Situation Normal

Something I am coming to realize is that people have much less of an idea of what is going on than I have thought in the past. In construction we seemed to improvise from day-to-day, in training camp the Drill Sergeants would have us run in circles for 'discipline' when in fact they did not know what we were supposed to be doing, and at Language Link in Hanoi it seems that few actually can tell me what I am supposed to be doing. Today I started my corporate class. I have not been given a pacing guide which is a requirement for a course (because there isn't a guide.) So I had no idea what I was really supposed to be doing. I didn't really know where the class was, except that it was off site. I assumed I would have the correct book and a chalkboard at the corporate building. All I really knew was that I would be working for a company called IS VNU doing a two hour conversation class. I assumed this meant helping businessmen hone there speaking skills for business and relations purposes.

Well, when I was picked up by a mystery woman to go to the site I had to borrow someone's helmet because we were going by motorbike (I assumed she would have a car with a driver.) We drove way out and stopped in the Hanoi 'projects' and it turned out IS VNU was International School of Vietnam University, whose building was a supposedly renovated high-rise apartment. They were short on teachers and had contracted my services through Language Link. After hurriedly receiving a syllabus (which had nothing to do with me), CDs for my conversation book (which I had been unable to refer to for planning) and basically being told that my pacing guide was to just go for it, I met my students...17-19 year olds. Then it sunk in that this was no corporate class, I actually asked one girl if she worked for IS VNU before the title of the building I had seen on a sign outside and the initials made a connection in my mind.

The students, apparently, have a two hour English grammar instruction from a Vietnamese teacher. Then I come in and converse with them using the conversation and pronunciation books. There is no coordination between me and the other teacher. 

We played a quick vocab. game in the hall (in front of the scuzzy one person WC) first because they have desks set up in straight lines and they are not moveable. Then, I jumped into my lesson, which was perfect, from the book on greetings. I introduced myself and then we were going to rate how formal and informal certain greetings are, etc. I had planned for a long time this morning so I could make a good impression on the 'businessmen.' Then, the students brought it to my attention that I did not have the same book as they did.

Oh! The Humanity! I was about to give an ad hoc lesson on American expletives before I caught myself and quietly said 'well crap.' I grabbed a girl's book and chose something and we did it. I chose something else, and then I figured 'to hell with it' and we just played language games I pulled out of nowhere for the rest of the time and talked about America. 

After class at five I dashed out, found a motorbike dude who ripped me off, and took off for Language Link to teach my 5:45 class that is actually a corporate class. That, at least went well.