An American teacher in Vietnam

Lokaalit-sarja haastattelee Kaakkois-Aasiassa asuvia elämän synnyistä syvistä. Sarjan toisessa osassa haastatellaan yhdysvaltalaista opettajaa Marya, joka on työskennellyt Hanoissa, Vietnamissa yhdeksän kuukautta.

Lokaalit-series interviews people living in South-East Asia about the Life. The series continues with an interview of Mary from USA, who has been working as a teacher in Hanoi, Vietnam for 9 months.

How would you introduce yourself?

I’m a single adult traveler who is looking for both work and travel experiences outside USA.

Where are you specifically from?

My own family is raised in Texas but I was self raised in Minnesota.

How did you end up in Vietnam and where are you living in there?

I’m living in Hanoi. I was looking for career change and I accidentally met a woman who had been teaching over 15 years overseas. She mentored me about that then. Living overseas was also one of the things in my bucket list.

How do you like Vietnam, how about South-East Asia?

What I like the best in Vietnam are the people, and what I dislike the most is the weather. I have not enjoyed of winter there. There are no modern convenices and no heating in buildings which makes the winter quite poor.

What are your favorite places in Vietnam and in South-East Asia?

I’ve been traveling in Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Angkor Wat in Cambodia is fabulous - If you come to South-East Asia just once, you have to see it. There are no particular favorites in Vietnam - I enjoy visiting the provinces instead of the cities in there.

What tips would you give to travelers going to Vietnam?

Remember it is a communist country and that it’s a Third World country. Do not expect anything to operate in western precision and do not expect people to understand English.

What do you like to do when you have leisure time?

Riding bicycle, it is my chief mode of transportation. I am gradually increasing the perimeter of places I know. I enjoy cycling because speed is moderate and thus you can be more observant of the surroundings. Cycling in Hanoi is safe because everyone driving cars or motorcycles has been cycling before and thus they are more considerate.

What is the best way for a curious traveler to approach Vietnamese people?

Many people there really want to practice English, so usually they approach you. Vietnamese are actively seeking contact where they can practice their English.

What about food - what is your favorite Vietnamese food?

Fruits. They have so much more tropical fruits there than there is in the USA…and they are always fresh. You can also get them anywhere. Papaya is my favorite.

Do you have life philosophy and if so, would you like to tell, what it is?

Embrace the change because nothing ever stays the same. If you ignore the change, by the time change is ahead of you, you feel upset. For example I didn’t learn about computers when they came and now they are everywhere.

What kind of greetings you’d like to send to our readers?

In order to grow as members of the World, I think it is important to visit other places and understand how fortunate we are in the country we were raised in.