Proud Mother of 21 Young Adults

14-15 June 2013

At first timid and hesitant, twenty one Form Six students from SMK Labis stepped out of their comfort zone, took the plunge, and flawlessly lead a half-day “Under the Sea” themed camp for 80 Standard Three and Four students from two different schools – SK Sri Labis and SK Felda Tenang – in Labis, Johor. I give them full credit for the success of the camp.

In the meetings prior to the camp, we brainstormed themes, activities, and the desired structure of the camp. From the beginning, the students understood that they were responsible for the success of the camp. Thus, they put all of their energy into planning the activities. I was available for clarification or to provide alternative ideas on how to design the camp sessions, but they were the real masterminds.

The night before the camp was to begin, twenty one students, four ETAs, and several English teachers from SMK Labis came to the school for the final camp meeting and also to have some fun. I had planned an English camp for the Form 6 students, complete with games, a scavenger hunt, camp fire and s’mores. We all had a great time and went to bed feeling tired but excited and prepared for the next day.

Camp Fire!

First S'mores!

Bright and early in the morning, the Form 6 students greeted the primary students as they arrived at the primary school where we were hosting the camp. One of the schools in attendance has never had an English camp before. The students looked scared, but the facilitators quickly began making them feel welcome. I took a step back and watched the magic unfold. The secondary students brought the primary students from the two schools together and began their interactions which will surely last beyond the duration of the camp.

Greeting the students

Introductions and Baby Shark Song

Throughout the camp, the Form 6 students maintained high-energy levels, reprimanded each other for not speaking English, ensured every primary school student was having a good time, made sure all of the activities ran on time, and of course, lead the activities – songs, games, relay races, water activities, and English water-themed Pictionary.

Flour power!

The aftermath of blowing flour

In addition to developing their leadership skills, this camp was designed to prepare the students for their MUET exams in July, specifically the English speaking exam. From their reflections, I know the students found the experience to be beneficial, as I hoped it would. Over the course of just a few short hours, I saw my students transform from quiet and nervous-excited individuals to confident, enthusiastic, and independent young adults. I couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished or more content with the improvements they made to their speaking skills throughout this process.

Group photo

My Motivation

Today, one of my Special Education students handed me a Malaysian sign language book. In her usual fast-paced Bahasa Malaysia, she told me she wanted me to take it home to study so I can better communicate with her. She so strongly wants to talk with me and I think it's frustrating for both of us when I can't understand her BM. Slowly we are making progress.

It's times like these when I'm reminded of the impact one person can make on another. My presence and friendship encourages her to learn English so she can talk to me. And her desire to learn motivates me to become a better teacher and reminds me to remain invested in my students' lives. After all, they are why I am here in Malaysia.

Moments of Awkward and More

All but one of these adventures occurred during my trip to Vietnam. The first happened in Malaysia after I left my place of residence.
All together, they make for quite the memorable two week holiday.


Most creative way to give a girl your number
My friends and I were having lunch at a Malay restaurant in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. As we were waiting for our food, I notice two of the male workers staring at me from behind the counter. I smile and wave in an attempt to get them to stop staring. It didn’t work. When I received my food, the waitress handed me something else and said, "Someone has given you their number phone." Confused and thinking someone had just bought me a phone, I take the item. Indeed, it is not a phone but a hard object with two names and two phone numbers written on it, from none other than the two male workers. After much analysis, it is concluded that they used an animal bone on which to write their names and numbers and then considerately placed the bone inside a stapled plastic bag. Creativity: 10.

Proof:



Go to bed in one place, Wake up in another
I don’t know what I was thinking or how this happened, but one night, I went to bed in my dorm room and woke up outside on the steps of the hostel. I vaguely remember trying to return to the room just to find the door locked. Not wanting to wake up my friends, I sat down on the stairs and fell asleep. In the morning, I woke up as confused as ever, knocked on the door, was let in, and went back to bed. Strangeness factor: 7


Most interesting pick up line
My friends and I were at a restaurant and bar in Saigon listening to a live band. At one point, I was asked by an older gentleman to take a picture of him and his friends. I obliged. Shortly thereafter, he comes back over to my table with a fifty dollar Australian note and proceeds to tell me about how all of Australia’s money is plastic and how you can tell if it is authentic. Did you know that Australia makes all of Vietnam’s money, too? Awkward factor: 8.5


Best method to ensure your dance partner remembers the dance
At another pub, listening to another local band, I am asked to dance by an older gentlemen. Thinking he is going to continue the trend and swing dance as the previous two individuals did, I accept. But no, it was just awkward, free style dance. Of course, the band had to play the Beatles’ I Wanna Hold Your Hand at this time, so this man held my hand and would not let go. He must have known that I wanted to sit down, and yet wanted to ensure I would remember the dance. Thus, he takes the back of my hand and wipes the sweat from his forehead. A final kiss on the hand and I am free. Disgusting factor: 10+


Other fun events from my vacation in Vietnam

Driving a bicycle taxi around the block while the real driver sits in the carriage

Getting up close and personal with leeches after exploring a Northern Vietnamese Army tunnel


Taking two waitresses from our restaurant to sing karaoke with us in Hue

Getting locked out of our hostel at night because the electricity to the block went out and the hostel only has an electric door

Finding He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in stone on Marble Mountain


Crashing a Vietnamese wedding with two new friends, one of whom is a student at my former university!

Fellow Tar Heels crashing a wedding




Love life and live it to the fullest.

Making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate

This is the halfway point. I’m halfway through my Fulbright grant and my students are halfway through the school year. Thus, I just returned from spending the two weeks of the school holiday in Vietnam, traveling the countryside at times alone and at times with friends. I just want to highlight the most meaningful events here.

***

In honor of their son who passed away four years ago, my distant relatives have founded a school and fund a few initiatives in Vietnam to help disabled youth who have been affected by Agent Orange in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. While in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to visit the school and spend a day with the Children of Vietnam NGO. A huge thank you goes to Dick Schmitt for making my visits possible!

The Children of Vietnam NGO

The Children of Vietnam NGO “works to change the lives for the better of poor, orphaned, homeless, disabled, and vulnerable children in Vietnam” (COV Mission Statement). In the one short day I spent with COV, I saw two of their six initiatives – the Hope System of Care for Children with Disabilities and the Empowering Foundations for Women and their Children – in action. These are two wraparound initiatives targeting the most vulnerable in their communities.

The Empowering Foundations for Women and their Children works to help single mothers and their children become self-reliant through providing a combination of microloans, education, housing, and healthcare. During my visit, we made one house visit to meet with a woman who single-handedly raises her three children and breeds pigs and ducks to sell as an income-generating project. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet with her as she was very busy making her daily rounds asking neighbors and restaurants for their leftover food scraps to feed her pigs. We were, however, able to talk with her 12-year old son who has taken on many of the roles of the head male figure in the household since his father passed away.

In addition to the house visit, we also visited an orphanage which benefits from the initiative. As it is summer vacation for the children, we found them watching television in the common room, playing chess in the dorm room, and making necklaces, fishing rods, and crowns from the leaves of trees in the courtyard. I played with the children while the COV staff met with those in charge of the orphanage.

The Hope System of Care for Children with Disabilities provides comprehensive care to children with mental and physical disabilities, many of whom have been affected by Agent Orange/dioxin. Around 300 children benefit from this initiative. As the day I visited was International Children’s Day, we attended a ceremony in which the children were provided with large bags filled with nutritious foods, foods to which they may not otherwise have access. Ping, the COV intern who happens to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I were given the privilege to hand out the bags to the children. After the formal ceremony, Ping and I played with some of the children, putting smiles on all of our faces, while their parents met with COV staff to discuss the comprehensive plan for the children. About every six months, COV meets with each family individually to discuss the needs of the children, including health care, physical check-ups, economic support for the family, education, and nutrition.

Children of Vietnam is an incredible organization with a very hard-working staff and is clearly making a positive impact in the lives of many people in Central Vietnam. Learn more at their website: www.childrenofvietnam.org


At the orphanage - I just did her hair


A child creating a crown from leaves and twigs. Ping is helping!


Families receiving care packages as part of International Children's Day


Me with the children beneficiaries


The children having a great time taking pictures of each other with Ping's phone


The Children of Vietnam staff and me


The Landon Carter Schmitt Residence for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

Built in memory of Landon Carter Schmitt, this residential school is currently home to 28 visually impaired and blind children from the Quang Tri province in Vietnam. This school provides a safe place for the students to grow and learn how to assimilate into mainstream society. The teachers and residential staff are trained in the best methods for working with the visually disabled youth so that the education is most beneficial to the students. The students are taught “braille and mobility and English and computer”…so that they have the “skills that will help them contribute to their families and country in ways no one thought possible when they were born without, or lost, their sight” (The Landon Carter Schmitt Residence e-mail newsletter).

Unfortunately, since I visited during the school holiday, there were no teachers or students at the school. However, Tam from the Global Community Service Foundation and also the owner of Tam’s Café (http://tamscafe.jimdo.com/) in Dong Ha, graciously took me to visit the school. It is truly incredible to see the work that my relatives and the members of the Dong Ha community are doing to improve the lives of these children. It is empowering and inspiring.


The Landon Carter Schmitt Residence for Blind and Visually Impaired Children


Tam and I in front of the LCS Residence dedication plaque

Thank you to all who made this experience possible for me:
Dick Schmitt, my cousin and founder of the LCS Residence for Blind and Visually Impaired Children
Nancy Letteri, the Executive Director of Children of Vietnam
Loung Thi Huong, Country Director of Children of Vietnam
Nguyen Xuan Tam, GCSF staff who gave me a tour of the LCS Residence

Thank you for the work you do.