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curly-studies-blog · 6 years

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Studying Abroad

Courtesy of @jbens1017

Background on me

I figured I should let you know some background on me first since everyone has different experiences. My name is Jessica, I’m a cis woman and I was 21/22 (I had my birthday while I was there!) when I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain through an exchange program. I am from New Jersey, USA. I was a Psychology major with a minor in Spanish. While there I lived with a homestay (a local family).

Disadvantages

I don’t have many so that’s why I’ll talk about this first.

Personally the number one thing that should and will concern many people is the money. Living in another country just doesn’t sound cheap, and sometimes it’s not. I was going to a private college in the states and that was expensive and the program I was in required that I still pay my home university’s tuition (so it was a lot haha).

As a woman, I felt that I needed to be more cautious than say the male students. It was a new environment, new culture, I didn’t know anyone, and just different expectations for women then I was used to back home. I would say that the world seems safer for men but while I was abroad, I noticed a lot more female international students. I think as long as you keep aware of your surroundings and make some friends, this disadvantage to women would almost zero out.

All of my classes were in Spanish which I am not fluent in, that’s on me but this really could mess someone up. I did fine though because they had us take a placement test and put us at a level we would be ok at. It’s just something to be aware of when you are looking to study abroad in a country that doesn’t speak your language.

So I was older when I went so a bit more mature (even though I would have loved to have been their earlier or longer). I was in good physical and mental health when I went but this could definitely pose a problem for someone else. I had to take the metro/subway to school and I did a lot of walking all over Madrid and other cities. Also, there will come a time during studying abroad where you just break mentally. It could be the stress or frustration of living in a culture so different than your own or it could just be you miss friends or family even if you love your host country. I think knowing that it is bound to happen and being prepared for when it does was super helpful. It is so common and it was nice to know that I had made friends at my host university that would totally and whole-heartedly understand what I was going through.

Advantages

Learning a language (Anyone who goes to a country that doesn’t primarily speak their native tongue will start to learn the language no matter the level you start out on. Being immersed into that culture and only hearing another language will only bring your skills in that language up)

Back to money real quick. So yes I said that my tuition was high but because I chose to live with a homestay, I saved a little money. The homestay was actually way cheaper than the room, board and meal plan at my home university.

My host family was amazing! I learned a lot through them and since they only spoke Spanish it gave me even more practice with the language. I don’t know if this is common but my host mom cooked 3 meals a day for me (sometimes more haha she was a great woman), she did my laundry and would change the sheets on my bed. I really didn’t have any house duties and that was great considering I had homework to do in another language.

Other international students offered me a chance to learn about other countries (I met a few girls from south korea and a girl from england and many others) but also it gave me a chance to reminisce about the states and take a break and talk English.

Time - Management and Organization skills go through the roof. There is a lot of paperwork that goes into studying abroad and you need to make sure you get everything approved on time. It felt a bit like I was running around campus to get all the signatures I needed but it really paid off in the end. Once you are in the new country those skills come in handy to do assignments and explore the new country. I was traveling almost every weekend and that took a lot of time to plan with friends or to plan transportation.

Seeing the World! Coming from the states to Europe was huge! It wasn’t the first time I had been away from home or even been to Europe but it was the first time that I would actually be living in a new country for an extended amount of time. Traveling was my main motivator. So Spain is split into 50 autonomous communities kind of like the 50 states in a way, each has a history, culture and atmosphere all their own. I had the opportunity to visit 11 of those communities! That’s one fifth of the country, I can’t even say the same for my own country lol. I also got to visit Morocco and Portugal while I was there and man I wish I had gone to more countries. Flights were so cheap, once you’re in Europe that is.

How could I forget the food! Amazing new foods to try! I am not a picky eater in the slightest and I was always down to try the local grub. I think food really opens your eyes to what the culture holds as important. Do they value heartiness and comfort over nutritional value? Do they value taste over presentation? Are the foods mostly to take away or are they sit down meals? There is a lot to be learned about a culture through their foods. Spain had some bomb food!

Adjustment Back Home

Ok the food adjustment coming back was hard. I had eaten all these fabulous dishes and then I came back to the dining hall. It’s not that the dining hall was bad but it wasn’t Spanish or cooked by my host mom. It was sad when they would try to serve paella and I had eaten paella in the city where it had originated, Valencia.

Also the language adjustment. I had gotten so used to thinking and speaking in Spanish that I had to reboot my brain to English. I found that since my time in Spain I have been forgetting English words for things. Lol now I sound like an idiot when I can’t remember what something simple is called in English. I did take one more Spanish course when I came back to my home university and I was happy to be using my skills but since then I feel like my skills are slipping because I don’t have anyone to practice with.

My friends had to adjust. I just wanted to talk about my experience and they got bored of it quickly. I applied to be a study abroad ambassador at my school so I could talk with prospective students about my time and answer questions they might have. This really helped give me an outlet for talking about my time in Spain because I loved it and I wanted to share that love with others.

The travel bug has bitten and there is no cure. I want to see more of the world. I got a small taste and now i want more. It’s like the more you see of the world the more you know that there is so much more to explore, I think there is a quote like that, but it is true. Since my semester abroad, I went to Peru to do some service work and I got to see Machu Picchu, I just recently went on a trip where I visited Prague in the Czech Republic, Munich and Berlin in Germany and London in England. My next goal is France.

It was sad not seeing my study abroad buddies anymore but thanks to social media we can keep up with each other’s lives. I have actually met up with one of my friends from studying abroad since I have been back since she lives kind of close. We all bonded over being in Spain at the same time, learning and exploring together, those kinds of friendships are for life.

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none of this information belongs to me but belongs to @jbens1017 they did me a wonderful favor by giving this information to me and I feel as though everyone can benefit from this! Thanks again for the wonderful information!

#study #studyblr #studyspo #einsten #study abroad #studies #studynshine #grateful #submission

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homeandsunsets · 4 years

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Honoring God in the Area of our Finances

We know that we should honor God in all areas of our lives, and that includes the area of our wallets! :D Since we are currently experiencing this pandemic and are facing uncertainty not just in the area of our health, but also in our finances because of closed businesses, I have pondered upon the huge importance of building a healthy spending habits, having an emergency fund, and also the importance of our continuous growth in compassion for others.

So how do we become a good steward and how can we honor God in the area of our finances? Here are some of the ways I know how:

1. Through tithing!

Tithing isn’t giving God a portion of our money because He needs it or because He’s just power-tripping. Tithing is an act of faith, trusting that God will provide and will bless the works of our hands. It is also a declaration that God is supreme in our lives, that nothing is ours and every blessing and good things come from Him. There are many Bible verses about tithing but here’s my personal favorite hehe it’s found in Malachi 3:8 to 12 and it says:

8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

2. Through saving

There are different kinds of savings. We save for emergency, for a dream home or travel, for sending a loved one at school, etc. I struggle in this area to be honest, it’s not easy to save when there are many distractions AKA Shopee and green tea latte. Joke. Hahaha! One of the things that encourages me to save is the thought that when the time comes that a family member or a loved one will be needing help or support, we’ll at least have something to share to lessen their burden, even if it’s just a small amount. Another reason is of course, so that we’ll have something to spend in times of emergency and that we won’t have to burden others.

We have to understand that God doesn’t want us to poorly manage our finances by being impulsive buyers because He knows it’s not gonna end up well for us. God’s commandment for us to save isn’t meant to limit us or to be a KJ, but it is actually meant to protect us from the consequences of wrong decisions and unhealthy buying habits.

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

Let’s do our best to manage whatever is inside the circle of our control. For the rest, those that are beyond our control, let’s leave it in God’s department. :)

3. Avoid borrowing money for unnecessary things

I have a friend who works abroad, her sister asked for a certain amount of money to spend for her child’s christening party. My friend was furious because her sister just asked for money days or weeks ago to pay for her credit card bills. Her sister has a family of her own already. Sadly, this is the case for most OFWs, some of their families think that they have a lot of money abroad because they are earning dollars, without thinking about their struggles living and working in a foreign country. Thinking that you can always ask and get others hard-earned money is a dangerous mindset. Aside from you’re giving unnecessary burden to that person, you are also creating problems for yourself that you’ll deal sooner or later when you don’t learn to live within your means.

If there is a special occasion, I agree that it should be celebrated, but we also have to be reminded of the reality that no one is requiring us to celebrate lavishly. Buy an affordable cake and make a pasta good for 2 to 10 relatives or friends. We don’t have to invite an entire barangay, wala silang pinatagong pera satin kaya we don’t owe them our handa. Haha.

“Minsan lang, para naman sa bata.”

Okay, really, para sa bata or para sa parents?

It’s not bad to celebrate para may memories din si bagets, but work on spending within what we can afford lang. If you can afford to throw a grand birthday party without increasing your debt or borrowing someone else’s hard-earned money, then go ahead. We have to live within our means to avoid unnecessary debts and be practical, especially if it means being debt-free and being able to manage God’s blessings well. And it’s a good life lesson for your child too. At an early age, they’ll know how to live within their means, to manage their hard-earned money well, to not be controlled by money and greed, and they won’t end up inheriting debts.

“Eh paano yung nagkautang ng malaki kasi may nagkasakit or nahospital? Yung mga magsasaka na napipilitang mabaon sa utang kasi inooppress ng mga elitista? Kasalanan ba nila na di sila debt-free??”

Obviously, hindi applicable dyan yung example nung gastos sa binyag so let’s not take it out of context. First, we have to understand that the encouragement to be debt-free is for everyone who can do something to avoid borrowing money. This is meant to make us ponder and reassess our spending habits first before looking on someone else’s financial situation.

Second, later on I will also talk about helping people in need. :)

Anyway, my husband and I agreed to make our anniversary celebrations simple and not too expensive (on most times lang, not always, kasi baka pag naka 1 decade yung marriage namin magpa-Jollibee kami. Hahaha chour) Wanting celebrations to be low-maintenance doesn’t mean we don’t value milestones. Anniversaries and birthdays are in fact very important to me, I make sure to celebrate them with loved ones and to really make time for them.

My husband and I have a tradition of eating at Cafe Breton on our anniversaries hehe we would order our usual (spag bolognese for him, egg casserole for me, nutella crepe and banofee smoothie for the both of us) and we’ll just talk anything under the sun. (Namiss namin ito this year because of lockdown haha) Our MUST topics: things we appreciate most about each other, this motivates us and make us feel kilig and valued. Haha! After sharing the things we appreciate about each other, we now exchange feedback and suggestions on how we can improve as a wife and husband. Over the years, humbling ourselves and admitting that we have bad traits and unhealthy habits, and by being filled with the Holy Spirit make us a better spouse to each other. :) Overall, we like celebrations to be simple and intimate so that the bond, the gratefulness for life and relationships will be the greatest highlight of the day. <3

And just to clarify, I know that there are loans that some of us has to necessarily make, like for education or for businesses. What I’m trying to say is, if we are to borrow money, I hope it’s not because of over-spending and living above our means.

Again, to be debt-free from unnecessary stuff is a personal responsibility. It’s not easy, given that we cannot control all circumstances. That’s why we need God, His mercy, provision and deliverance. We really have to be intentional in our prayer lives. :)

4. Invest or get an insurance with VUL

For a third world country like ours, insurance isn’t as widely welcomed here and not treated as normal as others do in the first world countries. So for my fellow countrymen haha if you have the extra budget to get one, please do so. I hope that you’ll include this in your prayer and long-term goal, and consider even if the coverage is not that huge. At least meron kasi it’ll be a huge help esp if you’re the breadwinner in the family, and you’ll know that you’ll have additional budget when you retire and stop working. :) God will also be pleased to see if you’ll do something that will let your money (His blessings) grow through stock market. :)❤️

You may also want to read Matthew 25:14 to 30 to better understand God’s heart when it comes to stewardship. It’s a parable about servants and their master who entrusted his wealth to them. :)

5. Share your blessings!

As I come to know God more and learn more about His will and grace, a heart for others became something more natural to me.

So when it comes to having a heart for others, I have learned that loving through encouragements and through words isn’t always enough, we also have to show our love through actions. As what is written in James 2:14 to 17 say:

4 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Helping others is a form of honoring God’s commandments and it pleases Him too!

Proverbs 19:17 says: Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deeds.

Hebrews 13:16, Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

I know when we are in a tight budget, it can be really hard to share what we have. But even it might be something small for you, if you give it with sincerity, trust that God knows and sees our hearts. No amount is too small if binigay sincerely :) And money isn’t the only way to help others! We can help through our efforts. If we know someone who is struggling to be debt-free, to provide or to save, we can help through helping them monitor and assess their expenses (of course with their consent ha, wag mo silang pilitin sa financial planning please lang, you have to give them respect guys. Advice with care. Sa kahit anong klase ng advice pa yan. May iba kasi, pag di tinanggap yung advice or help galet na galet ustu manaket. Hahaha. Let them make their own decisions, basta ikaw nag offer ka ng help, nasa sakanila na yun if tatanggapin nila. Wag sasama loob natin. Pagpray nalang natin sila na mag make ng good decisions. Hehe.). Anyway, as for me, I personally keep an excel file with formulas, I monitor expenses and budget my money there. And we can also help by looking and suggesting for scholarship programs so we can help them or their children finish their studies. We can also suggest part-time jobs or businesses and assist them in the beginning process of applying for jobs or putting up their small enterprise, etc.

Again friends, I hope that we wouldn’t only love in words, in our tweets or Facebook posts/shares, but also in deeds. :)

Since we can’t go out due to lockdown, and we see shortage in PPEs and the uncertainty in businesses and jobs, my husband and I are silently giving humble donations to our front-liners and relatives. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not sharing this because we’re seeking public approval or compliment from friends (if we do, you’ll know bec you would see photos posted in our socmed accounts and not in my low-key tumblr page haha) I personally, and honestly cringe at the thought of being proud of what we were able to give, kasi di naman kalakihan haha and more importantly hindi naman samin galing yun! All the glory and credit is to God alone.

And the reason why I’m sharing this is to encourage you guys that even for average earners like us, it is possible for God to use us as a channel of blessings to those who are in need. Even the heart to give is from Him! Our giving is only possible by His grace. That is why we don’t sincerely seek or expect praise from people, because we know deep in our hearts that everything, from our jobs to our health and strength to work and earn is from Him. We have nothing to boast or anything to be proud of.

And for others who posts or posted photos of them helping, that’s good too! Pwedeng active lang talaga sila sa socmed and they’re just sincerely happy to be able to help. We don’t know their motives, only God knows what’s inside our hearts so wag tayo judgemental sa kanila okay?

Also, a friendly reminder to ask for God’s wisdom as we give help to others. Why? Minsan kasi akala natin nakakatulong tayo but ang hindi natin alam, tinuturuan na pala natin sila ng mali or hinihelp natin sila to get away from the consequences of their wrong decisions, if ganun next time, di sila matututo and di sila magiimprove. If we truly love them, we wouldn’t want to see them create bigger problems in the future. We’d love to see them flourish and become the better versions of themselves. And most of the time, facing the consequences of our wrong decisions allows us to learn from our mistakes and win the situation next time. Sabi nga ni Lord, true love is wanting and seeking the highest good in that person. Lagi natin need ng discernment pag tutulong din tayo kasi it’s also a major decision, and all decisions should be prayed for kasi si Lord lang talaga nakakaalam ng motives ng tao.

Aaand for the last encouragement today,

6. Have and keep an eternal perspective

I talked about finances not because I want us to live for money and make it an idol, but to be good stewards of God’s blessings while we are here on earth. We know that money doesn’t necessarily mean evil, but when we love and pay too much attention on material things, it’ll eventually destroy our future, and Satan can use it to deceive us and lose our eyes on God and His truth. Remember that our only and greatest treasure is Jesus and our relationship with Him. He is our only way to heaven, so I hope that we do not lose our sight on our Savior. :)

As what Jack Wellman said,

“If you want to help others, tell someone you know that isn’t yet saved that they need to repent and be saved. The most generous thing we can do is risk being hated, despised, persecuted, and thought of as narrow minded by telling them that they face the wrath of God unless they repent of their sins, confess them to God and then put their trust in Christ. That is the most loving thing that you could ever do for someone. There is nothing in this life which could help someone than share the gospel with them in the hopes that they might be saved. The gift of grace and eternal life is the greatest gift there is. Why not share it. It’s too priceless to keep to yourself, isn’t it? “

So! Let us not forget to share Jesus and His grace, so we can one day get to heaven and enjoy His presence and each other’s eternally. :)

I pray that we will all be a better steward of God’s finances each day/month or year. Hehe. And I wish to remind us all that it’s okay and normal to stumble sometimes and to commit mistakes, let’s strive to progress but let us not be too critical on ourselves. What’s important is we depend our strength and source of wisdom to God, to run to Him always and that we would grow and improve together until He calls us home. :)

Have a rested week ahead!

#Christ

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itslisafira-blog · 7 years

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I AM IN VIETNAM

First post in Vietnam!

Hello folks! IM SO EXCITED TO TELL YOU THAT IM NOW IN HUE CITY, VIETNAM! *horay*

I still cant believe that im here! Im breathing and stay in Vietnam woah I wanna cry just let me cry, *cry so hard*. Sorry, for my reaction!.okay continue to my post. Well in this post I would like to share you how I get here in Vietnam

My journey begin at 2 of February, that night my mom came from Palembang the previous day to make sure she always there whenever I need here to preprare everything. How sweet it is!. Also my boyfriend help me a lot a night before I go to airport. He came, have a dinner with us and help me to carry my things. My boyfriend surely so sweet to me. *I miss both of em.

Okay after Im done with all my lugages. Me and mom heading to the airport about 10pm. Anyway I bring 2 lugage. One is bigger than another one, the medium size and normal size for each. For those who wants to have an exchange programe like me, moreover for a long period time (3 up tp 6 months or more). I really suggest you guys to bring all of the necessary things you probably hard to find in your host country and only plenty of your favorite clothes! Do not bring too much things and to much clothes! Trust me, you will thank me for tellin you this. I’ll explain you latter why.

My departure actually were arranged at 3 of February in the early morning, but since my dormitory wont let any cars enter the campus area to get in above 11pm we already leaving my dorm before that time. At the airport me and mom wait for about 5 hours. We are sleeping in the waiting room hahahaa. I might said. It wasn’t comfortable. Yes it is. Because anyone can see you sleeping and the room was so cold. So make sure if you wants to stay longer in the waiting room don’t forget your warm jacket! ^^

Finally it’s 5 in the morning. I already made some contacts with another share scholarship awardee from indonesia. (awardee: people that selected to honoured the scholarship). Couple minutes later, I found out two girl infront of me, and im sure that is the gurl from diponegoro university, kak putri and amal. Not so long, right after I go back from toilet. There are 2 girls gathered with us, they are kak yanti and maul. These gurl were my room mate in dorm. And absolutely crazy fun and kind as fuck. I LOVE MY CABE HEHE

Next, were heading to Malaysia. Of course after I hugged my mom so tight and listened to her advice as usually. The moment I check in before I finally reach the plan was so incredible. I bring to much things till I couldn’t take care of my luggage :’). Its like somebody always help me whenever my luggage needs to be check. LIKE I WANNA CRY. GOSH its really tiring, and also I need to transit to hcmc to hue sooner. God damn it. LUCKYLY, this gurl around me are so PEKA as hell. Waqaaa ee, whenever I need help, before I saidi it they are already put their hands behind my back saying im ready to help you. :’’’) LOL I compliment you guys, gw baikan? Ya iyain aja woi

Therefore, you have to know if my luggage weight was out of 20kg, so I have to pay Rp650.000 rupiah. You know, I have no choice. I cant leave my clothes out of nowhere. NO I CANT L. Not only me, this also happened to kak putri and amal. Their luggage was out of 20 kg. but luckily they have some totte bag so they open up their luggage back, and put some clothes to decrease its weight. And it’s WORK!.

So guys, if you wanna go abroad make sure you always bring more totte bags or anykind of bags that light and can helo you carry things. And make sure (I just wanna remind you) only bring necessary things that u cant or find to hard in ur host country and don’t bring too much clothes!.

BEIEVE ME YOU WILL BUY LOT OF CLOTHES IN UR HOME COUNTRY, MOREOVER IF U GET PLENTY OF MONEY FOR YOUR MONTHLY ALLOWANCE. BECAUSE NOWDAYS I WANNA CRY, ITS BEEN A MONTH FOR ME TO STAY IN HUE BUT I BOUGHT SO MANY THIGS. GOSH

After every obstacle that I pass during the check in prosses. We finally arrived in Singapore ^^. Yipiiii

Some of the officers are women, and I can say they are not really friendly to me. This is just my opinion guys, idk maybe they are on their period or maybe they just havin prob with his hubby L. I just don’t know or maybe they are hungry or dehydration so that they need aqu* (?)

So here I am with 4 girls that I never meet before out of nowhere stuck together and condition forces to smile everytime they are jokin even I don’t understand what they are sayin HAHAHAHA. No kidding, they are very kind, and its just me that being so quite. LOLS. We all wait in waiting room. I see a lot of foreigner in the waiting room. I wonder, why so many western people come to Vietnam? Well before I ever read some article that stated that Vietnam is very beautiful. Idk I haven’t arrived yet at that time, also I haven’t going out more in HUE. *ratapann anak baik-baik, pulang ngampus ke dorm, bocan*

Feeling bored and hungry at the same time. Me and anisah amalia (well her name remind me about the girl in my old junior high) just call her amal anyway, look around and try some food. But the things that happened was, we have no ringgit :V. LOLS. So we have to exchange our money first to ringgit. Its quite expensive I think T_T. 60 ringgits be like Rp100.000 rupiah (if im not mistaken). In the airport, I buy famous amous. Its kind of biscuit that is really delicious :’) I love it so much. But yeah it is expensive. I also eat some kind of roti cane :/

Finished with the food, we are going back to the waiting room and found out everybody has make a line to go through the gate ._. that was fast man!. So yeah I have to sit alone because me and my friend were not sit side by side idk why. Yeah I just sleep in the plan and look up to the sky and wonder am I dreaming or not, or how beautiful Vietnam is from above.

At first I was like, WOW THAT WAS HO CHI MINH CITY AND IT WAS AMAZING. I SEE LOT OF SKYSCRAPER AND ANYTHING SO BEAUTIFUL.

Finally we arrived in ho chi minh city. Kind of confuse to find the local airport, because after this we need to go to Vietnamese airline for the local flight. So guys, ho chi minh city and hue city is like sumatera and java island. Jaoh coy hehe.

AND FINALLY FINALLY WE ARRIVED AT HUE AIRPORT. YEEE. The airport is actually quite simple and not crowded. After get our luggage we were greeted warmly by a man that is command by mrs. Huy (the one that responsible for share scholarship and the one that has a duty to manage the international relation in hue university) to pick us and help us to put our luggage to our dorm. He also take us to some places to eat some Vietnamese food.

IM SO HAPPY because my first day in hue at that time was amazing. Im so excited. And you know I never imagine my friend gonna be this awesome and funny. I hope we will always be friend forever *mulai baper*. And I start to think I don’t wanna leave Vietnam!! ><

Well guys if u want to know the truth, I just finished this post a month after I stayed I hue.so its kind of outdate. But later is better than not at all HAHA excuses.

I hope you guys enjoy my writing!

In the next post I will tell you some interesting facts in Vietnam and some photo of Vietnam!

SEE YOUU!

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