Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
#Positive thinking, change in life attitude #Unconditional love, peace of mind #Children's innocence and the importance of relationships
|
Life in Hanoi, Vietnam left countless meanings I will never forget. It''s too inadequate to describe all the experiences in one sentence, but I can proudly say that my gap year in Hanoi, Vietnam was a journey that painted my otherwise colorless life with vibrant colors :) Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam Review by gapper Seo O-seok |
Hello — I''m a college student who returned from Hanoi, Vietnam feeling boundless love!
Hello, I''m one of the ordinary college students who returned to university after completing military service and am attending classes. I''m someone who worries less about what I''ll do to make a living and more about how I want to live, and I suppose I have a somewhat distinctive personality and a relatively different way of thinking compared to others.
With the help of a gap-year consultant I chose the program. Because I have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships with others, I received a recommendation for a program that would let me return to a childlike perspective and see people through children''s eyes, so I chose the ''Finding Love in Hanoi, Vietnam'' project.
At first, I was skeptical, wondering, ''How does spending time with children mean being loved?''But once I joined the program and met the children, I realized that happiness was always present around them.I feel really lucky to have been able to participate in such a meaningful program.
Also, since I originally had an easygoing temperament and lived with a ''things will work out somehow'' attitude,I had given up on having expectations, and it was a period that helped me learn to hope again. During the six weeks of being loved by the children, aiming to rest my heart, I felt that I changed a lot.My problems began to become visible one by one, and things I had implicitly ignored began to come into view, allowing me to finally adopt an attitude of looking at the world straight on.
Life in Hanoi, Vietnam left many meanings I will never forget. It''s insufficient to describe all the experiences in one sentence, butI can proudly say that my gap year in Hanoi, Vietnam was a journey that dyed my previously colorless life in a variety of colors :)
**For Seo O-seok, whose heart was worn out, I recommended a customized gap-year plan through consulting so he could rest and reflect on himself :) Want a tailored plan suited to your situation? I highly recommend a 1:1 consultation with a gap-year specialist!
A sure way to change my life — Gap year 1:1 consulting
I wanted to breathe new vitality into my tired heart.
Through this gap year, I realized that I had been running without really resting.So first and foremost, I wanted to let my tired self rest. There are many ways to rest, but because I didn''t know the methods well,I wanted to reward myself who hadn''t properly allowed my body and mind to rest.
Another goal was,that I, who had given up on expectations, would learn how to hope again.Life is really not enjoyable if you don''t expect anything from someone. What I realized after living without expectations for the past eight years is,that love cannot be fulfilled without expectation. After all, aren''t emotions like that? In that sense,''The Love-Finding Project'' is a program that suits me perfectly.
The days spent feeling the children''s unconditional love every day were truly moving.
The greatest realization I gained from this program was that I genuinely like children.Contrary to what I expected, I was deeply moved by how the children welcomed me unconditionally even without any verbal communication. Thinking of the children always made me happy,I learned how powerful the unconditional love given by children can be. I realized that the ideal word ''unconditional love'' can change a person.
Looking at the world through the children''s pure eyes, I felt that my own perspective toward others was changing too.I think ''relationship-oriented'' and ''relationship-avoidant'' aren''t actually that different. After all, they''re outcome words based on possibilities that can vary depending on how one views others. Both terms just describe different directions based on ''relationships.''
No matter what path you choose in life, I think the choice is up to you. If you feel it''s not the path you first chose, you can always go back or move on to a new path. The children, who gave me such valuable realizations, are people I''m truly grateful to for making me reflect so much.
# Thanks to the special connections I made in Vietnam, my life has become richer.
Many of the friends I met in Vietnam remain unforgettable.Among them, Binh, whom I met when I first arrived in Vietnam, was particularly impressive. Binh kindly explained how to use public transportation in Vietnam and what was available. At first I was the only one participating in my project, but Binh did his best to help me carry it out smoothly. Even though Binh had his main duties, he helped me at the kindergarten for several days. He was someone I grew close to during the volunteer work and I''m very grateful to him.
Toward the end of my gap year, I met friends named Hadja and Amina. These two were born in the Philippines and were studying in the United States. Hadja and Amina treated me as a friend without any prejudice and, with open minds, shared the cultures of their respective countries. Their attitude was truly impressive and I was able to learn a lot.
Above all, what I enjoyed most was living with friends from various countries, learning their cultures, and communicating in English.I wasn''t fluent in English, but I could understand it to some extent, and I was really grateful that my friends corrected my mistakes. Thanks to their help, my anxiety about conversations with foreigners decreased, and I gained confidence in my English!
# My perspective on the world has broadened.
I feel that my outlook on life has become much broader.Most of the friends I met in Vietnam were 19–20 years old, and at 24, as I talked with them, I envied how naturally they embraced the gap year, unlike me for whom it was the first and unfamiliar experience.
One day I asked my friends about their dreams. After a few questions, I learned that the very act of ''asking about dreams'' was unfamiliar to them.For my friends, their gap year wasn''t about moving forward with a fixed dream; it was a process of experiencing what they wanted and, through seeing and feeling things firsthand, confirming what they truly wanted.
Deeply moved by this side of my friends,I decided to summon the courage myself to move forward and find what I like through a gap year, and I succeeded perfectly! My gap year in Vietnam became an important signpost that allowed me to view my life from a new perspective. I also realized that it''s never too late to start something. There was a time when I felt very late and worried a lot about the future.
This gap year might feel short—one and a half months—to some, and quite long to others. Everything depends on how you look at it. When I first arrived in Vietnam I thought, ''A whole month and a half?'' but as time passed and I neared the end I felt, ''There''s only a month and a half left!''I realized that my experiences in Vietnam are such precious assets that time felt really short and they can''t be exchanged for anything..
If you hesitate to start what you want because of your age when you don''t know what will happen tomorrow, wouldn''t you have similar thoughts even if you had started younger?I realized that age is just a number; what matters are the decisions and experiences in the moment.
As someone who experienced a gap year, what I want to say is that the experiences gained through a gap year can become the foundation that opens new opportunities in life.Or even if not, as the saying ''learning from others'' mistakes'' goes, it can be an important experience for learning what not to do.Every experience contains learning, and I think life is a process of accumulating these lessons. Each person''s life has a different color, and I sincerely hope you can discover your own color through a gap year :)
# What is a day of volunteer work in Hanoi, Vietnam like?
I volunteered four times a week from Monday to Thursday, twice a day.
It ran from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM and from 2:45 PM to 4:30 PM.In the morning I arrived at the kindergarten, started the day energetically by dancing with the children, and then taught easy English words (e.g., bus, train) for an hour.
At lunchtime I helped the children with their meals, returned to the accommodation to rest until the afternoon class, and in the afternoon I reviewed the English words learned in the morning and spent time playing with the children.
Each week I taught the children words according to a specific theme (e.g., fruits in the first week, transportation in the second week).
My personal tips for preparing for volunteer work in Hanoi, Vietnam!
I had stayed alone in the Philippines for about nine months when I was in elementary school, so I wasn''t very worried about staying abroad. I think people''s lives are similar everywhere, so instead of worrying about adapting to a different culture, I took it in with a fresh, ''oh, so this is how it is'' attitude.
Of course, Gap Year helped me a lot during the pre-departure preparations. They organized and sent documents containing various information about the local area—Vietnamese culture, transportation, climate, and people''s habits—and these materials were really helpful.Thanks to Gap Year, I was able to indirectly acquire information about Vietnam before departure and was able to adapt quickly after arriving.
My Hanoi, Vietnam children''s volunteer trip with Gap Year!
Experience★★★★★
: Staying with English-speaking people gave me time to check and use my English skills, and volunteering at the kindergarten gave me the indescribably wonderful experience of communicating with children through the voice of the heart—understanding them not through verbal language but through human feeling.
Learning★★★★★
: I realized I had been looking at the world with a very narrow perspective. Seeing the world through others'' eyes, everything I saw made me think, ''the world is really vast.'' I learned what a country''s culture is like, the reasons such cultures developed, and that people not only live according to those cultures but also that some cultures influence others and create similar yet unique cultures. Through this, I was able to indirectly experience their culture and was amazed that I could also introduce and enjoy our country''s culture.
Environment★★★★
: Vietnam''s environment was somewhat different from Korea''s. There were so many motorbikes I wondered whether the ratio of population to motorbikes was 1:1, and motorbike taxis were very fascinating to me since I had never used one. Crossing roads without crosswalks felt a bit unfamiliar. But these experiences were new and I think they became a stepping stone to understanding another country. I tried to respect and understand the things that are different from us.
Safety★★★
: Vietnam''s public safety seemed similar to Korea''s. Even if you go out at dawn to a convenience store, there wasn''t much danger, and in my case, when I left my laptop and iPad at a cafe while I went to the restroom, nobody took them. It seemed to be a country with good civic-mindedness.
Leisure ★★★★
: I think the purpose of traveling in Southeast Asia is to see natural scenery. True to that, Vietnam''s natural scenery was really beautiful, and I had many new experiences, like touring inside caves by boat. I also stopped by cafes near the accommodation to spend time, and facilities like cafes and convenience stores had infrastructure similar to Korea''s, so it didn''t feel out of place. There seemed to be many places where you can have a good time.
Seo O-seokvisitedChildren in Hanoi, Vietnamvolunteer projectWant more information?!
Click the banner belowPlease do it!
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
|
Life in Hanoi, Vietnam left countless meanings I will never forget. It''s too inadequate to describe all the experiences in one sentence, but I can proudly say that my gap year in Hanoi, Vietnam was a journey that painted my otherwise colorless life with vibrant colors :) Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam Review by gapper Seo O-seok |
Hello — I''m a college student who returned from Hanoi, Vietnam feeling boundless love!
Hello, I''m one of the ordinary college students who returned to university after completing military service and am attending classes. I''m someone who worries less about what I''ll do to make a living and more about how I want to live, and I suppose I have a somewhat distinctive personality and a relatively different way of thinking compared to others.
With the help of a gap-year consultant I chose the program. Because I have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships with others, I received a recommendation for a program that would let me return to a childlike perspective and see people through children''s eyes, so I chose the ''Finding Love in Hanoi, Vietnam'' project.
At first, I was skeptical, wondering, ''How does spending time with children mean being loved?''But once I joined the program and met the children, I realized that happiness was always present around them.I feel really lucky to have been able to participate in such a meaningful program.
Also, since I originally had an easygoing temperament and lived with a ''things will work out somehow'' attitude,I had given up on having expectations, and it was a period that helped me learn to hope again. During the six weeks of being loved by the children, aiming to rest my heart, I felt that I changed a lot.My problems began to become visible one by one, and things I had implicitly ignored began to come into view, allowing me to finally adopt an attitude of looking at the world straight on.
Life in Hanoi, Vietnam left many meanings I will never forget. It''s insufficient to describe all the experiences in one sentence, butI can proudly say that my gap year in Hanoi, Vietnam was a journey that dyed my previously colorless life in a variety of colors :)
**For Seo O-seok, whose heart was worn out, I recommended a customized gap-year plan through consulting so he could rest and reflect on himself :) Want a tailored plan suited to your situation? I highly recommend a 1:1 consultation with a gap-year specialist!
A sure way to change my life — Gap year 1:1 consulting
I wanted to breathe new vitality into my tired heart.
Through this gap year, I realized that I had been running without really resting.So first and foremost, I wanted to let my tired self rest. There are many ways to rest, but because I didn''t know the methods well,I wanted to reward myself who hadn''t properly allowed my body and mind to rest.
Another goal was,that I, who had given up on expectations, would learn how to hope again.Life is really not enjoyable if you don''t expect anything from someone. What I realized after living without expectations for the past eight years is,that love cannot be fulfilled without expectation. After all, aren''t emotions like that? In that sense,''The Love-Finding Project'' is a program that suits me perfectly.
The days spent feeling the children''s unconditional love every day were truly moving.
The greatest realization I gained from this program was that I genuinely like children.Contrary to what I expected, I was deeply moved by how the children welcomed me unconditionally even without any verbal communication. Thinking of the children always made me happy,I learned how powerful the unconditional love given by children can be. I realized that the ideal word ''unconditional love'' can change a person.
Looking at the world through the children''s pure eyes, I felt that my own perspective toward others was changing too.I think ''relationship-oriented'' and ''relationship-avoidant'' aren''t actually that different. After all, they''re outcome words based on possibilities that can vary depending on how one views others. Both terms just describe different directions based on ''relationships.''
No matter what path you choose in life, I think the choice is up to you. If you feel it''s not the path you first chose, you can always go back or move on to a new path. The children, who gave me such valuable realizations, are people I''m truly grateful to for making me reflect so much.
# Thanks to the special connections I made in Vietnam, my life has become richer.
Many of the friends I met in Vietnam remain unforgettable.Among them, Binh, whom I met when I first arrived in Vietnam, was particularly impressive. Binh kindly explained how to use public transportation in Vietnam and what was available. At first I was the only one participating in my project, but Binh did his best to help me carry it out smoothly. Even though Binh had his main duties, he helped me at the kindergarten for several days. He was someone I grew close to during the volunteer work and I''m very grateful to him.
Toward the end of my gap year, I met friends named Hadja and Amina. These two were born in the Philippines and were studying in the United States. Hadja and Amina treated me as a friend without any prejudice and, with open minds, shared the cultures of their respective countries. Their attitude was truly impressive and I was able to learn a lot.
Above all, what I enjoyed most was living with friends from various countries, learning their cultures, and communicating in English.I wasn''t fluent in English, but I could understand it to some extent, and I was really grateful that my friends corrected my mistakes. Thanks to their help, my anxiety about conversations with foreigners decreased, and I gained confidence in my English!
# My perspective on the world has broadened.
I feel that my outlook on life has become much broader.Most of the friends I met in Vietnam were 19–20 years old, and at 24, as I talked with them, I envied how naturally they embraced the gap year, unlike me for whom it was the first and unfamiliar experience.
One day I asked my friends about their dreams. After a few questions, I learned that the very act of ''asking about dreams'' was unfamiliar to them.For my friends, their gap year wasn''t about moving forward with a fixed dream; it was a process of experiencing what they wanted and, through seeing and feeling things firsthand, confirming what they truly wanted.
Deeply moved by this side of my friends,I decided to summon the courage myself to move forward and find what I like through a gap year, and I succeeded perfectly! My gap year in Vietnam became an important signpost that allowed me to view my life from a new perspective. I also realized that it''s never too late to start something. There was a time when I felt very late and worried a lot about the future.
This gap year might feel short—one and a half months—to some, and quite long to others. Everything depends on how you look at it. When I first arrived in Vietnam I thought, ''A whole month and a half?'' but as time passed and I neared the end I felt, ''There''s only a month and a half left!''I realized that my experiences in Vietnam are such precious assets that time felt really short and they can''t be exchanged for anything..
If you hesitate to start what you want because of your age when you don''t know what will happen tomorrow, wouldn''t you have similar thoughts even if you had started younger?I realized that age is just a number; what matters are the decisions and experiences in the moment.
As someone who experienced a gap year, what I want to say is that the experiences gained through a gap year can become the foundation that opens new opportunities in life.Or even if not, as the saying ''learning from others'' mistakes'' goes, it can be an important experience for learning what not to do.Every experience contains learning, and I think life is a process of accumulating these lessons. Each person''s life has a different color, and I sincerely hope you can discover your own color through a gap year :)
# What is a day of volunteer work in Hanoi, Vietnam like?
I volunteered four times a week from Monday to Thursday, twice a day.
It ran from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM and from 2:45 PM to 4:30 PM.In the morning I arrived at the kindergarten, started the day energetically by dancing with the children, and then taught easy English words (e.g., bus, train) for an hour.
At lunchtime I helped the children with their meals, returned to the accommodation to rest until the afternoon class, and in the afternoon I reviewed the English words learned in the morning and spent time playing with the children.
Each week I taught the children words according to a specific theme (e.g., fruits in the first week, transportation in the second week).
My personal tips for preparing for volunteer work in Hanoi, Vietnam!
I had stayed alone in the Philippines for about nine months when I was in elementary school, so I wasn''t very worried about staying abroad. I think people''s lives are similar everywhere, so instead of worrying about adapting to a different culture, I took it in with a fresh, ''oh, so this is how it is'' attitude.
Of course, Gap Year helped me a lot during the pre-departure preparations. They organized and sent documents containing various information about the local area—Vietnamese culture, transportation, climate, and people''s habits—and these materials were really helpful.Thanks to Gap Year, I was able to indirectly acquire information about Vietnam before departure and was able to adapt quickly after arriving.
My Hanoi, Vietnam children''s volunteer trip with Gap Year!
Experience★★★★★
: Staying with English-speaking people gave me time to check and use my English skills, and volunteering at the kindergarten gave me the indescribably wonderful experience of communicating with children through the voice of the heart—understanding them not through verbal language but through human feeling.
Learning★★★★★
: I realized I had been looking at the world with a very narrow perspective. Seeing the world through others'' eyes, everything I saw made me think, ''the world is really vast.'' I learned what a country''s culture is like, the reasons such cultures developed, and that people not only live according to those cultures but also that some cultures influence others and create similar yet unique cultures. Through this, I was able to indirectly experience their culture and was amazed that I could also introduce and enjoy our country''s culture.
Environment★★★★
: Vietnam''s environment was somewhat different from Korea''s. There were so many motorbikes I wondered whether the ratio of population to motorbikes was 1:1, and motorbike taxis were very fascinating to me since I had never used one. Crossing roads without crosswalks felt a bit unfamiliar. But these experiences were new and I think they became a stepping stone to understanding another country. I tried to respect and understand the things that are different from us.
Safety★★★
: Vietnam''s public safety seemed similar to Korea''s. Even if you go out at dawn to a convenience store, there wasn''t much danger, and in my case, when I left my laptop and iPad at a cafe while I went to the restroom, nobody took them. It seemed to be a country with good civic-mindedness.
Leisure ★★★★
: I think the purpose of traveling in Southeast Asia is to see natural scenery. True to that, Vietnam''s natural scenery was really beautiful, and I had many new experiences, like touring inside caves by boat. I also stopped by cafes near the accommodation to spend time, and facilities like cafes and convenience stores had infrastructure similar to Korea''s, so it didn''t feel out of place. There seemed to be many places where you can have a good time.
Seo O-seokvisitedChildren in Hanoi, Vietnamvolunteer projectWant more information?!
Click the banner belowPlease do it!
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
What makes this project special
