Skip to main content

When Two Worlds "Collide"


#nextchaptervietnam

I am so excited to share this blog post to show everyone how the Canadians and the Vietnamese have been working side by side at the Bilingual Canadian International School in Vietnam for the last two months or so.




Mid-Autumn Festival
(A Vietnamese event)

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated by Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese people. 
Students created lanterns, performed dances and held parties where they served special treats called 'Mooncakes'.
Furthermore, the Vietnamese staff kindly invited us Canadian teachers to a little gathering one afternoon, to teach us more about the Festival through games and, of course, Mooncake samplers.

"Cultural diversity, World unity."



Terry Fox Run
(A Canadian event)

The Terry Fox Run is a charity event held in various places around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, and his Marathon of Hope
It is meant to raise money for cancer research. 
As the children stood up wearing their Terry Fox t-shirts to sing both the Vietnamese and Canadian anthems,  I instantly had chills running through my body - 
What a surreal moment watching Vietnamese kids singing your own National Anthem in Vietnam! 
Students then got pumped up with a fun interactive dance and headed straight to the start line for a short run around the neighborhood. 

"TEAM - Together, Everyone, Achieves, More"



Professional Development

In my position as elementary lead teacher, I'm getting the opportunity to work with my Canadian peers on a daily basis. 
In addition though, I've also been offered the chance to provide professional development workshops to my Vietnamese colleagues. 
In an effort to get the entire staff on the same page, we've been discussing things like classroom management, mindfulness and daily physical activity. 

"Unity is strength...when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved."





Social Events

A couple weeks ago, the Vietnamese staff introduced us to some typical Vietnamese dishes at a local hot spot. 
After, they showed us a good time with some fun Karaoke. 

"Music knits people together in some strange way. Same thing with food."



"Sometimes, when two worlds "collide", 
a better one is created."


I'm now on my way out for a week of rest, relaxation, and adventures!
Stay tuned to find out all about my secret destination! ;) 

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!!!


Comments

  1. Sounds like you're more adventurous with your food ��

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living Outside The Box

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I believe I’m on the path I’m meant to be." As we get older, it’s easy to get trapped in society’s idea of what life "should" look like. By the time we hit 40, there’s a well-defined picture of success: owning a home, starting a family, climbing the career ladder. But as I approach this milestone, I’m choosing to remind myself that true happiness isn’t found in checking off someone else’s list. It’s found in stepping outside the box, embracing the unexpected, and allowing life to unfold in its own unique way. Sure, my path hasn’t always been conventional, and I’ve often found myself comparing my journey to others, wondering why I’m not where they are. But when I take a step back and reflect, I see how much I’ve gained by stepping off the well-worn road. Life may not have gone according to plan, but I’m proud of the unexpected milestones I’ve reached along the way. I’ve traveled to over 40 countries, lived in three (ye...

The runner in me

“Mind over miles.” A few years back, I was all in. I was that person signing up for every race that came across my radar—10K’s, half-marathons, marathons—you name it. The thrill of crossing the finish line, the camaraderie at the starting line, the way the crowds cheered you on, it was all so energizing. I didn’t even need music to get through a run, even a whole 42km marathon, which, I know, sounds crazy to most people. But there I was, in my zone, taking it all in and doing something I enjoyed. I collected lots of medals and racked up plenty of podium finishes, but most importantly I had some memorable international races, and met tons of amazing people along the way. I discovered that running was a really accessible sport; all you needed was a pair of shoes and the will to go. I could literally show up to a race, put one foot in front of the other, and—boom—be part of a community of people all working toward the same goal. So, what happened? Why did I stop running? For me, it came d...

Locked in.

“ The successful warrior is the average (wo)man , with laser-like focus. ” Life’s been feeling a little dull lately, but there’s one thing keeping me fired up; the experience of a lifetime is just around the corner. In just four weeks, I’ll be heading to Chicago to compete in the Hyrox World Championships, and I’m locked in. For many competitive and athletic kids, the dream is to make it to the Olympics or stand on a world championship stage in their sport. While Hyrox may not be the Olympics, for me, this is kind of that moment. This is my ‘world stage’; I can’t wait to soak it all in and add it to the list of things I’m proud of. This idea sort of started on my 40th birthday this year. While most people celebrate with a party and cake or a getaway, I made a wild choice: I booked my place in the Hyrox World Championships with my doubles partner. Bold? Definitely. Crazy? Probably. Worth it? Without a doubt. The last time I pushed myself this hard was back in 2019 when I trained for a C...