Camping!

Last weekend marked the 30th anniversary of the Foreign Languages Department of Haiphong University, so part of the festivities was overnight 'camping' for all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students with Chinese, Russian, and English majors. They camped right outside our rooms, so it was very convenient for us to watch what was going on without having to walk out. But one drawback was all the noise generated, especially the extra loud music and the drinking late into the night. Grace had to put on earplugs to be able to sleep.
Each class got to set up their own tent, decorate it, and cook and sell foods during dinner time. When I first heard 'camping,' I imagined the traditional tents and sleeping bags used in the US. But as it turned out, these so-called tents looked more like big picnic canopies and the whole activity resembled more like a fair, with each class having their own stall or booth where they put up their decorations and sold foods.
My students seemed to have lots of fun. Even though it was a lot of work for them putting their tents together, it was a good chance for them to work together as a class and to gel. The activity started at 2pm on Saturday and lasted to Sunday afternoon. They all went home really exhausted in the end because many of them had stayed up the night before, either because the mosquitos were feasting on them or because they simply preferred to hang out and talk. The afternoon heat on Sunday didn't help either. The event went by without any major incidents, except, I heard, one boy threw up from over-intoxication. The following morning, both classes had a writing midterm, and a few students missed it because they were still in bed recovering from the weekend.
Guess what, as I am typing this entry, another 'camp' is happening right outside, probably by another department. This time, the music sounds 10 times louder. The walls and windows are vibrating because of the insanely loud bass.
Anyway, here are some pictures from last weekend. Enjoy!