I stayed for five weeks and could not be happier that I did.

The Experiences by Mechaela Anania

There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for the incredible time I spent in Vietnam. My initial fears of ‘why did you do this to yourself? Traveling alone isn’t for you!’ were very short lived. I had planned to stay with the Green Lion family for two weeks and very quickly found myself considering extending due to the welcoming and friendly nature of all the staff who proved to be willing to go above and beyond for any of the participants. Even personally taking me to the clinic and sitting with me while I got a vaccination! I stayed for five weeks and could not be happier that I did.

Culture week allowed me to meet people who were starting at the same time and feeling some of the same feelings that I was initially experiencing, as well as learning about Vietnam and the culture I would become a part of for my short time spent there. Not to mention being able to get to know the staff quickly and create great relationships early on!

To say that Vietnamese people are accommodating is an understatement! There are several places surrounding our accommodation that are great to hang out at including bubble tea house, Bungo for great chocolate drinks and Nam’s. Nam’s convenience store (and home) is my favourite and became a second home to most of us. He would set out the chairs and tables for us all to sit at and even went and brought a speaker for us to play music and do karaoke. What seems invasive from the outside is just a welcoming and gorgeous culture. I can’t count the number of times I was sitting outside and Nam or his wife invited me to eat with their family, a gesture that is not uncommon in Vietnam but warms my heart every time I think about it.

Working with Green Lion to teach English in the college to assist the students in developing their vocabulary, listening skills and conversational skills and watching their progress over the five weeks I spent with them was a wonderful opportunity. I am grateful that I was also able to teach some pronunciation lessons to assist the students with their speaking skills and help them to gain the confidence to try and to learn from any mistakes they make. I knew after one short week that I couldn’t leave this amazing place and it’s people so I found myself changing travel plans and calling home to let them know I wouldn’t be back as soon as I had planned… sorry dad!

The relationships formed in my five short weeks were amazing, the students became my friends, the helpers and Green Lion staff became my family. I can not wait to come back to Vietnam to visit my friends and family again soon!

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