Mui Ne Field Trip

 As part of the IB Higher Level Geography course, last week Simon and his classmates traveled to the small tourist town of Mui Ne. Four hours north of Ho Chi Minh City, this town became famous in the mid 1990s when it offered the best views of a solar eclipse. Since then the tourism industry has developed the area which is known for its beautiful beaches, red and white sand dunes, and mysterious "Fairy Stream".




Simon's task during the 3 day adventure was to collect data for a research paper on sustainable tourism. Through surveys with tourists and shop/ hotel owners, and observations of the land formations and tourist participation, he and his 20 classmates have received a wealth of data about the area.

It also happened that Lisa and Tim went along as chaperones for this trip. It was another hot and humid destination. But the beauty of the area made the heat worth it. This is the off season for Mui Ne; the winter has more tourists from Russia and other northern climates.There are quaint restaurants, stores and many kite surfing shops.

Moon Festival

This week the Vietnamese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Vietnamese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. The fifteenth day of the eighth month in the Lunar calendar was, traditionally, a time to express the values of family, education, togetherness. It is a time for children to make paper lanterns, eat "moon cakes", sing, drink tea and remember the old principles.

Week Without Walls in Vietnam

Again this year, Tim traveled with a group of 100 Grade 9 students and teachers to northern Vietnam for a week of house-building and exploration. Like most international schools this "week without walls" is part of the curriculum to expose students to new cultures and new activities. It is also a great time of team building with a class.

Tim's week was very hot and very humid. Activities included hiking in the mountains, working on the building site, learning to weave.

With help from local construction workers, the students finished the house during their week of working. On the last day of their trip they had a ceremony to hand over the keys to the family that would live in this new house. It is a gift beyond comprehension to these people from a very poor village in Vietnam.