I can’t believe I’ve already been in Danang for a full week. I’ve learned so much already about myself spiritually, intellectually, psychologically and emotionally,
Spiritually, I believe in God and I practice it often in America. After being in Vietnam for a period of time I noticed that most people are Buddhist. Although I miss going to church every Sunday and practicing what I know, I still try and gain new perspective on other religions. Going to the Buddhist temple and practicing Buddhism opened my eyes to a new religion. I learned more about the process of practices of Buddhism and the emotion that goes along with the physical movements of bowing. Although I didn't understand the hymns that were sung or the movements I was doing I still felt something. I felt a calm in the mediation that occurs in the process of prayer in Buddhism. I also think its really cool that the Buddhist people are so open to letting us join in on their practicing. They handed us mats for bowing comfort and smiled as we tried to fit in.
Intellectually, I feel like I’ve learned so much about the Vietnamese culture in such a short time period. Walking out of the door everyday and seeing something completely new and different is a privilege and a beauty of spending time in a different country. While I see different things and experience different interactions with Vietnamese people, those experiences make more sense after learning about it in the classroom. VIETNAMESE IS HARD but most of us still try to communicate with people anyways. The history class is really interesting because it explains the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective. Not many people can say that they fully know the two sides of a war. I also really enjoy our history teachers enthusiasm despite the fact that we don't understand the language he is teaching in. Politics and culture are also very interesting and helpful when interacting with the people of Vietnam.
Psychologically, I’m very open-minded and fascinated by life in Danang. I have a constant drive to explore the area and the Vietnamese way of life. I think that this has developed because the people are so interested in us, I became more interested in them. Most people when they travel to a foreign country feel culture shock or homesick. I have yet to feel that. Vietnam is so welcoming and has such a nice community feel that makes me content with being here. Of course there are things from home that I miss but I don’t get upset about it because there is so much to explore here in a small period of time.
Emotionally, I’ve had some really unique experiences. Specifically with the community service. The two times we’ve gone to the orphanage there has been one boy who wont let me put him down, he grasps onto me and I’m in love with him. All of the kids there touch my heart. There are two kids that live there with Agent Orange. So, they’ll stay there until they die. This is extremely sad and makes me mad because the United States caused that. We dropped chemicals that caused someone to have that disease. We also visited the special school. This was really great. The facility is kept very clean and organized and the kids are very well behaved. What inspired me the most was the art that they make. As an artist, the production of art in any form touches me in a way that can only be felt. The second time we visited I had the opportunity to specifically help deaf children draw. This was my favorite experience so far in the trip. It inspired me so much. It made me think about opening an art center after college that works with special needs kids as a side hobby. The home visits were extremely sad. We visited two poor homes in the countryside whose children had cerebral palsy. It is unreal how much a parent or relative will sacrifice for a child. I found that although I couldn't understand the language, there was so much emotion when the families told their stories.
Spiritually, I believe in God and I practice it often in America. After being in Vietnam for a period of time I noticed that most people are Buddhist. Although I miss going to church every Sunday and practicing what I know, I still try and gain new perspective on other religions. Going to the Buddhist temple and practicing Buddhism opened my eyes to a new religion. I learned more about the process of practices of Buddhism and the emotion that goes along with the physical movements of bowing. Although I didn't understand the hymns that were sung or the movements I was doing I still felt something. I felt a calm in the mediation that occurs in the process of prayer in Buddhism. I also think its really cool that the Buddhist people are so open to letting us join in on their practicing. They handed us mats for bowing comfort and smiled as we tried to fit in.
Intellectually, I feel like I’ve learned so much about the Vietnamese culture in such a short time period. Walking out of the door everyday and seeing something completely new and different is a privilege and a beauty of spending time in a different country. While I see different things and experience different interactions with Vietnamese people, those experiences make more sense after learning about it in the classroom. VIETNAMESE IS HARD but most of us still try to communicate with people anyways. The history class is really interesting because it explains the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective. Not many people can say that they fully know the two sides of a war. I also really enjoy our history teachers enthusiasm despite the fact that we don't understand the language he is teaching in. Politics and culture are also very interesting and helpful when interacting with the people of Vietnam.
Psychologically, I’m very open-minded and fascinated by life in Danang. I have a constant drive to explore the area and the Vietnamese way of life. I think that this has developed because the people are so interested in us, I became more interested in them. Most people when they travel to a foreign country feel culture shock or homesick. I have yet to feel that. Vietnam is so welcoming and has such a nice community feel that makes me content with being here. Of course there are things from home that I miss but I don’t get upset about it because there is so much to explore here in a small period of time.
Emotionally, I’ve had some really unique experiences. Specifically with the community service. The two times we’ve gone to the orphanage there has been one boy who wont let me put him down, he grasps onto me and I’m in love with him. All of the kids there touch my heart. There are two kids that live there with Agent Orange. So, they’ll stay there until they die. This is extremely sad and makes me mad because the United States caused that. We dropped chemicals that caused someone to have that disease. We also visited the special school. This was really great. The facility is kept very clean and organized and the kids are very well behaved. What inspired me the most was the art that they make. As an artist, the production of art in any form touches me in a way that can only be felt. The second time we visited I had the opportunity to specifically help deaf children draw. This was my favorite experience so far in the trip. It inspired me so much. It made me think about opening an art center after college that works with special needs kids as a side hobby. The home visits were extremely sad. We visited two poor homes in the countryside whose children had cerebral palsy. It is unreal how much a parent or relative will sacrifice for a child. I found that although I couldn't understand the language, there was so much emotion when the families told their stories.