Wednesday, November 20, 2013

More information on the program

Dr. Jon Storslee has created his own website with information about the Vietnam program. He was a particpant in the first program last June.
http://e-commerce.pvc.maricopa.edu/vietnam/what-to-bring.html

Friday, November 8, 2013

Quang Nam province

This map shows Hoi An, along the coast just below Da Nang. It was founded in the 1600's, and prospered as a major trading port for Vietnam for 200 years until the harbor became unsuitable for larger ships and Da Nang became the major port. However, many of the buildings from its early age have survived.

This photo shows the main altar in the Chinese Assembly hall, built in 1773.
Walking around the old town of Hoi An you have the feeling of walking through a time portal back in time yet alive today.
The people were so friendly, even more so than my experience in China, where people were friendly, but not as much as in Vietnam. Walking down the street people would invariably smile in greeting, and not just if they were selling something!





2014 Trip

Enrollment is going on now for the May, 2014 Bridging the Gap program in Vietnam. A maximum of 12 students will travel to Hoi An, Vietnam for 2 weeks to learn about the art and culture of southeast Asia, but also to tutor Vietnamese college students in English. Last June's trip was a fabulous success. Our group of 10 had an amazing time spending one week in Hoi An and one week in Tam Ky. We worked with groups of students at two colleges in the two towns giving them the opportunity to practice speaking English.
Having led many study abroad programs to Mexico and China for the purpose of studying the ceramics in each country I have to say that this program was the most rewarding for all participants as we were given special insight into the present culture of Vietnam and to make close friends with the students and their families.
This time we will travel a little earlier than before with the hope it will be a little cooler than it was in late June. We will travel May 16-June 1, 2014, with an optional extra excursion to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We will fly from Phoenix to Hanoi, Vietnam, spend a day and a half touring museums and other sights before hopping down to Da Nang, from which we will drive to Hoi An, about 20 minutes south along the coast. We will stay at the same hotel that we stayed in last June, as it was very comfortable, centrally located, and with very good service.
We will work with students at the Quang Nam Vocational College who are in vocational programs in tourism industry jobs. I decided that we should stay in Hoi An for the full two weeks this time so we can provide even more assistance to the students with their English but we will also be able to take advantage of more of the sights of interest in and around Hoi An.
The Vietnam students were so friendly and appreciative of our coming to help them, we were continually amazed by the lengths they went to to make us feel welcome and special. The photo above is from the welcome ceremony held at the college on our first day. These young girls danced, faculty members sang traditional songs, the director of the school gave a welcoming speech, then we went outside to play folk games as a "break the ice" activity. 
This photo is from the closing ceremony at the end of our first week working with the students of Quang Nam vocational college. This time our group got on stage and sang and danced, then invited all the school students onstage to join us in dancing. It was emotional and poignant to say good bye.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Enrollment ongoing

As of today 9 people have enrolled in the program, leaving 3 spots. I feel sure we will have a full group soon. I have been visiting many classes on campus to tell students directly about the program. Many recognize the value of the trip but can't take advantage due to financial obstacles, or having children, or no time off from work. My heart goes out to them because I can remember being in the same situation as a young undergrad in the 1970's at La. Tech University majoring in painting. La. Tech had, and may still have, a summer program focused on art in Rome that I craved to go to, but, due to financial limitations in my family, couldn't.
As I speak to classes I feel more and more the potential value of a trip like this recalling my own transformation from traveling to Mexico, China, Argentina, and France. From each trip I have gained firsthand knowledge of a culture, a place, a world view that I only knew threw media. As an artist I understand very well the ways that communications can be crafted so that a particular point of view is stressed, while sacrificing a whole picture of a place or a people. Being able to talk to people in person, in their home environment, smell the smells of their place, taste their food, see their world gives you a much more viable understanding than what we get through movies, TV and the internet.
Vietnamese students in Tam Ky, Quang Nam province.

Myself with Yen Nhi, of Vietnam Tourism Department, and Hu Phong, Tam Ky University administrator.

Vietnamese student at Quang Nam University, Tam Ky.