It’s an end of an era!!! The last few days in Vietnam were filled with farewells, tears, community, and laughter. For the past two weeks, my fellow TABers and myself spent time with our finals… our final trip, our final days teaching, and our final days spending time together in this beautiful country.
Our final trip: Ha giang Loop!!
For our final trip, Blaine, Bianca and I flew over to Hanoi where we would venture out to the northern mountains of Vietnam. We spent three days on the back of a motorbike with an amazing group of 16 travellers. From the back of the motorbike, we were immersed in the middle of beautiful mountains, got to see and meet local villages and tribes, and touch the clouds hugging the landscape. We had unique experiences of hiking up to caves, playing football in the mountains, and walking up 100 flights of stairs to view the Vietnam-China border. Each of us were assigned to an easy rider, where most of our easy riders grew up in Ha Giang and had been driving these roads since they were very young. Each night, as well as on any break we had along the drive, the karaoke machine was pulled out and we were singing our hearts out. I met and built relationships with travellors from England, Sweden, Holland, Ireland, and Guadeloupe. I valued learning from these people, especially when I met a fellow Math teacher from England! It was incredible to learn about teaching in England and how it compares to teaches in Canada.
In addition, I saw how much this community values activities and sports. Whenever we would take a break from driving, the easy riders would get in a circle and play this game where a weighted birdie would be kicked around in a circle. I would join on and it was incredible to learn this new game and practice the different moves. Thus far, the Ha Giang loop would have to be the highlight of my travels during TAB. It was an out of body experience, where I felt grounded and experienced overjoy and happiness.
Our final Days Teaching
For the last two weeks, I decided to increase the amount of lessons I was teaching. I would teach most classes in full, where the students were challenged as I would teach in 100% English. It was very rewarding when student would understand what was being asked of them, and students remained confident in their abilities. In addition to teaching, we participated in several extra curricular activities. Vietnamese women’s day was being celebrated across the country and to commemorate the occasion, the school hosted a soccer game where teachers, administration, and parents came together to play a friendly soccer tournament. We were all assigned to teams and played alongside the teachers. This was a beautiful moment of community and team building. The highlight of the game was when the principal scored a goal during the penalty shots and the entire community raved! After the soccer game, a party was hosted at the school where an amazing Vietnamese lunch was provided and we sang and danced to various karaoke songs. During the performances, Blaine, Natalia, Olivia and I chose to do the line dance to show the community a dance from Canada! It was amazing to see everyone trying out the line dance and the principal coming up to dance with us. After being in Vietnam for the past two months, one of my biggest take aways is how tight knit the school community is. Everyone builds strong and empowering relationships with one another, and teacher mental health is of utmost importance.
Final Days together
Near the end of the trip, we said our final goodbyes and all became very emotional as we parted ways. The kids gave us a bunch of goodbye cards, as well as some gifts. It was very hard leaving the community we had built, the school that welcomed us with open arms, and the students who we built strong relationships with.
Moreover, it was equally as hard leaving our TAB group. Although most of us will be in Calgary together, we had lived in the same apartment together for 2 months, and we wouldn’t see each other as much as we did during our time in Vietnam. I value the relationships I built with my fellow TAB students and will forever cherish the memories we made during our trip. This has been an amazing opportunity and I am grateful for the people I met along the way.
Now, instead of saying goodbye, most of myself students said: “see you soon”, in hopes of meeting one another again.
Therefore, see you soon, Vietnam!