Rewind and Recap

We're back on home turf, and we can't believe it's all over! With the sporadic internet connections we had over the last two weeks in Viet Nam, it was hard to share our adventures. But now, we can catch up and show you what went on.

Fazila showed you our closing ceremony, all dressed up to receive our certificates of completion, and here's our final dinner at the Asean Restaurant where we had many an interesting conversation over smiling fish and steaming soups.

Final Ceremony

I cannot believe we have completed the program!

My tutor just sent this to me. It is our last group photo in front of the Univeristy.

Relief

The big exam is behind us. We get to celebrate our general success with a dinner out thanks to the rector of the university. A formal affair of sorts: the invitation says "food and drink festival." Should be fun.

In the morning, we're off early to Sapa. A mountainous region, Sapa is home to many of the ethnic minorities we've been hearing so much about including the H'Mong and the Black Thai (based on their indigo-dyed clothes). It's a three-day, two-night weekend, and we're all excited. It's our last big hurrah before the events of next week: a few school visits, the final class, a last meeting with our wonderful tutors, and the closing reception. And packing: boy, that should be interesting.

We're all exhaling a big sigh of relief. No matter how we did in the class or on the exam, we were a success. We learned a heck of a lot immersed in a brand new culture (for us), and we had an experience beyond compare.

School visits

We made our first visit to a local school, and it was a special school at that. The Ethnic Minority HIgh School is one of a kind. It caters to studentsof the northern ethnic groups from the remote mountain regions. While they learn the necessary requirements, they are also encouraged to practice their own cultural traditions. We were the audience for a performance by a handful of groups; singing and dancing, storytelling and more, were put before us with heart and great skill. To say we were impressed is an understatement.

We were also able to sit in a few classes and noted the similarities and differences of our classrooms and theirs. One simple difference is the size of the classes, between 40-50, and the behavior of those numbers: not a peep unless the teacher directed it. Discipline is not an issue (or, it's not as major an issue as we often address at home).

It was a terrific experience for all involved.

Viet Nam Rewind

We're jumping around as our trip comes to a close, but let's take a look at what else we've done way before Ha Long Bay (though we LOVED Ha Long Bay).

We also really like Hoi An and the Da Nang area, including the UNESCO site of My Son. Hoi An is an old town, representing Japanese, Chinese and local influences. It's a silk haven, as well, with overnight tailor shops turning out dresses and suits. Lanterns lit the roads, and the streets were crowded with people from all over the world.

Before we took off to head back home to Thai Nguyen, we made a stop at My Son archeological site (it's an active archeological site). What an amazing experience -- older than Cambodia's Angkor Wat, My Son was the site of the Cham people for hundreds of years. As with many ancient sites, there is the wonder of how the unique stones were brought to the mountainous region. It was breathtaking:

Da Nang itself was interesting, more for the recent history than the hustle and bustle of this city. Electricity only made it to Da Nang in the '90s, and they've made a lot of progress since then . It was beautiful flying in.

This was a terrific trip, and the following week was Ha Long Bay, and this weekend is Sa Pa: we're certainly wrapping up our trip with a bang.