Taking Success in the Small Things

Before I left the US for this adventure in Vietnam, I asked those in my life who I greatly respect and who have had international work experience, what I could expect during my time overseas. I received a lot of great advice, but the message I kept hearing repeatedly was: "take success in the small things".

While I understood this saying to mean that work would be very challenging and different in comparison to work at home in the states and that I should be appreciative of the small strides that I make along the way, I can honestly say that I didn't fully comprehend this phrase until recently.

Reflecting on my time working aboard thus far, there have been many, many times that have been incredibly frustrating and discouraging as I faced a number of seemingly relentless mountains including lack of resources, people unwilling to change and an entirely foreign business context.

However, there have also been times in which case I have reveled in the small successes along the way -- discovering that those who seemed completely unwilling to change are sometimes the most enthusiastic about learning and change once they truly understand and appreciate the importance of it, landing a sizable international order that has allowed us to begin to rebuild the handicraft portion of our business (see photos below of the recycled telephone wire jewelry we sold to a Canadian wholesaler), teaching others about business and marketing and watching as they understand and eagerly apply what they have learned to their jobs.

I know that there will be more challenges around the corner, but I think the challenges I have already experienced as well as those I will experience in the future will only make the successes that much sweeter when they do occur.

So, I will keep enduring the challenges and taking success in the small things as they come.

An Indulgent Weekend

I enjoy living in the slower-paced, beautiful and provincial city of Hue, but sometimes it is nice to get away for a bit to the ever-bustling and vibrant city of Hanoi and its plethora of modern niceties that I miss from home -- especially as it pertains to the many varieties of food that I miss. I know, I know...it is sad, but true that I really do enjoy my food.

Let me first say that I do like a wide variety of Vietnamese food, especially that found in Hue city, including fresh pork grilled spring rolls dipped in sweet and spicy peanut sauce, marinated pork barbeque with fresh rice noodles and chili, spicy and savory fish noodle soup, sweet yogurt drink with fresh cut strawberries, the best iced green tea I have ever had and ever-so-sweet Vietnamese coffee.

However, that being said, I do sometimes crave Haribo gummy bears, sharp cheddar cheese, spicy crackers, decadent chocolate desserts, garlic mashed potatos, grilled chicken breast marinated in red wine sause, yummy Indian food, sausage/egg/cheese breakfast burrito, a heaping salad of fresh greens with chicken strips and creamy balsamic dressing, American coffee....etc, etc, etc. I really could keep going on and on when it comes to food! Anyway, I am happy to say that I was able to have all of the above mentioned items and more during my last visit to Hanoi.

While the purpose of my visit was to act as a volunteer rep for the VSO advisory council and to meet with my partner organization (which I did responsibly), I must say that one of the key highlights of the trip was getting to indulge in some of the fabulous food I miss from home. I also got to spend time with some volunteer friends in Hanoi that I have not seen in quite some time as well as become acquainted with new volunteers that have recently arrived in country. Additionally, I was able to see some of the tourist sites that I had not had the opportunity to experience previously including a famous temple in downtown Hanoi and the water puppet theatre.

All in all, it was a nice, relaxing and indulgent trip. Now, I am content to be back in Hue enjoying my fresh spring rolls, fish noodle soup and pork barbeque for the time being.

A Busy, Busy But Good Week

This past week, my dear VSO friend from Hanoi, Pat, was in Hue to conduct some disability mainstreaming courses both with the Hope Center staff and with representatives from the Hue government and NGO communities. The training was focused upon providing participants with a better understanding of disability challenges in Vietnam as well as working together to develop solutions and best practices concerning working effectively with people with disabilities.

In addition to the busy work week, we also made sure we had some time for fun too, including a motorbike ride into the countryside, lots of opportunities for good food and a weekend trip to Hoi An this past weekend.

It was so nice to have Pat here and it was a good week. Although, it was also really, really busy and I am now happy for a few quieter days on my own in Hue working at the Hope Center before I head back up to Hanoi Thursday through Sunday for more work and play.