Driving lessons from Hanoi

Walking through traffic in Vietnam is like diving head first into a dance that you don't know all of the moves to. If done incorrectly... you look like an idiot. Or (even worse!) you may seriously injure yourself. Personally, I've found that it's easiest to cross the street if you act confident. All you have to do is pretend like you know exactly what you're doing, as if you've had motorbikes speeding towards you from all directions for your entire life. 

The Vietnamese seem to drive with their ears as much as their eyes while on the streets of Hanoi. When I first arrived, I had assumed the constant sound of horns was solely due to driver frustration. However, I have since learned that (some!) of the honking is just used to indicate to other drivers that someone would like to pass by, which helps keep the traffic moving. There is a method to the chaos.

The flow of traffic never really seems to stop here. The buses, cars, motorbikes, and pedestrians all seem to blur into each other in a never ending weave of colours and sounds. It's no wonder that I'm finding it so easy to get lost here.

Overall, I have found that the people in Hanoi are as warm as the weather is outside. Which is to say, incredibly warm! They are some of the most hospitable and welcoming people I have had the pleasure to meet. Several have even offered to let me experience Vietnam on the back of their motorbikes! You may not be seeing me on the back of one of those just yet, but maybe one day. After all, there are still a few days left of the trip!

Photo by Kyle Sandilands

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Viêt Nam Trong Trái Tim Tôi: Vietnam is Always in My Heart

My trip with CBT Vietnam was my first time ever visiting an Eastern Culture, but I knew I was ready to be taken out of my comfort zone and try something new. After months of anticipation, and hours of preparation the day had finally arrived to depart for Hanoi.

While I was in Vietnam one of my largest tasks was to photograph every homestay and homestay owner in the Lao Chai and Ta Phin villages. I thoroughly enjoyed capturing moments from behind a lens, however I made sure to put them down for allotted times to soak in the culture as well.

In Ta Phin, Henry, Chung and I photo documented 12 homestays in one morning. That day I learnt that no matter how much I have to get done, I must stop and eat. Stopping to sharpen your axe could get you through the tree faster than continuing to chop with a blunt axe. The next day we began to document the homestays and small shops, and it would be four days before all 19 units were trekked to and documented.

This was an amazing task to be a part of because not only do I now have over 3,000 photos for my memories, but I also got a small glimpse of over 30 homes and the way 30 different families live their lives.

One of the large aspects to the trip was to prepare 12 of the village members for their trip to Hanoi in August.   My task was to facilitate learning around business development and finance to tie into my partner Marina’s lessons of presentation skills. The first lesson to break the ice I put an assortment of plastic toy animals on the table and got people to explain why they would be such animal. This helped to give me insight into their confident areas and helped to get people comfortable and laughing.

The Black H’mong had a good understanding as to what needed to be done to establish a sustainable homestay, however their main issue was finding the financial means. However, those who have found the financial means to change their homes have seen an improvement in their quality of life and that helps to encourage other families to get started who have a desire to improve their lives as well.

My favorite lesson I did was on the second day when I discussed business financing. To start the lesson off I asked everyone what they would do if they won the lottery for 5 Million Ɖ ($5,000 USD) as the introduction, and the reactions were enlightening. Every purchase was to improve the life of their entire family from a car to safely travel, to sending their kids to post-secondary school.

I had many members of the Lao Chai village come up and personally thank me for the information they received through that lesson which felt very rewarding.

All in all, the CBT Vietnam project is the coolest thing I have experienced in my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I learnt so much about myself and my goals. Having an experience like this helped me to reevaluate my life intentions and what my needs as a human are to truly achieve happiness. I left this project feeling I had made some new close friends with the team I came with, and I feel I truly helped to make a difference in the village through the learning I helped to facilitate. On my last night in Hanoi I found an old propaganda poster that spoke to me, and I feel after this trip of a lifetime will remain true and relevant in my life. Viêt Nam Trong Trái Tim Tôi: Vietnam is always in my heart.

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Tết Nguyên Đán!

The CBT Vietnam team would like to wish everyone a happy new year!

Tết Nguyên Đán (or Tết for short), translates to “the first morning of the first day” in Vietnamese. This celebration is one of the biggest and most important for our friends in Vietnam. I’ve heard that there is some debate over whether or not this Lunar New Year is the Year of the Goat or the Year of the Sheep. In Vietnam, it is considered to be the Year of the Goat. In an article I read, goats are much more common in Vietnam due to the heat, which is one of the reasons why it is not referred to as the Year of the Sheep.

Thank you Sam for contributing these awesome photos from your time in Vietnam!
Much like the festivities that I go to for New Year’s Eve, this time of year for the Vietnamese is all about celebrating with friends and family and eating lots of great food. I’ve always found it interesting when you are able to draw parallels between different customs in various countries. Even though it is so far away from Canada, Vietnam may not be so different after all! However, unlike the New Years that I grew up celebrating every year, on December 31^st, Lunar New Year has a different day each year. This year, it fell on February 19, and in 2016 it will be celebrated on February 8.

I was born in the Year of the Rooster. After doing some research, I learned that Roosters are generally considered to be hardworking, courageous, talented, attractive and beautiful… I swear I’m not making this up!

I found the whole research really interesting and looked into other information about my other 2015 CBT Vietnam teammates as well.

Marina was born in the Year of the Horse. Horses are considered to be extremely animated, active and energetic. Knowing what I do about Marina’s personality, I would definitely say this is an accurate description of her.  Mia was born in the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are typically known for their mischievousness, curiosity, and cleverness. Monkeys are also thought to be the “masters of practical jokes”. We may need to keep an eye on Mia, (just kidding!). Kyle was born in the Year of the Pig. Pigs are believed to be diligent, compassionate, and generous. Pigs also have great concentration: once they become focused on a goal, they will be completely dedicated to reaching it. Hopefully Kyle can apply that focus to the training manual he is currently working on to guide us when we are over in Vietnam.

On February 8, 2016 Vietnam will bring in the year of the monkey – but until then, bring on the Year of the Goat!

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Vietnamese? Yes Please!

Today, Kyle, Mia and I (Megan!) decided to expand our culinary horizons and try out some Vietnamese food together! We visited V Nam in North Vancouver. After much deliberation over the menu, the food arrived, piping hot and ready to eat.

Kyle, about to dig in!

Kyle, despite his love of chicken, opted to try something the waitress recommended to him. He ended up getting a beef dish, called Pho Tai Bo Vien. This dish looked so good, I am definitely going to have to try it when I get to Vietnam, if not sooner!

Mia is ready to chow down!

Mia is a vegetarian, and had the vegetable stir fry with vermicelli. Before we head over to Vietnam, we are going to try to get her to eat meat, because it is such a staple food in Vietnam. Mia and I won’t be heading over until August, so for now she gets a pass with the veggie dish.

Here's hoping I don't have food stuck in my teeth while I pose with my delicious food.

I had the Chicken Chow Mein, which was delicious. The sauce had just enough kick to it and the vegetables tasted so fresh. The noodles were rich and flavourful. I realized that I may need some more practice using chopsticks after Kyle and Mia finished eating much faster than I did.

Over lunch, we talked about places we are hoping to travel and what we want to do with ourselves once we've finished school. It was such a pleasure getting to know the people that I am going to be working on this amazing project with. I think our personalities complement each other really well and I can’t wait until our next meeting.

Near the end of our meal, Chris stopped by! We further discussed some of the exciting initiatives that we are going to be putting forth soon to get the project as much exposure as possible. I have a feeling that this won't be the only time we go out for Vietnamese food together. The only thing that will make our future lunch dates better is the lovely Marina joining us! 

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Connections and transformations

"How was your trip?" 

I get asked that question almost every day and it's probably the most challenging question to answer. The truth is, it's hard to express how much the CBTVietnam trip means to me. Whenever, I try to explain it I never feel like I do it justice as words can't describe it. It was a trip of a life time and can only be truly understood by experiencing it for oneself. However, I want people to hear about it even if its only a taster of how inspiring and rewarding it was.

Going to Vietnam was more than I could have ever wished or dreamt. I didn't believe it when Chris, Stephanie and Caitlin said it would change my life. It seemed cliche and unbelievable that one trip could touch that many hearts so deeply but once I arrived in Lao Chai all my doubts vanished. The villagers are the most welcoming, open and loving people I have ever met. Right away, they invited us into their homes and treated us like family.

While in Lao Chai, I worked with so many amazing people and witnessed how hard they worked everyday to make a living. Ms. Sao and Ms. Di are two local batik artists who run workshops in their handicraft shops just off of the main road that travels through the village.  I had the pleasure of working with them to further refine their workshops and find ways to advertise to the tourists. It was surprising how much we were able to communicate to each other without speaking the same language. These interactions showed me how powerful body language can be and how it can often be more effective because the meaning of words vary so much from culture to culture.

Working on the batik product also gave me a chance to see how strong the bonds of community are in the village. On the last CBT Vietnam Trip in August 2013, Ms. Di was the only batik artist running workshops in Lao Chai. Since then she shared the knowledge and resources on how to run a workshop with Ms. Sao, again illustrating the strong sense of community this village has. Sharing this information was not seen as a threat to business but a growth of the whole village. The unquestionable generosity and compassion of the Hmong people opened my eyes to the self-centred attitude that I often see at home.  

When I think back to the CBT Vietnam trip, I am amazed at how much I have learnt, not only about community based tourism and Hmong culture but about how to be a better person. The Hmong people showed me how beneficial and important it is to enter every situation with an open mind and a smile. 

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Marketing the Market

Imagine walking through a market in another country. As a tourist, we tend to just browse through the selection and ignore the people trying to sell to us, afraid that if we talk to them we'll have to buy something. Usually the most important task will be trying to get a product for the cheapest price.

Reviewing ideas for merchandising

This last month I, along with Sabrina, were blessed to work in TaPhinwith the Red Dao women. This formalized market was recently completed and we were given the opportunity to discover new ways to bring the market alive to attract more tourists. Our work began before we arrived as we took photos of local Vancouver markets to illustrate various ways of merchandising and cooperating.  We had so many ideas running through our heads and wanted to be sure that tourists could feel comfortable in browsing the market AND talking with the locals.

We spent six days meeting and working with the market sellers in both group and one-on-one sessions. I felt that we only scratched the surface of the Red Dao culture and development of a successful market.

Sabrina dressed in traditional Red Dao garments

During our discussion of culture, we generated ideas for improved tourist experiences. We helped the women display their booths in appealing ways, such as creating bamboo hangers in order to display the handicrafts and clothing. For product diversification, we helped each woman see the benefits of placing their differentiating products at the front of their booth, instead of featuring the same products as their neighbour. We expect to see in the near future, as high season approaches, booths filled with teas, fruit and vegetables, and herbal bath products. 

Discussing ideas

Through our discussions, the women began to think of new ways to manage street selling and the hassling of tourists. The most difficult task moving forward is keeping the market full. Many of the women cannot come to sell every day due to other responsibilities in the fields. Also, there are many women who prefer to sell on the streets because this is the way it has always been done. We hope that our efforts and cooperation with the Red Dao women and local government will create a more sustainable and beneficial tourism product for the people of TaPhin. 

The relationships we developed, in such a short time, have impacted our lives in numerous ways. I have already made a promise to myself that I will come back someday. The women have told us that the time we spend to get to know them is very special, as many of the tourists treat them as if they do not exist. 

With Ta May

One of the relationships I created on this trip was with Ta May. I will be working closely with her over the next month because she has taken on a huge responsibility. Ta May told us as we were leaving that she wants to be in charge of the market. She will work each day with the Red Dao women to keep the ideas flowing, in hopes that one day they will be able to stop street selling and have a thriving market. 

The development of a relationship is a two way street. If these women are taking the time to learn how to interact with tourists in a polite and enjoyable way, it is important for tourists to take the time to sit down and talk. If tourists take the time to get to know locals during their travels, they will have a more memorable experience.

I thank Capilano University, the PATA Foundation and our partner in Vietnam Hanoi Open University for the most amazing experience and opportunities.

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