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

Mirror, Mirror

  “I could try to be just like you, but I wanna be like me - the girl in the mirror.” Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and thought “YIKES!”? Of course you have! We all have! We can all get a little self-critical from time to time, can’t we? I’ll be honest, I don’t often love seeing pictures of myself, especially those really close up, like selfies. Every image seems to amplify my insecurities and highlight “ flaws ” that I wish would disappear. I’m a pretty simple girl—no make-up, no heels, just me as I am, and I find that the world often holds up a different standard of beauty for females, one that's heavily curated and polished. My negative thoughts can weigh heavily at times, and social media ( with all its’ filters ) only magnifies those feelings of self-doubt. Over the last year, I’ve taken a number of selfies or mirror pictures. Some were taken to capture moments during my solo trips, some were taken to track physical changes influenced by diet, training and r...

Fly Away

  “Until you spread your wings, you’ll never know how far you can fly.” For as long as I can remember, there has been a relentless pull within me; a desire to fly away, to explore beyond the boundaries of familiarity, and to immerse myself in the cultural richness of our world. It all started over 15 years ago with a pivotal moment: my first international trip to the Dominican Republic for humanitarian purposes. Little did I know then that this remarkable trip ( *along with teaching in a challenging multicultural school ) would set the stage for a life defined by adventure, discovery, and personal growth. Since that transformative experience, my life has been a whirlwind of movement and exploration. I've been blessed with the opportunity to experience living and working abroad, both in the UAE and in Vietnam, and along the way, I've had the privilege to traverse more than 40 countries, each offering its own unique blend of culture, history, landscape and perspective. Looking ...

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...