April 29, 2012

The evening of our return from the north, the whole department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities gave Ron a celebratory sending off party. We first went to the Dean's office where she interviewed him about his semester here in Vietnam. Then they presented him with a beautiful embroidered picture as a going-away gift.

Dr. Dau Minh Hong, Tran Khang & Ron

Plus another art piece for us to take home.

Dr. Hong, Ron and Ly

Then we went to a Japanese restaurant with the whole staff of the department. We had tons of food including sushi, a hot pot with mushrooms of every shape and size (including pigeon heads for flavor) and several bottles of fine French wine.

Ron got a prize in his bowl!

Nguyen Vinh Hang, Ron, Khang, Me and Elaine

The next day was Elaine's departure day. She stayed almost 3 weeks and it went so fast! It was so much fun having her. We even put her to work one evening helping Ron enter the grades of his students. I will miss her.

Wednesday we flew up to Nha Trang via Vietnam Airlines. Nha Trang University invited Ron to conduct a seminar to 100 Deans and Vice Rectors about Developing and Assessing Learning Outcomes. We stayed at the Hai Yen Hotel in beautiful Nha Trang. It's considered the beach capital of Vietnam with towering mountains behind and a beach that stretches on for miles. There are little islands all within sight and something called Vinpearl Land which is similar to our Disneyland. There are still motorbikes everywhere, but the streets are wide, and the traffic seems calmer somehow.

The evening we arrived we were met at out hotel by a Fulbright student, Max, who lives in Nha Trang studying lobster aquaculture. Max and Huy brought their motorbikes, and the 4 of us took off for about a mile to a barbecue restaurant.

We cooked beef (Australian), tuna, and everything right there on our own hibachi. It was very smoky, loud, and the beer was cold!

We were picked up in a van the next morning and taken to the University. The room was huge and after a brief introduction by the Vice Rector, Ron spoke for about 2 hours to all these Deans.

He did a great job. They took us to lunch right next to the beach and they ordered several dishes for us including ostrich! I think I'll pass on the ostrich.

After lunch Ron spoke to a smaller group of people in a room with a long conference table. This time the subject was about his Syllabi and Testing methods.

They asked lots of questions and he had an interpreter who repeated his words after each sentence.

The Vice Rector, me and Ron, Kim An, and the Interpreter

We were only in Nha Trang for 2 days, so that afternoon we enjoyed the beautiful turquoise waters and the beach. Hundreds of local people make use of the beach and the water early in the morning, and then disappear during the heat of the day. The evening brings them back out with the whole family. Lining the coast for a few blocks are beautiful restaurants with everything fresh from the sea. Nha Trang has museums, markets, water sports, scuba diving, and so much that we didn't have time for. We must come back someday.