No Longer an Intern

My last responsibility as an intern (plus if I wanted to get my last check) was that I write an article for CIDA. Here is a sneak preview ...

Motorbikes’ zipping in every direction, surrounded by almost four million people, and noodle shops on every corner was what I did not expect upon my arrival to the humble capital of Vietnam. My WorldLINK CIP six-month internship was in Hanoi where I worked with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN) as a planning intern and the Vietnam Liaison Officer.

My aunt's cafe and home in Saigon where I enjoyed many fresh fruit shakes.

FCM’s Municipal Partnership Program (MPP) has been carried out in Vietnam since 1997 and promotes sustainable development and local governance in developing countries through partnerships between Canadian and oversea municipalities. The projects are two to three years long and my main role was to provide support to the following three Canadian-Vietnamese MPPs:

• City of Fredericton & Lang Son City – Tourism Planning and Development through Public Participation in Lang Son City
• Ville de Saguenay & Nam Dinh City – Capacity Building of Local Administration for Land Management and Taxation in Nam Dinh City
• Strathcona County & Vung Tau City – Data Collection and Municipal Communications Strategy for the Management of Improved Service Delivery for Migrants in Vung Tau City

Learning to make my aunt's special Tet cookies.

I spent the first month in Ottawa working in the FCM office where I was provided training and background work on the FCM-ACVN projects. I traveled to Hanoi at the end of September and worked in the ACVN office for the duration of the internship. The five months in Vietnam were busy with activity, I had the opportunity to travel across the country, participate in technical missions, do field research, and work directly with the Vietnamese and Canadian partners.

In terms of professional development, I’ve had valuable experiences and a variety of learning opportunities. My career aspirations are in municipal governance, economic development, and international work and this placement was appropriately suited to my professional and also, personal interests. My heritage is Vietnamese and this internship gave the opportunity to visit Vietnam and family for my first time.

Working with the ACVN was a positive and constructive experience as I was able to be apart of a Vietnamese NGO and observe the daily activities of the office, learn how they worked with international partners like FCM, and see how they delivered capacity-building workshops to their members. The staff welcomed me and I was treated as part of the team.

The FCM-ACVN work I carried out involved project management and support. I attended technical missions in Lang Son and Nam Dinh as an observer where I was able to see the Canadian delegates ‘in action’ and collaborate with their Vietnamese partners. In Vung Tau I had an active role in the initial phases of the project where I led a 2-day workshop reviewing the MPP proposal, prepared and carried out a 6-day workplan for field research in Vung Tau, and wrote a research report that will used as the baseline assessment for the next phase of the project. In addition to the MPP work, I assisted with FCM’s support to the development of ACVN’s association services and project management capacity, including the project implementation of Communities in Bloom, which targets increasing women’s participation in local government.

The wide tree-lined boulevards are remnants of French colonialism when Saigon was the capital of Indochina.

My internship objectives were to: gain relevant professional experience in development projects dealing with Vietnamese urban planning issues; build a strong network with local and international organizations, specifically Canadian and local NGOs; and to find planning-related employment after the internship. I was able to achieve these objectives as well as develop a deeper understanding of development issues that face the Vietnamese people. Local friends have been candid about how their way of life has changed between generations, for both better and worse. This experience has reaffirmed why I became a planner - to help improve the quality of people’s lives.

Look at all the crazy power lines! Very typical in the cities.

The role and significance of planning is increasingly growing in Vietnam, compounded by its burgeoning populous and opening economy. I feel the optimism in the air of good things to come, but foresight, management, and planning will be necessary to ensure sustainable long term growth. I appreciate the work I was able to contribute as it has allowed me to be apart of development in a country where my family laid its roots. Six months have come and gone, but my time in Vietnam will sure not end.

The Attack of the MOLD!

The flags were out in my neighbourhood to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

I am thinking of what memorable moments stick out for me in the last couple of week and I have to say it is finding MOLD on my good clothes. Yes, yes it may seem like I dwell on the Hanoi weather, but from the winter season to the spring the moisture in the air I am sure has reached 99%. Our house was literally sweating on the inside – our marble staircase, walls, fridge were drenched and dripping of perspiration because of the yucky humidity. I was warned that I will find mold on my clothes and anything leather and I was quite skeptical of this warning. When I came back from Thailand shirt by shirt, pants and jacket had nice old fuzzy mold on it. And the worst part is even though I put everything in the wash, we do not have a dryer and nothing can dry in this humidity. I feel like I live in a rain forest, which may sound cool but please be assured it is not!

So I am almost over this mold issue but I am not liking the beginning of the rainy season. It has rained everyday and been grey for the last few weeks and it is just depressing. I was fortunate to get a break from it when I was in Thailand, but it is definitely just crappy out. I know I sound pretty sore right now but I am really enjoying my last month in Hanoi. I am trying to think of something positive to say about this weather … hmmm, I don’t need to wear chapstick since my lips are staying nice and moist …

Karaoke, oh course!

I have discovered Skype which in pretty much like having a phone over the internet. Vinny introduced it to me a few years ago but no one else had it back then so I never really got into it. But Sharon, reintroduced me and it is great! It is so inexpensive to call long distance you just need a microphone and make sure you know your time zones. I was able to call my mom (although I think I woke her up) and talked to Sharon in Brisbane. How did people travel before with no internet, email, or messenger?!

Town of Phuket from my Thai trip.

I been meeting up with a lot of visitors this week. Jonathan’s dad (Caper who I ran into in Laos) was in town and last night I had dinner with a Dutch couple who I also met in Laos. I went on a hike with the Hanoi Hashers last week and got to help set the trail for the walkers. I also been to karaoke a couple more times (I wonder if Ottawa has any good karaoke bars?) and went to trivia night at Finnigan’s with my roommate Lora and I was definitely not the ringer on the team…. would you know what anteaters prefer to eat (and it is not ants) or the author of Angela’s Ashes?


It’s been almost 6 months since I been here. I am no longer an intern and working a short-term contract with FCM right now. I keep thinking how strange everything is going to seem when I get back to Canada. I am going to think everything is ridiculously expensive and will keep converting prices into dongs. I haven’t really cooked or cleaned since being here and been spoiled with having a housekeeper. Poor Kate, thinks I am really going to make coffee for her in the mornings!

Bangkok Taxi Drivers

I am sitting at a smoothie bar at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. I am in Thailand for work and now on my way back to Hanoi. My first stop was in Phuket, which is in southern Thailand and a tourist spot that was hit by the tsunami. Walking along the beaches, you would never think a tsunami hit there or thousands of people died. Phuket quickly rebounded, businesses rebuilt, and the people came back. I had a wonderful time there and wished I could been there a little longer.

My next stop was in Bangkok and my journey to and from the city was not good, hence the name of this posting. Vietnam has the reputation for haggling but I was ripped off much more than I ever been, here in Bangkok. I am not sure if I had a sign on my head that said sucker, but all my taxis either tried to overcharge me, wouldn't put on their meters and with one I was trying to decide whether he was drunk or senile. I usually can stay pretty calm and be patient, but I for the first time here, was on my last nerve and made a small scene when I arrived at my hotel when the taxi driver charged me 300 THB instead of the 185 THB that was clearly on the meter and then conviently didn't have any money to give me change. I probably shouldn't have yelled, shouldn't have made a big deal, but I guess it's the principle of it all. I suppose I was just tired, tired of always having to put up a front to make sure people aren't going to take advantage of me. I am over it now and pleasent again. It is so true when they say it is usually the little things that take you over the edge ...

Wherever I visit in Asia, I am usually first thought of as a local. In China, I looked like a Chinese ethnic minority; in Lao, I was Laotian; in Thailand, I am Thai; and in Vietnam I just confuse people because I don't sound Vietnamese. Locals will usually speak to me in their native tongue and then when I reply I have to admit that I only speak English. Sure there is a Japanese look or Korean look and general appearances for different cultures, but my perception is people in southeast asia kind of all look the same ... perhaps my features are just cameleon-like?

It has been a while since I have posted. It has been busy here. I celebrated my 26th and stretched it to a weekend long event. Went to a nice italian buffet and a wine tasting one night and then the next night treated friends to dinner and drinks (in Vietnam it is custom for the bday person to treat everyone else). Ended the evening with good old Vietnamese tradition and went to a karaoke bar. My new favorite song to sing is 'Country Roads', I have retired 'I Will Survive'.

I really want to improve my Vietnamese as much as possible before I leave so I enrolled into Bach Khoi University and am taking a Vietnamese class three mornings a week plus meeting with my tutor once a week. If I don't learn now, I never will!

Time to go through security. Jessica was in Halifax and got to see the Brads and Amanda. I do miss my Halifax gang :) To everyone who was nagging me to post, hope you enjoy this one!