Image via Wikipedia
Teachers do what they have to do in very tough conditions
This article is a fascinating read. I'm pretty sure I couldn't handle these conditions. I'm pretty spoiled in the positions I have now, and should be very thankful for the lifestyle I can have here. Whilst the cultural experience I would receive from teaching in provinces would be amazing, I couldn't handle the tough conditions.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2009/09/awful-conditions-dona%C2%80%C2%99t-stop-committed-teachers-in-remote-areas.html
I have to say that this has never been a problem for me. Everywhere I go I always have the hotel toilet nearby. I've never used a public toilet, other than that in a District 1 bar, and they're in reasonably good shape. I know I would be quite put off if I was forced to use a smelly, below-standard facility though. One thing that always seems to be missing from the school toilets is paper or a dryer to use after you've washed your hands. I don't like opening the toilet door to go back to work with wet hands.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2009/09/disgusting-toilets-provide-tourists-no-relief.html Teachers to remain sober outside hours? You what???
I initially thought this had to be an American report, but much to my surprise it's very English. I can't see it getting off the ground as people will ignore it in droves.
I mean, seriously? Is it not enough that teaching difficult children takes a great deal of energy, requiring a great deal of recovery activity, without removing one of the core means of said recovery?
I'd love to know what goes on in the head of the kind of people who make these decisions. They're certainly not normal human beings, in my estimation.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1210974/Teachers-moan-new-code-conduct-stop-getting-drunk-weekends.html Movie scene thriving in Vietnam
It never occurred to me that going to the movies should be seen as a privilege, but it would seem that it's a pretty new thing in Vietnam. I've been a couple of times since arriving, and the cinemas are in pretty good shape. The only thing that bothers me is when the locals chat throughout the film. They do this because they don't need to hear the dialog – it's in English, after all. They can read the subtitles to get the gist of what's going on.
The cinema complex in this report is the closest one to my school. It's almost walking distance. I popped in there the other night to see Ice Age, and was very impressed by the sound, comfort, and professionalism of the place. It's right up there with any we see in Australia. I guess I must have missed the G.I. Joe premiere (no great loss), but I'll be back there regularly to see whatever else comes along.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2009/09/fresh-like-the-popcorn.html My connection with a Vietnamese celebrity
Whilst on the topic of movies, my good friend Nhu is a cousin to Hong Anh, a quite famous Vietnamese actress. This article tells us she is off to Singapore to live and study acting.
Her most recent film won her a best actress award at an international film festival. My first visit to HCMC included the privilege of a visit to Nhu's home, where I was able to view some of Hong Anh's awards on display.
Nhu was one of the wedding party at Hong Anh's recent marriage, and her photos are very interesting to see.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2009/09/actress-hong-anh-leaves-for-overseas-study.html Time for bed.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Travel firms urge extension of tourism promotion (lookatvietnam.com)
- Latest interesting Vietnamese news (rockportrait.posterous.com)
- Foreign tourist arrivals fall 17.7 percent this year (lookatvietnam.com)
- Vietnam's cultural industry: lack of money, abundance of conflicts (lookatvietnam.com)
Zemanta helped me add links & pictures to this email. It can do it for you too.
Read my response in my blog… http://joepster.posterous.com/
It was becoming too long to be a comment, so I thought I’d blog about it :p