Well...Hello everyone. This is my second post. My first one just completely dissapeared on me. I am currently in an internet cafe which is really a shack with 12 computer that were probably made in the early 1990's. Mr. Bucs, the teacher from Massachuttes, had a satelitte card but it is not working. Needless to say, I don't believe that we will be able to do the video conference that we had planned on doing. But, I have a suprise for you. Instead, I have asked Lien the head researcher, his brother Viet, and Anh (pronounced Ein like Einstein to speak with you when I teleconference with you over the next couple of days.
This is a great honor for you as students to have this opportunity. They have never spoken with American students so this will be a new experience for all of us. I know that you are wonderful students and I expect you to treat them with the honor and respect that they so deserve.
Lien is the man who is the reason for my being on this trip. We read about him and his research in class. Viet is a teacher in his small village on the coast of Northern Vietnam. During the summer months he comes to Tam Dao to help Lien with his research. He teaches English and is fascinated by the English language so it's a lot of fun to talk with him. He has asked me to speak with his students over the phone. Anh is a retired Vietnamese diplomat and I haven't quite figured out his role in the expedition yet but he shines and makes me smile constantly. All three of them are amazing men and know their subject very well.
Words cannot describe my feeling or experiences here over the past two days in Vietnam. It has already been a life changing experience for me and we haven't even got to the good stuff yet. The Vietnamese are a strong, resilient, kind, and AMAZING people. This is the third poorest nation in the world and they have been invaded and attempted to be conquered by every major dynasty and country that you can think of. Yet through it all, this small country has remained independant from other's rule and they are proud to be "free". I wish that you were all here with me to see what I see and hear what I hear. Due to the limited technology here I will not be able to post my pictures until I get back to Hong Kong. It took me 20 minutes just to get on a website.
Today we spent the morning learning the history of Tam Dao national park, learning different species of butterflies, then walked the first transect. The transect was about 2 miles and we had to walk very slowly. We caught and observed 17 different specied of butterflies and counted a total of 162. Ms. Peter's from Washington state caught a very rare butterfly. One which Viet had never seen and it was all quite exciting. I did practice catching a butterfly today and was successful but I fear I did a little damage to one of the wings. I was told it was going to be okay. Butterflies are EXTREMELY sensitive more so than I ever thought.
It is very late here and I am going to cut this one short. I have learned my lesson on blogging in Vietnam today.
1. Do not wait until 10 o'clock at night to post on a dial up Internet connection in a third world country.
2. I am exhausted and my brain is fuzzy (and yes Grant I do have jet lag now but everything's just so exciting I don't feel it until moments like these).
3. Write it in a word document after being in the field when everything is fresh in my head.
Thank you for your posts all. However, please limit your comments to just one per block. Again, I would like for you to dicuss as a class the newest post and TOGETHER come up with comments and questions. I am not the only one that is reading this blog and I expect you to demonstrate to others the outstanding students that I know you are.
Bonita, the flight to Los Angelos was wonderful. I had the whole row to myself and it was a six hour flight. The flight from LA to Hong Kong was looooong (15 hours) but a very smooth ride. The flight from Hong Kong to Hanoi was very turbulent and I almost lost my lunch but that was just a two hour flight so it wasn't that bad.
I have many stories to tell but for now I bid you good morning and for me good night. Miss you all and love you.
p.s. yes they do eat dog over here. I will try to get a picture of one cooking in Hanoi but please don't ask me any questions about it.
14 comments:
wow! sounds like everything is going really well. i am stoked for you! i am getting ready to leave for my 8th grade trip to Florida, Andrew will be in charge of Jackson. I am giving him your blogspot in case of an emergency. jack had an episode at 5:30 this morning, but it was short and he seems to be fine and no worse for wear. don't worry about him, he is being a very good boy and is having fun with shakes. we haven't had to crate him too much at all. Enjoy the rest of your trip, i know you are having the time of your life. rock on ms. winzeler, rock on.
This is awesome!! I am so excited for you Beth. This is an experience of a lifetime for you and your students.I plan on definitely sharing this with my students--your former darlings this week! Looking forward to reading all about your trip and seeing the photos when you get home. Be safe and have fun!! Miss ya girl.
Hey Beth!
Looks like you're having a blast! This is a wonderful experience for your and your students kudos my friend! We all miss you here at the ole Champion. Hope you are well. Love, steph and the crew!
Hi Mr.Winzler,hope everything is going good for you in Vietnam. Can't wait to see you. How did Lien and Viet get into butterflies?
Hi this is Daiquan W. It sounds like you are having a good time in Vietnam. Anh, what is your favorite kind of bug that you have studied?
Hi Mrs.Winzeler it sounds like you are having a marvolous time. We all really miss you, and we can't wait for you to return.
How many rare butterflies have you seen?How did the people get into studying butterflies?Will you be able to bring any butterflies back?Has it stopped raining yet?
This is an experiance of a life time!!! What time does your day begins?You should put your hands on your head to help you breathe better.
Hey Ms.Winzler, what have you been up to.Things are going good here. Have you found anymore butterflies/animals?
Hey Ms.Winzeler. It's Ashly, how are you doing? Did you find any endangered butterflies in Vietnam? I hope you are having a great time over there. We all miss you very much and we can't wait for you to come back. Please come back save and sound and don't forget to have fun. Also, did you eat any strange food in Vietnam and did they not tell you what it was? If so, you might not want to eat it again. Because for all you know it could have been cat or dog!
Hey. I hope you are having a good time there. See you soon.
Wow! Ms.Winzeler, you are so awesome! Sounds like your trip is going quite well so far. I truly hope you are having fun in Vietnam. You deserve every moment of this experience! Is there any time difference between VIetnam and here? There probably is, so what is it? So, have you discovered any endangered butterflys yet? Hope so! Have fun, and I'll be waiting for you back here in North Carolina! Oh! And one more thing (you may think this a tab silly) have you eaten um..dogs or cats in Vietnam?
It is so cool that you can go to Vietnam. I only have 1 question. How do you catch a butterfly with out hurting it?
hi mrs winzeler,
hope your having alot of fun studying butterflies. i cant believe haw big that spider was! did you keep it after you found it or did you just smush it.
ps.....
you are still a nerd right?
Wow!Everything looks great,I just wanted to ask if any of those butterflies play an important role in the ecosystem there?If so please tell me what kinds.
Hi how are you? Hope your flight went okay and nothing went wrong. Hope you get home safe.
miss you.
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