Now, I can respond to people in Vietnamese and Khmer, which surprises a lot of people.
I like to ask a lot of questions about how things work and how people communicate. By asking people like my students, other teachers, friends I've made here and sometimes strangers, I've learned a lot about Soc Trang, Vietnam, the U.S. and myself. Sometimes, I don't have to ask people because they will ask me many questions about various topics. When that happens, it is an opportunity for me and the other person or people to exchange information about the cultures we were raised in and what we know about the places we have been. By listening to people's answers to my questions and to what they want to tell me, I've become a better teacher, a better friend and a better guest at people's homes.
Aside from listening and talking to people, I've also traveled to different places in Soc Trang to see what they are like, to see how they are different from other places. I've been to every district in Soc Trang Province, which is something that not every person who lives in Soc Trang can say they've done. It's important to see places and go places with people who know where to go. I've had many people guide me to interesting, exciting, very meanginful, and beautiful places in Soc Trang.
While talking to people and going around Soc Trang to see what places there are here, I've been invited to participate in special activities with people like festivals, holidays, parties, wedding, trips, fun nights out, traditional ceremonies and rituals as well as everyday tasks. During these activities, I can learn even more about Soc Trang and the people who live here.
