I Want a Motorbike (Don’t Tell My Sons)
“I could do this for the next six months.” That’s what I said at one of the coffee stops on the third morning of the […]
And Now A Word from Mr. Rogers
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers I turned on my computer […]
Luc Bat
Learning Luc Bat “Luc bat” is a traditional form of Vietnamese poetry that I have been researching. I chose to study this as one of […]
Coffee and Comaraderie
I finally had the experience of seeing my name on a sign as I passed through the wide doors of the airport luggage area to […]
Reaction
If you don’t read any further, just watch this 13-second video of 10th graders reacting to your comments on the Where I’m From poetry sharing […]
Detour
I had twenty-four hours notice to leave the country. For reasons I’ll never understand, my visa extension was denied by the authorities and leaving and […]
Where I’m From
The time has come to share the poems my students have been working so hard to write. I have taught a series of eight lessons […]
Another Kind of Class
I didn’t hesitate when my Fulbright friend, Jeff, texted me about taking a cooking class in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. After all these Vietnamese classes, I […]
A Perfect Blend?
Coming from Vietnam to Malaysia it was easy to notice the contrast between these two southeast Asian countries. The first thing I noticed is how […]
Speaking Portuguese in Malaysia
On my last day in Malaysia, I decided to catch a bus from Melaka to a nearby village, simply known as the Portuguese Village. After […]
A Pre-Jungle-Trek Trek
I knew it would be an interesting day when the bus driver showed me the picture of the mudslide that had closed the road to […]
Teachers’ Day, A National Holiday
I’ve been hearing about Vietnam Teachers’ Day ever since I arrived here, so I knew it was a big deal. In fact, it was the […]
Innovation in Action
The Fulbright program encourages its distinguished teachers to attend professional development during their time overseas, so I was grateful to receive a grant to participate […]
You haven’t lived until . . .
Recently, I wandered into a barbershop hoping to get a better cut than the first one I had here. Even though no words were exchanged […]
Donald Trump Interrupted My Class Today
The tenth graders were working even better than expected while revising their poems this afternoon. The classroom had that magical hum of focused students working […]
Learning (about) Vietnamese
“Today ten hour I go.” This sentence, uttered in Vietnamese, has been my proudest accomplishment so far in learning the language. I may sound like […]