Welcome to Lao Cai

Its the end of Week 1 in Lao Cai, so I figure its time for an update (and while Week One is only one week, I have a much better sense of what life in Lao Cai will be like, I hope).

Arrival

When I first arrived in Lao Cai, I caused a bit of a ruckus. Students came flooding out of the classrooms and screaming. And I mean screaming- like, at a One Direction concert. It was loud. I was quickly surrounded by 30 girls all asking for my phone number and facebook address. It was slightly overwhelming, especially after a tiring 6 hour journey from Hanoi (1 hour in a taxi trying to find the bus station and 5 hours on the bus).

I'm not going to lie- I was slightly overwhelmed by how much new stuff there was in Lao Cai. Some of it was understandable- I have to learn where everything is in a new town where I can't read the signs. Some of it was less so- my bathroom is open to the elements and I couldn't figure out how to dry my laundry until someone showed me. I would have to say my first day was definitely the worst so far in Vietnam- very overwhelming. Just everything. After one week, I know where stuff is and I have people I can ask if I can't find it, which has gone a long way towards making life more comfortable.

Mornings

In the morning, I usually observe classes. In Lao Cai, there are 24 "major" classes- 8 each for 3 grades (10-12; majoring in English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, Literature, Chinese, and "undeclared" or A1). Students have 5 periods in the morning (7:15-11:25), then an hour break for lunch. After lunch, students have 4 more periods (1-4:30ish). Then, they have a 3 hour break, followed by 2 hours of mandatory homework time (7:30-9:30) followed by bed time! Its a wonder they are able to anything other than study!

I have been assigned to teach 4 classes 2-3 times a week, for a total of 10 periods a week. So, I teach 10 and 11 English, 10 Math, and 10 Physics. I teach the English classes twice a week and the Math/Physics classes 3 times a week (Oh, did I mention they have school 6 days a week!? Crazy, right?) So far, I've observed all the classes a couple times, both in English class and in other subjects. As Lao Cai is a gifted high school (the only one of 5 high schools in the city) they try to have their classes in English as much as possible.

As you might expect, the teachers really struggled to communicate in English and they frequently lapsed into Vietnamese. Its hard to teach a subject in a foreign language! They seemed embarrassed and apologized to me frequently. I assured them that they shouldn't apologize until my Vietnamese is as good as their English (which I doubt it will ever be!)

As all my classes are in the morning (and on Mon-Thurs) I have afternoons off. Also, the classrooms are fairly modern, even by American standards. I know that Lao Cai is a little wealthier due to being right by China, but still!

On the right is a smart board that can detect and translate handwriting!

Swanky sound system

Practicing for Opening Ceremonies tomorrow

View of the school- 5 levels, with a teacher's lounge on the 3rd

Afternoons

So far, my afternoons have been unproductive. I got a bicycle, which I'm using to start to explore the city. I've joined a gym ($11 bucks a month) and plan on working out a ton while I'm here. Every day, from 4:30-6, there is basketball practice, so I've joined that pretty regularly. I am the tallest guy, but there are three other guys who are between 6'0 and 6'2, so its not like I'm towering over everyone!

 If life is as slow as I think it might be, I may be asking you for book recommendations soon!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be here, but I feel...weird not doing stuff, you know? I'm used to being hyper-active and hyper-involved all the time. If I had free time, I quickly filled it with another club, class, or scheduled activity. Also, I felt like I have this great opportunity, but even maximizing it as much as I can (travelling every 2 or 3 weeks; eating every meal with students and teachers; learning Vietnamese; getting in great shape), I'm still going to have a huge amount of free time. Its just going to be a learning experience- learning to slow down. Learning to be alone, I guess.

Random Thoughts

• Teachers are really respected here. One day, I had lunch with another teacher, but it was paid for a student's family who was in the same restaurant. We only discovered when we went to pay the bill!

• If you haven't heard of Sapa, it is to Lao Cai what Las Vegas is to Nevada. It is the place to go. When I say I'm in Lao Cai to people in Hanoi, they reply "Sapa!" It is by FAR biggest name in Vietnam north of Hanoi. I saw signs for Sapa everywhere in Hanoi and everywhere in Lao Cai. It is the thing to do. It was about an hour away by bus and once I saw it, I saw what the fuss was about! It was beautiful! I paid special attention to how to get to Sapa and how to get around- I know that almost all the Fulbrighters are going to want to come visit me for the purpose of going to Sapa. It has the highest mountain in IndoChina (Mt. Fansipan, or as I call it, Mt. Fancy Pants). 

• The other thing I realized today was that there is a huge difference between knowing I'm  going to feel something and actually feeling it. I knew that life in Vietnam would be slower and different, but it is quite another thing to experience. I knew Vietnamese would be tough to learn, but actually struggling to learn it was difficult. I kept thinking that if I anticipated how I would feel in a certain situation, it would make the feeling less intense/less bad. I guess anticipating feelings doesn't negate them. (Bummer, right?)

Anyway, I have Opening Ceremonies tomorrow, where I'll hopefully get to play on the teacher's teams for volleyball and basketball. After that, I start teaching on Monday. I'll post again soon on my mis-adventures in teaching.

Onwards. Always Onwards.
Daniel

P.S. Oh, here are some pictures of my room!

My room- it has AC and a fan, but it also gets quite chilly in winter, apparently

Gotta have snacks. I'm hooked on these things called Dynomite Chews which
are mint-chocolate flavored.

Pretty spacious room, right?

I got kitchen and washing machine. Only bummer is that it is open to the environment,
so bugs and stuff can get into this room, so I usually keep the door closed. Also,
a guy who lived here two years ago said that when its January and its 40 degrees out, it
can be quite brisk.

One weird thing, when I run the water, it comes out the little hole in the bottom
left and into a drain on the ground

I thought this was a toy for a second, I found it in my bed the first night.

If you're wondering what it is, yes, its a lizard skeleton.