V.I.P for four weeks

After nine years working hard for the same company I've decided to quit and do something completely different. Volunteering and traveling in Asia was already one of the things on my bucket list. So I decided to teach English conversation class at the Hanoi University of Industry (HUI)

When I had my introduction with Duyen Tran, the project manager of the university (in fact my boss), I've got the impression that my work is going to be very formal and strict. I was given exercises to do with the nine English major classes but I was asked to change and add things if I want to. I was happy about that fact because the prepared lessons were not much about conversation (exercises like filling blanks or listenings is not what I think should be taught in a conversation class). But I liked the topics and draw up four lesson plans because I knew that I'm going to teach this classes for four weeks – every week 1.5 hours.

The next day my first lesson started at 8.45 am and I was a bit nervous because I am not an English teacher at all. Already at the very first day I figured out that it is not that formal to work at HUI. Some of the Students came late, the room I should teach was the wrong one... In fact, the schedule is very clear but following it is is not a must like I am used to from back home. For lunch the university invited me and some other international teachers in a nice restaurant and there I recognized it won't be that formal and Duyen is very nice and easy going – but she is clear about the strategy at the university and I really like that. Having a clear strategy, working hard but have fun while doing it.

During this four weeks I made many new friends and I really had a great time. The staff and the students treated me like a very very important person. In the first week I was asked form the students club “E4U awesome” to join one of their thursday evening events. There were about 50 students just to have a chat with me. The topic was about meeting people and introduce yourself and I felt like a superstar because everybody was so nervous but keen on talking to me. One day, it was the Friday of my second week, I arrived at the school and saw that they are setting up the meeting room for an event. Later when I was teaching, my assistant called me to join the party and let the students work on something. I asked what party and it was to celebrate the teachers birthdays who are born in October. That is tradition at HUI  every month I've been told and we were enjoying a green tea birthday cake and fruits.

During the fourth week when my classes realized that I'm going to leave, some of them got really sad and at the last lesson one student who never talked to me in class finally gave a speech about the topic we were working on. I was overwhelmed and told her that it was great - she almost cried. As it would have been planned, on my second last day it was a Halloween party and I was invited to join. During this evening many of my students were there and we had a lot of fun together and it felt to me as a big goodbye party. The last day I got presents from some students and the university invited me for a delicious lunch. The goodbye gift will always remember me to the great time I had.

I'm going to miss the time I had at this university and many thanks to Duyen, Thao and Minh (almost forgot to tell about the legendary lunchs we had together on the streets around the school).

Great experience and every day I felt like a VIP person even though I had to work and by the way I am not the person who like to stand on the red carpet...