Eye opening experience

This was my first experience volunteering in an overseas location and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've voyaged as a tourist before and found this experience of volunteering to be as good, if not even better. I feel I connected with the locals in a positvely more genuine manner. They saw me more as somebody who cared, not as somebody in transit through their nation. I participated to teach English in a public school with primary students. The level was more basic than what I expected but the students made up for it with their enthusiasm. The local teachers meant well (though they could use English classes) and I appreciated the support from Ubelong. I think the cultural tips they gave were excellent and their focus on volunteers being there to work and be of service to the community, as opposed to the other way around, was important in preparing me. Knowing somebody knew my name and wanted me to do well was a very nice feeling. We lived in a perfectly basic but fine volunteer house. English was the spoken language so it did not feel so immersive from that perspective. There were Vietnamese staff people who were wonderful and I cherish the relationships we had. I found their curiosity about me and my country to be eye opening and I enjoyed their companionship. They went out of the way to make us feel at home.