Fun times at TVCC

Originally uploaded by fotobot.

Last night I attended my first meeting of the Tra Vinh Community College English club and it was the most fun I have had in Tra Vinh to be sure.
There was a group of about 9 students, an instructor and me. There is a pretty wide range of ability in the group but the instructor's sense of humour keeps things moving. 2 of the students will be studying aquaculture in Newfoundland this September and I excitedly told them about the famous maritime hospitality and the instuctor asked "Are the people in Newfoundland more friendly than you?" and I responded "Oh, yes, very much so". I think the group found my resolute response quite funny.
We played that game where you sit in a circle and the first person introduces themselves and then the second person introduces the first person, then themselves, and so on adding as you go along. For me this was pretty easy, having the language advantage, except for remembering people's names. I had to apologize at each step for surely saying their name so very incorrectly, but it was another source of amusement for the students, and they were very kind to help me. I am hopeful that some of them will show me around the town and the area, maybe go to the beach that is 60km from here. I have agreed to come to the club every week until I leave, although they did kindly offer to pick me up in the TVCC private jet so that I could still participate while I am in Canada ;) I found out that TVCC was founded using Malaspina College (Nanaimo) as a model. It is another one of those things that makes the world feel small, even as I feel so far away from home.
Tomorrow I head to Ho Chi Minh city for the last of my immunizations and also the opportunity to buy a couple more English books and maybe some jam. There is no Western food to be found in Tra Vinh, so a few luxuries are in order to hold me until I leave TV again on Labour Day weekend.