My Ha Noi Volunteer Alphabet

I live in the capital and second largest city of Viet Nam, Ha Noi. It was established almost 1000 years ago. The estimated population is 6.3 million. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Ha Noi’s metropolitan area under planning will have an area of 13,436 square kilometers with a population of 15 million by 2020.

Here’s my little very own Ha Noi alphabet:

Activities

If you’d like to meet me in my spare time, you perhaps find me in a food stall. Actually, I pretty much eat anything. However, I pay attention to a rather healthy well-balanced diet. I do sport three to four times a week. I often go out for billiards, karaoke or just a drink with friends. Moreover, I love to ride motorbike in the city or the countryside.

Bald, beard and big

As a matter of fact, I am just average and unremarkable in Germany. Conversely, it is true for me here in Viet Nam. In comparison to my volunteer’s colleagues as well as the average Vietnamese I am rather tall and big. (1,82m/81kg).

Chaos

Self-directed thinking is not encouraged. This can lead to a range of problems in everyday life. …traffic madness, inefficient work routine and antisocial behavior…

Dust

A recent survey run by the municipal Natural Resources and Environment Department showed dust concentrations were above allowable levels on about 60% of Ha Noi’s roads. Overloaded and uncovered lorries and tip trucks were blamed for 95 per cent of the dust. They also failed to meet hygiene regulations. Industrial activities, transportation, urban construction and residents’ activities were other contributors.

English-Lessons

Germany as Europe’s biggest economy plays an important role in world trade. It is also known for poetry, culture and research. On the contrary German is not a favorite language for foreign students. English, the universal language, attracts logically more people. My Vietnamese students are perhaps better educated in the use of English grammar than me. As a result I provide the main part of my volunteer activities in English. I mediate life skills and improve their pronunciation and communication skills.

Human capital

There are no stupid people on this planet. Anybody (!) can contribute something. We all have talents. We just have to discover our abilities. I preferably work in a self-determined employment with low hierarchy level.

Idealism

I don’t receive any reward and surely no money. A job that pays well…I am an idealist and follow pragmatic purposes. Pragmatism keeps my feet on the ground and lifts me up when I am down.

Joy

I appreciate each day, even the tough ones, in Ha Noi. Always look on the bright side of life.

KUE

My sending organization.

Language

Vietnamese grammar is rather simple. It is a tonal language and this makes it difficult to learn for western people. I am rarely forced using Vietnamese in my everyday life. Hence, I am good in small talks but lost in profound conversations. I am employed at the German Vietnamese vocational training center. My boss and my colleagues address me in German. My Vietnamese friends’ English is fluent. The students of NTU speak fair English.

Men

A men’s life is great in Viet Nam. The average Vietnamese is a prole and a strict ruler. Forget what you’ve heard about emancipation.  However, men and women have learnt to deal with it. They fled to a dream world of kitschy romanticism stuck between heart pain and the search for the everlasting love.

Nguyen Trai University

The university I volunteer at. It’s located at 266 Doi Can.

Oi gioi oi (Oi troi oi)

Oi gioi oi, often translated with “Oh my god “, is a common phrase when something goes wrong. I use it a couple of times each day.

Pronunciation

Vietnamese use a modified roman alphabet of 12 vowels and 17 consonants. The standard Vietnamese language has six tones. Each tone is a meaningful and integral part of the syllable with which it is associated; every syllable must have a tone. The tones are indicated in conventional Vietnamese spelling by marks over or under single or main stressed vowels in vowel clusters. Thus, it is really important to learn the word with the appropriate markers correctly.

Quality

My opinion abot Ha Noi’s livability is conflicting. Services are any time available and the costs are low. The city provides a sufficient assortment of international goods and cultural events. On the other hand prices for imported goods are high and Vietnamese products haven’t reached International standards. Furthermore I extremely dislike the dirt and desperately miss trees, flowers and parks.

Rumors

I have really been surprised, also very often depressed, with the loads of prejudices I am confronted each day. I have to fight against ignorance, racism and people’s closed minds.

Safety/Security/Crime

Vietnam is very safe. Violent crime is rare, at least for me as foreigner. However, regardless to national or no national, scam is very common in Viet Nam. Moreover corruption is a big problem.

Traffic

A glorious, deadly, mess! 1,000 new motorcycles and 200 automobiles are added to Hanoi’s traffic each day.

Useful fact

Starring at people is somehow socially accepted! (Perhaps to be discussed in a separate post.)

Weather

Ha Noi has four distinct seasons, with a comparatively chilly winter, a hot and wet summer and pleasant spring and autumn seasons. The smog covers Ha Noi all year around.

(E)xchange

I highly encourage people to get to know different cultures. Intercultural learning is mutual learning. It is exchange of knowledge and ideas. It is fun to make friends with people of a different cultural background.

Yummy

Vietnamese food and drinks are inexpensive and delicious. One of my favorite drinks is simply green tea. Meals aren’t prepared extravagantly. Everything is kept simple. Rice in any variation is a main part of most dishes. They also use a lot of vegetables (often mixed with meat) and fruits. Indeed, many dishes are oily, salty or really sweet. Meat and fish is often just chopped and served with the bone.

Zodiac

Vietnamese zodiac signs represent twelve different types of personalities. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, then the Water buffalo, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster and finally the Pig.

In Vietnamese/Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent what others perceive you as being or how you present yourself.

KUE – NTU – House in Phu My

KUE left the decision to book a flight, whether by them or by myself, to me. Many of us chose the flight which was offered by KUE. But that flight was overprized and required stops in Bahrain and in Bangkok.

Hence I searched on Internet for a cheaper and more convenient one. I found the most suitable option after a few minutes. What’s more this preference granted me a free baggage allowance of 38 kg. That was good to have – coz I carried along two bags of German chocolate and candy.

I arrived on time after a trouble free short stop in Bangkok, obtained my Visa at the Immigration office desk and picked up my bags from the baggage claim. To my surprise I didn’t see any of the other volunteers who should have landed just a few minutes earlier than me. So I headed alone to the meeting area. I was warmly welcomed by a friendly young Vietnamese man. He drove me to Nguyen Trai University.

There I was introduced to my coordinator Lan. She explained that the other volunteers had missed their connection flight in Bahrain and stuck there for one day. Therefore we postponed the introduction day and I was unexpectedly free. That day I met my old Vietnamese friends.

The private university was founded in 2008. Its main office is in Ladeco Building, a high rise in the heart of Ba Dinh District. The sight from one of the teaching rooms points to Westlake. The lake is surrounded by traditional quarters and new modern Skyscrapers. Motorcycles dwarf from this height. The university is investing in the 340.000 m2 Nguyen Trai educational complex at Ha Dong District and will move to it after completion.

“Nguyen Trai University is striving to become one of the top universities in Viet Nam and the region by achieving international standards in education programs and delivery. It aims at all-round personal development of students with high moral, intellectual, professional standards and sound physical and aesthetic capability, dedicated to the service of the society.”

The schedule doesn’t keep me too busy with just four hours of Vietnamese lessons a day. But the timetable is rather inconvenient with a four hours lunch break. We additionally teach English at Ha Thanh High School. Further projects are in planning and will follow shortly.

The new semester starts this week. Roughly 200 new students will begin their studies at NTU. We will guide and assist them.

Contrary to the original planning we don’t stay in host families yet. All volunteers live in a house 15 minutes afar My Dinh bus station. Either two or three people share a room. The furnishing is reduced to what is absolutely necessary; a thin small foam mattress. (It was worn out after a few days)

We are still young so I don’t complain. However I cannot even think of easy sleep. Our house is opposite the local cultural house. The squawking loudspeaker announcement starts every day at 5.30. At around 6 o’clock people come to play volleyball on the adjoining field.

Therefore my day starts early. The neighboring village offers a sufficient number of delicious Vietnamese street food. We cover the distance to university on foot and by bus in approximately 60 minutes. Though, I prefer the motorbike instead. My aged but fast Honda Dream II takes me to my workplace in 15 minutes.

I am on good terms with the other volunteers. We also have close contact to the students of our university. We have invited them on occasion of mid-autumn festival to our house. We cooked Vietnamese and German specialties and had a great but short time.

The weather is typical for Ha Noi. Some days it is hot and humid other days rainy. The smog irritates the respiratory tract. Accordingly all of us got ill in no time.

New assignment

It’s been an absence of eight months; time to revive my blog. Here are a few lines to abstract the recent months since my return last winter. I was employed by my company for four months. But I left Germany for Viet Nam another time in April. I was warmly welcomed and quick settled in. I supported a few smaller projects and spent the remaining time with Vietnamese as well as International friends. I discovered Ha Long Bay and went to Cua Lo for bathing. My Visa expired after three months and I had to leave Viet Nam. I took the plane to Thailand, stayed there for one week, and then headed home.

The exchange year hasn’t changed, surprisingly, my German daily life. I remember well my recommencement. It is an undeniable fact that I feel great in my familiar environment. However I found myself thinking back about Viet Nam. Some German companions who also volunteered in Viet Nam experienced a similar sentiment. Hence we decided to meet again in Germany. It was easier said than done in a group of different regional provenance and crammed schedules. We finally agreed on a long weekend in March. We’ve had a cracking good time and we felt like in the good old VN-days. Moreover we even cooked Vietnamese dishes; Bun Cha and Nem. It is rather simple to shop for these ingredients in Germany on account of our migrants. What a coincidence! The owners of the next “Asia-Shop” were Vietnamese and open for a chat in Vietnamese with us, too.

Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood. I grew up in a society where people let others live freely. Live and let live. However, my second home is Viet Nam. I was up for volunteering once more. Hence I sorted the wide range of opportunities and applied at some organizations. An important criterion of the nonpaid voluntary service is the coverage of board and lodging. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany launched the “weltwärts” development volunteers program in 2008. “Learning by serving” is the motto of the volunteers’ service. It promotes the exchange between North and South in this way.

“Encounters between North and South help to promote understanding for one another. And this is particularly true when participants have prepared well for these encounters. In Germany, there are several programs enabling young people to get involved in development activities and get to know other ways of life. These programs are not about giving adventurous globetrotters a travel grant. In seminars, program participants are prepared thoroughly for their encounter with the foreign country. They also look at the opportunities and limits of their own involvement and think about what they themselves and their partners abroad expect from the encounter. And even before the trip, plans are made for participants to share their experience with people in Germany after they return. The young people themselves thus become “multipliers”, sharing their experience and engaging in development education work.” (Source BMZ)

Quite a few German organizations are assigned to run this service. I have signed the contract with the child and development aid association (KUE) for 6 months. I will assist at the Vietnamese-German vocational training center of Nguyen Trai University (NTU). Our volunteer group amounts to 18 boys and girls. Sixteen run services at NTU and two at a publishing company. Each of us will stay in a host family.

I’m already looking forward to my upcoming tasks. Particularly with regard to come up to one’s expectations. I booked the flight for the 13^th of September and arrive one day later in Ha Noi. Henceforward my blog undergoes a change in the frequency of publishing new reports. I will post once a month instead of twice as in the past. I’m out of here, will pack my suitcase and see some of you in the coming days.

The final post

Back home at the heart of Europe. I’m sitting at my desk. I find myself in daydreams; not knowing what’s going on with me. Where am I? What am I supposed to do here? Well, the everyday life with family, friends and my actual work has got me back. My Vietnamese lifestyle’s still present. It would be nice to continue blogging to deal easier with the changed circumstance. But I won’t blog almost certainly about my current life. A blog about Germany would appear analogous to my Viet Nam blog. If I maintain writing, then I’d start like this: “Germany is not perfect by far. Germans are polite but insecure. It makes them act strange. Quite many Germans occupied the same aircraft on my flight home. A lot of German habits are unlike to the Vietnamese practice. My compatriots are always afraid to act off beam in this and that way. Thus they anxiously stick to their manner of perfectionism. My fellow citizens yearn for firm statements. They cannot live in uncertain case in point. More to the subject, they complain and grumble constantly. Charmingly, however goofy they are. “

I’ve got much love to both countries. My life is basically lined by luck and accomplishments. But I have written about topics which are running not yet smoothly on the other hand. Sigh, it became my main intention. Neither ones country nor culture is considered to be superior. They are different however equal. I reported about differences and picked out weak links. Others learnt from me and I learnt from my Vietnamese sphere. Thanks for your interest in my blog. Thanks for reading the posts and sharing your thoughts with me. Appreciation also goes to criticisms. The foreseen end of the blog has come.

My last days in Ha Noi passed in a flash. I met friends and was busy. Joscha and Yann left on December 30th. New Years Eve started with Italian dinner. We celebrated New Year in a bar afterwards. I did my last purchases on the following days. I started my departure day early and packed my suitcase. The taxi took me to the airport in the morning. I was able to observe the dynamically activities in the streets for last time. The traffic was catastrophic as usual. I wished to ride my motorbike again. Even so I got rid of my bike already. I was quite surprised managing check in without over luggage.

The flight had an eight hours lasting stop in Taipei. The ongoing landing in Frankfurt was astonishing. The sky was still shady at exactly 06:13 CET. Then I saw the first skyscrapers. The locals got up and illuminated their rooms. I observed the beautiful skyline and took notice to the pilot’s announcements. He informed us about the cold 3°C outside temperature. He was right; shivers ran down my spine. It was cold and my hands petrified. However, the air was fresh and clean. I took the intercity express to reach Berlin. I crossed many villages, cities and tunnels and took pleasure in the wonderful snowy scenery on the ride. The snow reflected the golden sunrays. The sky shone in light blue.

I had to change transportation several times to get to the small little village Gussow in Brandenburg. The journey to my evaluation camp ended after more than thirty hours in a remote area. I walked twenty minutes by foot throughout snow and ice. The seminar house was sited in a forest next to a lake. Then I identified well-known faces. I was looking forward to the coming five days. My organization offered us help for reintegration. The units were mostly thrilling and controversial. We exchanged stories and had a great time together. I don’t consider my point of view different to my attitude before my exchange year. But this experience has reinforced my conviction that priorities can change due to circumstances.

I will return to Viet Nam soon. The evening crowns the day; my purpose in Viet Nam is still incomplete. Work and friends are waiting for me in Ha Noi. My project was all in all a prosperous mission. I experienced intercultural exchange. Giving and receiving insight into a different culture. I learnt much. I am not a saint as you can see. My future is uncertain. Well, what was relevant yesterday, may doesn’t count today. I thank once again for the loyal readership. I wish all of you happiness, health and success.

Best and warmest regards

Michael