Master's Tea Club No. 5: Back to School and New Friends

Back after the summer break, MTC No. 5 welcomed USSH students and exchange students from Indonesia, Japan and Germany. The first meeting of the new school year took place on September 22, 2017, in a small, cozy setting in the E building self-study room, but the atmosphere was always lively and exciting. This “kick-off” meeting did not have a specific topic of discussion but took place naturally with impromptu topics to help students overcome their initial hesitation.

From the stories about life and experiences in Vietnam of foreign students, MTC No. 5 is like an intimate conversation in English about cultural issues, lifestyle, student life over cups of tea and candy. Lala - a student from Indonesia thinks that life in Vietnam and Indonesia have many similarities so she does not have too much difficulty adapting, while Yoshiki - a student from Japan enjoys the fact that food in Vietnam is very reasonably priced. Jona - a German student enthusiastically talks about the life of a student in the Bach Khoa area, when she gradually integrates into the lifestyle and makes friends with new "neighbors". Through their sharing, participating students are not only exposed to English through everyday stories but also learn new approaches to life in Vietnam through the perspective of foreign friends.

The conversation continued with an introduction to the Mid-Autumn Festival, its origin, meaning and what Vietnamese people do during this occasion. The international students were all excited and looking forward to experiencing the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam. At the end of the meeting, joy and satisfaction could be seen on the faces of each participant, as they not only practiced English communication and discussed cultural and social issues, but also formed many new friendships. The international students were all excited and showed their willingness to join the club in the next discussions.

MTC No. 6 will return next Friday with the familiar debate format, but will incorporate group games and welcome the participation of a group of students from Germany.