One day to go!

With final exams finished and ONLY one day till departure, there is a buzz amongst all us girls. Whether it is constant stress about what to pack, or figuring out which insurance to get, we are down to the wire and couldn’t be more excited!

For the past few months, we’ve had weekly meetings in preparation for this upcoming CBT Vietnam trip. We have been emailing back and forth with connections in Vietnam and are eager to finally meet everyone. Like all the trips before us, we hope to build strong relationships and bring back memories that will last a lifetime.

But am I getting ahead of myself? We haven’t even left yet! Right now, I need to focus on making sure I don’t forget anything and mentally preparing myself that I will be flying to Vietnam in one day! 

See you soon Vietnam.

Be sure to follow us and our adventures on Facebook. 

One week to go!!

Wow! After weeks of preparation and hard work, the team is now one week away from departure. We have spent the summer meeting weekly, sharing meals and laughter, planning our itinerary and putting together some exciting new ideas. We are now in the final stages, assembling our packing lists and brushing up on some Vietnamese phrases. Personally, this will be my first trip to Asia and I have never been more excited! I am thrilled to not only be part of an amazing and cohesive team, working on an inspiring project, but also to be travelling to a beautiful and interesting part of the world. 

One of the new ideas we have for the project is the creation of an environmental youth group in the Sapa region. This idea fits in well with the project's aims to reduce impacts in an environmentally  sensitive area and builds on the rich human capital found in the villages. Together with Sapa O'Chau, we will be facilitating meetings for passionate young people to learn more about how to maintain the natural environment in the region, particularly as this is one of the most noted features for many visitors. Sapa O'Chau aims to create a positive space for local H'mong to gain English language skills, particularly so that they can participate in the growing tourism industry as trekking and tour guides. Successful environmental stewardship is a long (and often winding) road but we know that we will be working with enough dedicated individuals to bring about some powerful change in the region. 

We look forward to sharing more about our adventure and we hope you'll check back regularly over the next few weeks. The team will be posting photos and updates to our blog and social media channels, so stay tuned and be sure to share with your friends!

One Month Countdown!

One month countdown before the CBT Vietnam Team from Cap U board the plane to Vietnam! 

When the Capilano University team met last week our arms were just recovering from the visit to the travel clinic. Now with the shots out of the way and the rest of the necessary preparations from our checklists nearly completed we went full speed ahead with completing the itinerary.

The itinerary is packed full of things including; gathering supplies in Hanoi with the help from Hanoi Open University student volunteers and funding from PATA, riding a motorcycle to Tavan with a stop in Lao Chai, continuing with the CBT Vietnam project planning and building strong relationships with the Black H'mong communities in Lao Chai, taking the night train to Sapa where we will spend the week before we host the ladies of Ta Phin back on the night train to meet with tour operators in Hanoi. We also have an exciting pottery crafting experience planned in Ba Trang village, for these amazing women, that will ensure they return to their own village inspired with a special self made souvenir in hand.

Let us not forget that we have planned many meetings including community meetings and meetings with the Sapa Government, tour operators, teachers, and follow up meetings with the homestay owners and village CBT Management Board Members.

Correspondence from another Continent

I just love how this project connects people from all over the world! 

A few weeks ago I made a new Facebook friend named Ashley (Thuy Anh Pham). Not only does she live in Hanoi and is interested in volunteering with the CBT Vietnam project but she is a student at Vietnam National University Hanoi majoring in English. Although we have never met, we are both very excited about our new friendship and all the great things the PATA funded CBT Vietnam project is doing. 

We plan to meet each other for the first time this August, when I travel to Vietnam as one of the Capilano University student volunteers continuing the ongoing work of the CBT project. Ashley is excited to help me learn about her culture and recently told me about the Tet holiday which marks the Lunar New Year that they are celebrating right now! This festival is about purity and renewal and the celebrations can be compared to our Western Thanksgiving, New Year's Day and Easter all in one Vietnamese New Year.

This new friendship has really got me thinking about how social media connects people from all over the world. I am really looking forward to learning more about the Vietnamese culture from Ashley.

CBT Vietnam girls' night out. Getting to know each other.

With our first official meeting coming up, I was the only one who didn't know any of the newly selected CBT Vietnam project volunteers. I am taking the Destination Resort Management Program at the Squamish campus and the other five were from the North Vancouver campus.  All I knew is that we had all been selected to represent Capilano University and the PATA Foundation on this amazing adventure as change makers.
 
I wanted to get to know my team, so the night before our first official Thursday morning meeting, I asked if anyone wanted to get together in Vancouver for a casual meet-up. Only Cat Lapointe and Rachael Dolina were available. The others, Nic, Maggie and Caitlin were unfortunately busy.

Girls' night out it was!'

Cat and I were onto our second drink by the time Rachael joined us and ordered a root beer. Rachael started us off telling us all about her life's adventures and her decision to dive into the Outdoor Recreation Managment Diploma Capilano University with no experience in the field - one that would change her life forever.

Cat's life story was also facinating and was told over a huge plate of nachos. When I think about the more recent events of Cat's life I would say that she is a professional student. Before Cat committed to the Bachelor of Tourism Management degree program she had been studying fashion design, and before that she studied sciences. In her current position, Cat manages to utilize all of her education in  as a Travel Designer. My life story was told while we were waiting for desert, a delicious chocolate mud pie, shown in the picture below.
                 

Rachael (left), Kristine - me (centre) and Cat (right)

After sharing a huge plate of nachos and desert we agreed to call it a night as we all had to get up early for our first CBT Vietnam meeting the next morning. Before we parted, Rachael asked Cat and I for some advice on a personal decision she had been struggling with. With our advice to each other you could tell that we had truly bonded!

I enjoyed our girls' night out and now I am even more excited about the CBT Vietnam project knowing that I will be working along side some amazing people like Cat and Rachael!

A New Chapter

Today was the information session for potential volunteers looking to be the next star of the CBT Vietnam project. For me, this meeting was reflective, as it was an opportunity to see how the project has evolved since it’s inception. 

This time, two years ago, I sat eagerly through the same presentation, hoping to be one of the ‘chosen ones'.  The process was competitive and I will never forget the moment when I found out I was selected — I was overwhelmed with anticipation, and as I look back, I realize, I had no idea how life changing the experience would be.  Even today, it is hard to conceptualize how privileged I am to have been involved with such an incredible undertaking. 

It is incredibly remarkable to see the progress that has been made in the last few years. When we were brought on board, our web presence was minimal. Now we have a Twitter, Facebook, website, updated blog and almost three documentaries! Not only has our e-communications evolved, but so has the content of our training trips. 

In 2011, the majority of our time was spent working with street sellers developing their English and event management skills. The recent trip was dedicated to much more holistic endeavours, as the team escorted some of the Red Dao women to Hanoi, to meet and build relationships with tour operators. Now as the project continues to move forward, relationship building will continue to be a focus, and there will even be expansion into new villages.  

I am thoroughly excited for those students who are chosen to be part of the training trips set for Spring and Fall 2013. Some new energies and expertise will continue to propel this project forward and produce even greater results. To the applicants: Best of luck through the application process and get ready for the most educational, enriching and enthralling  experience of your lives!