Thanksgiving (Surprise!) Conference

After 3 months in Lao Cai, I was really excited to go Hanoi for Thanksgiving. The Deputy Chief of Mission (the Deputy Ambassador) invited all the Fulbrighters to her house for Thanksgiving Dinner.

3 Fulbrighters (Lucas, Aubrey, and Karen) made plans to go to a resort-y island in the south called Phu Quoc. Very soon after they booked flights, we got invited to Hanoi. Whoops. Anyway, about half the Fulbrighters ended up making the trek to Hanoi (6 Northerners and Brenna who flew in from the South). The food was...delicious! We had real turkey (apparently flown in from the States), stuffing, cranberry sauce (the good kind, out of a can), pumpkin pie. It was delicious. The party was fairly small, and there was a ton of food so I felt very comfortable getting seconds. And thirds. And fourths. And I tried a fifth plate but I only finished half. :) 

Delicious food!

Fulbrighters and DCM (in Red)

The next morning, Josh and I planned a 2 day trip to a lake called Ba Be Lake, which was nominated (but not selected) as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We got up at 7, only to realize we had missed the only bus to the province. Josh wanted to just hang out in Hanoi and try again another day, but I had been informed a once-in-three years province-wide sports competition was happening and so I wanted to head back that night.

Instead, we headed to Perfume Pagoda. I had thought (from the name) that it was a pagoda. Nope! Josh and I rented a private car and headed to a complex of pagodas (that would take 3 days to complete). We hired two boat rowers and headed out. We boated to an entrance pagoda where we (apparently) had  to pray to gain entry. (Not sure if tourist trap or not but I'm assuming so). Anyway, we did and began hiking. Ignoring my flashbacks of Fansipan, we hiked up the side of a small mountain to a small shrine at the top (note: not a pagoda), We met the resident monk who told us he very rarely gets visitors. We talked to him for a while and headed back. Interesting, but I question how authentic a visit it truly was.

They insisted I pray. No idea why

"Pagoda" in the side of a mountain

Anyway, I headed back to Lao Cai that night and got back around 1 am.

(Surprise!) Conference

The next morning (this is now Saturday), I woke up at 6 and bicycled into the city (about 30 minutes). I locked up my bike and proceeded to watch the opening ceremonies for something abbreviated "HKPD."

Here is the deal: In lieu of having high school sports, every three years (so once for each kid while they are in high school), there is a weeklong sports Olympiad. All the high schools from around the province (well, some of them) come to Lao Cai city and compete in a variety of events (basketball, soccer, Hmong archery, stuff like that). Some events (basketball and soccer) took place right outside my room, whereas others (archery, badminton, chess) took place other places around Lao Cai city. As you can imagine, I was excited. A weeklong Olympics, featuring my students, right outside my room!

At about 7:15, I got a call (as most of my adventures start) asking "Where are you?" I explained I was in the town square. A van full of teachers came to pick me up because "the principal wants to have breakfast with me." Weird, but fine. So, we have breakfast and then we start to head out.

"Where are we going," I want to know.

"Hai Phong city" is the response.

Hai Phong city is the 3rd largest city in Vietnam and about 8 hours away. 

I panic. "What!? Why are we going? How long? I didn't bring any stuff! My bike is still locked up at the square!"

"What? No one told you? We are going to Hai Phong city for a conference for maybe 2 or 3 days."

Eventually, they turned around and let me grab a backpack full of hastily packed stuff (no phone charger, wallet, and the wrong number of clothes) and hand off my key to a student to retrieve my bike.

8 hours later, we arrived in Hai Phong. We went to a nice awards show and dinner, and then several English teachers from different provinces and I went for drinks afterwards.

The next morning, we went to the conference. It turns out gifted high schools from 26 northern provinces (including many of my friends' high schools) are organizing a competition for 10th graders in April to get them ready for the national exam in 11th and 12 grade. We spent about 3 hours in the morning hashing out the format of the exam, and excoriating the fact that many of the schools had submitted plagiarized research on education (required to take part in the competition). After 3 hours- it was over. It was great to see Erik (his school is competing too) even if teachers from my school wanted to know "why don't you speak like Erik!?" (his Vietnamese is much better than mine).

We had dinner with the family of a teacher at our school. Finally, we headed back to Lao Cai the next day (Monday). So, we spent 3 days travelling for a 3 hour conference. I think the teachers just wanted to miss 2 days of school (Saturday and Monday).

An (apparently plagiarized) paper being presented

Foreign English teachers (and Hoa, from my school) at the conference

Onward. Always Onward.
Daniel