Update on Goals

Last semester, I compiled a list of goals for myself. How am I doing?

Goal #1: Take time off, get work experience.

Check. I'm definitely older and I now have work experience. My public speaking has dramatically improved and I have more experience dealing with and relating to co-workers on a professional level (even if it is in a different language).

Goal #2: Travel

I've definitely done this. Continent No. 5, check! Listening to the other Vietnam ETAs, I got the uncomfortable feeling that they had all spent a lot more time in their province than me. On the flip side- I've travelled more than them. Thats good for me, but maybe bad for a scholarship whose purpose is to spread benevolent American influence (or something)- I'm still not totally sure. I always feel like I should spend more time in Lao Cai, but I always feel listless when I'm here. I also know I would feel regretful if I didn't see everywhere I wanted to see! This may be a conflict I need to rationalize until it goes away!

In October, my list looked like this:

• Hanoi (DONE)
• Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
• Hue
• Da Nang
• Da Lat
• Ha Long Bay
• Hoi Ann
• Sapa (DONE)
• Fuqua
• Dien Bien Phu

Now, my list looks more like this:

Lao Cai Province (8 districts)

• Sapa (done many times)
• Muong Khuong (done twice)
• Si Ma Cai (done)
• Bac Ha (done twice)
• Van Ban
• Bao Thang
• Bao Yen
• Bao Xat

The North

• Hanoi (done)
• Tuyen Quang (done)- Josh's province
• Yen Bai (done)- Olivia's province
• Mai Chau (done)
• Ha Long Bay (done)
• Hai Phong (done)
• Hai Duong- Chin Yee's province
• Dien Bien Phu

Central

• Da Nang (done)
• Hoi An (done)
• Hue-Diane's site and UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Tam Ky (and My Son)- Erik's site and UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Dong Hoi- James' site and UNESCO World Heritage Site (I think)
• Da Lat (done)- but I didn't see enough so I need to go back

The South

• Ho Chi Minh City
• Quy Nhon- Paul's site
• Nha Trang
• Phu Quoc (see, I didn't even know how to spell it in October!)

Fortunately, I have plans to see Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh on my 10 day break for national team testing (January 1st-10th).

As you can see, with only 21 weeks left (and I can only travel at most once every 2 weeks) I will be travelling a lot to fit everything in!

Goal #3-Personal Growth

Also so far as success, I think. I've definitely grown a lot closer to my immediate family over the last four months. I think I have skyped my family more in the last four months than I did all 4 years of college! While my family is already extremely close, I definitely have learned to allow myself to rely on them when I need it (something I did not do, to my own detriment, in college).

While it kind of does feel like regressing (what kind of post-grad skypes his family twice a week?) I'm choosing to define it as: "learning to ask for help when you need it."

I've gotten a lot better at accepting uncertainty ("What? I'm presenting to 250 English teachers tomorrow? Ok." "What, I'm now a judge at the provincial science fair later today?" "Perfect.")

In Vietnam, you can't plan. You just can't. You just have to roll with the punches and hope nothing goes wrong (it will) and just game plan from there. I always have a Plan A, B, and C. Then when Plan C falls apart, I just improvise.

Three Boulders

The analogy I used when I first started was that I was trying to swim with three giant boulders attached to me.

1. The boulder of not knowing the language (Vietnamese)
2. The boulder of not knowing the job (teaching)
3. The boulder of not knowing how to live independently (not in a dorm with a meal plan). 

All three boulders were huge; I wasn't trying so to swim so much as I was trying not to drown.

Now, the boulders are much smaller-I know I can tread water and do the requirements of the job. So I'm attempting to go beyond the minimum and do more- startup English club, travel, reach out into the community.

Goal #4-Minor Goals

• Get shredded. Failure. Between travelling most of October and November, and now being unable to lift weights until March, I think this has been a failure.
• Learn Vietnamese. Failure. I got a textbook when I went back so hopefully I get better at this moving forward.
• Transition to being a grad. Success? I still can't cook but I don't feel like a college student anymore.

After having been here for a semester, I have two new goals to add.

Goal #5- Be Proactive

First semester, my social life was very reactive. If people invited me to stuff, I went. If they didn't, I didn't. Now, I have more confidence in my social skills (I can speak enough Vietnamese to hold my own in basic conversations and I have some proficiency in basic social interactions like toasting and correcting saluting people), and in my relationships with the people around me. Therefore, I want to be more proactive in doing stuff. I want to try to actively develop the relationships with people whom I like the most. I want to actively try to re-start English club (instead of waiting for the teacher who is nominally in charge to get around to it).*

*I asked the teacher in charge if another American in Lao Cai and myself could restart it and take over. Since it involves no work on his part and he gets credit, he was happy to say yes!

Goal #6-Find the middle ground with regard to teaching

I've struggled all year with my teaching. Everyone expects me to be this amazing teacher, and I'm just not.* The first year of teaching is the hardest, and I know that. My parents and friends have encouraged me to say, "Who cares." I mean, honestly, I see most of these kids 1-2 periods a week. I'm not changing the world here.Most of their other lessons are probably boring. If mine are too, no big deal.

I struggle with that. I want my lessons to be educational and fun and interesting. However, I was making myself crazy trying to make every second of every lesson was interesting for every student. I'm aiming for a more middle ground- my lessons are usually interesting for most of the class. Its hard to see a student put their head down trying to go to sleep or hear "Oh my God!" in Vietnamese at the end of a lesson. However, its part of the middle ground I need to find- and keep.

*Don't get me wrong-I think I'm doing fine as a teacher, but I'm definitely a far cry from the teachers at my school, most of whom are master educators with master's degrees and 20+ years of teaching.

Conclusion

I'm now past the half way point. I'm sure the second half will go by much faster than the first half but I hope I can make substantial progress on all of these fronts!

Onward. Always Onward.

Daniel