Connections

It's been a busy week. Doug started teaching this week, he had back to back classes from 12:30 to 5:30 on Monday- it was 90+ degrees with humidity to match. One on the fifth floor, one on the sixth floor - no elevators, no air conditioning. Needless to say, Doug was tired when he got home.....and his clothes were drenched. But after a short rest and drinking lots of water, he proceeded to tell me about his classes, he was excited. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were shorter days and, even though it was hot, it didn't take as much out of him. He's enjoying his students and the time he spends with them. Friday he has no classes, his day is spent polishing up next week's lesson plans that he's been working on and most Fridays he will have a faculty meeting with the rest of the English department at 3 pm. We're back into a routine - it feels good!

My week had some nice surprises. While Doug was teaching on Monday, I was busy cleaning and organizing in the common area kitchen, sitting room and extra room that is used as an office. I got a call from one of the staff to meet her downstairs and help carry up some items she was bringing for the DAV team. When I got downstairs, she was chatting with two students, one of them was someone she has met before at teacher get-togethers. As she was in a hurry to get home to pack for a trip to the US the next day, she asked the girls to help me carry the things upstairs and she left.

When we got upstairs, the girls were full of questions and we sat down to talk. They stayed for more than 2 hours, a divine interruption in my planned work day. They asked if they could come visit again, we exchanged phone numbers. I expect to see them again soon.

Today I was going grocery shopping with Nancy at a store called The Big C - sort of like a super Wal Mart, and the only store of its kind in Hanoi. It was built about 3 years ago in one of the "new urban areas" on the outskirts of Hanoi. A student who knows Nancy saw us and accompanied us on our trip. We stopped and had coffee and she asked both Nancy and I to help her to prepare for an oral competition she is training for. She needs excellent pronounciation skills and needs us to sit with her and let her "argue her case" - she is a law student. We both agreed we could each take some time each week to work with her. We exchanged phone numbers.

These opportunities to connect with students are unexpected and welcomed joy. Please remember these young ladies as you think of me spending time getting to know them and helping them with their English.