tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041024709195302352024-02-02T14:26:02.429-08:00The life and times of an urbaniteAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-88508625933067809932015-11-17T09:50:00.001-08:002015-11-17T09:50:12.125-08:00Thoughts on Paris...<div class="MsoNormal">
I know everyone is talking about the Paris attacks, and you
might not want to read another article about them, but I decided I wanted to
write my 2-cents about the event. I should say now, I do not intend to start
debate or disagree with anyone’s beliefs on this subject, I am just sharing my opinion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a student of disaster and emergency management, I can’t
help but to think about and analyse the attacks in Paris. Not to mention over
the past few days it feels like you can’t turn on a TV or go on social media
without hearing or reading some new development related to this tragedy. And
the fact we are talking about it so much speaks volumes about the connectedness
of the world we live in. People from all over the world are sending their
support to Parisians, and locals have been able to open their homes to those
stuck in Paris thanks to the power of media. But the huge exposure of this
event has not come without its consequences. Acts of violence and destruction
towards the Muslim community have taken place all over, including a few in
towns around where I live. The fate of Syrian refugees is being debated, as
world leaders decide whether or not they will continue to accept people
countries associated with terrorism. As well, the huge media attention this
event is receiving </div>
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has brought to light the fact that similar
attacks in developing countries don’t receive nearly as much attention – but that
could be a blog post in and of itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But why should we respond to violence with more violence,
and intolerance with more intolerance? That seems hypocritical and backwards to
me – it’s like the bullying back the bully. Many people fleeing Syria and other
war-torn countries are leaving to escape the terrorism they face every day, not
to be a part of it. Of course there are extremists who just happen to be Muslim
who join groups such as ISIS, but by in large Muslim people are just as shocked
an appalled by the attacks in Paris as the rest of the world. It is so unfair
to paint an entire religion with the same brush because of one small group of
bad people. As I read online yesterday, we don’t blame all German people for
the actions of the Nazis do we? I deeply believe that if we start looking at
people as human beings instead of focusing on one part of their person, then
the world would be a much brighter place. I hope that as world leaders discuss “how
to deal with terrorism”, they realize that we are all humans, so maybe the best
way to deal with terrorism is to address the issues which are causing people to
act inhumanly. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-49775839623054180602015-07-29T11:28:00.001-07:002015-07-29T11:28:09.467-07:00An update on my next big adventure!Wow, it has been so long since I have blogged! I suppose it is because I felt I have had nothing interesting to blog about! Since my last post almost a year ago, I have moved to Victoria (BC), been working on my masters, got myself a job at Home Depot, and landed my dream internship with the United Nations Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch in Geneva, Switzerland. Now that I think about it, all those things were worth blogging about!<br />
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To start off, life in BC is pretty awesome. I have made some great friends, and am so lucky to live close to downtown and the ocean and mountains! I can go for a seaside walk anytime I like, which is pretty amazing (which I am sure my facebook friends are getting tired of pictures of :P). The West coast is so beautiful and vibrant, and I have been lucky to call it home for the past 8 months.<br />
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As for school, I could not be happier with my choice to do my masters at Royal Roads! I am enjoying my readings and assignments so much! I also love that I get to learn from the experiences of those in my program who are already well into their careers in disaster management. Every week brings a new topic, a new area for discussion, and new learnings. I am never bored with my courses, even though they are online. I guess it goes to show that I am studying my passion if I am never bored! I also enjoy that the courses are designed so that you can work full time while completing them. It can be stressful managing a full time job, school, and a social life, but it is certainly worth it!<br />
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The last bit of great news is that as part of my degree requirements, I have landed myself an internship with the United Nations! This has long been a dream of mine, and I cannot believe it is coming true! I started the application process wayyyyy back in December, and took a good 2 weeks to fill it out because I wanted it to be perfect. Then, in March, I got an email saying I had been selected for an interview. It was the most nerve racking interview of my life for sure, and I thought it didn't do well at all, but a few days later I found out that it did go well and I had been accepted for the internship! Since then, I have been doing my best to save up, and well as fundraise, to cover my living costs while I will be in Geneva for the internship (because UN internships are unpaid, and I am already paying my own way though school so I have very little savings that can go towards these costs). <a href="http://www.youcaring.com/project-fundraiser/help-me-achieve-my-united-nations-dream-/336366#gallery" target="_blank">Here's the link to my fundraising page</a>. Although figuring out how to cover my living costs during this internship has been stressful, it has truly shown me that accomplishing your dreams is NEVER easy. You have to fight and work hard for them, which is exactly what I am going to do! I have wanted to work for the United Nations since I came home from Ecuador over 5 years ago, and I am going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.<br />
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So, I suppose I will now use my blog to share Geneva updates and continue to share my journey of getting there. If anyone has any advice for me on fundraising or working for the UN please feel free to share it!<br />
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All my best! Until next time, internet...<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-64500749602288656452014-09-10T06:51:00.000-07:002014-09-10T06:51:37.727-07:00"Life is either a great adventure or nothing" - Helen Keller<div class="MsoNormal">
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to write a
post...it seems life has been getting in the way, which is part of the reason I
am writing today. And also because I’m having a huge “I miss Hanoi” day. As I read about this year’s INDEVOURS initial
feelings upon arriving, I can’t help but miss the rush of excitement and wonder
I remember experiencing when I first got to Vietnam. I miss the feeling of
adventure – knowing you’re at the start of amazing new chapter of your life and
you’re going to do some amazing things. It also brings back my many happy
memories of my time in Vietnam, the friends I’ve made, and the cultural habits
I still can’t shake (you can ask my family, I still yell “Oi!” on a daily basis
to get their attention). I also miss the place I call my second home because of
how hard it has been to keep in touch with my friends there due to a 12-hour
time difference. Trying to find times to skype or chat is nearly impossible
while working full time! Finally, I miss the atmosphere of Hanoi. The
hole-in-the-wall cafes, the history, the markets, and even the insane traffic.
I guess what it comes down to is now that I’ve had the adventure of living in
Vietnam, I feel like I need a new one. I think it’s more than just “the travel
bug” or “wanderlust”... it’s the adrenaline of being somewhere new doing
something exciting all on my own! Moving to the Victoria at the end of October
for my Masters degree couldn’t come quick enough for me, because I see it as my
next big adventure. I know Hanoi will always be a part of me though... as the
start tattoo behind my ear reminds me every day!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-6418952568251387382014-06-12T09:45:00.005-07:002014-06-12T09:48:51.516-07:00Why I'm voting in Ontario's provincial electionI will start off this post by saying I am not trying to change the minds of those people who have chosen not to vote. Nor do I judge them for that decision. I’m just sharing my opinion on why I believe voting is important, and start a conversation on this important issue!<br />
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As many of us know (at least my Canadian friends reading this) that Ontario has a provincial election today. As usual, all that I have found that every politician in this race has been doing is pointing fingers at the other parties rather than telling us how they will fulfill their campaign promises. I have felt like I have to choose between the lesser of 3 evils. But as frustrating as this decision process is, I am going to use my right to vote today. Why? Because I am grateful to have the right to have a say in how my province in run.<br />
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I just lived in a country where people don’t even talk about their government. People can vote in Vietnam... but it’s a one-party system. The general public have very little say in how their country is run, how decisions are made, and the decisions that do get made. As well, I know people in Canada who’s family immigrated here years ago, but still do not have full citizenship and right to vote. That’s why I feel privileged to have the right, and duty, to vote for the person who will represent my interests in the provincial government. Even if none of the candidates represent my interest, I am also free to tell them that by declining my ballot. That is a privilege that not everyone in the world has, and therefore I choose to honour that privilege by exercising it. All it takes is a few minutes to read the parties platforms, watch the leader’s debate, or do an online political compass quiz. Then just a few more minutes to go to your closest polling station to fill out your ballot. And again, I truly believe that declining your ballot (which is just as powerful as voting for a candidate) is also exercising your right to have a say in who governs our province! <br />
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That’s my two-cents on voting and the election! What’s yours?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-58599830598060976002014-05-13T17:07:00.000-07:002014-05-13T20:09:33.107-07:00Coming home: How it feels to be back in Canada<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve returned to Canada (I apologize
for the hiatus in writing blog posts due to the chaos of leaving Hanoi then
coming back home, by the way) and it’s been the biggest two weeks of ups and
downs in my life. From tears to joy in the airport, to embarrassing silent tears
of missing my Vietnamese friends on a GO bus ride. From starting an incredible
new job, to feeling like I can’t connect with my friends and family the same
way anymore. From celebrating completing my undergrad, to the realization that
my classmates (and best friends) and I are now all heading down very different
paths. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I also haven’t been able to shake the feeling of my own home
feeling familiar, but very different at the same time. The places, the
lifestyle, the people, are all “normal” to me. But at the same time, there are
new buildings, places I used to frequent have changed (what do you mean Tim Hortons
has changed their cups?!), and my friends/families lives have moved on while I
was gone. Even the look of our Canadian money has changed during my 8 months
away. And of course, I’ve changed in ways I’m still realizing. In terms of
habits that have changed, “Oi” is still part of my daily vocabulary, I still give/receive
things with 2 hands, and I’ll use chopsticks over a fork/knife. I forgot how to
call over a waiter during my first few days back, and I nearly got run over by
traffic my first few times crossing a street because “oh yeah, you don’t just
step into traffic when you want to get to the other side of the road in Canada”.
Little moments bring on waves of wanting to get on the next flight to Hanoi:
like someone using a plastic water bottle when I just lived in a place where
tap water was not drinkable, or the thought that for the price of a “nice” meal
in Canada I could feed myself for weeks in Vietnam, or reading a blog post from
a dear Vietnamese friend. And there was one point last week where I said "if one more person asks me how my trip was I am going to scream".<o:p></o:p></div>
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On a positive level however, I’ve certainly become more aware of the
parts of my culture and Vietnamese culture that I value. I feel I’m more open,
more mature, more culturally sensitive, more aware of how vast the world is and
so ready to explore more of it. I’m a better communicator, more adaptive, more
resilient, more comfortable being out of my comfort zone. These are all things
I got the chance to identify during our debriefing sessions. But I also have
been frustrated by feeling different in ways I cannot identify. Certain social
situations have made me feel like I know I am different, but I just can’t say
what that difference is. Such is the pains of reverse culture shock I suppose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite these “growing pains”, this week I started an
amazing job at the Markham Fair as a summer student. I have several responsibilities,
including organizing/running a community garden, running sessions in primary
schools teaching kids about planting, planting the sunflowers and pumpkins that
the kids put into pots at these sessions, maintaining the gardens around the
fairgrounds, creating a corn maze, and assisting with environmentally-focused
summer camps. In my first 2 days, I have researched about community gardens,
meet with a man involved in a town of Markham community garden, researched corn
mazes, and got in touch with schools about my sessions! The job is very much
about me accomplishing the goals of the position in my own way, and I love that
I can take ownership of the projects I am involved in. I hope to keep my blog
going this summer talking about what I’m up to at my job!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time internet…<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-11232572895537891132014-04-11T03:23:00.000-07:002014-04-11T05:23:26.097-07:00A rant about tattoos and Facebook: social media lessonsToday I had an experience on social media that has influenced my perspective and opinion about it. It started when I asked for some simple advice on a social media site about a tattoo. I wrote a question on the Facebook group “Hanoi Massive” (which is a group where expats living in Hanoi can post questions, events, room vacancies, etc) about where/how to dispose of the needle I was given by the parlor where I got a star tattooed behind my ear. I got many helpful answers, as I expected. But as could also be expected, two people with clearly too much time on their hands who decided it’d be funny to post “I'm more interested to hear about the Tattoo? Fusion Logo on your forehead?” and “We want photos of the tattoo or come and show me...”. These comments thoroughly upset me, and as much as I wanted to respond to them and defend tattoos (and the fact that they shouldn’t give a shit what I put on my body because well, it’s my body), I decided to be the bigger person and let it be. I instead decided to share my thoughts here on the whole situation, and the new opinion about social media it has given me.<br />
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So why did these comments upset me? I’m certainly no stranger to mean or mischievous people on the internet, but these comments hit me on a more personal level. First of all, as I mentioned, why is it their business what I put on my body? A tattoo is a deeply personal choice that I shouldn’t have to justify to anyone. Tattoos have meanings to the person who’s body their on, and for me, these comments made me feel like these people were questioning the significance of mine. It was like they were telling me I’m clearly one of those people who drunkenly decided to get a stupid tattoo. For me, tattoos are an art form and means of expression, and these people’s comments imply to me that they have the opposite opinion (although I can respect a difference in opinion). Also, these two people have never meet me before in their life, who are they to demand a picture of me or judge my personal choices? Lastly, how did their comment contribute to an answer to the question I had posted?<br />
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After having these thoughts run through my head, I began to realize I am probably completely over analyzing their comments. I could be interpreting them in a completely different way then they were intended. Also, I made judgments about them without even meeting them (which is why these comments upset me in the first place). Not to mention, I posted in question in a group that has thousands of members - I set myself up for someone to make a stupid comment. That’s when I realized that social media is horrible for these kinds of situations! How can anyone understand the intention of what a person has written on their facebook, twitter, instagram? There’s no face to face interaction on the internet, so misunderstanding occur all the time (especially between strangers). That’s why social media is famous for pointless arguments and “comment wars”. <br />
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So what have I taken away for this experience? Well first of all, ignore the people who have too much time on their hands who write comments with the intention of upsetting you. Responding will get you nowhere. That being said, I know I won’t be posting in Hanoi Massive anymore. I also learned that in this day and age of only text conversations, you have to be careful to not judge and be aware of misunderstandings. For me , this doesn’t mean social media is evil or a bad means of communication, but it does mean you must chose you words wisely when using it and be aware of how you respond to other’s words.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-86947631683837813672014-04-10T03:14:00.002-07:002014-04-10T03:14:18.287-07:00Reflecting on having a visitor!<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a friend, Natasha,
who was in a singing group with me in University. We both had a great
time, even if I had to write my final report during most of her stay! Not only
was her visit special because we hadn’t seen each other in such a long time
(probably close to a year), but also because it showed me a whole new side of
Hanoi and of myself.</div>
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As I showed Natasha my favorite foods and cafes, how to
cross the street, and some famous places in Hanoi, I realized how much I have learned
about this city. She made me realize that things that used to be strange to me –
such as the insane traffic or constant attempts to sell you something as you walk
down the street – have become normal. And as she put it, these things shouldn’t
be normal to a Westerner, but they are now for me. She also made me realize
that I understand the culture more than I previously thought. She showed me
that I do speak enough Vietnamese to get by, I find a fork and knife unusual to
use, and I know how to be polite to a Vietnamese (or rude if the situation
calls for it). </div>
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Natasha also made me realize even more so how hard coming home
is going to be. As we sat on plastic stools eating street food in the old
quarter of Hanoi, we kept sharing stories and saying “how can you explain this
to anyone back in Canada?”. Natasha having taught English in Thailand and now
traveling Asia, she has had as many of these moments as I have. Although I am
extremely excited to see my friends and family, I’m beginning to realize how
hard communicating my time in Vietnam will be. I’m going to dread questions
like “so how was your trip” or “tell me your favorite memory of Vietnam”…
because for me they’re unanswerable. I know my friends and family are going to
want to hear all about what I have experienced, but I’m afraid they’re not
going to truly understand it. How can I share the feeling of wind in your hair
as you drive a motorbike, or the beauty
of an ancient Vietnamese pagoda, or the taste of real bun cha (my favorite Hanoi
specialty)? I’m afraid I’m going to feel like a bit of an alien in my own home.
But I also know I have my fellow INDEVOURS to support me, and that the alien
feeling will all be part of the cultural reintegration process. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-58211212465436249692014-03-25T19:22:00.001-07:002014-03-25T19:22:57.357-07:00With one month left on placement...<br /><br />With one month left in Hanoi, I’ve been reflecting on the things I will, and won’t, miss about this strange and wonderful city, and Vietnamese culture general. So here’s my ever-evolving list of things that will be hard to leave and things I’m ready to leave.<br /><br />I’ll miss…<br /><br />· The people (of course!). The friends I have made here will be for a lifetime I know it! And Vietnamese are always so happy to invite me places and share their lives with me. They’re the reason I WILL come back one day soon to Hanoi<div>
· My job and co-workers. Although I'm not doing what I hoped to be doing during my time at SRD, I really do enjoy the communications work I do. I also am proud to work for such a reputable and professional organization like SRD. We work hard, but we also know how to have fun! SRD really is my Vietnamese family.<div>
· The food. Not having the best street food in the world just outside my front door, for around $1/meal, is going to make me go through Vietnamese food withdrawal. And I’ll miss my office cook’s food too! Which reminds me, I’m gonna have to cook again (ugh... the joys of being “grown up”).<br />· The culture. I feel like I’m always picking up a new custom, exploring a new area of town, or learning new facts about Vietnamese history. Living in such a culturally rich place, there’s always ways to expand your knowledge! Especially in Hanoi.<br />· Always having something to do. Whether it’s a hanging cool coffee shop, biking with a friend to a pagoda, or going to a concert… Hanoi has no shortage of things for you to do and see! It’s one of the reasons I love big cities!<br />· The independence. Although I love sharing my life in Vietnam with friends back home and wish they could experience it with me, it feels pretty cool that I have a life all my own that is completely different than my loved ones. I also feel like living so far from home has truly made me stand on my own two feet and make decisions by myself, which I’m sure will make me more self-sufficient when I get back home.<br />· The craziness and busy-ness of the city. As chaotic as life can be in Hanoi sometimes, it gives the city a character. A pulse. A vibe. It makes you come alive and want to explore.<br />· The ease of transportation in Asia. I love how cheap and easy it is to travel by bus, train and even plane! It’s given me the chance to see so much of this incredible country, and continent!<br /><br />I won’t miss<br />· The traffic and noise. After 7 months I’m still not a fan of horns 24/7 and getting cut off every few minutes while I bike home (although I have come to accept and deal with these long ago). Hanoi has even made me an angry driver at times. When I do get honked at, cut off, or nearly hit by someone talking on their cellphone, luckily I can let out my frustrations in English while continuing down the street and no one around me is phased. Having some rules on the road will be a nice change.<br />· Getting unwanted attention. The occasional strange man yelling “I love you” at me, or the questions about my age/martial status/income/home country don’t bother me really (because that’s just how life as a foreigner goes in Vietnam goes), but it will be nice to “blend in” again.<br />· Having to buy bottled water. Drinking from the tap is privilege I have missed.<br />· The language barrier. Many people in Hanoi speak at least a little English, and I understand quite a bit of Vietnamese by now, but understanding 100% of what I hear and see around me will be a pleasant surprise to come home to I think. Granted I will miss the challenge that this language barrier presented me. I hope I stay motivated to continue to practice and learn Vietnamese even once I won’t need it every day. </div>
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You can see how torn myself, and my fellow INDEVOURS as well probably, are feeling right now about leaving the places we have called home for 7 months now. But at the same time, I feel in many ways I'm ready to go home. Such is the life of a development worker I suppose... falling in love with a place you're working in and knowing you have to leave it one day.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-77959789730096327182014-03-23T03:53:00.001-07:002014-03-23T03:54:06.190-07:00Observations on vietnamese culture<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many aspects of Vietnamese culture that I really
enjoy and have accepted whole heatedly – like showing respect by referring to
people based on their age relative to you, or slurping you soup and noodles!
But there is one part of Vietnamese culture that I still find strange and
cannot accept, which is the pressure on girls to get married young. Whenever I
meet a new Vietnamese person, the conversation almost always starts by them
asking my age, where I am from, what my salary is, if I am married, and how old
I will be when I do get married. I by no means am saying every Vietnamese asks
these questions, but I have to say I have had this experienced almost more
times than I can count. To a Westerner, these questions can come off as very
personal and unusual to ask someone you have just met. I know now that these
questions are just a way that Vietnamese get to know me and I answer them
honestly every time, but the “when will you be married?” question still doesn’t
sit well with me. Not only does the question assume that everyone wants to get
married in the first place, but it also puts so pressure on young Vietnamese
girls to find a husband, which can take away from their carriers or other
aspirations. Many of my single friends here in Hanoi who are around my age have
told me about how their parents keep asking when they will bring a man home. If
you’re not married by 30-years old in Vietnam, you’re considered undesirable
and too old to find someone anymore. Parents get worried, and think marriage is
a kind of security net for their children.
For me, marriage is something that should happen because you are ready
for it and have met the right person, not something you should force to happen
by a certain age. I’m not saying that young marriage is always bad and unhappy,
but I think you need your youth to figure out who YOU are before you can commit
to another person for the rest of your life. This may be a somewhat Western
view, but it’s one that I will always advocate for because I believe marriage
is too big of a decision to force on a person. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, from what I have observed, the pressure to get
married young is a generational thing which is changing. Although my single
Vietnamese friends say they feel their parents want them to get married soon,
they want to wait until they find the right person to marry. I think the “get
married young” view is becoming old-fashioned amoug today’s youth. However
that doesn’t mean that girls don’t feel the pressure still. They see their
friends marrying, and ask themselves when their wedding will be. I think this
shows there is a slow but definitive change in this aspect of Vietnamese
culture. I have no idea how far this change will go or if it will happen for the better, but I hope it happens in a sustainable way that will give
Vietnamese girls more freedom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, to my fellow INDEVOURS and to my Vietnamese readers, do
you observe a similar situation? And what do you think about this topic? Please
note again that this just my observations about Vietnamese culture… I don’t
claim that it is 100% accurate and I mean no offense. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-58112107888842654832014-03-19T09:25:00.000-07:002014-03-19T09:26:40.559-07:00A snapshot of my placement experienceToday I received an email asking for me to awnser a few questions which will be featured in a publication by <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/stpauls/" target="_blank">St Paul's University College</a> (a great supporter of the International Development program). I found my responses kind of gave a quick overview of my whole placement experience so I thought I'd share them!<br />
<br />
1) How are you finding your placement and the country/environment you<br />
are living in?<br />
Hanoi is a crazy but wonderful city to live in. It can be chaotic with the traffic and the noise, but there’s always something new to do and see. Even having been here almost 7 months now, I’m still discovering the city every day! I love that there is no shortage of history here too. The museums, architecture, and monuments of Hanoi are all so rich in Vietnamese history and culture. Part of that culture is of course the food, which is one of my favorite parts of living in Vietnam (granted some dishes are much more adventurous than others)! Getting delicious street food for cheaper than you can cook yourself a meal for is a habit I think anyone can get used to. Besides the living environment, the NGO working environment I am a part of is also one thing I’m really enjoying about placement. My coworkers have become my close friends, and are very willing to share their expertise in the fields I am interested in. There is a big sense of family and community when you work for a small NGO.<br />
<br />
2) What have you learned (which you did or did not expect to)?<br />
Something that I’ve learned that I did not expect to is how to be more independent. Having lived in another country before and having been away at University the past 3 years, I considered myself a pretty independent person before going on placement. But having a 24-hour plane ride and 12-hour time difference between me and home has forced me to become independent on a whole new level. I really had to make my own decisions and I have to everything myself. It has also made me more independent in terms of my learning. You don’t have a professor to lecture and help you you in person, so you have to take charge of your own learning. You’re forced to analyze your experiences and what you see around you/ In other words, no one can tell you what you’re supposed to learn and how you’ll learn it. It’s a chance to have a completely personalized learning experience. <br />
<br />
3) What are you looking forward to now?<br />
To be honest, I’ve been avoiding this question even from my friends and family because I don’t have a plan for post-graduation quite yet! The freedom to do anything after graduation can make you feel overwhelmed with choice. However, I have been looking for jobs at NGOs in Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa, but I’m also applying to masters programs in Disaster & Emergency management at York and Royal Rhodes University. Either way, I know graduate school is in my future (whether it’s this year or next). Working for an NGO that does disaster risk reduction and response work has really motivated me to pursue a masters in that area. Climate change will cause more extreme weather events and the poor will be the most vulnerable to these events so I’ve become driven to help decrease that vulnerability. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-45122068855735366772014-03-05T07:02:00.000-08:002014-03-05T09:04:42.559-08:00A normal week for an INDEVOUR in VietnamInspired by a bog post from my fellow INDEVOUR <a href="http://ifirantheworldd.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Darrelle</a> (and also due to the realization that after living here so long I have yet to really describe on my blog what life in Vietnam is like), I thought I’d write about an average week for me in Hanoi. I hope if gives some insight into how I’ve been living the past 6 months! <br />
<br />
My average day starts with a 20-minute (well, usually more) bike ride to my office down Le Duan and Giai Phong streets, the main roads leading in/out of Hanoi. Needless to say when I first started riding my bike to work I wasn’t quite comfortable navigating through the traffic and noise, but now I ride my bike faster than the motorbikes on the road! Knowing the intricacies of Vietnamese traffic, like when to slow down or speed up, or how to not get mad every time someone honks at you or cuts you off, are definitely skills that can only be learned by living in Hanoi.<br />
<br />
When I get to the office, I’m always greeted with smiles and a “how are you?” from whoever is at our front desk! Then I go up the lovely, old, winding staircase to the second floor of the building, where the room where my desk is. I fire up my computer as I say hi to everyone, and I get to work with a cup of green tea brewed by our amazing office cook. As a communications officer, my general tasks are updating our website and facebook page, writing articles, taking pictures at events, editing documents/publications, and making videos. I do get to attend the occasional workshop, training, or project launch too. There are certainly days when I have more to do than others, and I consider myself very lucky to have a pretty steady stream of work.<br />
<br />
Then at noon, we get a phone call from downstairs to tell us it’s lunch time… all the staff’s favorite part of the day! Our office cook is pretty much my Vietnamese mother… she’s always looking after me. Not to mention she makes amazing food! Our standard meal is rice, some sort of meat and fish, steamed or stir-fried veggies, and soup – always family style. Lunch is followed sometimes by cards at a nearby coffeeshop, or a nap if you feel like it. We go back to work until around 6, and it’s time for me to make the ride down Le Duan again to get myself home. <br />
<br />
I’ll usually pick up street food for myself for dinner on the way home. There are a few places that I am quite the regular. I admit I do almost no cooking here, but I justify it with how cheap and delicious all the street food is! My evenings are almost always busy, whether it’s a Vietnamese-English language exchange lesson with a friend, doing homework at a café, going to Toastmasters meetings on Tuesdays, or an Open Mic night on Wednesdays with my roommate. <br />
<br />
Weekends are also very busy for me! Seeing friends and coworkers (Canadian and Vietnamese), more language exchange lessons, more homework, concerts, going to the market… there’s always something for me to do in Hanoi! My Vietnamese friends love inviting me out to interesting places around Hanoi, and sometimes to their homes as well. When I do have downtime at my house though, it’s always filled with quality time with my roommate and her son… making music, watching movies, or just talking about life. <br />
<br />
I feel like I live a pretty amazing life here in Vietnam. It’s busy and chaotic sometimes… but that’s because I’m trying to get the most out of the short time I have left. It’s also a life of small routine things that I can already tell I am going to miss so much. I really wouldn’t trade my placement experience here for any other one. This may sound sooooo cliché, but I am incredibly thankful that I have the chance to be a part of Vietnamese culture just through my day to day activities, as well as for the great people I have met who have come to define my time in Vietnam.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-36202622432353924562014-02-26T03:34:00.001-08:002014-02-26T10:30:45.833-08:00That Olympic feeling<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a hockey game that every Canadian will remember. The Canadian women were down 2-0 against the USA in the Olympic gold medal game with 4 minutes left in the 3rd period. Some of my friends that were in the restaurant with me watching the game had given up hope. Some Americans that were watching with us had already gone home thinking they’d won (granted, I don’t blame them, the game started at midnight Hanoi time). Then, the near-impossible happened. Brianne Jenner scored with 3:26 left, and Marie-Philip Poulin scored with only 55 seconds to go! After a nail-biting 8:15 in overtime, Poulin scored again on a powerplay to bring home the gold medal. </span><br />
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I’ve never been so on my toes watching a hockey game! And in that moment, even though I was 12,790 kilometers from home, I’ve never felt more Canadian. That comeback IS hockey. It proved hockey is OUR game, and always will be. Seeing the women receive their well-deserved medals, and hearing the national anthem, made me incredibly patriotic and emotional. I admit it would have been nice to be a part of the celebrations back home, but I was also very happy to have shared the moment with some fellow INDEVOURS and new Canadian friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />This game was certainly the highlight of the Olympics for me, but watching my country compete in all of the games while so far away from home was a great reminder of the amazing place I call home. I’ve always loved watching the Olympics, but these ones were very special for me because I felt a new kind of patriotism. I watched the games with people from all over the world, and when I wore my Canada jean-jacket and t-shirt it really meant something. I was representing and cheering-on my country in a foreign land… which was a great feeling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKltLyB3zAlsam1mM2KLvtIKYK0NwIi4O9XwVDYc_tdhlqcjS0C-Ue5ouQZF_3QqV0kfNhXVxsOVDE6UJon5fLgoM-on2YMoGvpLP0wQN1hl2pF3Hl5dFF4rlshm919NSSc7HSNgyWn8/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKltLyB3zAlsam1mM2KLvtIKYK0NwIi4O9XwVDYc_tdhlqcjS0C-Ue5ouQZF_3QqV0kfNhXVxsOVDE6UJon5fLgoM-on2YMoGvpLP0wQN1hl2pF3Hl5dFF4rlshm919NSSc7HSNgyWn8/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxAwazCdu9ZqMsxMZd1CMD76GmvTX8Kele3ed-k6DecZdx2MbVZxo7vQb3Mph9wIIqRG7Me1jUHeqTWlhLQlako8AcS1RKJ4qPM2TFtl4SmDaYfaZGR7tu4RIV5JOSf1fJ0nDbH3GNHo/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxAwazCdu9ZqMsxMZd1CMD76GmvTX8Kele3ed-k6DecZdx2MbVZxo7vQb3Mph9wIIqRG7Me1jUHeqTWlhLQlako8AcS1RKJ4qPM2TFtl4SmDaYfaZGR7tu4RIV5JOSf1fJ0nDbH3GNHo/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, Internet... </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-52396728712901415852014-02-17T22:30:00.002-08:002014-02-17T22:30:57.143-08:00“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it.”<div class="MsoNormal">
67 days. That’s how much longer I have on my “experience of
a lifetime living and working in Hanoi”. One essay and a final work report are
all I have left to write to complete my undergrad degree. How on earth did that
creep up on me!? And how has my time in Vietnam flown by so fast? I seems like just yesterday, I walked the streets of Hanoi's old quarter and was fascinated with everything around me. Now those things that fascinated me are everyday life... which still kinda blows my mind when I think about it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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With the countdown already on, I really need to get working more on those grad school
applications… and figuring out what I’m gonna do with myself when I get home.
It’s hit me suddenly over the past week or so that when I get back to Canada
and graduate that my options are completely open. No school, no job, no definitive
plans (as of yet) that are forcing me to be in a certain place for a certain
amount of time. For the first time in my life, I will be able to go anywhere
and do anything. All my older, working friends tell me this these endless possibilities
will make it the most exciting time of my life, but right now the pressure of
needing to make a decision scares me much more than it excites me. It’s the
wake-up call that I really am “growing up”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I’ve conceived so many plans for myself for when I get back.
A cross-country bike trip. Backpacking around South America. Going back to the
Philippines to volunteer on Project Leyte again. Working in Vancouver and
living with the family I have there. Working in Toronto and staying closer to
home. The logical side of me says “stay close to home because you’ve been away
for so long already, get a job to get yourself some experience, and start
paying back those student loans. You can’t just come back and leave again
anyway.” But the other side of me knows I’m going to find home boring. I’m
sorry mom and dad, but Newmarket isn’t gonna cut it for me! I miss my family
and friends of course and I want to spend time to reconnect, but I also want to
take advantage of the fact that I will have nothing tieing me down. I want to
use that freedom to travel and explore. I can’t count the number of people who
have told me to go out and see the world while I still can… and not to worry
about the money or student loans yet. Not to mention that there’s tons of
programs that let you live abroad while working anyway. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
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Making a decision among the indefinite number of options
that I have is so overwhelming. I’ve already decided that I am going to apply
this year, but grad school is most likely gonna have to wait another year because I do want to get some more practical experience before I go to school
again. But there’s still the matter of “what do I do in between now and then”. I have
no idea where to even begin to narrow my choices. I’m hoping an opportunity will
present itself, or something will happen between now and the end of April, to
give me some direction. Until then… I’ll just keep digging myself an even
bigger hole by making even more imaginary plans.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-89641111515992313882014-02-14T23:01:00.001-08:002014-02-14T23:11:38.779-08:00My time on All Hands Project Leyte<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.95pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">This
post is probably going to sound super cliché in some spots (hopefully I don’t
come off like <a href="http://www.reductress.com/cutest-ways-photograph-hugging-third-world-children/" target="_blank">this</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>article does), but I’m certainly going
to write it anyway. My experience in the Philippines is one I really want to
share… mostly because it has really given me more momentum to continue with NGO
and charity work. So here it goes. Once again… I apologize for the length of
this post (you've been warned!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.95pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Over
my time off of work for Tet holiday (the lunar new year), I had the pleasure of
going to the small town of Kananga on Leyte island, the Philippines, to
volunteer with the typhoon Haiyan relief effort through a group called All
Hands Volunteers. My first step on this volunteering journey was of course
getting myself there. I had never traveled very far alone by myself
before this trip, so I have to admit I was a little nervous. I managed to make
my 3 (yes, 3!) flights from Hanoi to Cebu no problem. From Cebu, I had to take
a ferry to the city of Ormoc on Leyte island. I had read that Filipino ferries
were not the most reliable, so when I missed the ferry I planned to take (the
last one of the day, too) by 10 minutes I started to think my smooth-traveling
luck had run out. I ended up catching an slow, overnight ferry, where I meet 2
really nice Filipino women who kept me company. Their comments on how brave I
was for traveling alone in the Philippines made me both worried and proud of
myself at the same time. Once I got to Ormoc (at 4:30am, might I add), I hopped
on a bus that took me to Kananga, where I found a bicycle driver to take me to
the town hospital where the All Hands base is. I got this sudden anxious
feeling when I realized was in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, guided by a
complete stranger in a foreign country… but one look up at the incredible stars
above me and the sight of the bright pink hospital down the road made it go
away instantly.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTXTfBVe2Ty1jMZa0cGQ1q5D4fc-wQx7-60v0JwE6d6WE6RqpY_nevaR5dmt0e0zSqD3pnScYgOpo3m9HWnYZF4ruK8E4wx2mBCaddNIg_DUAJ6HEtepUhyphenhyphennYhvk31ytOjftEIAK6c-0/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTXTfBVe2Ty1jMZa0cGQ1q5D4fc-wQx7-60v0JwE6d6WE6RqpY_nevaR5dmt0e0zSqD3pnScYgOpo3m9HWnYZF4ruK8E4wx2mBCaddNIg_DUAJ6HEtepUhyphenhyphennYhvk31ytOjftEIAK6c-0/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Lucky
for me, there were some volunteers who were already awake when I arrived, and
one of them (an awesome, 40-year-old, tattooed-up, American guy named Jeff)
came out to make sure I didn’t get ripped off my the bicycle driver and even
offered me his bed to nap until the work day started. That just goes to show
the amazing character of all of the 40-ish All Hands volunteers and staff I meet! I could
talk about each one and how dedicated and caring they are… but I’ll just leave
it at saying it was so nice to meet people who had devoted themselves to helping
those less fortunate than themselves. What is also really cool is that we were
a really diverse group of people, so I have friends to visit all over the world now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">So as
for the work that I did, Project Leyte had moved bases to the Kananga
Municipal Hospital about a week before I got there. We were restoring the
hospital from top to bottom, trying to repair the damage that Haiyan caused to
it. My first day I was on the “debris team”, which meant I was cleaning up all
the garbage, glass, scrap metal and wood that was around the hospital. My
second day I signed up to be on the interior painting team, because I have
experience with it thanks to the painting business I ran 3 years ago. When the All
Hands staff found out I had painting experience, I ended up with the responsibility
of leading the painting team (on my second day!). We ran into tons of technical
issues with the painting (as in, paint was peeling right off the walls), but we
solved them with some trial and error solutions. The painting team were
also in charge of repairing and painting the cabinets and shelving of the </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">hospital</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> (which turned out to be MUCH more difficult than I remembered it to
be). I know this is not really what you think of as “disaster relief” work, but I
felt good knowing I was helping give the people of Kanaga a fresh, clean
hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">One
of my working days, I managed to get away from the paint by getting first pick
at which team I would be on by volunteering to do dinner dishes (yes, that’s
how team assignments work at All Hands). I went of the “safety” team, which
meant going to a local high school to make some of the damaged classrooms safe
for use. This usually involves taking down loose ceilings and roofs, and on the
day that I went there, we took down 2 giant A-frames (the triangle pieces of
steel that meet to make a roof). The experienced volunteers I was with made an
awesome pulley system to get these massive pieces of metal down from the roof,
and it was so cool just to even be a part of that! I also just helped moved a
lot of debris, and tried cutting the A-frames with a angle grinder. The children
of the school were what made that day really special for me though. As I walked
around the school grounds with my wheel-barrel full of scrap wood or metal, all
I could hear were the kids asking me “what’s your name?” or “where are you
from?”! One student, a 12-year-old boy, even gave me a letter addressed to all
the volunteers, thanking us for helping he and his people to recover from Haiyan.
It was such a humbling and touching moment, and made the all the sweat and the sore back at
the end of the day well worth it. When I was walking through town a few days
later on a hike to a local waterfalls with the other volunteers, I heard kids yelling my name, and I
realized that it was the high school students who must remember me . How can
you not feel overwhelmed with happiness when you’re welcomed like that?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">After
work was done every day, you could usually find most of us volunteers at a
local house just down the road that sells beer (appropriately named “beer lady”).
Then there was dinner and the daily meeting, where the team leaders talked about the work
from today and what was to be done tomorrow.
My nights were filled with great conversations, bond fires, card games,
and of course more beer. That’s the remarkable thing that happens when you have no
internet or constant electricity… you connect with the people around you instead of staring at
your phone all day. It’s also surprising how little you miss internet and
electricity when you have great company who keep you entertained anyway! One of
the more eventful nights while I was on the project was when a typhoon passed
through Kananga! It was a 3 out of 5 on the<a href="http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/help/unit.html.en" target="_blank"> typhoon class scale</a> (to put it in
perspective, Haiyan didn’t even register in this class system), and we prepared
very well by securing the hospital and getting emergency food/water. Being in a
typhoon was scary for me at first (even though these size storms are a very regular occurrence
for Filipinos) but it turned out to be not a huge deal. There was also a small
earthquake that night… which didn’t even wake me up. So I guess I can say I
lived through 2 natural disasters in one day, but really they were not disasters.
There were no reports of damage or loses from the locals in Kananga from this
smaller typhoon too which was reassuring.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">Overall,
my experience in the Philippines gave me a whole new perspective on disaster
response and risk management (which is a field I hope to get involved in during
my carrier). I saw first-had how people lives are dramatically changed by
natural disasters, and how they can still smile and be incredibly generous even
in the face of such loss. I realized that disaster response work really means
getting things “back to normal” for the communities affected by disasters and
understanding their needs (even if that need is a newly painted a hospital). I
also realized how complicated and frustrating this kind of work can be, when
you don’t have access to the materials and funds to effectively respond to the
community’s need. But I also realized
how truly rewarding and </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">impactful</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> the work is. I can say I helped get a
hospital back up and running… and that’s pretty freaken cool. I can’t wait to
see the pictures of the finished hospital, which should be done next week,
and to hopefully return to Project Leyte this summer (</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">SURPRISE</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> MOM AND DAD! :P).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-76503859474124508932014-01-18T05:57:00.000-08:002014-01-18T05:57:09.562-08:00Fitting in in my home away from home<br />The other day on a 3-hour bus trip back to Hanoi from a field trip in Nam Dinh province, I found myself reflecting on what it means to call a foreign country “home”, and what that means for development work. A foreign country CAN feel like home, and for me, Vietnam has become a country I can say I feel “at home” in. I have people I care about here, I have a routine here, I have a place to live here. However, no matter how long I am here I will never be able to go a day in Vietnam without sticking out as a foreigner in some way… whether it’s because I don’t speak the language fluently, I make a cultural mistake, or simply because of the way that I look. It can get frustrating when people act a certain way or say certain things to you just because you're a “Westerner”. I know when I walk down the street and I hear the word “tay” (which means Westerner in Vietnamese) it is usually not meant in an offensive way, but at the same time, sometimes I just want to turn around and say “Yeah, I’m white, what’s it to you?!”. <br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, I by no means think that Vietnamese people are prejudice or unwelcoming when I say they treat me different for being a foreigner.In fact, most of the time foreigners get treated specially in most situations... except maybe when it comes to negotiating prices. I just think the frustration comes from the fact that I don’t think twice when I see a “foreigner” back in Canada, and I wouldn't treat them differently simply because they are not from Canada. Seeing people from all over the world is part of daily Canadian life, and not necessarily part of daily Vietnamese life (especially in rural areas).<br /><br />Looking past these feelings of frustration, I have come to terms with the fact that if I am going to work in development, I’m going to have to get used to “sticking out”. I cannot change the fact that I am a Westerner, no matter how humble I may act or how much I assimilate myself into whatever culture I work in. As a development practitioner who plans to work abroad, I will always be a guest in someone elses' home… trying to understand and solve problems that I will probably never have to face myself. That fact both excites me and terrifies me at the same time. Placement so far has given me a little taste of what it feels like to try and solve these complex problems, but I know I’ve only scratched the surface. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-34250442587239000932014-01-11T04:21:00.001-08:002014-01-11T06:09:57.624-08:00What I did this Christmas vacation<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy New Year readers! After 2 weeks of traveling around
South East Asia for the holidays, I’m back home in Hanoi and it feels pretty
good! I figure since a lot of people have been asking how my trip was, I should
write a blog post about it (as difficult as that will be). I apologize in
advanced for the length of this post, but I’m goning to try to do my best to
summarize the trip of a lifetime that I had! If anything, this blog post is for
me to try and document my experiences and thoughts while traveling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My adventures began in Bangkok, Thailand where I meet my
fellow INDEVOUR Darrelle, who is working in Nepal. It still blows my mind that
I even got to travel with an INDEVOUR on placement in a completely different
country! In Bangkok, Darrelle and I did many of the temples and museums, and
took in as much history of the country that we could. We did indulge in the
more touristy things like tuk tuk rides, massages and shopping on Khao San
road, but that was all part of the experience for sure. We even meet up with
another Vietnam INDEVOUR, Danielle, and her mom too! </div>
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After 2 days in Bangkok,
we found 2 other INDEVOURS Mahmoud and Zain and took an overnight bus/ferry to
Koh Tao island where we did our scuba diving course. While the journey there
was not the most fun, the beautiful beach and scuba diving certainly made it
worth it! Diving has to be one of the most surreal experiences of my life. When
you breath underwater, and see fish and coral reefs up close for the first
time, it just blows your mind! I’m totally hooked on the adrenaline rush diving
gives you, and I plan on getting my advanced certification over time. Besides
diving, we explored the island quite a bit (with various means of
transportation…) and, of course, enjoyed the beautiful scenery! It was a
wonderful place to spend Christmas day too, and my friends certainly made it
one I’ll never forget, with “presents under the tree” and everything.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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After Koh Tao, Mahmoud and Zain went back to Bangkok, and
Darrelle and I got on another ferry to go to another Thai island, Phuket.
Phuket certainly was more touristy and busy than Koh Tao which I wasn’t a huge
fan of, but we took advantage of the beach and shopping during our short 24
hours there. After Phuket, Darrelle and I hoped on a plane to Penang, Malaysia.
Now I’ll admit, when I first thought of places I wanted to travel to while in
Vietnam, Malaysia didn’t come to mind, but I was so happy that I ended up going
there! So many things about Malaysia surprised me. The amazing public transit
(we didn’t take a single Taxi while in Penang), the incredible food, and mix of
cultures especially! In a single day, I bought a tailored Sari in the best
Little India I’ve even been to, visited a floating mosque, and passed Hindu
temples, Christian churches, Chinese girl schools, and Buddhist associations. All
these cultures and religions were interacting and living together perfectly… it
made even Canada seem less multicultural then I thought it was! Penang is also
known for its food, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! I ate the best Indian
food I’ve ever had, and tried traditional Malay dishes like Laska and Char Khoy
Thao. Penang’s also one of the main nutmeg producers of the world and was part
of the spice war, which I learned all about at the Penang Tropical Spice
Garden! Darrelle and I also climbed the famous 5km, 30 degree, Penang Hill! The
trek up was exhausting of course, but the view and feeling of satisfaction at
the top were spectacular! It was pretty cool to ring in the new year in Penang
too. Darrelle and I meet some other backpackers on New Years eve (some of them
Canadian!) to celebrate, and saw some beautiful fireworks at the Penang City
Hall.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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From Penang, Darrelle and got on another plane to Singapore,
where we meet up with yet another INDEVOUR, Jordan, who is working in Botswana
and traveled South East Asia over her holidays too! Again, the public
transportation in Singapore was awesome! We were navigating the city like
locals on the subway our whole time there. We did all the main tourist
attractions of course, like the Singapore flyer, Marina Bay park, the merlion
statue, Botanic Gardens, and Chinatown. It was so interesting how developed
Singapore was, especially after I read about the extreme poverty and struggles
of the Chinatown migrants just 50 years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last stop on travels was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Like
Penang, the mix of cultures there was also such a cool thing to see! I noticed
mainly Muslim and Hindus as the dominant religious groups in Kuala Lumpur,
which I gathered by the dress, customs, and places of worship I experienced. My
favorite part of Kuala Lumpur was the Batu caves, which was few Hindu temples and
monuments built into a cave! We also visited some museums, the National Mosque,
Central Market, Petaling street, and Petronas Towers. It was so much culture and history to take in,
I loved it (even if we did get trapped soaking wet on a tour bus for 3 hours in
traffic)! Our trip ended really well, with spontaneous fireworks on our hostel
rooftop while we were playing cards on our last night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So that’s what I did on my crazy 2 week adventure. I got to see and do many amazing things… and
now that I’ve had some time to reflect on the experience, here’s what I think I
take away from it all: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->I’ve got the travel bug bad! The whole trip, I
couldn’t wait to see more places, eat more new foods, and try more new things.
I loved learning about the place I was visiting from the locals themselves, and
reading about the history. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 2.Take time when traveling to take in your
surroundings, and appreciate the little things. It reminds how lucky you are to
be having the experience you are. I mean, I got to do and see things and do
things not many people have, like being blessed by a Monk in Bangkok, scuba
dive over Christmas, and eat lunch with a monkies right above my head in Penang…
how cool is that!?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>I’m more adaptive to my surroundings then I
thought I was. I suppose while living in Hanoi, I got pretty used to not having
things that I have back in Canada (in terms of brands, restaurants, services). While
traveling, we ran into some of those comforts of home. I admit I indulged in
Starbucks, but I was never tempted to go into any other “Western” place I saw simply
because I was missing it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>North American public transit has a long way to
go! If my friends and I could get ourselves around almost only by public
transit in 3 different countries, it can happen in Canada too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>True blending and coexistence of cultures
fascinates me, especially in places where I wasn’t expecting to experience it, such as a “developing”
part of the world like South East Asia. <o:p></o:p></div>
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6.Trips don’t go 100% as planed, and you have to
take the good with the bad. I may have had a bad experience with an
unreasonable motorbike rental shop in Koh Tao, but I also had a great
experience with the hospitality of our hostel staff in Penang! You have to not
worry when things go wrong, and not sweat the small stuff. You’ll laugh about
it later anyway!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--> 7.It’s okay to be touristy sometimes. It’s part of
the reason you travel and way you take in local culture, right?! Just don’t
take any pictures that will offend anyone, and do your best to follow cultural
rules. E<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">verything else is fair game</span><br />
8.Th<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">e people you travel with determine the kind of
trip you have. I am so happy that I traveled with the friends that I did,
because they are all as outgoing and open as me! They made the experience the
life-changing one that it was, and I think it made our friendship even
stronger.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">9.As amazing as traveling is, home really is where the heart is. On Christmas, my heart was of course in Canada with my family and I missed them more than I can say. But when my fellow INDEVOURS and I were comparing our placement experiences, I would get waves of homesickness for Hanoi. Even now, I keep thinking of all the little things that I will miss about Vietnam when I have to go back to Canada in a short 3 and half months.</span></div>
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Wow… that really is a lot of learning crammed into two weeks. And I want to say thank you again to the friends that had this experience with me! Now that it’s all over, it’s time for the home stretch of placement, and a trip to the Philippines at the end of January over Tet for me!<br />
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Until next time, Internet…<o:p></o:p><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-1526055713884744312013-12-16T05:31:00.001-08:002013-12-17T03:02:21.726-08:00Long time no post...<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post, mainly due to school work wrapping up, so I figured I should give an update! I’ve certainly been keeping myself busy, going out with Vietnamese friends and my roommates. They’re even teaching me how to cook! And this city is really growing on me more (as frustrating as the traffic, pollution and language barrier may be sometimes). I have my favorite places to eat street food, for coffee, for shopping, for biking, for live music, and for a drink on a Saturday night. And I keep on discovering more of these “favorite places” every day. I feel like I’ve built a life here in Hanoi, and it’s one I’m going to miss when I have to leave in a just 4 and a half months. I can’t believe how fast my time here is passing! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">As for work, things are going well. Apart from my routine article writing, website updating and social media work, I've designed our New Years cards and notebook. This task proved to be more challenging then I expected because of the many opinions that I needed to be incorporate. As my co-worker said, it was a case of "too many cooks in the kitchen". I'm also helping prepare for a big project launch that will be happening next month, which includes developing a climate change adaptation "drama" that will be performed by locals at the launch. Although I have been slightly frustrated and disappointed by the fact that I am not more involved in SRDs projects (and the fact that I am not a communications expert), I feel like this project launch is a good chance for me to finally offer some development expertise!</span><br />
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And of course, the holidays are upon us. It doesn’t really feel like Christmas without the snow, the traditions and the people I love back home, but there certainly is an air of holiday cheer in Hanoi with all the decorations and events around the city! When I first got to Vietnam, I was planning on going back to Canada for the Christmas. But after a lot of internal debate, I decided to take advantage of being in Asia, and I’ll be traveling with some fellow INDEVOURS over the holidays instead. Although not being with family this time of year is very hard, I am excited to get to have a “different” Christmas and New Years, as I go scuba diving in Thailand and travel around Malaysia and Singapore! The care packages from home are certainly helping the waves of holiday blues I get from time to time.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">My holiday travels aren’t the only ones I have planned. From January 30</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri;"><sup style="line-height: 15.555556297302246px;">th</sup></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">to February 5</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri;"><sup style="line-height: 15.555556297302246px;">th</sup></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">is the Lunar New Year celebration of Tet , which has been described to me as “Vietnamese Christmas”. It’s a very family-oriented holiday, so most businesses close as people travel to their hometowns for the week to spend time with relatives. Seeing as Hanoi (and other Vietnamese cities) will be pretty dead during Tet, I decided to go to the Philippines to volunteer with the Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction effort, through an organization called All Hands! I’m so excited to be a part of All Hands’ Project Leyte, especially because I really want to get some on-the-ground experience in disaster relief effort considering I’m looking to pursue my Masters in disaster management. I’m also fundraising for the project, which you can find <a href="https://secure.commonground.convio.com/allhands/philippines/project.html?personalFundraisingProjectId=a0kG0000003OXzQIAW&showMessage=true" target="_blank">here</a>! I’ll share more about the project I get more details about exactly what I will be doing.</span><br />
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Well, that’s all the updating I have for now! Happy holidays everyone… and indulge in an extra Christmas cookie or two for me. Chúc Giáng Sinh Vui Vẻ!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-69392763241497209292013-11-20T02:48:00.001-08:002013-11-20T18:58:38.156-08:00A field trip at last!After much anticipation and waiting, last week I finally got to go on my first field trip for work. My destination was the district of Can Loc in Ha Tinh province, central Vietnam. The project that I visited is SRD's VM038 project, "Taking a value chain approach to improve rural livelihoods in the context of climate change and natural disasters". The main goals of this project (as the name suggests) is to help the farmers, especially women, improve their ability to make a living in agriculture through improving their market access by taking a value chain approach. The project aims to do this while taking into account the challenges of climate change, by improving the local's adaptation and disaster risk management skills. Reading the project's proposal document as preparation for the trip and getting to know more details got me really excited to see the project! These kinds of projects are exactly the kind of work I hope to do as a career (which, as a side note, means I guess I'm destined for NGO jobs). I love that this project embodies a more sustainable approach to poverty reduction. It places it's beneficiaries at it's core, and more importantly, is helping them cope with issues that they are facing on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
A co-worker and I departed Hanoi on a night train to the the city of Vinh, and when we arrived at 5 am the next day we hopped in a cab for an hour to get to Ha Tinh town. The commune of Vinh Loc (one of the the farming villages we work in) is about a 10 minute drive from Ha Tinh. <br />
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In Vinh Loc, my co-worker facilitated a workshop on gender equality for the farmers. They discussed the difference between a man's day and a woman's day, the barriers to equality in their community, and the gender inequality in other parts of the world. They also made plans for overcoming those obstacles to gender inequality. I was so inspired by the enthusiasm that the community members showed for this workshop! They were all excited to participate, and were very open to talking about the somewhat serious topic of gender equality. The atmosphere was optimistic and happy, with tons of laughter and music throughout the day. Even though I could only understand a little of what was being said during the workshop, I felt the drive that the farmers had for bettering their community. I felt unbelievably welcomed in Vinh Loc, having lunch with some locals in their home and being greeted with smiles everywhere I went. I also got to ask the leader of the farmer interest group about his thoughts on the project and visit some farms as well, which was really rewarding. I learned that the project has helped farmers cope with disasters and improve their incomes by introducing a rice variety that has a faster germination period so it can be harvested in only a few days. The leader also shared with us that he felt the project could be applied in other farming communities prone to disasters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1wS95-5lhSuLmOs2ddtgsqkmEbg7H-pbbH5-I_cZ4ErArlybnVHKbeuddGNjT-vbexXHHkxyeFaYUHqw2btHMxM_7FJWvAbbnYQnNYRzPDlrUMhccZBUqbVus5WVklAN3_PC0j68E4U/s1600/DSC_1396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1wS95-5lhSuLmOs2ddtgsqkmEbg7H-pbbH5-I_cZ4ErArlybnVHKbeuddGNjT-vbexXHHkxyeFaYUHqw2btHMxM_7FJWvAbbnYQnNYRzPDlrUMhccZBUqbVus5WVklAN3_PC0j68E4U/s320/DSC_1396.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next day of my field trip, the district of Can Loc came together and participated in a competition that SRD organized about climate change. There were 2 groups that competed, and they performed songs and skits that spread messages of climate change/disaster awareness and community spirit. There was even climate change trivia! Many locals, of all ages, came to the community center to watch the event. I thought the competition was a fun and approachable way for the farmers to get informed about climate change! There was no shortage of laughter and comedy during the event for sure. I think the crowd's favorite moment was during one of the skits, when a woman played a drunk man and stumbled all over the stage while pretending to smoke a tobacco from a dieu cay (farmer's pipe). I loved to see that the farmers of Can Loc were so passionate about climate change issues. They understand these issues not from textbooks or journal articles as I do, but from their own experiences of climate change effecting their lives; and that was a really invaluable thing that I got to experience on this field trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB1XVjhjFjMjV5fkQ_ooM-i46jyEqTQHNwBeL1gMOrvRAFIkPt3iYCeSoOkY-9rsio2kG-jZ75ASGl070U1hmcbI92UcZV479OoPN3egIif7dFiVlK57wFc9ksWc7j2eJj7CULiN3ehQ/s1600/DSC_1467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB1XVjhjFjMjV5fkQ_ooM-i46jyEqTQHNwBeL1gMOrvRAFIkPt3iYCeSoOkY-9rsio2kG-jZ75ASGl070U1hmcbI92UcZV479OoPN3egIif7dFiVlK57wFc9ksWc7j2eJj7CULiN3ehQ/s200/DSC_1467.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0QQwRjKq6Ol5jAdjEIo-Ep69H_ykxQqUokLa5KTnDZHT5YuR5LcGuOfINAiMUtZ4VTOQqXm2Srzv87tVEWuJ8ZjmV-577Q6FH8mARaTJ4lYfVb1dP1KsTVMOlZU8yovKHRlg6oNWzo/s1600/DSC_1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0QQwRjKq6Ol5jAdjEIo-Ep69H_ykxQqUokLa5KTnDZHT5YuR5LcGuOfINAiMUtZ4VTOQqXm2Srzv87tVEWuJ8ZjmV-577Q6FH8mARaTJ4lYfVb1dP1KsTVMOlZU8yovKHRlg6oNWzo/s200/DSC_1443.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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The competition was followed by a community meeting and dinner. The meeting consisted of both leaders and ordinary community members sang songs, and talking about the recent activities and progress being made in the district. Dinner was a huge celebration of the community, and I was again overwhelmed with the friendliness of everyone! I couldn't keep count of the number of handshakes I received and times I was cheers-ed. My coworker told me that the villagers don't often see many foreigners, so they were very happy to meet a Canadian like me.</div>
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Overall, the trip was a great chance to see my organizations work "in action", and to learn more about Vietnamese culture. I really got to see what NGO work is like on the ground, and I absolutely loved what I saw. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to go on this trip, and I hope to travel for work a lot more of course!
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-54767383612327285482013-11-13T22:10:00.003-08:002013-11-13T23:03:55.676-08:00Climate change and Typhoon Haiyan<div class="MsoNormal">
First of all, I reassure my friends and family (again!) that
Typhoon Haiyan did not reach me in Hanoi. Though the storm’s projected
trajectory did say it would hit Hanoi at one point, all that we got was some
heavy rain. That being said, mass media has already well documented Haiyan’s impacts
in the places it did strike. Haiyan could be one of the strongest cyclones to
make landfall ever recorded, with the highest measured wind speeds clocking in
at 315 km/h as the storm hit the Philippines. The destruction and loss caused
by this terrible storm are so heartbreaking to see. Death toll and economic
loss estimates keep rising. News reports continue show the dire situation of Filipino victims. Emergency supplies, aid, and humanitarian efforts are
starting to flood into the country.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKRi7gg9Y7XpptWTgGEos6Jhsi4GwbcZWCMixdAt-AL0a5yTue-IMehkeK6QqcibL6VkCeYEXB9XwlTJ8LyPnMaqUgHVnh4sykLTFcfcq9iajGVujz6m3QvXNOw9XDXKAACtWFh0Y6Sw/s1600/haiyan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKRi7gg9Y7XpptWTgGEos6Jhsi4GwbcZWCMixdAt-AL0a5yTue-IMehkeK6QqcibL6VkCeYEXB9XwlTJ8LyPnMaqUgHVnh4sykLTFcfcq9iajGVujz6m3QvXNOw9XDXKAACtWFh0Y6Sw/s1600/haiyan2.jpg" /></a></div>
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For me, Haiyan has opened my eyes to the reality of climate change
victims. When in Canada, the stories of natural disaster victims were part of
my motivation for getting into the development field. Now they’ve even become my
reason for pursuing masters in climate change and disaster management. But living
in South East Asia, where these extreme whether events occur on a regular
basis, has made these stories hit closer to home. I can’t help but think about
how I am only a boat ride away from those Filipinos who have lost friends, family, and
livelihoods due to Haiyan. It has made the impacts of climate change more real
than ever for me. Of course the direct link between climate change and weather
events like cyclones is a hard one to make, as <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/climate-change-when-ignorance-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-20131111-2xccy.html" target="_blank">this article</a> shares. However, we do know that rising sea levels
(caused by climate change) make storm surges from cyclones bigger, which is why
these storms have become more damaging for island nations like the Philippines. If Haiyan has taught us anything, it's that it can not be denied that climate change is threatening the lives of the already poor and vulnerable (whether you believe Haiyan was caused by global warming or not). <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/climate-change-when-ignorance-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-20131111-2xccy.html" target="_blank">“There is no need for exaggeration and there is no excuse for inaction.”</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDyLj-HrKKu5Y7SWMa1Mgv1KeOvcVBzqD9MCqOteqEwLh8LfgexakiEnkfUMjTG0FvUBRRDk5t_gXvzVrp2UsFpLGQVUYDJbJm7Lf5CwcFK4-tX3Lx1x9LLmuGhaxLofRDdO7jpSKgS0/s1600/haiyan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDyLj-HrKKu5Y7SWMa1Mgv1KeOvcVBzqD9MCqOteqEwLh8LfgexakiEnkfUMjTG0FvUBRRDk5t_gXvzVrp2UsFpLGQVUYDJbJm7Lf5CwcFK4-tX3Lx1x9LLmuGhaxLofRDdO7jpSKgS0/s1600/haiyan.jpg" /></a></div>
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With COP 19 (the United Nations conference on climate
change) discussions happening now, I can
only hope that the devastation caused by Haiyan is a wake up to policy makers!
It often takes events like this typhoon for major action to be taken… but whether action really will happen this
time remains to be seen.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-2620964609305000552013-11-04T07:08:00.001-08:002013-11-04T07:08:40.889-08:00Ha Giang adventures!<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m think I can safely say that I am becoming a little more
Vietnamese with every passing day. By now, eating with a knife and fork is odd
to me, I can navigate through rush-hour traffic on my bike no problem (even with
a passenger on the back…), and “ôi giới ôi” has become part of my daily
vocabulary. But this weekend, on a trip to Ha Giang province, I got to see a
whole other part of what it means to be Vietnamese.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZklMhUh4wdG3iBAJjNe1wecCwPHIQ2hpiI3AVvIVgdIUnaO5Hpde0zJgyI7hIWj_8rn0XIEvDpotYXMMctcC_LT0u34ZvUIo4dHIBig-IJbC3dsuNlvdQfFIceMFZJ-BgUHT_yKnB-U/s1600/DSC_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZklMhUh4wdG3iBAJjNe1wecCwPHIQ2hpiI3AVvIVgdIUnaO5Hpde0zJgyI7hIWj_8rn0XIEvDpotYXMMctcC_LT0u34ZvUIo4dHIBig-IJbC3dsuNlvdQfFIceMFZJ-BgUHT_yKnB-U/s320/DSC_1007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got the opportunity to go on the trip with a group called
Hanoi Couchsurfing, with about 70 people in total! After a grueling night bus
from Hanoi to Ha Giang city, we rented motorbikes and I was luckily paired with
a great driver. Then we hit the winding mountain roads, and spent the day
driving to the small town of Dong Van. Along the way, I got to take some
incredible photos and make some new Vietnamese friends. The sheer beauty of the
province was breathtaking. I felt like at every turn, there was another amazing
mountain view to be mesmerized by. The stops at lookouts/restaurants/cafes, and
the bond fire we had in the evening also made the experience a real adventure!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsO5RS2W6Anv3PzsJcFn_ymzu_EWne794wtKkTqQJAdj05j_seuV7zed822DN5m1a7KC3ihIL0_pykX0xsBelawRSrs69bhwmdBiE1MvBr0LY6cKUippKwOK2bBx4_YuBlmFaB4Q7CPU/s1600/DSC_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsO5RS2W6Anv3PzsJcFn_ymzu_EWne794wtKkTqQJAdj05j_seuV7zed822DN5m1a7KC3ihIL0_pykX0xsBelawRSrs69bhwmdBiE1MvBr0LY6cKUippKwOK2bBx4_YuBlmFaB4Q7CPU/s320/DSC_1055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the trip, we also got a chance to see what life is like
for the ethnic minority, farming, communities in the area. We visited a
traditional home, went to the local market, and gave some kids fruits and
sweets. I took in so much just by passing through neighborhoods… seeing the day-to-day lives of locals. I saw children as young as 3 and women as old
as 70 carrying enormous baskets and herding livestock down the steep roads. That
includes at 5am, when we were on our way to a mountain peak to see the sun
rise. Having the chance to experience this part of life in Vietnam, and not
just read or research about it, was truly eye opening. I couldn’t help but want
to spend time with these interesting people, and learn more about their lives. I realized that this
curiosity is why I’m in the development field! I want to help give opportunities to people
like those I met in Ha Giang. Now that I have a field trip planned for work
later this month, I hope that I will finally get to help my organization do
exactly that!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBMM2HjZywXuZfa2b7WqBB8ZlKHt6iLyyPNrq9um9f4OhGvg8rnqsi4RU6Kc0H04GorliR4BCpKJHT1zb7f3Q1AAhfQx9rKfykD8hDK5tjn5JZHwy_paAe-nNB_WHIthiLtynvd6bYyg/s1600/DSC_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBMM2HjZywXuZfa2b7WqBB8ZlKHt6iLyyPNrq9um9f4OhGvg8rnqsi4RU6Kc0H04GorliR4BCpKJHT1zb7f3Q1AAhfQx9rKfykD8hDK5tjn5JZHwy_paAe-nNB_WHIthiLtynvd6bYyg/s320/DSC_1073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-76156140863648159822013-10-17T19:03:00.000-07:002013-10-19T05:41:16.808-07:00A road trip, and lesson, to remember <div class="MsoNormal">
For my Thanksgiving weekend, my roommate invited me to go on
a road trip to the province of Thai Binh with her and some of her friends from
Kung Fu class. I did want to spend some time with Canadian friends to celebrate
the holiday, but I decided that I might as well take advantage of the
opportunity! It was certainly an eventful trip, and despite the flat tires,
unreasonable hotel owners, and disappointing “beach” we ended up at, it really
was a great experience. There was incredible scenery along the way and I got to
make a few new friends, but there was one person I met on this trip who made it
very special.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HXoK9Jr9Sw5dDbI-A9TcdHIOCLDNS8HhziE8nI8L0sO2XUhPCGh571HobvYR1muklsfd1SwPTAaFg89r_dwU2YdI4qui1n-r8yIN0gkeoWRpb4_jPOPgUzLVg7XguQVlVPO7DjE15qw/s1600/1380758_10151952962075482_1466170712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HXoK9Jr9Sw5dDbI-A9TcdHIOCLDNS8HhziE8nI8L0sO2XUhPCGh571HobvYR1muklsfd1SwPTAaFg89r_dwU2YdI4qui1n-r8yIN0gkeoWRpb4_jPOPgUzLVg7XguQVlVPO7DjE15qw/s320/1380758_10151952962075482_1466170712_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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During one of our pit stops, we were sipping tra da (iced
tea) on a street corner when a young boy around 9 years old and his father sat
down next to us. The boy came up to us and started grabbing our arms, waving at
us with the biggest smile on his face. We said hello to him and smiled back
enthusiastically, but he did not speak back to us. He also had a physical
deformity where his head was very small for his body. Without us even asking,
his father soon began explaining his son’s behavior, and told us that he is
a 3<sup>rd</sup>-generation victim of agent orange (The herbicide that was
sprayed to during the Vietnam war to destroy forest cover, contaminate water supplies as well as destroy the crops of the Northern Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops). He said his son only has 2 more years left to live, but is
still very happy and friendly. As could be expected, I felt a lot of sympathy
for the both of them and wished I could help somehow! As they left the street
corner and we continued our journey, that little boy stayed on my mind. I
decided that the best way I could help them was to educate myself more on the
effects of Agent Orange, and to share what I learned.</div>
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According to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401378/Agent-Orange-Vietnamese-children-suffering-effects-herbicide-sprayed-US-Army-40-years-ago.html" target="_blank">this article</a>, over 1 million Vietnamese have
been impacted by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children who suffer from birth
defects such as physical deformities, tumors, blindness, deftness, metal
disabilities, and even cancer. What’s
more, according to <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/agent-orange" target="_blank">The History Channel</a>, Vietnamese victims of the herbicide’s effects
have yet to see any form of justice. The class-action lawsuit made by a group
of victims in 2004 was dismissed by the American court. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKQmxQHPeJGadJN8dV77edVy7o0hYVfTZKo6OPwouIvHq169dGjobNWdyyhUTcW-Ox0p9iK7boK9HCS2lmDUCoEPkd3Yai61NAtHkGhQjdsW_JtNrwrsYhm7Ut9MaYImBEWXH9wuHKwI/s1600/article-0-1B6F2903000005DC-836_470x423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKQmxQHPeJGadJN8dV77edVy7o0hYVfTZKo6OPwouIvHq169dGjobNWdyyhUTcW-Ox0p9iK7boK9HCS2lmDUCoEPkd3Yai61NAtHkGhQjdsW_JtNrwrsYhm7Ut9MaYImBEWXH9wuHKwI/s320/article-0-1B6F2903000005DC-836_470x423.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After reading the articles I mentioned above, it seems to me
that that the lives of Agent Orange sufferers are defined by their physical/mental
abnormalities. So how can I, as a development worker, improve their lives and
help them reach their full potential? Even if Agent Orange victims do somehow
receive compensation from the companies who produced the herbicide, would that
really make their lives better? Or would skills training, and helping victims
adapt to the challenges they face, have more impact? The answer to me (as a
development agent) seems clear, but by no means can I claim that I understand
what the victims of Agent Orange want and need. These questions are ones that I
would like to start discussing with my co-workers, seeing as SRD does work with
people who have disabilities. My time at SRD is meant to help me better
understand how to approach complicated development issues like Agent Orange,
and discussion is certainly a great place to start!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-46450789304249702912013-10-03T05:18:00.003-07:002013-10-03T05:18:57.551-07:00The best, and worst, of timesThese past few days have really shown me the highs and lows that being on placement will be putting me through for the next 7 months. Of course I knew that good days and bad days were going to be an undeniable reality, the last week has really brought me on an emotional roller coaster that I wanted to share a bit of!<br />
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Let’s start with the good (because I want to keep this post optimistic, don’t get me wrong). Over the weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to go on something called a Hash run. Basically it’s a group of runners (and beer-drinkers!) who get together every Saturday and go running in the rural areas around Hanoi. Let me tell you that the scenery and people I meet on the run were truly remarkable, and I cannot wait to do it again! I also went to go see some live bands with my room mate and her son to celebrate her birthday, which was a lot of fun too. Finally, on Sunday I took a bike tour around Hanoi with two of my fellow INDEVOURS, where we got to learn a lot about the city and take in some Vietnamese culture. My work week had it highs too! I got to attend a workshop on organizational accountability and transparency within SRD and got to give some input into our accountability policy, which really made me feel a part of the SRD team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4FBjH3JVWQ919IJwtXicv4HdeUMb-oyfBvmgSKq7_kIDOvMUcrYkH6423gP4Cb7xWwUL2kS-pm_zeofqnF_cRYVkfw3I1wSjBaxE4LjEIJBF-hkWhCxL5s51MNWVCALqT97kL3luDHs/s1600/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4FBjH3JVWQ919IJwtXicv4HdeUMb-oyfBvmgSKq7_kIDOvMUcrYkH6423gP4Cb7xWwUL2kS-pm_zeofqnF_cRYVkfw3I1wSjBaxE4LjEIJBF-hkWhCxL5s51MNWVCALqT97kL3luDHs/s320/bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Then came the lows. On Sunday night, I started to feel a fever coming on and by Monday morning I was pretty sick. Now if you know me, you know I hate being sick with a passion and I will say that I’m “fine” no matter how bad I feel. I ended up making it through my work day (partially because of my stubbornness), and managed to sleep the sickness off over a few days. I was hoping that would be the end of my “low” streak, but I was wrong. I decided after work one day to try and figure out (on my own, might I add) where to renew my bus pass. Long story short, my attempts landed me at a closed booth in a dark bus terminal with no new bus pass and frustrated as ever with my lack of Vietnamese. I do admit I was in tears on my ride home, but luckily when I finally made it back to my apartment I was greeted with tea and a funny movie.<br />
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What I’ve taken away from all these ups and downs is that Vietnam is truly going to make me a stronger person. I’m going to have to learn to take the good with the bad, and to work hard to make my time in Vietnam what I want it to be. If I let experiences like the one I had at the bus terminal get to me too much, then I’m only setting myself up to have more of them. And most of all, I’ve learned that I need to pick up more Vietnamese!<br />
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I apologize if this post was a bit of over-sharing, but it feels good to get all of it off my chest. Until next time, Internet! Xin ChàoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-2950827387616215222013-09-21T05:33:00.000-07:002013-09-21T20:20:49.744-07:00Tôi yêu em, Hanoi! (I love you, Hanoi!)<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sit on the balcony of my room in my apartment writing this,
I’m feeling pretty excited about my life here in Hanoi. This city has such an
atmosphere of excitement and adventure about it! From the horns of motorbikes,
to the karaoke bar across the street, to the fruit vendor trying to get your
attention, Hanoi has truly captured me! There always seems to be something new
for me to try (like the snails I ate yesterday with my co-worker) and discover.
Even though I have gotten into somewhat of a routine having been here for about
2 weeks now, every day has been an experience for me. Just walking by myself in
my neighborhood today, I couldn’t help but feel fascinated despite my
surroundings being somewhat familiar to me!
I can’t wait to explore the city even more, and I think that even in my
8 months here I still won’t get to see it all. I guess for the first time, I’m
feeling like my “placement experience” is really coming together and that I am
on track to experience some pretty amazing things both professionally and
personally. And I definitely already have, especially now that I’ve started
work. My time so far at Sustainable Rural Development has been really
incredible! I feel right at home in the office, and have made some great
friends already. The communications department is such a close family… I’m so lucky
to be part of such a great work environment! I also feel really good about the
work I’m doing. In my first week at the office, I’ve helped fixed our website,
developed a facebook strategy to grow our fan base, and even written a few
articles myself. I’m also going to have the opportunity to go into our project sites
to collect some of the information for these articles myself, which is the part
of my mandate I’m most excited about. Although
the kind of work I’m doing right now is not what I plan on doing as a carrier,
I’m already learning so much from it. I feel like I’m diving into the world of
NGO work very quickly, but I’m enjoying every second of the ride! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-29422096521375533892013-09-13T04:58:00.002-07:002013-09-13T18:37:47.996-07:00GOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!<div class="MsoNormal">
My journey in Vietnam
has officially started and I still I can’t believe it’s finally here. In the 4
days I’ve been in Hanoi, I’ve experienced so many new and amazing things. I’ve
seen a lot of the wonderful touristy sights like the Vietnam Women’s museum, I’ve
enjoyed tons of good food (and coffee!), figured out some customs and behaviours,
tried out what little Vietnamese I know! It’s been a bit overwhelming at times,
but I’ve loved every minute of my time here so far. It’s incredible to finally
experience the city that I’ve been reading about for 3 years now. But now that
the reality has set in a little, I’m also realizing that I am no longer just a
tourist on vacation. Hanoi is my home for the next 8 months, and I am truly
going to be immersing myself in life here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRY_WnEu8zakC85NBoNeWYP8_8IuEQ6A4yAeUSiKjg7KDORFCjV2n2m_z63VZHrKS5NC9FCR-yJ85UIB1JyrOyl4RMxJeo6AqyrXyw_rdL0ayX0YstSI2U8wlYq3BgqYE8DyvLL6Bilk/s1600/DSC_0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRY_WnEu8zakC85NBoNeWYP8_8IuEQ6A4yAeUSiKjg7KDORFCjV2n2m_z63VZHrKS5NC9FCR-yJ85UIB1JyrOyl4RMxJeo6AqyrXyw_rdL0ayX0YstSI2U8wlYq3BgqYE8DyvLL6Bilk/s320/DSC_0355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meeting my co-workers at Sustainable Rural Development today was a big part of that dose of
reality! When my supervisor and I started talking about my mandate, I got this
overwhelming feeling of responsibility. All I could think was “wow, I’m actually
going to do things that will contribute to this NGO work, and maybe even make a
difference”. It’s a humbling, but exciting thought. My title is a communications
officer, and so far it looks like I’ll be writing project reports and proposal,
newsletters, and maybe some social media stuff. Although I’ve never done that
kind of stuff, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to try out “communications
work” . I’m really excited about what I’ll be doing, because I will get to be
informed and involved in all aspects of Sustainable Rural Development’s work.
As well, I’m going to get some really practical skills and help SRD in a very
tangible way. I can’t wait to get started working, and for all that Vietnam has
to offer me!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104102470919530235.post-16782999079346098342013-08-08T08:44:00.000-07:002013-08-08T08:44:15.329-07:00With a month to go...<div class="MsoNormal">
August 8<sup>th</sup> is a big day for me. It’s my last
official day at my part time job, I’m moving out of St Pauls, I wrote the last
final exam I’ll ever have to write in my undergrad degree, and there’s exactly
one month until I leave for Vietnam! I really don’t know what I’m feeling… or
how I should feel. A part of me is sad to say goodbye to a lot of my fellow INDEVOURS,
and to the great people I work with. Another part of me is freaking out,
wondering what I’m about to get myself into. The other part is so excited to
embark on my journey of a lifetime, and to start “doing development work”. </div>
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But
for me, this landmark day of August 8<sup>th</sup> isn’t really about all those
feelings. It’s about reflecting on everything I’ve learned in these past 3
years of school… and hoping it’s enough to prepare me for the real world. I can
explain to you what why the poor are most susceptible to climate change, I can define
neoliberalism, I could even tell you how eutrophication impacts a river system,
but in the end will any of that matter when I’m in the field? What’s even more
scary to me is the thought that pretty soon, I’ll be making decisions and
writing reports that (hopefully) will impact the livelihoods of real people. I
won’t just be learning about these development problems, I’m going to be a part
of them. I can only hope that everything I’ve learned will help me make the
right decision, and the decision that will have the most impact. I suppose that
if my studies have taught me anything though, it’s that development problems
are too complicated to have an answer to. I’m just going to have to go into my
placement organization with the most open mind possible… ready to learn and
prepared to fail.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950207233684732477noreply@blogger.com2