Sorry for the long delay in blogging. We are actually home now. We came home 2 ½ weeks early because we finished our work a little early (more on that below). It turned out to be a good thing, as I developed both bronchitis and pneumonia at the end of our trip. (Yay! Another visit to a hospital! We're getting travel insurance next time.) I’m better now except for this darn cold. UPDATE: Actually, it's strep throat. Even my doctor was disappointed.
At any rate, let me tell you about our progress on the project.
VietnamAt any rate, let me tell you about our progress on the project.
As you know, one of our goals for this project is to interview our friends (including Gom) in Sapa, Vietnam about their experiences in education. This was much more difficult than we thought it would be. Most of our H’mong friends didn’t go to school at all, and most of those that did only made it to 5th grade or so. None of them remembered much about school.
This was this first time we were able to spend a lot of time talking to Gom about her schooling. It turned out that Gom had a much more difficult time that we thought. She was top in her class in her village school, but nearly last in her classes outside the village. Here’s why: classes outside her village (the ones for the “regular” Vietnamese) are run very similar to those here in the US. However, in her village classroom, there is no accountability on the homework front, the teacher rarely takes questions and all examinations are open book. You can imagine exactly how much the students study. Gom was top in her class mainly because she was able to find answers in her textbook quickly.
Speaking to our friends in Sapa made us realize that we would have to re-think our vision of how the book would be laid out. We were envisioning stories about going to school, but most of the girls don’t have stories – they have short vignettes. The saddest thing about this is that nearly all of our friends wish that they would have gone to school. When asked if they would go back given the chance, most of them said, yes, but then quickly added that they were currently or would soon be married, so going to school would not be feasible. A sad reality.
More on Cambodia to follow soon.
Speaking to our friends in Sapa made us realize that we would have to re-think our vision of how the book would be laid out. We were envisioning stories about going to school, but most of the girls don’t have stories – they have short vignettes. The saddest thing about this is that nearly all of our friends wish that they would have gone to school. When asked if they would go back given the chance, most of them said, yes, but then quickly added that they were currently or would soon be married, so going to school would not be feasible. A sad reality.
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