I
traveled to Vietnam through my school and the mission of the trip was to teach
English pronunciation to Vietnamese orphans. I have never thought of
myself as a person who was good with kids. Yes, I have about 10 cousins who are
younger than me and used to babysit a group of children every Sunday for two
years but that never constituted as someone who was good with kids to me. I
applied to this trip to try something new. I never saw myself going to Asia,
let alone Vietnam, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to step outside
of my confines. Stepping outside of my confines also included teaching English
pronunciation to Vietnamese orphans at the SOS Children's Village, the global
outreach program for orphaned children that our college worked with. We spent
the semester before leaving learning about food, art, culture, history and
even some common Vietnamese phrases.
Each
child of various ages was so full of life and happiness even after the
hardships they might have gone through. The children are eager to learn both
the correct pronunciation and how to get on your nerves (in a good way). They
taught me how to say "curly hair" (tóc xoăn) and some really cool
dance moves I'll definitely be using here in Boston. It was hard to say
goodbye. Our professor told us not to get too attached but it was too late for
all of us - both the Lasell students and the students at the Village. We were
bombarded with hugs, laughs and gifts on our last day and it's something I'll
hold on to forever.
I am
especially grateful for the time we spent at the Village with the children and
getting to know them even with a language barrier in our way. I learned more
about culture, community and communicating while being with them and it’s
something I could never learn anywhere else. Though the language was tough, there
was a common connection through playing soccer and extensive hair braiding. The
trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and the other students and I
know we all appreciated the moments we shared with the children and with
each other.
While living in Boston for almost four years has felt like a different world to me, the wonders of another country will always have an impact on me. It's amazing to me that 12 hours ahead of me, across the globe there is a different world with people who speak a different language than me, eat different food and overall lead a completely unique life from me. The frequent scooter drivers were remarkable to me and the regulars who waved at us through our cabs are something I'll lest forget. With a walk on the beach comes an aerial view of the city and its skyscrapers. It’s all a wonder of the world. Thank you, Da Nang, Vietnam for being my home for two weeks and having a home in my heart forever.