration major. We started with an overview and then broke into small group discussions about the similarities and differences between Vietnam/US labor relations. My interpreter, Mr. Tung, had studied the material prior to class and, as I understood from the students, did a great job interpreting (from English to Vietnamese and back again!). Most of Tuesday was taken up by editing conference papers in preparation for a women's conference which the Academy is hosting in mid-October. The abstracts and papers were quite interesting--the theme of the conference is Women and Entrepreneurship in the Industrial Revolution 4.0. I'll also be presenting a paper from the U.S. perspective. On Wednesday, Eric and I were invited to a 2 hour conversation with the English Club where we simply sat in a circle and talked about many different topics- the purpose, of course, was to practice English. Today I'll begin preparing for next week's lectures, catching up on emails and other work not related to Vietnam.
"All work and no play..."
Of course, with Eric around, the fun never ends. He is quite industrious, curious and loves an adventure, so while I'm working, he does his own thing---by himself, with his friends and then makes new friends. When I'm not working, I get to join in the fun. This week we have had invites to several dinners and lunches- some with friends, some with VWA faculty. The motorbike runs beautifully and we now have some new "sturdy" helmets which we have decided will come home with us since we plan to make more trips back to Vietnam in the future. Last night we were caught in rush hour traffic which is just an amazing mass of cars and motorbikes, all vying for an inch or space to move forward- some of us gave up and the sidewalk then became part of the road. It was a madhouse. We decided, instead of battling with the traffic, we would stop for coffee until the roads cleared- it was great fun watching the madness of rush hour while sipping cafe sua da!
We were also invited over the weekend to visit the Citadel- the old "Forbidden City" which is currently being excavated. We toured the Citadel with Ms. Chi, her husband, and baby followed by Bun Cha- one of my favorite dishes in Vietnam.
"All work and no play..."
Of course, with Eric around, the fun never ends. He is quite industrious, curious and loves an adventure, so while I'm working, he does his own thing---by himself, with his friends and then makes new friends. When I'm not working, I get to join in the fun. This week we have had invites to several dinners and lunches- some with friends, some with VWA faculty. The motorbike runs beautifully and we now have some new "sturdy" helmets which we have decided will come home with us since we plan to make more trips back to Vietnam in the future. Last night we were caught in rush hour traffic which is just an amazing mass of cars and motorbikes, all vying for an inch or space to move forward- some of us gave up and the sidewalk then became part of the road. It was a madhouse. We decided, instead of battling with the traffic, we would stop for coffee until the roads cleared- it was great fun watching the madness of rush hour while sipping cafe sua da!
The room where the Vietnam War strategy was executed
Entrance to the Citadel
Monday, September 10, 2018
Sunday, September 9, 2018
The Six Week Journey Begins
Eric and I arrived in Hanoi at 11pm after a long flight--13 hours to Seoul and then another 4 to Hanoi. We were met by Vy and the Academy's driver, Mr. Giang. Vy is a student at the Vietnam Women's Academy where I'll be teaching for the next 6 weeks. She later introduced us to Thao, another student and friend. Vy and Thao were very helpful over the next several days as we attempted to settle in. I will post several photos at a later date, but the broadband isn't so broad, so am having a difficult time uploading!
Where we live: We live in a room on campus- a bed, 4 chairs, a desk, a small fridge/microwave, a clothes rack, an ironing board and a TV. To the left as you walk in the door is a small room with a toilet and the next door on the left is a small room which includes a shower head, a sink and an automatic washing machine. We have an air conditioner and hot water now which is wonderful!
Where I work: For the next six weeks, I'll be teaching labor relations and other related topics to undergraduate students and faculty at the Vietnam Women's Academy (VWA). The Academy will be celebrating its 60th year and is an arm of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU): a women's socio-political and developmental organization mandated to protect women's legitimate rights and strive for gender equality. There are approximately 15 million members in the VWU at the national, provincial, local levels. The VWA has been a training ground for members of the VWU and has now expanded to become an accredited university. Since 2013, it has created 6 bachelor's degrees in the areas of social work, business administration, law, gender and development, multimedia communication and tourism. In fact, it is the only university in all of Vietnam to offer a degree in Gender and Development.
The first 3 days: The first days in any new culture are always a blur. The combination of jet lag, new people, new conditions, HOT weather, etc add up to feelings of anxiety, excitement, overload and exhaustion. It helps to have been through this phase before and to know that it is temporary. It also helps to have a husband (Eric) who reminds you to breath and relax. He's the best. So here's the summary:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were start-up days where I met with faculty to discuss my teaching schedule, conference presentations and workshop activity. There were festivities for the start of the new school year as well as an evening gala for the freshmen. All of the dances and song were performed by VWA students. Very impressive! The Vietnamese culture is famous for its festivities and this begins at a very young age. While I was busy getting oriented, Eric did his thing: rented a motorbike, purchased local phones, joined in during the lunches and got together with friends for coffee/beer. More to tell, but signing off to motorbike to our friend's house for dinner....here we go on a fun filled, hard working journey!
Where we live: We live in a room on campus- a bed, 4 chairs, a desk, a small fridge/microwave, a clothes rack, an ironing board and a TV. To the left as you walk in the door is a small room with a toilet and the next door on the left is a small room which includes a shower head, a sink and an automatic washing machine. We have an air conditioner and hot water now which is wonderful!
Where I work: For the next six weeks, I'll be teaching labor relations and other related topics to undergraduate students and faculty at the Vietnam Women's Academy (VWA). The Academy will be celebrating its 60th year and is an arm of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU): a women's socio-political and developmental organization mandated to protect women's legitimate rights and strive for gender equality. There are approximately 15 million members in the VWU at the national, provincial, local levels. The VWA has been a training ground for members of the VWU and has now expanded to become an accredited university. Since 2013, it has created 6 bachelor's degrees in the areas of social work, business administration, law, gender and development, multimedia communication and tourism. In fact, it is the only university in all of Vietnam to offer a degree in Gender and Development.
The first 3 days: The first days in any new culture are always a blur. The combination of jet lag, new people, new conditions, HOT weather, etc add up to feelings of anxiety, excitement, overload and exhaustion. It helps to have been through this phase before and to know that it is temporary. It also helps to have a husband (Eric) who reminds you to breath and relax. He's the best. So here's the summary:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were start-up days where I met with faculty to discuss my teaching schedule, conference presentations and workshop activity. There were festivities for the start of the new school year as well as an evening gala for the freshmen. All of the dances and song were performed by VWA students. Very impressive! The Vietnamese culture is famous for its festivities and this begins at a very young age. While I was busy getting oriented, Eric did his thing: rented a motorbike, purchased local phones, joined in during the lunches and got together with friends for coffee/beer. More to tell, but signing off to motorbike to our friend's house for dinner....here we go on a fun filled, hard working journey!
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