The second week of in country training has flown by and I cannot believe that next Saturday I will be leaving for my placement in Hue!
While I am enjoying drinking in the culture here, this past week I found myself drawn to things that remind me of home. For instance, one night two other volunteers and I decided to try and find our way to downtown Hanoi using the bus system and our limited understanding of the Vietnamese language. It was certainly an adventure as we got turned around quite a few times and the heart of downtown Hanoi was bustling with motorbikes going every which way and shop owners trying to offer their merchandise to us. However, the highlight of this particular night was when one of the volunteers and I spotted a KFC and excitedly started running toward the restaurant (without even bothering to ask the other volunteer -- who happens to be a vegetarian -- whether or not she cared if we stopped in!).
Also, last night I went to see a theatre production of Beauty and the Beast which was performed by an international theatre society, largely composed of expats. The play was very entertaining and funny! It was nice to be able to see this production of a story that has been familiar to me from childhood while living halfway across the world from home.
Even though I have thoroughly enjoyed my brief encounters with things familiar, I have also been delighted with my new experiences as well -- like my home visit to a Vietnamese family today. I got to spend the day with one of the VSO staff members and her family. This included getting to ride across town as a passenger on a motorbike, learning about cooking a Vietnamese meal, practicing my Vietnamese (I still have a LONG way to go!), conversing with the family, visiting a pagoda and visiting extended family members of this particular staff member. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and can certainly better understand how important family is to the Vietnamese culture. They take the time to eat together, talk together, etc. They were also so welcoming to me and truly treated me like an honored guest in their home!
As I encounter things that remind me of home as well as accumulate new adventures, I am beginning to learn how to better weave my own cultural background and comforts with my new adventurous life in Vietnam. I am sure it will be an ongoing process as I begin my placement!
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Ohh sweet Sarah! I am so excited to get to live your adventures with you! KFC? did you end up eating there? I bet it was expensive :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're really embracing the culture there. It's always really cool to learn about family life in a different culture. It makes a lot of the other newness surrounding that culture make sense :)
So you're learning how to cook Vietnamese food? I'm excited... dinner at your house in a year!!!
I love you and miss you, friend!
Hey Bianca, YES! I certainly did end up eating at KFC that night and it was good! It actually was quite reasonable and nice and spicy (they like to use lots of chili sauce here).
ReplyDeleteCorrection about the cooking -- I was INTRODUCED to Vietnamese cooking. Perhaps learning is not the appropriate phrase since they wouldn't let me actually help that much. They thought it was strange when I told them I don't do that much cooking at home :)
I hope everything is going well back home for you. Miss you too!