It’s here: my last week in Vietnam. It has been such a ride. My goal when I started teaching internationally was to learn, so it seems fitting that I end this experience by summarizing some of the important things I learned here.

1. By far the thing that caused the biggest collision of emotions has been learning to drive a scooter. This is something I’d never wanted to do but since it’s a way of life here, I was forced into it despite my profound fear. Now, I’m elated every single time I jump on my scooter (did I mention it’s hot pink metallic?) and can’t fathom how I’ll live sans bike. Learning to manage the horrific traffic here (with a smile on my face) has taught me I can do almost anything.
2. I learned the value of clean air. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d never even thought about it. I mean, I knew there were places that had bad air quality but you can’t fully process the horror until you live it; the burning eyes and throat, the heavy chest, the black stuff you see when you blow your nose, the recurring chest infections. It saps your energy and it ages you. As a runner, it has been torture. For the first time in a decade I haven’t enjoyed running. When I think about the most exciting part about spending the summer in Canada, I think about how good that air is going to feel in my lungs.
3. I did a lot of traveling alone this year. It was really hard in the beginning. I love the company of others, especially when I’m having a memorable moment. However, I’ve learned to find the joy in having these memorable moments on my own. Being alone gives me the freedom to authentically be present and mindful. It’s also so much easier! I can wake up when I want, plan my day however I chose, eat when I feel like it and I don’t have to worry about whether or not my travel companions are happy. Traveling alone has become a decadent gift that I give myself.

   

4. I learned about what war can do to a country. It’s been more than four decades since the Vietnamese war came to an end, but the ramifications of that war are still felt. War alters culture; so does colonialism and communism, both of which have impacted Vietnam, but not in the same way as war. It’s hard to articulate, and I’m sure many people would argue with me, but there is a deep sadness (perhaps, weariness?) surrounding the Vietnamese people of a particular age. As a foreigner there are barriers that make it difficult to get close to Vietnamese people. Hopefully time will heal these war wounds.

   

5. I learned how to eat rice with chopsticks. I learned that ice in beer is amazing. I learned that, despite what my mother has told me, yelling “oi!!!!” at someone is a perfectly normal/polite way to get their attention (in VN you refer to people as “Em oi, Chi oi, Anh oi” depending on their age/sex so you’ll hear these phrases yelled out all day long. Kind of like the way we’d yell “excuse me!” or “Mom!!” except way more aggressively.)
6. I learned the true, real, genuine, bona fide meaning of “tropical climate”. I grew up in Africa and I’ve spent countless weeks in the Caribbean and Miami but I have never experienced heat like the heat in Vietnam. (Clearly, lesson not learned given my new location come fall.)
7.  I learned that working as an expat, in a foreign country, at a for-profit school leaves you with virtually no rights. KinderWorld Education Group, specifically Singapore International School is a multi-million dollar a year business whose focus is definitely not on education. In more than two decades of working I’ve never been treated so poorly (in fact, I waited until I was out of the country before uploading this post in case there were repercussions). It was shocking and disappointing.  I will never take for granted the basic employment protection that is standard at most, if not all, Canadian companies.
8. Finally, I learned that in order to be a really good teacher I need to be learning more than my students everyday. And as a result of this I have discovered that I am my very best self when I’m learning in a classroom filled with third graders. This was my first year teaching post graduate degree and it was such a brilliant year that I get choked up writing about it. I could spend a year writing blogs about all the things my kids have taught me. Probably, the biggest lesson I learned from them is that sometimes it’s easier to just be happy. Kids don’t hold grudges or stew in anger; they move onto something new that makes them happy. I’m looking forward to spending the summer reflecting on all these lessons and using them to become a better person and a better teacher.
   

   

Have a great summer, everyone!

-K