Third Week...Farewell to Thien

My third week in Vietnam ! But still feels like, it was yesterday that I landed in here….

What a great life it’s been now. Every morning when I wake up, I’m just not awake but feel awaken with meaningful reasons to start my day, a reason to bring smile, a reason to help and love.

Every week, I count for the arrival of Tuesday and Wednesday to visit Dien Tho and Dia Loc Centers. Dien Tho Center is the support center for differently-able children where I assist GVN Physiotherapist to help children exercise. Most of these children are suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Mental illness and Down syndrome. These kids are incredibly enthusiastic in their efforts; the big smile on their face after they finish their activities is bliss; a triumph that inspires and motivates; and happiness even greater than that of winning a World Cup. Jennifer and I were helping NHAT TAN, a six-year-old boy to exercise today. He doesn’t use his right hand quite often and depends on his left hand for almost everything. To improve his condition, we were helping him to put pebbles into a container using his right hand. Around 100 pebbles, we were almost tired to hold those, but it’s amazing that he was still not giving up, he did not stop; such was his passion to learn and recover.

Dio Loc Center; I teach English here and the class is full of energy and fun. In the beginning, I was asked to start with ‘Words’ and ‘Pronunciation’ but soon I realized that these kids really needed better understanding of elementary English right from the start; and ‘Alphabets’ was the first thing I taught them. Today, it was my third class and I was on “Days in a week” lesson. I have learnt a lot from these kids. You’ve to make sure that these kids learn and enjoy simultaneously, children grasp more easily when they are having fun. Cracking jokes, playing games, singing songs along with lessons greatly help to hold their attention till the end of class. There are students of different levels in same class, so sometime it’s very hard to help every child understand, but yet, it’s not impossible.

And, finally when they were able to say Sunday, Monday…..Saturday…it’s a big achievement…I want nothing else..…it’s a great moment for me and them as well. 

Parting is always a sweet sorrow.

This morning, we bid farewell to Thien and it was so hard to say Good Bye. She is one of the amazing persons I have ever met. She was very good in Vietnamese language (coz of her Vietnamese background). If she wasn’t here, we would have lost in translation.

This evening, when Jennifer, Therese and I were in Pharmacy, it took us more than half-an-hour to get the medicine we were asking for. And we said, “Oh! Thien, we miss you"

I’m so touched to see her note for me when I came back in house. I will always cherish all those moments we have spent (I miss her already) :( :(

Oh I am so bad in saying good bye. I always try to control my emotion that overflows at times. I wish I could learn the word “Detach” someday.

XOXO

Jo_tee