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@ryanhue2k15
Ryan Goes to Hue, Episode 3: The End of the Trilogy
Featuring Ryan “The Rooster” De Leon and co, your favorite heroes return for one last action packed summer! The story returns to the City of Hue where mouthwatering food and mediocre dance choreography highlight the summer camp of ETA4, stay tuned for more embarrassing pictures and tacky blog titles!
The Young Buffaloes are made, not born ╮(╯_╰)╭ rdeandeleon
This is why I love the friends I made in Vietnam
Missing Vietnam 💔
Taiwanese food appreciation post <3 Oh my goodness gracious, the food in Taiwan was beyond spectacular and these were my personal favorites in the six days I was there. SO GOOD.
Photoset of things that aren’t food~ From my travels in Kaohsiung
First time witnessing a typhoon was interesting. Luckily where I was at the time, the typhoon blew over us within a couple hours . But for other areas of Taiwan, they were not so lucky.
Taiwan p.2
Part 2:
Now I finally have some time to crank out some thoughts that have been brewing for a while. Sitting in a plane, on my way back to the great ol’ US of A, I can’t help but feel like I’ve left a part of my heart back in Asia. The hospitality that I’ve been shown has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and there’s really two groups I’d like to highlight.
Thang and his family:
From the get go, when I met this guy last year he seemed like a shy quiet dude and I honestly probably would’ve passed him over if it weren’t for the fact that he second member of #TeamCripple last year. It’s so strange, how all three of us who injured our legs that first week have become my closest friends. A misfit band of individuals from drastically different walks of life coming together with a similar mindset and passion that really bonded us.
Anyway, I went back with Thang to Vietnam a week before the program to kind of just be tourists and take the time to see the city before the hustle and bustle of being a teacher took priority. Part of which involved hanging out with his family. At first, I was like “Alright, cool I’ll tag along no problem!” but upon meeting them I found them to be some of the most caring and generous people I’ve ever met. Just by being introduced to them as a friend one of their own, they in turn treated me as such. Not only that, but they really took the extra mile to make sure I was comfortable and fed. And they didn’t even speak English. But they kept my bowl of Bun Bo Hue full of meat, and constantly kept bombarding me with delicious home cooked food and treats. On multiple occasions during my stay in Vietnam, I was invited out to have dinner with them and of course everytime I went there was more food than anyone could even hope to finish.
Thang has really been a lifeline, and I am happy to say that I have shared the past two summers with him. He’s your go-to man whenever you need anything from food, to supplies, to clothes, to cell phone minutes, to literally ANYTHING you could need in the city of Hue. If he doesn’t know, he’s damn sure got a cousin or auntie who does. He’s always the one to volunteer to run the extra little errands just to make sure that we’re all as comfortable as can be. The only problem is, being his roommate this year, is that he has trouble saying no and taking time for himself. You can tell he personally feels responsible for your opinion on the city, and I can say with great confidence that from first impression to lasting friendship, he’s done an amazing job in representing the city.
Following my adventure in Vietnam, I visited Taiwan and a certain very special person. Now, while I expressed that I was down for anything, including hanging out with family, I didn’t know what to really expect coming from them. But damn, did they exceed my expectations. On two separate occasions we were treated out by family and they made sure that I was not just full, but STUFFED. They treated us out to some of the most famous restaurants in the cities, and gahd they just kept putting food in front of me! Like I don’t want to be ruuuuuude so I just kept eating! One family in particular treated us out to lunch, a second lunch food adventure down the market, snacks, and dinner. ALL IN ONE DAY. I can only imagine how much it would have cost, and yet they were so quick to buy everything that I could set a quick stare on.
It was almost overwhelming how much kindness I was being shown and how much food I was being given. Just by knowing someone within their family, I really could feel a sense of personal responsibility that I was shown a good time and had a good opinion of the people. And all I did was smile, nod, look pretty, and eat a lot! Have some simple conversations if provoked, but for the most part let the host talk it out with whoever I was with. For being a guest in a foreign country, I was treated as family and I cannot truly express the gratitude I feel towards them.
To Thang, and all of his family, thank you so much for the hospitality and food while in Vietnam. For treating me as one of your own and sometimes even better.
To Christina, and all of her family, thank you for making my short stay in Taiwan truly memorable. Taiwan has definitely carved a niche in my heart and stomach for having some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had.
Taiwanese beer served in cartoon paper cups :D
Ryan’s Taiwanese adventure Days 3 and 4!
Clockwise from top-left:
Red dragon fruit, egg crepe, chicken breakfast sandwich, unagi-don, beef noodle soup, roasted pork inside tapioca ball and soup, fluffy egg pastries (custard and red bean), crispy chicken snack <3
Taiwan p.1
Damn Taiwan, you sure are doing a lot of things right here.
I can also say that I’ve seen my first Typhoon. Not that it was a big one, but it was strong enough to take down a number of trees and decorations in the city and delay our travel plans by suspending the trains and buses for the day. Thanks a lot.
Aside from the food, which I’ve been trying my best to document by fighting my hunger and taking pictures of the food before I absolutely devour it, Taiwan has been absolutely amazing. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when going to a more developed Asian country because all I’ve known on this side of the world was the Philippines and Vietnam. Both of which are amazing countries and great places to visit, but they were both definitely fixer-uppers. Coming to Taiwan, I didn’t know how developed and industrial it would be, and naturally I compared it to the United States in every aspect because that’s what I knew and what I called home. But man, Taiwan has more than exceeded my expectations. More than just matched the sense of development and modernity that I was used to in the US, it has actually surprised me by being better than the US in many aspects.
I know it is pretentious and reeks of western arrogance to think that the US is the epitome of the developed world, but it was a mindset that I would say has been instilled in me by the American Dream and other social attitudes of America and Americans themselves. But having visited Taiwan, there’s an attitude that is apparent throughout the government, the people, and the way they interact with each other. There is a base level of respect that takes precedent over all else that I’ve been able to feel as a foreigner in this country.
Daily interactions:
It’s the little things. Truly, the little things that I’ve taken notice to really make it seem like the customer is always right, and that the chefs and employees of the restaurants have a lot of pride in their work and their business. Bowing and accepting payment with both hands is a small indication of this. I’ve seen workers noticeably work harder when people are waiting in lines to pay whether it be at a street vendor or at a clothing store; it feels as if they really do value your time. While I’m not the most observant person, these were some specific things I noticed about the people here that really surprised me.
Even now, sitting at this train station, there’s been a periodic announcement that they are sorry for the delay in the trains and that we should help ourselves to complimentary pastries and water, paid for by the train station. While the weather and the typhoon are not the fault of the train stations, they are still insistent on apologizing for the inconvenience and are trying to compensate with some pretty tasty snacks.
It’s these little things that lead me to believe that business owners actually care more about their customer’s satisfaction than making money, WHAAAAAT
I know this is long but a part 2 will come soon!
I may need to rename this blog soon... If I keep traveling!
Hangover
Sitting in the airplane, headphones in, staring at the wings as we ascend into the clouds. The wings reflect the light of the clear sky, decorated with spots of clouds and the wing seems almost transparent. And then it hits me: it’s over.
ETA4 2015 is over, and man was it a ride. Same program, but a completely different feeling from last year. It’s hard to really encapsulate all the emotions I have been feeling the past couple days as I’ve spent my last moments and meals in Hue, but I can say that it was not easy. I’ve become so emotionally attached to the people I’ve met this year – students and TAs. I don’t know why, but this year, I’ve even become emotionally attached to the person I am able to be while I am in Hue. A teacher, a mentor, and a friend.
It’s a life style that I will miss. I’ve told a few people already, but back home in the US, it’s a constant fight to balance so many different aspects of my life. School, work, entrepreneurships, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Between all of those personal obligations, I find myself spreading myself too thin all too often, as if I rarely get the time to just sit down and enjoy a meal or conversations with some good company. But here in Hue, being a part of ETA4, I have one job. One goal, one purpose to my being there. And that is ensure that whoever decides to come into my classroom receives not only an education that is fun, but an experience and advice that they will be able to take with them for their entire life. In Hue, I am able to dedicate 100% of my being to this cause and it has become something I truly love. I don’t feel myself spread too thin (except when hanging out with my students), and I don’t have anything on my mind other than how to make this experience the most enjoyable and memorable for them. I really do love what I am able to do here and the impact I am able to have on these students because I see the growth that they all go through. Becoming more confident has been a result of participating in ETA4 since its inception in 2008, but this year I decided to introduce to my students various social justice issues that I feel really helped open their minds as people and citizens of this Earth. More on that later~
This summer, even though I had many more students than last year, I feel closer to them. Even though my morning and afternoon classes are almost complete opposites in personalities. We have the young buffalos of my morning class, younger in age but with plenty of energy and enthusiasm to compensate. A rowdy bunch of adolescents that will be crazy and hard to control, but will always say or do the darnest things to put a smile on your face. MY old buffalos of my afternoon class, college students who are actually there to practice English. Receptive of most things I say and understanding of why some boring parts are essential to the games and activities we play later in the lesson. Both classes reflect different personalities, but I love them both the same <3
As a general statement for this summer, it’s been one that has been the happiest 5 weeks of my life, to add on to an already amazing 2015. I can only hope that the rest of this year will treat me as well as this first half has.
A compilations of things I’ve eaten so far in Taiwan in order: Day1: - hand held sushi with purple rice that remains uncut. Allows for easy to-go eating and perfect to eat while browsing for more food at the market. 9.5/10 - Taiwanese milk tea and boba 10/10 - chicken heart/skin/butt/something else that’s chewy, on a stick. Highly recommend the chicken heart, the texture was spot on 8/10 - watermelon juice 8/10 - Taiwanese fried octopus balls. Not as crunchy as I would like, but still good 7/10 - Giant fried chicken (not pictured) 6/10 - winter melon and boba 8/10
Day2: - rice ball stuffed with crunchy things and powdered meat (not pictured) 7/10 - Taiwanese hot pot (np), individual hot pots make it and every order customizable, but broth lacks flavor 6/10 - gourmet ice cream and toppings. Tiramisu, salted caramel, and passion fruit green tea flavors. Topped with cheesecake, pineapple cake, crispier and biscuits 11/10 Night market: - deep fried stuffed squid with Thai hot sauce 8/10 - fresh made bread roll stuffed with veggies and meatball 7/10 - grilled skewered shrimps (np) They had a tank of live shrimp and cooked it in front of you 8.5/10 - steamed duck with cucumbers and magic sauce wrapped in a bread like square 8.5/10 - sausage in a sausage of rice 8/10 - shaved ice with red bean and taro (np), not a fan of red bean but still good 7.5/10
Overall Taiwan has AMAZING FOOD. It’s honestly everything I wish a county fair could be, and at a price that doesn’t bust my wallet. It’s only been two nights in Taiwan but I know I’m going to be thinking about this food once I leave this place. I can’t wait to see what else this country has in store ❤️
Adventures in Taiwan ❤️
It’s been so much harder saying goodbye this year. At this point, all I can think about is what stands between me and coming back to Hue next year. ETA5, let’s make it happen.
See you again soon, everyone
Citadel 1
Sometimes I do things in Vietnam that I really just would not be able to explain if I was doing it in the US.
Case and point: Putting on makeup and wearing a neon pink bra. But not going to lie, I’d be a pretty beautiful female.
It’s over y’all
Once again, as the weeks flew by I struggled to keep up with my journal entries. I’ll upload pictures from the past two weeks, and expect a couple journal entries from me this week :)
