Brooke, Ann, and Jim in Kabul

What are the odds are of running into a VIA alumnus at your job? One in a million sound about right? How about four at once in Kabul, Afghanistan? It might sound too silly to be true, but it actually happened last November!

Katrina Makuch (Vietnam 2006), Brooke Isham (Korea 1987 ), Ann Le (Vietnam 1998), and Jim Stein (Philippines 1977), all traveled to Asia with VIA, and in November the four of them were in Kabul for work with USAID. Jim was there as Deputy Mission Director for Afghanistan, Brooke as a Deputy Director for Economic Growth, Infrastructure, and Agriculture, Ann was in Kabul as Senior Program Officer for Tetra Tech DPK to implement a USAID Rule of Law Stabilization project, and Katrina was there on a USAID funded project. All four of them have continued VIA’s mission in their post-VIA lives, in Asia, Afghanistan and elsewhere. After their work in Afghanistan, Jim is headed to Macedonia, Katrina to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brooke will be posted in Azerbaijan.

According to Ann, these serendipitous meetings are not unusual. “I am based in San Francisco and travel to my projects on a short-term basis. I enjoy running into VIA-ers all over the world!” VIA volunteers don’t shy away from hard jobs or foreign countries, and reports indicate that many alumni wind up working with international development and service groups.

Be proud of your VIA affiliation, let people know that you had this experience. And when you inevitably meet another alum share that story, and photo, with us!

Thank you, Ann Le, for informing us of the meeting.

In the middle of what felt like a small forest, we found the temple. The caretaker gave us all sticks of incense, many students prayed. She then handed out about 50 kumquats, taken from the fruit offerings to the Buddha. The students said eating this fruit will bring good luck for life. The woman was so kind to the students, and they returned her kindness with the utmost respect. It was beautiful to watch their interactions.

As we descended, one girl shared with me her plans to visit that temple every break, and I asked her why. At only 16 and with limited English, she was able to summarize why I too find myself drawn to temples in China: to slow down and find peace.

Peace on the mountain.

I love living in Vietnam. I love teaching. I love being a part of a local community and a resource for people. However, I must admit that one of my absolute favorite things about being a VIA volunteer is having the opportunity to travel throughout South East Asia and do it on the cheap! I now have free vacation accommodation in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia. So, during my two-week break for the Lunar New Year, I decided to join Jared, the other VIA in Hue, and head off to explore Indonesia and meet up with some of the other volunteers.

Charcoal Coffee, coming soon to a Starbucks near you!

In Jogyakarta, we had the chance to catch up with Grace and other VIA vols. We were hosted to 3 wonderful days of local meals and local culture. Drinking coffee with a hot piece of charcoal plopped in it on the street was unforgettable!

The last leg of the journey was on the island of Flores, where I got SCUBA certified and had the time of my life! The underwater world is nothing short of breathtaking and South East Asia is one of the best places in the world to dive.

This summer I’ll be off to visit another VIA vol in Thailand. I have to pinch myself sometimes – How did I get so lucky?! The ability to travel and explore this whole part of the world in the hands of friends is, hands-down, one of the best perks of being a part of VIA.

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

VIA: What inspired you to write this book?

Gabi: I was approached by Wandering Educators, a travel publisher for global educators, which is producing a series of books about moving to Southeast Asia and asked me to write the book on Cambodia.I came here in 2010 with my husband, Skip, to volunteer with VIA and, at the time knew very little about the country so I understood what it meant to come to a new place and figure things out. During the three years I’ve been living here, I’ve learned an enormous amount about everything — from hidden spots to visit, how to communicate with Khmers, where to find items from the U.S., how to meet new people, which areas are good (and not so good) to live and how to deal with problem situations.


VIA: Can you share one of the top stories that you wrote about?

Gabi: The book mostly deals with tips on living in Cambodia — how to meet people, find work, travel and discover lesser-known spots. But it also demonstrates the personality of the wonderful people who live here.

One example talks about a westerner who visited the home of a Cambodian family and noticed their young son kicking a sandal around the street with a group of friends.“Isn’t it sad he doesn’t have a ball to play with,” commented the westerner.“I don’t see it that way at all,” said his mother. “I think it’s wonderful that he has so many friends to play with.”

That sums up so much of what we see here every day — gratitude, graciousness and humility — and it makes us realise we have so much to learn from a population which  has so very little,  yet chooses to share it with other people.

VIA: How did living in SE Asia differ from visiting as a tourist?

Gabi: Skip and I honeymooned in Thailand and fell in love with SouthEast Asia but our experience in living in Cambodia has been so much richer, deeper and more meaningful than our first impressions. While I loved this part of the world from the beginning, I have found there to be so much more than I ever would have guessed. For example, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have appreciated Cambodia if I’d been here only a week or two since the real value  of this country lies in the relationships, the connection with people and immersion in Khmer life.

Since moving here, I  have developed relationships with tuktuk drivers, fellow expats and Khmer associates. Skip and I helped build a house for SomOn, our tuktuk driver, and I have spent time in the outermost provinces on work projects where I took part in meetings sitting on a grass mat with cows and chickens at my feet. I’ve written a cookbook about traditional Cambodian desserts as well as a restaurant and entertainment guidebook for Phnom Penh and have explored parts of the country that I’d never have seen as a tourist.

VIA: How did your VIA experience influence your writing?

Gabi: Coming to Cambodia with VIA provided me with a vital piece in the jigsaw puzzle of life here. Not only did I arrive with a network of wonderful people to spend time with and learn from, but I feel it imbued in me a sense of community. While Skip and I were learning and struggling with this new way of life, we knew our VIA colleagues were all dealing with the same thing and it was wonderful having them to talk with, vent with and laugh with about all the experiences which happened to us.

I was also inspired to write about some of the terrific VIA people, such as Wes Hedden, who started the Sarus Exchange Program, and Katie Hallaran, who helped developed the Kinyei social program in Battambang.

My student called me at 10 minutes to 5:00 in the morning. I answered the phone around a mouthful of toothpaste. “Hello?” “Teacher! I am outside. Where are you?” “I’ll be right there! You’re early!”

We zoomed through the dark streets, which were slowly filling up with people exercising, arranging their fruits and vegetables for sale, and carting ice to cafes around the city. We stopped at Ninh Kieu Quay, Can Tho’s famous port and tourist area, and we walked to the docks to meet some of my other students for our much anticipated trip to Can Tho’s most well-known attraction: the floating market.

My students and I boarded a small boat to make our way to the market, a few kilometers away on the river. The sun rose lazily over the river, streaking the sky and the waters with pink and orange. Just as it broke over the tops of the houses lining the river, we arrived at the market, which was crowded with boats.

At the floating market, boats pull up alongside your boat to parade their wares, some even throwing a rope onto the bow to hang on. We wove between vessels filled with mountains of fruit and vegetables, and smaller boats displaying soft drinks and beer for sale. My students invited me to eat custard apples, a type of sticky rice with bean paste, and a fruit (vegetable?) that I still cannot identify – a mix between an apple, a potato, and an onion. They leaned precariously off the side of the boat as they bargained for one or two kilos of each fruit, and we devoured piece after piece of fresh, ripe fruit.

After we made our way through the market, our tour guide took us to an ecotourism area for us to enjoy more fruit and to see a variety of animals. We wandered past cages of porcupines, rabbits, gerbils, snakes, crocodiles, and even a peacock!

Finally, once we arrived back in the city, we disembarked and drove to my student’s family’s restaurant, where we enjoyed big bowls of mi kho, or dry boiled noodles with meat and vegetables.

I had gone on a tour to the floating market before, during VIA training, but I have to say that going with my students was a totally different (and fun!) experience – they were so eager to show me their city and to share the fruits and culture of Vietnam with me.

Read more from Maria at her blog.

Vietnamese New Year, known as Tết, is the biggest holiday of the year. It’s based on the same lunar calendar followed by the Chinese. My classroom before the holiday break was atwitter with talk of Tết plans, and I was excited to experience it for myself.

Similar to Christmas in the States, Tết is a time to come together with family friends. Most people have two weeks off of work or school and everyone returns to their hometowns. I’m fortunate to have close friends and students who are from Huế and who welcomed me into their homes to celebrate with them.

Jenelle with a student.

On New Year’s Eve, my friends and I watched kids dance in traditional dragon costumes as we bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon. The Year of the Snake was welcomed with fireworks on Huế’s Perfume River, in front of the Citadel, the symbol of the old imperial capital.

The first day of the new year is traditionally reserved for family, with the second and third are for friends and teachers, respectively. I spent my first days of the new year eating a lot of delicious food with good people, and I even accrued some lì xi, lucky money given in red envelopes. One of my students invited me to his house in the countryside, which was a special experience. I was the first foreigner to visit the area and everyone was excited to meet me. His mother prepared a feast for lunch. Later, we visited the tombs of his ancestors to pay respects, a custom in which I was honored to take part. His mother sent me home with about eight pounds of bánh chưng and bánh Tết, sticky rice cakes prepared especially for Tết.

My time in Vietnam would not have been complete without experiencing its most important festival, so cung chúc tân xuân—gracious wishes of the new spring—to my friends and students for including me in their celebrations.

Fireworks over the flag, credited to Hieu Q. Le

]]> http://www.viaprograms.org/blog/2013/03/20/happy-new-year/feed/ 0 http://www.viaprograms.org/blog/2013/03/18/what-makes-my-job-easy/ http://www.viaprograms.org/blog/2013/03/18/what-makes-my-job-easy/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:22 +0000 Patrick http://www.viaprograms.org/blog/?p=3693 Continue reading →]]> Rowena Sace is a current volunteer in Indonesia. She wrote this in mid-February.

One of my favorite moments during my students’ final examinations occurred in a play performed by my Wednesday afternoon class.   There were four students in the play, two boys and two girls. Using expressions and phrases we had learned throughout the course of the semester in Speaking I class, the students told a story of two dysfunctional relationships: Romeo and Juliet, and Edward and Bella. At the end of the tale the couples broke up and swapped partners.  Edward walks off with Juliet, and Bella left with Romeo.

My favorite moment was when Romeo, utterly smitten, handed Bella a rose. In a fit of rage, Edward yells, “What is this!”, grabs the rose, throws it on the ground, and begins stomping on it, Gangnam Style.  The everyone in the room laughed uproariously.

Every day I walk into class and am astounded by the creativity of my students. When starting to design the final exam, I was nervous, worried it might be too difficult or too open-ended.  When my students presented their plays they completely blew me away.  There were adaptations of old Indonesian folk tales, hilarious adaptations of fairy tales like Cinderella, and original stories as well.

In a way, the students make my job easy.  I believe that education is an exchange of ideas between the student and teacher.  I do my best to provide the appropriate learning material for every class, but I’ve begun to rely on their creativity. I’ve learned that any lesson plan can be effective if the students’ own strengths motivate them.  Knowing this I am looking forward to a wonderful second semester, and the students I will share it with.

Some days here are more challenging than others. There are days when you don’t want to struggle anymore to be understood, when you want some familiar comfort food, and when you feel that if you were to hear just one more blaring car horn, your brain might explode. But then there are weeks, like the one I had recently, that convince you there is nowhere else in the world you would rather be.

At the beginning of this month, Yangon hosted the country’s first ever international literary festival, at which many panels and conversations seemed to be more geared towards politics and development than just having a pure literary purpose. I surprised my Civic Education & Development Studies students by announcing to them that we were headed to the festival one Sunday. They were excited to do something brand new and step out of the classroom. The first talk we went to was on ending armed conflict. The second was a talk on the country’s current situation in terms of democratic transitioning and relations with its very important neighbors- India and China. Although the panel participants often spoke quickly, my students gathered enough to have an impassioned conversation regarding Myanmar’s future in the following class session.

That Wednesday, I was lucky enough to go to the training center for the local peace and conflict resolution NGO that I volunteer at to hear presentations of young Kachin Fellows who have been working in internally displaced peoples camps in Kachin state where there has been ongoing armed conflict. It was inspiring to hear them recounting their struggles to support community development in such difficult circumstances. I felt honored to be meeting such real-life heroes.

The cherry on top of the week was winning the first ever Yangon-held pub quiz night with some fellow VIA volunteers. Weeks like this remind me of how lucky I am to be living and working in this country at such a transitional time.

Although I don’t start teaching at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) until Monday, I’ve found myself very busy around the office and around campus the past few weeks. Last week in Kinahrejo, a small village about 40 minutes north of Jogjakarta, I helped at the unveiling of a monument in honor of the late Mbah Maridjan, a famous figure in Indonesia.

Tumpeng is a traditional Indonesia dish used in all kinds of celebrations and rituals

Kinahrejo is located just south of Mount Merapi, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. On October 26th 2010, Merapi erupted, killing and injuring hundreds and destroying everything in the magma’s path. Mbah Maridjan was among those killed. He was the spiritual guardian and the keeper of the sacred Mt. Merapi, appointed by the Sultan of Jogjakarta in

1970. Mbah Maridjan lived in Kinahrejo close to the mountain and led spiritual ceremonies for Merapi and also acted as an elder and role-model for villagers. When Merapi erupted, he refused to abandon his home and he died praying in his home. Because of his dedication and steadfastness in the face of such danger, he is known across Indonesia as an icon of loyalty and duty.

In honor of Mbah Maridjan’s sacrifice and service, UGM commissioned a monument next to the remains of his home in Kinahrejo. I was given the task of writing the inscription in English and my coworkers helped me translate it into Indonesian as well. Last week we unveiled the monument with the villagers, UGM students, staff, and faculty in attendance. Four students from UGM’s traditional Javanese dance group performed to commemorate the event. Traditional Javanese tumpeng, a large, cone-shaped serving of rice in the shape of a mountain, was ceremonially served. The very top of the tumpeng is cut and given to the most honored and respected person in attendance, and the head of our department gave the mountain top to Mbah Maridjan’s sister. I feel so fortunate to be able to witness such a ritual.

A serious ceremony

Everyone dug into the tumpeng, and the meat, fruits and vegetables that surrounded it. We sat, ate, laughed, and enjoyed each others company in the shadow of Mt. Merapi. Later, my students and I just had to do a few silly jumping photos nearby (of course)! It was wonderful knowing that such joy can be shared in a place where, only 3 years ago, there was absolute destruction. With Mbah Maridjan’s memory in everyone’s minds, the people of Kinahrejo remain resilient, optimistic, and strong. I feel incredibly lucky to have helped UGM create a monument to commemorate Mbah Maridjan and help the villagers in any way I can. Days like those that have made my entire VIA experience incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.