5/14 Pen Pal Day by Robert

5/14 Pen pal day

Yesterday we spent an amazing day with our pen pals. We boarded the bus early and traveled 40 minutes to Hai Boi village and Bat Trang School. Hai Boi village is a traditional pottery village (Eli has even seen pots from Hai Boi village at Sky Nursery). It is fascinating to see shop after shop after shop selling pottery goods. One Vietnamese student said, “This is what my parents do, and what my grandparents do.”

After greeting our pen pals in the school court yard and exchanging gifts, we gathered together in the courtyard, saw a slide show of their school and their village, then shared lots of songs. We then played games together: walking on silts, dancing through the bamboo sticks, and breaking hanging pottery with a stick while blindfolded. Students kicked the ball together or threw the Frisbee. It was so heartwarming watching the students engaged with each other.

After a meal together, we all headed to the pottery studio, where we were taught how to shape clay into a variety of blobs, some of them sort of resembling a bowl or cup. In groups of 6 (three Evergreen students with their three Vietnamese pen pals), students explored the village.

It was sad saying goodbye to our pen pals. It was such a sweet day.

After meeting pen pals, we all met in the courtyard

performing a song

attempting to smash the pottery

Introduction to the pottery lesson

demonstration - it looked so easy

Farewell group shots

The evening meeting sharing was about connections.

Tomorrow we have another whole group day, as we head to Mike’s village and meet a panel of Vietnamese war veterans. This is one of the most important significant events of the trip, and I am really looking forward to it.