Ok so we're still set for leaving. It looks like I'll be flying out of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) around 4:15 June 22nd. So I'll have nearly a full day in the city to explore, and hopefully not have to lug around my luggage while I'm doing that. While typing this, FED EX just showed up with my VISA. That's incredibly fast, the company just got this paperwork Thursday morning, and they must have sent it out Friday to have gotten here today. That's fast, considering the Vietnam website said 4-5 business days, and I couldn't get in touch with the embassy for a week. Really impressive. So here's a plug for www.rushmypassport.com for all your traveling to foreign country needs :-)
In other news, Gabby has been more forthcoming today, its weird I've probably emailed her 5 times back and forth this morning already. It looks like I'll be staying in a hotel, and she says it'll have a computer! Hot Dog! I'm guessing with internet, so Melissa and I can more easily stay in contact, that'll be very very good. So what's she's told me this morning is that I won't really be working with students, but with the teachers. She says she can arrange to have students there if I need them, but that it would mostly be teachers. Oh and the teachers "really lack motivation". This is very troubling, I don't feel totally comfortable myself teaching someone to travel in that traffic, yet she's wanting me to teach someone else how to teach a blind kid to travel there? Without students to practice on? And they're "unmotivated"... Sheesh. I told her we'd probably need some students and that I wouldn't feel comfortable essentially signing off on someone to teach until I saw some demonstration of proficiency.
For those that are not in my field and so wouldn't know, doing what they are asking me and Bob to do, it takes for us to learn it, approximately 2 years of course work. To teach O&M usually takes an additional year of training. I'm only there for 5 weeks. I'll be working through an interpreter, and with people that probably would rather I just left them alone, from Gabby's description of them. I feel like I'm always dooming and glooming here, but I really think that Gabby doesn't know what she's asking for. I'll try my best, and hope it all works out. From what I understand, it seems like ANYTHING I bring to the table will be an improvement over current conditions. It sounds like I need to bring some morale to the table as well as some skills, perhaps these people don't realize the potential that people with visual impairments have. Its easy to think that blind people can't do anything, when they are truly quite capable when given the opportunity and people to properly teach them in the way that they learn best. Should be crazy fun, can't wait to keep you updated.
As the challenges mount, it creates even more determination for me to get over there and do my best. At this point, its humorous to think of all the "walls" that are before us, but that in itself, offers a bit of freedom. How can I possibly screw this up, when anything I do is going to be much better than what they have already? Talk about feeling a sense of liberation. Just a few more days and off I go...
~Mickey
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1 comment:
Hey Fu man Luuuu....
...It is definately sounding like quite the adventure! Don't let those things get you down , bud. You're there for a purpous ..you know that..so keep on truckin'! As for the anti-Americanism, and knowing that you may have international readers, I will only say that we dont all support the present administration. Some of us are a little more than upset by the course we have taken over the past 8 years, and I myself find a litttle disdain for more fellow countrymens lack of forsight and vision. Nuff said. But enough about me..what do you think about me? heheh. Anyway, keep up the good work, Mick. You will find you reward somewhere down the road. Love you bud. Take care of yourself. And, keep up the great blog work. I love it! Drew (DC).
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