Chris Kaiser, our most recent past president, has started his service with the Peace Corps teaching English As a Second Language (ESL)
in Vietnam. Chris left on October 5th and now is in Hà Nội for his training.
Even though he is in Vietnam, Chris still organized the roster for the parking project on October 19.
We are blessed with a smart and friendly and available Country Director, who fetched two volunteers away from their classes for a few days to come talk to us. I feel very lucky to have been able to have coffee with them on an informal basis several times to hear what it will *really* be like at "Post". I know the real challenges now, but am assured that the program is very useful to the Vietnamese and rewarding to the volunteers.
Also, I know my general placement - I will be in a Northern District, and I will be a short bus ride away from Hanoi for the weekends and school holidays. I am very excited, as that's where I originally wanted to be!
Here is a picture of me outside the gate of one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, a short walk from our original hotel.
Here is a picture of me outside the gate of one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, a short walk from our original hotel.
Chris Kaiser, our most recent past president, has started his service with the Peace Corps teaching English As a Second Language (ESL)
in Vietnam. Chris left on October 5th and now is in Hà Nội for his training.
Even though he is in Vietnam, Chris still organized the roster for the parking project on October 19.
Here is an update from Chris:
Xin chào from Việt Nam!
I feel so privileged to be a part of this special Peace Corps program; the talent of the other 19 invitees and the American and Vietnamese staff is very impressive. For the first 3 nights in Viet Nam we were feted in a 4-star hotel - Khách sạn Thắng Lợi or Victory Hotel - that was built by the Cuban government 40 years ago as a symbol of friendship. The hotel rooms are built over Hanoi's West Lake, and is only a block from Peace Corps headquarters in the Tây Ho District (which has the highest concentration of ex-pats from all over the world). All 3 meals during these days were multi-course family-style extravaganzas. It was all carefully planned to ease us through jet lag and culture shock. There were more Vietnamese Peace Corps staff than there are volunteers, and they all knew our bios and headshots and came up to us knowing a lot about us which was a little disorienting; like being a celebrity. But very friendly.
We are blessed with a smart and friendly and available Country Director, who fetched two volunteers away from their classes for a few days to come talk to us. I feel very lucky to have been able to have coffee with them on an informal basis several times to hear what it will *really* be like at "Post". I know the real challenges now, but am assured that the program is very useful to the Vietnamese and rewarding to the volunteers.
We are blessed with a smart and friendly and available Country Director, who fetched two volunteers away from their classes for a few days to come talk to us. I feel very lucky to have been able to have coffee with them on an informal basis several times to hear what it will *really* be like at "Post". I know the real challenges now, but am assured that the program is very useful to the Vietnamese and rewarding to the volunteers.
Also, I know my general placement - I will be in a Northern District, and I will be a short bus ride away from Hanoi for the weekends and school holidays. I am very excited, as that's where I originally wanted to be!
Here is a picture of me outside the gate of one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, a short walk from our original hotel.
Here is a picture of me outside the gate of one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, a short walk from our original hotel.