Gabriel Kossovan
September 16, 2023
I have been in Vietnam for about 2 weeks now and in that time, I can already say that I’ve grown so much. This is really my first time traveling in any real sense of the word and I picked Vietnam because I really wanted to throw myself into the deep end and put myself in a situation where I could grow dramatically through a radically new experience and so far, this trip has proven to be just that. From the weather (its always at least 30 degrees and humid here), to the language, to just the cultural norms, Vietnam has been a massive departure from Calgary. While I must say that when I Initially arrived I struggled somewhat with homesickness, this experience as made me dig deep and just put in more effort to stay in touch with everyone I care about back home, even if that means waking up a little earlier to manage the time zone differences. I also think that one thing I’ve really strived to do in my time here is to try and focus less on the similarities or differences Vietnam might share with Canada but to instead to try and leave my Canadian cultural context behind and to really enjoy and celebrate what makes Vietnam the wonderful country it is.
For one, the sheer number of options for eating and drinking in this country are nothing short of incredible. There is hardly a street you can walk down in Da Nang where you don’t run into vendors selling everything from a hot bowl of noodles, a sandwich, freshly baked bread, fresh squeezed juice, tea, or coffee. Often here the food is sold form either little carts on the side of the road or from little restaurants that may people simply set up on the ground floor of their houses. Its truly a place where you can eat something different for every meal every single day for weeks. My biggest piece of advice would be to approach everything with an open mind. If something smells good, and you don’t have dietary restrictions, give it a try. Even though many people speak little English, I found I’ve had great success with just saying the named of the dish, along with the Vietnamese word for please. And while you might sometimes try something that doesn’t agree with you (I can’t bring myself to like the fermented shrimp paste they use here), the food here is so affordable, you’re only ever going to be down a couple dollars. Open mindedness is certainly important when traveling anywhere but here I really think it gets you far. Some of the best meals I’ve had so far have just been form passing a food stall, liking the look of what someone else was eating, and then just sitting down and ordering that.
The other big thing I’ve really enjoyed being a part of here had been getting to enter into the elementary school here. For starters, since you’re a tall westerner, you are automatically a celebrity. I have not had a day at my school placement where I have not been mobbed by students using their limited English to ask y name and where I’m form. And everywhere you go they’re faces light up with excitement and they scream hello at you. It’s truly been an experience like no other. In addition, there is a 3-hour break for lunch from around 11AM – 2PM where the students eat and then take a nap. This is really in sync with the rest of the city where most people go for lunch a little early and then usually make sure they are somewhere indoors to beat the worst of the days heat. Beyond these unique aspects though, teaching in elementary here has been a blast. The kids are so energetic and responsive and generally give back what you put into the lessons in terms of effort. While I think I can still say that teaching high school is still very much my priority, I beyond thankful for having gotten this opportunity and this experience.
As I finish writing this post, I’m sitting in a little cafe overlooking the street and I’m reminded of another thing I’ve really come to love about this country and that’s the ways in which people take the time to savor things. Here, people always find the time to sit and be present, even just for a little bit, be it sipping a cup of coffee in a café, or stopping by a road side stall for a quick bite. Things are a bit more deliberate here and I think that’s a principle I’ll try and take home with me.
Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks so far, and I can’t wait to see what the next weeks have in store for me!