Refrigeration and other exciting developments
01/15/2009
Yesterday was a very satisfying day in many ways. I met with my host to discuss my work here at Nha Trang University, and in the process learned more about the higher education system. Of course I still have more questions. At this university the days are divided into periods. For example, there are 45-minute periods, and students may take a class that is 3 45-minute periods long and meets once a week. In between each of the 45-minute periods is a 5-minute break. I'm still a little unclear on how many courses a student takes each semester, and thought I heard someone say seven. Here the grading system may range from 0 to 10, with 10 being equivalent to our A.
One of the things I will be doing here is designing curriculum for courses in American Studies and American Literature. I also will be team teaching with two of the English professors--courses in listening and reading--and consulting with the librarians, but that probably won't happen until after the holiday. I'm very pleased to have more specific information about my assignments and hope to get a lot accomplished in the next couple of weeks.
My host also gave me a tour of campus--both on motorbike and walking--and I saw some parts that I had not previously explored. While walking I noticed that it was graduation day for some of the students when I saw young men in royal blue gowns and caps and a number of young Vietnamese women in the ao dai dress, which is lovely. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but this is a campus of 16,000 students, located in a city of approximately 400,000.
Yesterday also had several other highlights. When I returned to my room there was a minibar, as they call it here, outside my door (see picture). I'm thrilled to have refrigeration, and can now keep my fruits and vegetables longer. Also, one of the Volunteers in Asia teachers returned from traveling and we had dinner together at a lovely nearby restaurant--egg and fried rice, stir-fried greens, and tofu. It was great to learn more about life here from her. And when I returned to my room I spotted a gecko running up the wall, across the ceiling, and into my closet. You all know how cute that little Geico gecko is...
Stay warm, those of you in the midwest!
