Hello!

My name is Rocky Block and I am a GIEU Teaching Fellow alongside Thuy'Anh. Currently, I am a graduate student in the School of Public Health and did my undergrad work in History and Ancient Civilizations. This will be my third trip to Viet Nam with GIEU and fourth overall. In my spare time I like to read, because I am a nerd. Favorite books include Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, The Tao of Pooh and the autobiography of Nelson Mandela "Long Walk to Freedom". What does one need when reading a book? A good cup of coffee. I drink lots of coffee. I also like to listen to lots of music, ride bikes, hiking and take naps outside. Oh, and traveling.

I have had amazing experiences in Viet Nam and know that this trip will be wonderful for all of the students! Just keep an open mind, be flexible and ready to sweat. I look forward to learning from all of you.

Our destinations in Vietnam

Here are the links of some organizations that we are going to meet and work with in Vietnam:

North:
Faculty of International Studies, Hanoi University: http://fis.edu.vn/
Hanoi University : http://www.hanu.vn/
Library project of Vietnam: http://www.libraryofvietnam.com/
Vietnam Green Generation Network : http://www.thehexanh.org/

Central:
Kids First Village Vietnam: http://www.kidsfirstvietnam.org/default.aspx
Project Renew: http://www.vvmf.org/RENEW
Hoa Mai Center, Hòa Hải, Ngũ Hành Sơn District, Đà Nẵng

South:
Ann Tours: (the Travel Agents that helps arranging our travel and activities in the program) http://www.anntours.com/

6 days to kick GIEU off

Hello Vietnam - Pham Quynh Anh

Good luck on your finals and GIEU will officially kick off in 6 days ( Vietnam time)

Julie Sherbill

I am a going to be a sophomore in college next year, and I am from Potomac, Maryland (which is just outside of Washington, DC). I am SO excited for Vietnam, and to meet everyone! I love to travel... last year I spent two months in Israel, and I have also been to Spain and France. I am especially excited for Vietnam, though, and am really eager to experience the culture there. I also love to eat, so I am excited to eat lots of Vietnamese food! Here are some facts about myself:

Birthday: April 6, 1991

Favorite movie: Pretty much any romantic comedy, Ferris Bueler's Day Off

Favorite book: Harry Potter

Hobbies/activities: Reading, arts and crafts, running, cooking, hiking, politics, eating

Academic major: I am applying to the School of Public Policy, but if that doesn't work out, then I will major in International Relations.

Katherine Marion

D.O. B.: September 26, 1991

Hometown: Canton, MI, USA

Major: Physics and International Studies

Hi all! I'm Katherine Marion and I can't believe I'm only a little over a week away from boarding a plane to Vietnam. It will be my second time outside of the United States :) I love exploring new places and trying new things and I'm really excited to spend a month with all of you in Vietnam!

Interests and Activities:

dance, gymnastics, foreign languages (I have about six I hope to be fluent in one day), reading, social justice, coffee, drawing, photography, making collages, running, bubble tea, politics (politics and I have a love-hate relationship), saving the environment (I'm definitely a tree hugger).

Favorites:

pastimes: I love exploring the outdoors and getting to know new people

food: I love spicy food :)

book(s): Brave New World, The Kite Runner, Black Like Me...(I could go on forever.)

music: I listen to an eclectic mix of everything

Hi guys

Name-Demilade Adefunke Akin-lewis(I'll teach you how to pronounce it when we see ;-) but in the mean time, you could just call me Demi like everyone else does.

Interests-
Dancing, Reading and just hanging out with friends and family. Dancing's always been a part of me. I've been dancing for years and it's just something that I love doing. Although I'm not as serious about it as I used to be, play a song and you'll see me busting my moves (: Reading is more of a hobby, because I love books. Alot of the knowledge that I have on certain topics, comes through me reading. Give me an interesting book, and it does not matter how big it is i'll be done the next day, at most in 2 days. I do not have alot of friends, but the ones that I call friends are mostly family. Precisely my mother and sisters, because you can always count on them. The other view that are not related by blood are really just selfless people whom I can learn from each day. One of them said this to me the other day "do no see the challenges in opportunites, but see the opportunities in challenges". Or it goes something like that. I have not known this person too long, but I can already tell that I will be learning a great deal from her the more time I spend with her.

More interests-
As much as I hate flying, travelling is something that I love to do. Learning new things about people, their culture and values is something that interests and facinates me. It is scary stepping out of your comfort zone, stepping out of that box, but in the long run, these experiences gotten change alot of our perceptions on life. It broadens our horizon, it awakens us to the other side of life. It makes us realize that there is more to life that what we are accustomed to and it makes us much wiser beings at the end of the day.

Hopes for GIEU Vietnam

I'm looking forward to learning not just about the people of Vietnam, but also learing about the people in the group. I'm looking forward to embracing every experience and applying each to my life outside of Vietnam. I'm looking forward to making friends and just being a support system fro everyone on the trip. I'm looking forward to alot of things, some of which I do know yet. But i'm just looking forward to the experience and wondering how it will affect me and shape me on My return to the U.S.

Introduction from UM- Ann Arbor

Jessie Baker
D.O.B.: May 15, 1990
Hometown: Grayling, Michigan, USA
Major: International Studies- Political Economy & Development
Nationality: Irish American

Hi everyone! I'm super excited about Vietnam... only 12 more days! This will be a crazy adventure and I'm excited for every minute of it!

Interests/Activities: Sports, economics, politics, religion, family, outdoors, coffee, the color green, reading and exploring crazy parts of the world!

Favorites:
TV Show- Grey's Anatomy
Movies- V for Vendetta, Charlie Wilson's War
Book- Cry, The Beloved Country
Music- Jack Johnson, Brett Denin
Food- Sushi

Introduction from UM - Ann Arbor

Brooke Sara Suskin

DOB: July 21, 1990

Hometown: East Meadow, New York, USA

Nationality: Russian, Polish, Greek, Turkish

Hey guys! So nice to get to know you all, I'm SO excited for Vietnam (so soon!!) and I can't wait to spend a month with all of you :) Here's a few things about myself...

Interests: Drawing, art/architecture, badminton, tennis, swimming, football (playing and watching), photography, reading, sleeping, traveling, going to the beach, people-watching

Loves: Laughing, coffee (ANYTHING coffee), looking through old pictures, funky sunglasses, cereal, Noodles & Company's mac & cheese, New York City, roller coasters, FOOD in general, sweatshirts, the colors blue and green, watching the Food Network 24/7, awkward moments, bubble tea, long car rides, big hugs, sneakers

Favorite Music: Billy Joel, Queen, Jack Johnson, Lady Gaga, Dave Matthews Band, Oasis, Aerosmith, the Beatles, Spice Girls (since 1998 and still going strong)

Favorite TV Shows/Movies: 24, LOST, Friends, Seinfeld, Project Runway, Law and Order: SVU, the Food Network, any reality TV show, Forrest Gump, Fight Club, Billy Madison, Pretty Woman, Back to the Future, Austin Powers, Knocked Up, The Breakfast Club

Fun Facts: I can spin a basketball on my finger for three minutes straight, I can ride a bike with no hands, I know American Sign Language semi-fluently, I live 15 minutes from the beach (the Atlantic Ocean) and 30 minutes from New York City at home :), I'm a camp counselor over the summer for 4-5 year old girls (I love kids!), and I'm beyond excited for Vietnam!!

What to eat Where in Hanoi

I was not born in Hanoi so this city always has something new to me to discover, though I've been living here for over 2 years. I love food and enjoy tasting new flavors.

This is a website which covers some pretty good info about Hanoi food (though the current price is a little bit higher).
Take a look (then you may give street food a shot!)

See you in 2 weeks! :)

Yen.

Introduction from UM-Ann Arbor (gals!)

Mandie Maurer
DOB: October 21, 1989
Hometown: Perry, MI, USA
Major: Psychology
Email: maurerm@umich.edu

Interests(a couple of these will be horribly abstract):
Psychology:
I study psychology at UM and work in two research labs in UM's Psych Dept. I am specifically interested in social psychology as well as the crossover between philosophy and psychology in terms of areas like morality and happiness. Though I'm also interested in modes of experience and meaning, though that gets pretty abstract. Philosophy is another great interest of mine, and I also love relating to these ideas through literature. I can't get enough of this stuff!

Art:
I love all forms of art! Some of my most prominent interests are photography, theatre, orchestra, fashion, film, and literature. I love to dabble in photography when I have the chance - which is usually when I travel (to places like Viet Nam!).

Academia:
I absolutely love being in college specifically because of the constant intellectual stimulation and variety of experiences it offers. I plan to spend the rest of my life in academia in one form or another, through graduate study, and then research and ultimately a professorship.

Favorites!:
Music: I like such a wide variety, from Simon & Garfunkel, to Animal Collective & CocoRosie, to Sufi world music, to more recently some pop like Lady Gaga and M.I.A.
Films: I enjoy films by Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Hayao Miyazaki, Darren Aronofsky, and many others.
Food: Middle-eastern food in general ice cream are probably my favorites :] I'm also addicted to coffee (and tea to an extent) - Turkish coffee is the best!

Introduction from UMF

Hey!! I guess I'll just jump right into this introduction...

Full Name: Danielle Rae Arnold

DOB: 08/25/1988

Interests:

Soccer: I've played soccer since elementary school. Unfortunately I haven't got to play much since college, but I have got a few chances to coach. Currently I am helping coach a group of girls 12 and under. I absolute love coaching and my team! (I'm going to miss most of their games during the Vietnam trip :( )

Taking Pictures: My camera is with me everywhere I go. Everything is a photo opportunity! I'm even buying a special 8GB memory card just for this trip so I can take as many pictures as I want. I'm addicted!!

Travelling: This will be my first real trip out of the country. I have gone to Canada a couple times, but the areas I've been in are so much like the U.S. that it hardly counts as leaving the country. I've been many places in the U.S. Washington state (the northwest part of it) is one of my favorites. I wouldn't mind living there one day.

Some recent travel photos:

Other Interests: Reading, Singing (Not Well!), Movies, Basketball... I like a lot of things.

You can add me on Facebook and we can talk more if you want! I'm really excited to meet you all! See you soon...!

I will post again soon with pictures and info about University of Michigan - Flint

Introduction: Greetings from UMD

Hey! My name is Evan and I thought it was about time for a long overdue introduction... So with no further adieu:

Full Name: Evan Zachary Belknap
D.O.B: Oct./06/1989
Nationality: Irish American (no accent :/)


Interests:

-Volunteering: I truly believe that service to others is the key to fully developing oneself as a person.

-Travel: I don't get to travel nearly enough (so far). However after our adventure together in Vietnam I am headed to visit my brother in Los Angeles, California for a week. A few short months later I will be doing a study abroad in Versailles, France for a semester.

This is a picture of some of my best friends and I joking around on my birthday after eating.









-Activities: Generally I love anything that's outside and exhilarating, new experiences, learning, teaching/mentoring, things to push me outside my comfort zone... More specifically:

• Sports/Games: Basketball, Swimming, Pool, Dancing (I'd love to learn break/swing/ballroom dance), Skiing (Snowboarding next time I get out there!), Cliff-Diving, Speeding, Public Speaking, Intelligent Argument, recently I've been getting into Muey Thai a bit... At times: Soccer, Tennis, Darts, Ping-Pong, Some shooter video games
• Movies/ TV mini-series: I love movies! Recently my latest obsessions have been- Spartacus, Californication, Dexter
• Reading: Social Science/psychology focused reading. Fiction. The Count of Monte Cristo is by far my favorite book, if I had more time, I'd start reading it again tonight
• Music: Love Dirty Electro House music, open to almost any other type

To the Left is a picture of me at D.E.M.F. (Detroit Electronic Music Festival). It is an annual weekend-long event that features DJ's from all over the globe held right in Detroit Michigan- only 15 minutes from where I live!







I hope this short profile was helpful in learning a bit about me. I'm so excited to meet you all in person and start our adventures in Vietnam!!!

-Ev

...P.s. If any of you use facebook and want to get to know me a bit more feel free to send me a friend request

Introduction from UM- Ann Arbor

1. Michael Williams

DOB: February 11, 1992

Hometown: Detroit, MI, USA

Major: Architecture

Minor: Urban Studies

E-mail: rulermw@umich.edu

Hey everyone. I'm Michael, one of the freshmen joining you guys on the trip. Our final semester @ U of M Ann Arbor ends in 1 week :) and I can't wait to hop on the plane and head to Vietnam and leave America

behind for a while. Listed below is a little info about me. Can't wait to meet all of you!

Interests:

• Architecture - I live, eat, and breathe architecture! Not really, but I am obsessed with it. I love traveling to different cities and places and looking at all of the buildings and unique homes. I can't wait to go to Vietnam to see all of the cool pagodas and assembly halls; I'm gonna go crazy with my camera.
• Art and Design - Besides architecture I like all types of design like fashion, cars, interior design, and even product and graphic design; they're all the same to me and I couldn't imagine life without them. The same goes for art; I really like going to museums and exhibits to see all kinds of art and I'm a big photography fan, I like taking photos of whatever I find interesting on the streets or right around me.
• Music - I also really like my music. I listen to a little bit of everything like pop (Lady GaGa fan), hip hop (Common and Kanye West), r & b (Alicia Keys), a little rock, classical, and maybe some country; but my favorite is soul/ r & b music such as Lauryn Hill and India Arie. I really want to find out what type of music Vietnamese college students listen to; we'll have to exchange iPods.
• TV + Movies - I'm a big TV and movie buff because of my dad. This year I hardly watched any TV and I went to the movies a lot less, and I'm starting to watch a lot of things on the Internet. Some of my favorite TV shows are LOST, Project Runway, Jeopardy, Family Guy, and Law and Order : SVU. My favorite movies are Avatar, I Am Legend, Gladiator, The Bourne Series, The Dark Knight, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Other Interest + Activities:

• Tennis - I play it almost everyday in the summer
• Talking - I admit I like to talk and laugh a lot
• Musicals and Plays
• Volunteering
• Eating - I love FOOD!

See you guys in a few weeks!
2.Brandon William Ebenhoeh

DOB: April 29, 1989

Hometown: Roseville, MI, USA

Interests:

Theater~ I have been involved

in theater productions since high school and have continued in college. I get to sing, dance, and act. I recently was in a show called "HAIR."

This show is about a group of friends in the 1960's dealing with the Vietnam War draft and protesting the war, discovering themselves, and having fun! That's a picture from the show.

Soccer~ I love soccer. I have been playing since I could walk!

American Sign Language~ I currently am learning ASL at UM. I really enjoy learning about other language and cultures! This helped spark my interest in becoming a Speech Therapist after college. I can teach you some signs while we are in Vietnam!

Traveling~ I have been to places all over the USA including New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Maine, Tennessee, Maryland, Alabama, Disney World, and many more. My favorite place to go on vacation to is Pentwater, MI! It is this awesome small town on Lake Michigan. My entire family goes here ever August. My other favorite place to travel is Washington D.C. I love the city and the people. I want to live here once I finish college!

My other interests are:

~University of Michigan Football!

~Being a resident Advisor

~Dogs!

~Chess

~Working at Summer Camp

~Baseball

~Driving in my Car!

~Trying new foods :]

~Cooking and Baking

Favorite Movie: The Blindside, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Sandlot

Favorite Food: Macaroni and Cheese

Favorite Music: Acoustic, pop, rock, really anything! I do enjoy Lady Gaga and John Mayer

Favorite TV Show: I am obsessed with reality television!

This is from my summer job!

Feel free to add me on Facebook.

3. Sam Philip West
DOB: May 17, 1991
Hometown: Marquette, MI, USA


Interests:

Stuff I do for fun-I really enjoy playing soccer, skiing, and running, and I hope to be able to run while in Vietnam in order to explore the areas where we will be staying. I also like to learn and play other obscure sports, activities and games such as video, board, or card games.

On Campus- I've been involved with a lot of community service or social justice organizations on campus this year. I've had a lot of fun being able work with other students and community members to work on some task. I have also enjoyed being able to work and learn from community members whom I may not get the chance to talk with if it wasn't for the community service event. I also enjoy going to various sporting events, shows, and movies on campus.

General Stuff- I like to be outdoors and enjoy nature. I'm also willing to try most new things whether it is food or some game.

I'm really excited to meet everyone and if you want to become friends with me on Facebook you can find me under the email address samwest@umich.edu

4. My name is Paul Rink, and I am a junior at the University of Michigan. I am excited to meet and to get to know all of you whether you are from the United States or Vietnam.