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A breathtaking trip to Thailand and Vietnam for students
During the Easter holiday, Ms McLaren, Ms Moodley and Mr Iqbal, along with two students, Jessica Lam and Felanza Visha, visited the Hanoi Amsterdam School for the Gifted in Hanoi, Vietnam. This is part of an on-going project to establish sustainable links with schools across the globe and share our cultures and experiences with each other. A big thank you to all the members of staff who have supported us in making this trip possible, and in particular to Ms Kirk who launched this project. Jessica´s round up of the trip is below: Our trip to, and experiences in Thailand and Vietnam were just unforgettable: the colourful markets, the busy streets, and the beautiful landscapes, as well as many, many more experiences. Ha Long Bay, for instance, was just incredible! The silent waves as we sailed along, and the mountains and caves we visited just left us in awe. We visited the amazing cave, hospital cave and Cat Ba Island. We went swimming in the Bay too: jumping off the back of the boat, only to discover (after the first jump), that there were jellyfish in the water! We also went kayaking, and found that having the freedom to go where we wanted, getting closer to the islands, was incredible. On the boat, we had the best seafood! There were crabs, prawns, fish... All fresh of course! We were given the opportunity to go squid fishing, but we didn´t catch any. Our excursion to Ha Long Bay was in the middle of our trip, so let´s go back to Thailand which was the first place we went. When we first exited the airport we were hit with a blanket of heat that we eventually got used to. During the day, we went to see both the temple of the Emerald Buddha and the temple of the Reclining Buddha; but then, at night, we went to the night markets, and that is when the streets truly come alive! And the same is true of Vietnam, which we explored a little on the day before we went to Ha Long Bay, but much more after our return. We went to the War Museum, where we learnt about the war between Vietnam, France and America. We also went to the Old Quarter — a part of Vietnam which is still very old and, to date, has not been modernised. In addition, we went to see the ‘Water Puppets´ — a puppet show in water — which was spectacular, being staged by one of Hanoi´s famous lakes, and, of course, more markets! But I will finish with the Hanoi Amsterdam School. The school itself is extraordinary, but with the students in it, it is just complete. The students are very well-mannered — in class, students stand up to answer a question or ask one — although, just like any child anywhere, they do still talk! Despite the occasional mistake made in their English, in general it was very good! Their work is of an exceptionally high standard, with their Year 10s working at the same standard as our Year 11s. Class 10A1 put on a spectacular show which consisted of 3 parts: each part was by different groups and they were all dramatic in their own special way. It was a tremendous hit! Whilst at the school, I made many new friends with whom I hope to keep in contact; as just because they are in a different country, it doesn´t mean we are not the same in many ways. By Jessica Lam 9W
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