Always view everything with a positive aspect

Intellectual
- Experience of the cultures and lifestyles of the Minority People

During this whole trip in Vietnam, I got to experience the different cultures and lifestyles of the minority people in Vietnam. It was very intriguing to me as the experience itself is nothing as compared to documentaries that were showcased on TV. Moreover, their cultures and lifestyles were different in certain aspects, each having their own unique characteristics. I also learnt about their level of appreciation for green tea in Vietnam.

-The Education System in Vietnam

In Vietnam, not every child is as fortunate as those in Singapore. Many of them are unable to attend lessons in schools for several reasons. They may be too poor or even have objections from their parents, thinking that their children are better off helping them on the farm. Thus, as a result, many Vietnamese children still remain illiterate even when they enter adulthood. Through this experience, I realized that there was a stark contrast in comparison to the attitude of children in Singapore as most of them detest attending lessons in schools.

Deliverables
-Helping those in need

Our main purpose in Vietnam was to engage ourselves in community giving, helping out those who were in need. We managed to deliver stationeries and medical supplies to several villages in Xeo Trung Ho, Ban Ho and Su Pan. We also went to Cat Cat Village and helped to improve the surrounding environment of the school. We helped to paint the walls, deliver stationeries, books and food to the children. However, these were only short term and not sustainable assistance to the school and the children. We could have done much more but time did not permit us to do so. Thus, looking at it with a positive mind, I believe that our presence at the school made the difference and it is all that matters.

Emotional
I had also come to realize how fortunate I was to be living a life of comfort and luxury in Singapore. I got to experience the ‘caveman’ conditions of the minority people living in Vietnam. I was able to put myself in their situation, living in a place with a limited supply of electricity and food (all of which were taken for granted back in Singapore). The children in Vietnam were contented even without the luxury of indulgences such as toys and television. I had also realized how excited the children were at the sight of food. They were very polite as they received their food with both hands outstretched. They were so eager to have their food as they sang the local Vietnamese song. Such heartwarming moments!

Adversities
-Unfamiliarity of geographical locations in Vietnam

One problem was the unfamiliarity in many aspects of the trip. An example would be the fact that we were in a foreign land and that forced us to depend heavily on our guide for directions. His absence on the last day proved it as we found ourselves struggling trying to maneuver from one place to another.

-Cultural and linguistic differences

Another dilemma that faced us was the cultural and linguistic differences. Most of us were unable to communicate with the local people, thus unable to engage ourselves in a conversation as we could not correspond to them. As a result, confusion often arises as instructions may seem vague to us or even lost in translation. Hence, such linguistic differences proved to bee an obstacle for us. Cultural differences also arose. An example was where certain gestures like touching another person’s head was forbidden among the minority people.

Learnability
I have learnt that we have to work together as a team in order to accomplish different tasks. It had been one of my most enjoyable experiences to be able to work together with my friends in a foreign land. We forged stronger bonds of friendships, realizing our own faults and mistakes. I learnt to conquer my fears: not to worry unduly and take things in my stride for everything that I do in life. Always view everything with a positive aspect and life would be much more smoothsailing than one can ever expect. I have also discovered that Vietnamese people can also be contented without any indulgences and luxury, yet, they do not have many problems in every aspect of their lives. This may be a learning point for all of us because as much as we can boast of all the living comfort in Singapore, we had just as much to be envious about their carefree lifestyles, accompanied with breathtaking sceneries and surrounding environment that one would never be able to experience in a hectic schedule of every Singaporean.