The 21 Bucket List

I’ve finally conjured up a bucket list (which I will continue to add to)! For now, I’ve started with 21 experiences I have always wanted to have, but why 21 you ask? In light of my 21^st birthday this year, which I got to celebrate in Halong Bay, and Hanoi (Check out this post). I’m not giving myself a time limit to accomplish these goals, because I know some of them will take a while to achieve; it is more so a written aid for myself - almost like a journal - to help me keep track of all of the things I want to do. Comment or send me a message about what you think, if anything from the list appeals to you, or if you have other dreams you would like to achieve. Share with me, I would love to know.

1. Learn how to play the piano.

2. Go skydiving.

3. Step foot in every single continent.

4. Rent a truck and drive up to the Yukon. Watch the Aurora Borealis while sitting on the back of the truck. 

5. Go to an Ellen show/ Meet Ellen DeGeneres.

6. Write a book; get it published.

7. Visit each of the 7 Original Wonders of the World.

8. Visit each of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

9. Live in at least 2 countries abroad (Vietnam included and at least one other).

10. Become fluent in at least 5 languages.

11. Take singing lessons and sing live.

12. Take a cooking class in every country I travel to, write down all the recipes.

13. Go to an opera.

14. Rent a bike, bike around the entire province of Prince Edward Island.

15. Graduate from law school.

16. Have my own family (Become a woman that does not have to pick between a successful career and a family life. I want both, and I want to be good at both).

17. Go deep sea diving.

18. Learn how to horseback ride.

19. Ride a really high and fast roller coaster 5 times in a row.

20. Learn how to surf.

21. Take part in the CIBC run for the cure (run for breast cancer).

Combating Loneliness

I knew from the moment I started university that an 8 month work placement abroad would be a life – changing experience that would teach me numerous lessons, provide me with diverse experiences, and grant me insights about the world I would have missed out on had I not embarked upon this journey. Some of the lessons, observations, and insights a person can gain from an international experience are very obvious; these can include dealing with culture shock, learning about the lifestyle and social norms of a population accustomed to an environment so profoundly different from their own, or even a development of language skills. However, some lessons, observations, and insights are less obvious, and are only made aware to the person some time into the international experience.

A key lesson that I have learned from my time in Vietnam so far, that I most definitely did not see coming, is that sometimes you’re going to be alone for long periods of time and you’re going to have to be okay with it. You see, I was placed in a country that 10 other of my INDEV classmates were also placed in; Vietnam has a majority of the INDEVOURS while some of the other countries that were offered have as little as 2. So naturally, in the beginning I was expecting to never get any alone time. However, I find myself being one of the few who works in an organization and lives in a house without the company of anyone from Canada. At first, the weekdays were extremely difficult because it is hard to always see the others with conflicting schedules and distance. I found myself missing my fast – pace life in Canada; I constantly counted down the days until the weekend when I would be reunited with familiar people again. I would come home from work, and just sit in my room by myself, working on an assignment or personal project until dinner time; it was extremely hard not to get lonely. My host family is quite small – I live with a single mother and her young son (Her elder son and cousin also lived with us, but they moved away for school and personal reasons respectively), so after dinner the two of them are very busy, either completing assignments from work or doing homework.

It has been quite a learning curve, combating loneliness, especially because my regular day in Canada was the polar opposite of what it is like in Vietnam. In Canada, I was constantly surrounded by many different groups of people, and always had plans, even if they were just study dates. I've come to realize that being alone does not have to be a bad thing, but can be a great way to learn how to be comfortable with yourself or even branch out to those whom you would like to know better. The days I am alone, I keep busy by reading a book, working on my video editing skills, or going on a long walk to explore more of my neighbourhood and the Cau Giay district in general – there is a juice bar near my work that sells fresh mango smoothies (sinh to xoai) for only 20, 000 VND (basically 1$), and the owner knows me pretty well now! I also try to make plans with my coworkers, though they are very busy and sometimes cannot spare time. My most favourite pass-time would have to be an aerobics class that I joined at the beginning of this month. I was so nervous walking down there by myself the first day, noticing that I am the only Canadian in the class. I decided to keep going, and pretty soon it turned into a daily activity which definitely keeps me closer to home given my dancing background.

Though I do love the time I get with my friends (it brings back the familiarity of Canada that is nice to have) I am grateful for this learning opportunity. I've learned that being alone does not necessarily mean you have to be lonely; it means that you are comfortable with yourself and that you have gained enough independence and strength to be okay on your own.

One Year Older, Wiser, and More Experienced

And the award for my memorable birthday would hands down, have to go to...ding ding ding... my 21^st (which just passed). First of all, how many people can say that they got to celebrate one of their birthdays while living in a country abroad, immersed in a new culture, and with people whom they did not know existed just a couple of months ago? This year, I have celebrated my birthday in many different ways with many different people whom I have grown to love in the short amount of time I’ve been in Vietnam. I’ve been overwhelmed with love and warmth from not only the great people I have met here, but also from my INDEVOURS friends and travel companions with whom I’ve ventured out here with,  my family and friends back home in Canada and even from those who are on their placements elsewhere in the world. I can’t possibly put into words the feelings of happiness, bliss, and thankfulness that have overtaken me these last couple of days. That being said, I want to take the time to describe the different ways I was fortunate enough to celebrate my birthday this year.

Halong Bay

Christian, Nafis, Madiha, Connor

On the weekend of October 6^th, about 16 of us (11 INDEVOURS and 5 other lovely interns from all over North America we met while here) took a trip to one of the world’s seven natural wonders. We piled into a bus early on Saturday morning, drove about 3 hours up north and boarded a ship which took us all around Halong Bay. I can say with full confidence that this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life. It looks like something God painted himself, brought to life, and gifted to the world (as I have described to so many of my friends already). Our Saturday was very busy; we cruised along the bay for a bit, had some lunch, then went site seeing in a cave. The cave was really fascinating and our tour guide explained many mystical stories about the site. We then went kayaking, which was simply magnificent. I remember just staring out into the distance, the sun beginning to set and all I could think was “wow, I can’t believe a place like this actually exists.” My favourite part about the trip was actually swimming in the bay itself. At one point, I must have floated in the water for 10 minutes, the rolling hills dancing in my peripheral vision, and the sun setting behind one of the peaks. It was wondrous. That night, after we had dinner, the dining hall of the boat was cleared to make a dance floor and the 16 of us just danced and hung out and had a great time. Four of us (Nafis, Christian, Connor, and I) were celebrating our birthdays that weekend so the others were kind enough to bring us cake. We also did karaoke (a very popular activity in Vietnam), and surprisingly there was quite the selection of English songs! We then made our way to the rooftop deck of our boat to talk and enjoy the view for the rest of the evening. Sunday was a mixture of spending time on the boat, site seeing, and driving back to Hanoi. We visited a Vietnamese Buddhist Pagoda and it was very beautiful. For dinner, our tour guide and his company treated us at an 18^th century restaurant in the city before we made our way back home.

With the WARECOD Family

I am extremely grateful to work with such wonderful people at WARECOD. As soon as I came in for work, I was greeted by everyone and showered with warm wishes. They spent all day preparing a birthday party for me, cooking amazing food for lunch, and even got me TWO cakes! During the party, we ate, sang songs, ate some more, took pictures, and ate some more (haha)! OH, and funny story: my coworkers knew of my dancing background from when I first started working and they really wanted to see me dance, but I kept putting it off until one day I promised them I would dance on my birthday (secretly hoping they wouldn’t remember :P...but of course, they did). So during the party I actually got up there and did a Bollywood dance for them! They loved it so much and one other guy came up there with me and danced to Gangnam Style. It was amazing! The best part of the day for me was actually after the party when my co-workers presented me with a card they all signed and a hand crafted artificial flower bouquet that I now keep on the far corner of my desk.

At Home

For dinner I met up with a few of the INDEVOURS who were not in the field this week (shockingly, everyone seems to be out of town); Nafis, Heather, Daniel and I went to a pho restaurant near my house and then walked back to my place for dessert. My host mom laid out fruits and candies for us and we all sat together and enjoyed them until the day came to a close.

I’m going to cherish these memories for as long as I live. I feel so fortunate to be blessed with these experiences; I know they are opportunities of a lifetime, and I intend on making the most of each one. Keep an eye out an upcoming post, featuring a bucket list that was inspired by my birthday this year. 

Chào than ai my friends

Madiha (Mai)